Seven (#7) - Upright Brewing Company

TheviolentcrumbL

Washington

4.9/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Murky hues of gold, copper and burnt leaves coalesce in a tulip shaped glass. A thick pillow of off-white head settles slowly to a nice ringlet.

S- Grass, pineapple, fresh bread, slight funk. Light spice from the hops. Intoxicating really.

T- Cured lemon and bread with a bit of spice and tropical fruits. Make that dried pineapple. Some smooth grain and grass for sure.

M- Medium body with great carbonation. Dry, tart finish that leaves my mouth watering for the next sip.

D- Very high. I want it on tap in the house. A beer this thirst quenching would make house work much more pleasant. Upright really hit the nail on the head with this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 09:43:19 | More by TheviolentcrumbL

cjacobsen

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to sweemzander for bringing this one to GBM 6.27.11

(A) Brown orange color, almost like a burnt orange. Darkest in the middle and more golden around the edges of the glass. There isn't much head, but the head that is there is pure, clean white.

(S) Smells slightly sour and tart with almost a floral undertone. It's sweet with almost a citric acidity in there.

(T) It's definitely more tart than the nose. The tartness is underlying the entire taste but really brings up the rear. A bit of cherry and white grape go hand in hand with the slight acidic and citric notes. You get a hint of some spices like ginger and/or cardamom even though they were not a part of the brewing.

(M) It IS tart, but it's a refreshingly different tartness. It boosts the crispness of the beer.

(O) This was a really fantastic beer. One of the best saisons I've ever had. Well done. Had a different spin on it than most and I think that really sets this one apart. It's very clean and defined.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 13:12:08 | More by cjacobsen

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.48/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Off the tap into a pint glass. One finger of head with opaque, dark orange colored body.
A fragrant aroma of orange and coriander.
The taste was great depth with lemon, orange and yeast. It's bright and sunny.
The texture has a light fizz, with moderate carbonation and medium body.
This is one of the better saisons I've had. It is complex and balanced. Find it and drink it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2013 01:04:35 | More by Fatehunter

beertunes

Washington

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in balloon goblet. Poured a chill hazed orangeish amber color that had just a thin cap of head with very low retention, but still left OK lacing.

The aroma was surprisingly fruity, with a nice yeast scent and a touch of spice in the background. The taste was Very F-ing good, fruitier than most and not as sour, the beer still managed a nice dry finish.

The body was fuller than most examples of the style and coated the tongue nicely, went down easy and finished dryly. Drinkability was excellent, I rarely drink 2 of the same beer in a row and I had 5 of these in one sitting. Even at 8% these are smoothly drinkable.

Overall, a wonderful beer, go get it now!!!

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 20:21:53 | More by beertunes

sdawson

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

#7 pours a thick white head atop a base of hazy orange. The scent is predominantly citrus -- I get strong lemon -- yeast, cloves, and subtler spices playing in the background. For those accustomed to Upright Brewing Company's style the dominant tastes of spice, grapefruit, and a strong hop finish may seem a bit of a departure from their typically subtler offerings. I find it a pleasant one, however, as the earthiness of the brew somehow works well with the summer appeal of Saison, making it a great alternative to the lighter summer offerings that most PDX brewers are pushing.

Serving type: growler

07-25-2010 09:33:36 | More by sdawson

wagenvolks

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle passed around at the September BA tasting in Austin. Many thanks to sdawson for the hook-up in our trade!

Seven displays a bright tangerine body with caramel at its core. Hazy, but inviting, with a fat cap of manila foam that retains well and drapes sticky lacing all across the glass. Aroma? Spicy. Citrus zest, coriander, Soccer-Mom-fresh orange wedges, grains of paradise. Earthy, too, with a hint of funk and herbal hops. I could smell this one all day long...

The flavor is as rich as the aroma suggested. Seven is inviting, but deceptively simple in its profile, with orange peel and grapefruit leading the way. Vegetal & musty mid-palate with traces of white pepper. Finish is dry and spicy, while the overall body is creamy with a medium body and perfect carbonation level. Bottom line: delicious. I would gladly have this one again. Upright is not a brewery to be slept on. Get at 'em before the uber-geeks catch wind!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 06:32:21 | More by wagenvolks

dgilks

Australia

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear, dark golden colour with a creamy white head. Good head retention.

Big, slightly tart aroma with notes of clove and pepper. Light pear and apple. Well balanced yeast character here.

A smoothly malty saison with some good tartness and a nice dose of bitterness. Everything here is nicely integrated and the moderate fruitiness rounds it out. Great.

Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Truly one of the best saisons I've had. Solid flavour, body and balance.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2011 12:16:59 | More by dgilks

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The last of my beers from Upright. But hopefully not the last beer I try of theirs ever. Nice citrus tones, leaning towards orange. Very mild funky (in a saison way) tones. Interesting balance and flow of flavor. This is very easy drinking. I could go on this all night. I'm glad I ended with this one. I started with the Five, was not very impressed with Four, thought Six was...okay, and I am ending on a very good impression with Seven. Very nicely done. I hope to get the chance to try more of Upright's brews in the future. This saison could stand against most others produced anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 22:57:10 | More by RblWthACoz

ncmussell

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle poured into tulip. Big white foamy head that stays for a while. Good color. The smell and the taste are what really make this beer. Smell is very perfumey and floral. Could just stick your nose and smell how good this is. No question why they call this their most fragrant beer. Taste is equally as floral. Nice freshness although it's hard to denim too much of this since it is a tad sweet. Hope to try the other saisons from them but this one is one of the better domestic versions. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 00:14:33 | More by ncmussell

roodie

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a glass

A: pours a golden hue, hint of haziness, very carbonated, 3 fingers of head erupt of the top, moderate lacing left behind.

