Four (#4) - Upright Brewing Company

Bfarr

Washington

2.83/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Appearance is a cloudy brown with a highly carbonated white head. A yeasty and slightly earthy aroma is slightly subdued. Tastes are very well balanced with wheat and malt presence taking turns with a nice hop bitterness that lingers lightly. A very high carbonation feel leads to a medium dry finish.

I may have had a bad bottle because this thing exploded in as soon as I opened it and didn't stop frothing for 10 minutes. I didn't jostle it, it didn't move but from the fridge to being opened. I served it chilled as was recommended to me. That being forgiven, the appearance was so cloudy it almost looked muddy. The taste is very approachable and even but the high carbonation destroyed any enjoyable flavors. Unfortunate at $11 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2010 02:05:07 | More by Bfarr

illidurit

California

2.88/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750 mL bottle poured into my Odonata saison glass. Bright clear gold with a massive rocky white head which takes a while to settle down enough to allow me to take a sip. Aroma is piney, lemony, and metallic, very bright and bursting out of the glass. Seems a bit solvent-like with some sharpness to it. Flavor continues the sharp acidity of the aroma, but it's not pleasant as in a typical sour beer, it's more distracting and overpowering. Big lemongrass/lemonade note up front, followed by a more welcome cereal graininess and dry finish. I'm thinking this might have a slight infection.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 07:09:51 | More by illidurit

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip.

3.5 A: Nearly clear golden wheat color. Three fingers of pillowy white head. Retention is good and a little bit of irregular lacing is left.

3.5 S: Lemony and wheaty with grassiness all around. Dry hay, musty rotting wood, and a light floral/vegetal combo. Faint corriander. Finally, something between plastic and sorachi ace hops, but thankfully this isn't very strong. I read some reviews before buying this and the beer I'm smelling doesn't have the spiciness that I read about. Oh well.

2.5 T: The strongest flavor might be the one I hated the most in the nose. The sorachi plastic is back and distracts from the good flavors. Lemon rind, wheat, grass, hay follow. Big herbal character in this. Lightly floral with musty dustiness, rotting wood, and apple orchard. This reminds me of Saison du Buff in a few ways, though this is much better.

3.5 M: Lighter body. Higher level, somewhat spritzy carbonation. Smooth enough.

3.0 D: I'm not a huge fan of this because of the big herbalness and the plastic thing. I think I'm particularly sensitive to these flavors. In any case, this isn't bad, but far from my saison of choice.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 05:11:47 | More by DavoleBomb

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.11/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Lemon yellow color, an omen of scents and flavors to come.

Smells strongly of lemon and less strongly of yeast and spices.

Tastes just as strongly of lemon, a rather tart saison. The lemon flavors are too dominant. As it warms they fade a little bit and it improves some.

This is supposed to be their traditional saison, a table beer, but to me it's one dimensional and over the top with lemon flavor. It's pleasant but not their best.

6.2/10

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 17:57:24 | More by AlexFields

phichifiji00

California

3.13/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into pint glass.

Appearance: Straw colored, slight white head, average lacing.

Smell: earty, straw, grass, hints of lemon zest, slightly hoppy.

Taste: Hoppy, notes of lemon zest/citrus, slightly spicy.

Mouthfeel: light bodied, low carbonation, very dry.

Overall: A decent, simple saison, nothing complex going on. Very drinkable. Refreshing

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 22:39:37 | More by phichifiji00

philbertk

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Upright Brewing Company--FOUR--2010 Dark Green 25.4 oz. Bottle. 4.50% ABV. 10 IBU's? (3.5 / 5.0) Saison / Wheat Ale? Huge foamy lacy white head. Clear bright gold color hazes creamy orange with light sediment. Delicate floral wheat ester weak hop front. Fizzy dry sweet thin smooth slightly fruity Saison grassy herbal refreshing wheat body. Light citrus zesty end. Clean & Smooth. Light, but Tasty. Thin, but not Bland. Sampled 7/30/2010. 2 @ $10.99 Each.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2010 20:53:39 | More by philbertk

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a massive overflowing head in my tulip glass. Lacing on the sides of the glass evident. Body of the beer is hazy and straw pale malt yellow.

