Upslope Pumpkin Ale - Upslope Brewing Company

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.49/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to drumrboy22 for the can. Tasted 13 January 2013.

Pours a clear rust color; deep, very reddish brown, maybe more of a cherry wood color. Quarter-finger of yellowish head. Peering through it with light behind, I can make out a few bubbles creeping up. Color is really nice, but the rest of it isn't.

Smell is as it should be, rich sweet full juicy pumpkin. Some woody spices in the background, like nutmeg. Quite good. The highlight of the beer, IMO.

Taste is flipped. Instead of pumpkin up front, wood in the back, this is dominated by woody malts, with a sprinkling of pumpkin and spice. Not bad, not great.

Mouthfeel is, well, flat. Medium-heavy, almost oily. Like drinking flat soda. Not good, and definitely detracts from the beer. Everything just sits there, and it really needs some buzz to keep the flavors moving.

An okay pumpkin ale. Mouthfeel is blah, and taste is just okay. Smell keeps it up, lifting everything out of the doldrums.

Serving type: can

01-14-2013 03:19:17 | More by zeledonia

CUBeerBuff

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.3%

06-11-2013 22:24:27 | More by CUBeerBuff

kevinscott

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

04-16-2013 14:39:42 | More by kevinscott

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I have to sheepishly admit that I have fallen behind on my backlog of CANs, but I am now in the process of getting caught up. Blargimus sent this to me a while back and it has been refrigerated since. I am looking forward to it!

From the CAN: "Hand-Crafted Beer"; "Limited Release"; "Ale brewed with Pumpkins and Spices"; "Ingredients [-] Snowmelt[,] Malt[,]Baby Bear Pumpkins[,]Hops[,]Yeast[,]Spices"; "Specs [-] Hand-Crafted[,]Aluminum CAN[,]Portable[,]Recyclable[,]Good"; "Brewed and CANned by Upslope Brewing Co. Boulder, Colorado Pumpkins Grown and Harvested by Munson Farms".

The C rack revealed a brimful craft CAN and as the anticipation was growing, I went with an aggro pour to get the ball rolling. I quickly had a finger-and-a-half of thick, tawny head with good retention. Color was a deep-copper with NE-quality clarity. Nose was somewhat sweet and big with the added spices. Man, this took me right back to the fall, which happens to be my favorite time of the year. Lots of CO2 bubbles in evidence, so the delay does not seem to have harmed it in terms of carbonation. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite enough to be creamy, but close and the taste was really cinnamon-like. I was reminded of chewing a stick of Big Red gum. Whew! The finish was not quite so heavy on the spices, allowing some of the malt and sugar from the pumpkins to come through, but it was a pretty intense beer for the style.

Serving type: can

04-13-2013 01:53:11 | More by woodychandler

MinorThreat

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.3%

02-24-2013 05:48:09 | More by MinorThreat

StubFaceJoe

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

01-20-2013 08:17:26 | More by StubFaceJoe

blindpiggie

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.3%

12-23-2012 17:29:36 | More by blindpiggie

KajII

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

[Suggested Glassware: Lager Glass]

The pour was a clear reddish orange with a head that was on the light side of average (1-2 finger), with an off white fizzy head that diminished totally after a few minutes and had poor lacing.

The aroma was of a light bread malt and a doughy yeast with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and clove.

The taste was a light malty sweet with a touch of pumpkin and nutmeg early on, becoming lightly bitter with a hint of cinnamon and a slightly spicy note of clove at the finish. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow, being mostly of a light sweet spiciness that faded away rather slowly.

Mouthfeel was light in body with a watery texture and a mild carbonation.

Overall this was a decent tasting Pumpkin Ale and did possess a good drinkability, but as this style goes it was nothing overly special...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: can

11-26-2012 14:46:39 | More by KajII

BeerHunter76

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

11-12-2012 02:42:31 | More by BeerHunter76

Texasfan549

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

11-10-2012 14:22:58 | More by Texasfan549

steamboatbrewer

Colorado

5/5  rDev +26.6%

11-06-2012 02:01:05 | More by steamboatbrewer

IrishColonial

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

11-05-2012 02:17:32 | More by IrishColonial

kjkinsey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

11-03-2012 13:56:35 | More by kjkinsey

crobinso

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

11-03-2012 02:20:05 | More by crobinso

tswater

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.3%

10-31-2012 03:38:29 | More by tswater

GilGarp

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint can served cold into a pint glass.

Upslope's Pumpkin is a beautiful redish orange hue with some thick but short-lived head.

Aroma has a nice caramel-richness with undertones of the pumpkin and pie spice.

Flavor is similar and really nicely done. It has balance so the pumpkin, spices, and malts all compliment eachother nicely.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated. It would probably be just as good or better if it was served a bit warmer.

Overall an excellent pumpkin beer and very enjoyable on a cold autumn night.

Serving type: can

10-26-2012 02:50:33 | More by GilGarp

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Great looking pumpkin ale. Deep orange/pumpkin hued.

S: Smells like autumn. Cinnamon along with some allspice, nutmeg and clove. Pumpkin in there too.

T: Great tasting brew. Follows the nose with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. Light on the clove (which I like...I don't enjoy clove heavy pumpkin ales). Fleshy pumpkin. Some brown sugar as well. Blends together great.

M: Fairly easy drinker. Alcohol is well hidden but does sneak up on you a little bit. The "tall boy" can made this a one and done for me for the night.

Overall, this is definitely in the upper tier of pumpkin ales for me. I picked one up on a recent trip to Colorado on a whim and am glad that I did. It closely resembles Schlafly pumpkin to me (my favorite pumpkin ale) but across the board is just slightly more muted in taste and aroma that one. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: can

10-24-2012 02:28:31 | More by bcostner1

ZorroMulder

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.3%

10-13-2012 21:30:24 | More by ZorroMulder

acurtis

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

10-09-2012 23:16:37 | More by acurtis

djrn2

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

10-09-2012 22:55:12 | More by djrn2

Twal

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

10-08-2012 04:30:03 | More by Twal

MarkyMOD

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

10-04-2012 02:38:47 | More by MarkyMOD

chugalug06

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Duvel Tulip

I won't review this brew towards the price I paid... $5/16oz can... Needless to say, Upslope is a bit proud of their gold medal.

Wonderful clarity in the golden amber hued brew. Head is murky orange with lots of fluffy browns and yellows. Brew pours slowly at first then speeds up quite a bit.

Tons of pumpkin, nutmeg, spice, roastyness, caramel, sugar, and tons of cinnamon.

Holy cinnamon! Smooth deliverance of the ABV, no heat and tons of big flavor. Medium carbonation nicely compliments the strong pumpkin and cinnamon flavors. I could do with a bit less nutmeg and belgian sugars though...

This is the Mother of all Pumpkin brews... A must try, if you can avoid the $5/can price tag... It's worth ~3.5/can, IMO. Don't be surprised to see another gold go towards this brew.

Serving type: can

09-29-2012 00:27:47 | More by chugalug06

SiflandOlly

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

09-27-2012 02:54:33 | More by SiflandOlly

ucsbmullet

Colorado

5/5  rDev +26.6%

09-24-2012 00:18:25 | More by ucsbmullet