S: Aroma of lemon rind, mustiness, pale malts, Czech/Noble hops, some fruit blossoms and a french saison yeast. I have brewed a few saisons with very similar aroma that were not at all hard to brew.

T: Starts off with a pronounced lemon rind flavor , a bit of coriander and some mustiness. The flavors are really more lemon and lightly flavored pale malt than anything else. I suspect the temperatures did not get as high as I prefer to make my Saisons that I put into the 90's in the early to mid summer to pronounce its flavors.

M: The body is light and fluffy with a ton of carbonation. Too much, however this was probably not completely fermented at the time of bottling and the sugars have been finished afterwards.

O: I am not overly impressed with this although it is not bad. I have a slightly biased assessment coming from some Saisons that I have made with little difficulty that were very similar or better than this with a little more flavor. With that said, this is a highly drinkable light summer Saison which is what these are supposed to be. I would recommend trying Saison Dupont over this however it is a nice light Saison that is not offensive to those who fear flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 23:05:26 | More by alpinebryant

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap in a goblet.

Pale yellow body with a finger of bright white head. Retention is OK with a regimen of intermittent swirling. Wet lacing is teased, but it sort of drips back into the beer.

Bouquet is mild, but pleasant: light grains, some lemony/wheat tang, bit of cloves and some other spices, a hint of funk.

In the mouth, husky grains and light malts are livened up with a that lemon/wheat combo again, a bit of sourness, cloves, banana, and again a vague bit of funk. All these elements are rather subdued, but identifiable. There's a grassy bite of hops at the swallow that lingers for a second, then gives way to a dry, slightly chalky finish.

Overall impression: A bit subdued for my liking, but a tasty, refreshing brew.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 20:57:33 | More by PDXHops

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lots of citrus on this one. The lemon on the nose hits hard at first and fades fairly soon. There is a high amount on the flavor profile with a lot of acid on the profile. Also a bit of an earthy woody thing on the backside. Too much citrus on this one, for my taste. Outdoes everything else and nothing else has an opportunity to shine. A so-so saison. Just too one sided.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 22:46:20 | More by RblWthACoz

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A casual tasting of this clouded wheat beer suggests a Belgian-style wit, though apparently the cloven phenolics that might otherwise suggest coriander are the product of Upright's signature saison ale yeast. Aside from unmalted wheat, no flavoring adjuncts are used.

Four is sunny yellow and modestly clouded with a thin white head and modest lace. Its flavor is snappy, peppery, and crisp though not tart. The aroma is delightfully spicy.

A nice little farmhouse beer though a bit thin in the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2009 00:09:04 | More by RedDiamond

Florida9

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Cloudy pastel yellow in color. Forms a enormous pillowy white head that slowly reduces to about a quarter inch or so. Light lacing.

S: Green apples, grapes, herbaceous, and mildly vinous.

T & M: The first thing you notice about this beer is the extent of the wheat coming through. Then flavors of bubble gum, banana, apple, lemon and grassy herbs. Dry on the palate with medium-heavy carbonation. Flavor is very light

O: This beer reminded me of some sort of odd bastard child of champagne and a dry Normandy cider more so than a Saison. In the end, I think it's a decent beer, but I find Upright's other Saison's to be more enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 00:19:11 | More by Florida9

ehammond1

California

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Very light straw yellow in color, with a slight haze, that leaves regular, nearly perfect lines of stick down the glass. Very pretty.

Mild aroma, with some grain and apple notes, along with earth and grass.

A very simple flavor of grass, grain, mild lemon and apple, and just a hint of funk. Very low bitterness and incredibly drinkable.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, though airy and light. Marvelously drinkable. This beer scores major points here.

Gulpable, though not particularly interesting, even considering the ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 04:26:35 | More by ehammond1

GreenCard

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

[Bottle purchased at the brewery tasting room]

Appearance: pale straw to gold, slight haze, medium layer of pure white fine-beaded foam, decent head retention

Aroma: chamomile tea, braeburn apples, sun-warmed strawberries, wheat, honey, and band-aids

Flavor: light maltiness like a wheat cracker or a slice of fresh-baked bread; the yeast phenolics are subdued hints of clove; mild acidity; touch of lemon and grassy hops; finishes dry with a tartness and lingering herbal note

Mouthfeel: light body, pert carbonation, crisp texture

Other comments: This is like Saison Dupont's little sister or something. Or if Saison Dupont moved to the US and had a baby with an American hefeweizen. Really looking to Six and Seven being released in bottles.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2009 01:49:40 | More by GreenCard

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle poured into a Russian River -tion glass. No bottle date.

Appearance - Slightly hazy yellow-orange body with a huge white head. No lacing on the glass, but the retention is good.

Smell - Citrusy lemon-orange yeasty character. Strong bready malt. Nice and light smelling.

Taste - More yeasty in the taste than the aroma. Slightly tangy flavor that builds into the finish. It somewhat masks the other flavors. Bready malt character that faintly comes through and a earthy hop finish that's a nice counter point to the tang.

Mouthfeel - Light. Well carbonated. Easy drinking. The tartness perhaps detracts from the drinkability, but it's still nice.

Overall - I like sours, but I don't know that I like the sour character of this beer. It's a very nice saison otherwise. The sour flavors just mask what I think would be a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 23:34:15 | More by Alieniloquium

mmapes

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy yellow, fizzy foamy head. Dry, grassy, almost winey at first followed by malty notes that remind you it's beer not wine. Yeast in the finish as well. I like Tank 7, but this seems more quaffable because it is not so sweet. Very refreshing. Would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 17:41:53 | More by mmapes

Philousa

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Imbibed at Good Karma on 10/26/12.

Pours a hazy, tawny gold with a billowy white head that laces well. Aroma is mildly spicy (pepper, clove), mainly lemon and wheat. Flavor is a little subdued and the feel is a little light because of the low ABV. Lots of peanut and cashew with a slightly tart wheat flavor. Hops are floral and light, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. This is what I imagine a farmer would want after a hard day's work. Very flavorful, but doesn't knock you on your ass. Digging the recent trend towards flavorful session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2012 20:27:21 | More by Philousa

HopHead84

California

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Belmont Station. Light gold and semi-cloudy with a small white head. The retention is good and there's a little lacing.

Aromas are of wheat, spices, and some tartness. Yeastiness and some light fruity esters are present. The flavor has some spiciness up front with light fruits: lemon and apricot. The beer has a low level of acidity. This is very flavorful for a 4% beer. No alcohol is noticeable.

The beer is light bodied. It's flavorful while having a low ABV and being light on the palate.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2009 23:14:00 | More by HopHead84

ckeegan04

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From notes from my week in Oregon in June. On tap at Belmont Station.

A - Golden yellow with a foamy three finger white head. Lightly hazed. Very active carbonation quickly rising to the top. Smattering of thin white lace left behind.

S - Hints of lemon zest, wheat and a light spiciness. Light tartness in the smell as well. As the beer warms the wheat really starts to shine through.

T - Light tartness right off the bat with hints of lemon zest. The spiciness quickly comes in as well and matches up aaginst the tart lemon tastes. Somewhat grainy towards the end.

M/D - Light anc crisp with excellent carbonation. Very easy drinking with a nice blend of flavors. None are phenomenal, but they all play off of each other nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2009 15:20:21 | More by ckeegan04

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to ArchEnemyBrew for throwing this in as an extra in our trade a while back.

First pour is all foam, finally some hazy pale orange beer comes around. For such a huge head, doesn't retain too well, does leave some lace.

Lemon, citrus, wheaty scents. Pleasant, though a little plain.

Taste opens up things a bit more. Definitely lots of zesty citrus and lemon present, some herbal hops too. Yeast, grassiness, light on the farm but a bit of straw there. Big bready wheat in the finish.

Definitely high on the carbonation, comes off as a little spritzy for my tastes, but it's light and refreshing, suitable for the style.

A nice, refreshing saison, the big fruit and wheat aspect added alot here I think. Easy drinking, a bottle of this on a summer day is an enticing thought.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 17:04:10 | More by Chico1985

beagle75

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured from a capped 750 into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, medium golden color with abundant white foam head that quickly deflates to sparse patches. Almost no lacing remains on the glass.

S: Bright fruit, yeast funk, and faint ripe, runny cheese (or possibly rancid butter).

T: Begins smooth with noticeable wheat, then quickly develops bright acidity bordering on lactic sourness. A snap of pepper also emerges in the middle, before the finish demonstrates a brisk grassy bitterness alongside the return of rich wheat.

M: Light, velvety (wheat) texture with fairly high carbonation really suits the style, leaving the palate refreshed after every sip.

D: A sophisticated collection of flavors in a sessionable package distinguishes this beer. Food pairings may be the preferred application here, considering the eager presence this beer imparts upon the palate with its smooth mouthfeel and scrubbing bubbles. Also, the challenges presented by this beer are not insignificant and probably better moderated when accompanied by other sensory stimuli.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 05:11:34 | More by beagle75

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Side by side of four and fatali four. An interesting comparison

Both pour a clear golden orange with lots of carbonation. The regular four has a crazy amount of head. Fatali four is fairly minimal headed. Both smell a bit funky. The fatali has a nice kick of pepper on the nose. Both have a wheaty saison scent that is great. Both taste nice and wheaty. A nice funk. The fatali has a huuuuge pepper on the back of the tongue. They are both really solid saisons! The moth feel is solid. Smilar carbonation on both. Overall both are tasty. Fatali is incredible compared to the base beer. Overall base four is solid both nothing special

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 00:28:11 | More by Urbancaver

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of the palest, lightest beers I can remember. Hazy very light yellow/gold with an absurd bubble bath head that settles very slowly; patchy lace sticks to the glass.

Nice nose; nothing too big; yeasty, lemony citrus, floral notes, distinct wheat. In the flavor, the yeast is manifest as a peppery spice note; grainy wheat meshes well with grassy, floral hops (Hallertauer Mittelfruh) and pale malt. Mild tartness and citrusy character; lingering bitterness, dry finish.

Medium light body with lively carbonation. In combination with the assertive pepper it dances on the tongue pretty well. Easy drinking, very dry nature brings you back for more quickly.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 21:18:44 | More by tobelerone

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Brewery Creek. A lemony and Bretty aroma greets you. Yellow golden body with lots of soapy head. A lemon and wheat tartness. Lacey. Above average carbonation. A good drinker though a tongue burner with the Thai spice. As a saison, well its tart.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 15:12:39 | More by northyorksammy

JimmyTango

California

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This Upright Co has been so intriguing to me and thanks to Ian and Chelse I finally get to check one out! Their year round beers are all brewed with french Saison Yeast, but with a different base. Four is wheat, Five is hoppy pale, Six is rye, and Seven is dark. Stoked to try the rest when I get a chance.

Four was good, but not great, acidic saison. Low alcohol is great ‘cuz you can drink more : ) Very clean wheat base with almost no fruitiness besides a hint of green apple peel. It has fairly assertive bittering hops, lemon scent, and a tart taste mixed in with the saltine cracker base. Low on funk, but that is ok. Only complaint is that the bitterness comes across like aspirin in the background a bit, which I don’t like.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 22:04:11 | More by JimmyTango

OldMar

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy yellow, fizzy foamy head. Dry, grassy, almost winey at first followed by malty notes that remind you it's beer not wine. Yeast in the finish as well. I like Tank 7, but this seems more quaffable because it is not so sweet. Very refreshing. Would buy again. Maybe a peach/pear note in the finish - not cloying at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 21:04:55 | More by OldMar