S: lemon and pear, hint of hops, bitter and resiny, citrus dominates.

T: lemon/lime and pear are the frontrunners, but the hoppy backbone is palpable, a great intermingling.

M: spicy and dry, like a white wine, citrus is the last flavor you taste before the next sip

O: a great brew, one I'd buy regularly, it's on the level of Damnation 23 and Premiere and other American Tripels for me.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 19:26:12 | More by roodie

augustgarage

California

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a capped 750mL bottle into my Bruery tulip.

Persian orange liquid, with a massive thrust of rocky seashell merengue fed by a burbling aquifier of microbubbles. Bright gamboge highlights suffuse the glass. Immense sticky lacing. Superlative retention. This one's a looker.

Fruity and phenolic yeast aromatics along with lots of noble hop notes (it was interesting to learn that most (or all?) of the hops utilized in the brewing process other than Hallertau Mittelfrüh were in fact derived from Hallertau as well). Floral, sweet, and delicate.

Tart and lightly spicy palate entry with a touch of buttermilk and biscuits. Lots of low but complex grassy bitterness mid-palate along with star fruit and unripe pear. Fruity, earthy, and fairly dry finish. Some vague toasty/bready flavors probably from the use of German malts (this marriage of German and Belgian-inspired ingredients seems to be the hallmark of several of Upright's ales).

Medum-bodied, effervescent, somewhat pillowy, and yet crisp and drying.

Another tasty and unique domestic saison from this great Northwest brewery - I really appreciate their subtle but distinctive tweaks to this traditional style. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 21:53:43 | More by augustgarage

Glibber

Idaho

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Bitter Creek in Boise, side by side with the Boulevard 7 (both Saison Styles). This one was darker than most Saison beers, and a yeast and fruit aroma. The beer also had a nice hoppiness and fruit taste that you might find in an amber. The Seven was very enjoyable and the 8% was well hidden- could easily have drinken this one all night.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2012 17:15:25 | More by Glibber

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Hazy golden amber with a pillowy white head and thick patches of lace left clinging to the side of the glass.

S - Grassy, herbal hops, peppercorns, floral and citrus undertones. Biscuit malt, banana and yeast esters as it warms. Lemon.

T - Slightly sweet orange and citrus, honeyed malt, grassy spice, yeasty, banana with a tart peppercorn finish.

M - Medium body and creamy with high carbonation.

D - More complex than I am giving it credit. Changes nicely as the temperature changes. Slight alcohol warming. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 04:09:56 | More by brewcrew76

jdense

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle procured from tasting room during pleasant Saturday afternoon visit, served in Duvel tulip with better half's Tikka Masala 2.6.10.

After having the draft version several times, I wanted to compare with its bottled counterpart. The pour resulted in a near-Duvel like head, 2 1/2 fingers of white frothy goodness, medium dissipation with some spidery lacing retained long after the pour. The body is a yellowish orange, a bit of chill haze, but didn't clear completely after warming, some visible carbonation. The nose features the house yeast and a bit of fruit. The taste is quite good, peaches, mangos, leading to a fairly dry finish. Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated very tart and dry. Very drinkable for this ABV. Upon reflection, I probably like the draft version a bit better, but this is very good. My favorite Upright beer, and though a bit on the sweet side, can stand up to the best Belgian version of this difficult to get right style. Very highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2010 15:56:49 | More by jdense

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle, picked up at Brewery Creek in Vancouver.

Pours a hazy orange, some amber and golden highlights, very thick and chunky white head forms and settles down to a pretty solid layer and ring around the glass, some lace chunks stick.

Smell is neat, sweet and sour, some lemon and orange zest, lightly spiced, a bit of barnyard funk, wheat, coriander, quite yeasty, some alcohol, a bit of pineapple, some nice fruit character, pretty neat.

Taste is similar, pretty tart up front, a bit lemony with a touch of vinegar sourness, pineapple juice, apricot, pretty neat fruitiness, orange peel, a bit of funky barnyard, wheat, some yeast, a bit of booze, dry and tart finish.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with medium to high carbonation, very fresh, bit of sour zing, some tartness, very refreshing, nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 23:36:09 | More by Viggo

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into a Birra del Borgo tulip, shared at a tasting. Thanks to Knifestyles for this one!

A: Hazy bright orange body with two fingers of frothy white foam. Nice retention and light lacing. Quite attractive.

S: Smooth, pleasant fruitiness. Apple, peach, and lemon. Some grassy hops and spice as well. Excellent.

T: Slightly tart with plenty of apple + citrus fruit, as well as decent hops bitterness and a sweet, spicy finish. Hugely complex and quite tasty.

M: Creamy medium body with plenty of sharp carbonation.

D: A little bit on the intensely sweet + sour side for the style - not as crisp as I generally like a Saison to be. Still, it's delicious, and drinks just fine for 8%.

Notes: This was my third encounter with an Upright farmhouse ale, and they're batting 1.000. What unique, complex, and pleasant beers. The only downside to this one was that it didn't have nearly as cool a label as Four Play...

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 23:24:59 | More by woosterbill

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap in a snifter that’s just big enough to contain the 3-finger cap of creamy foam that sits atop the hazy dark apricot body. Retention and lacing are quite impressive.

Lively nose, with plenty of lemon zest and wheat tartness providing a nice balance to sweeter floral and clove aromas. Explosively flavorful. Loads of clove and other spicy notes tango with half-baked bread and ton of fruit: pear, cherry, banana, orange and lemon. In spite of all that fruit, the sweetness is moderate, and it dries out quite nicely at the finish. Booziness comes into play only at the swallow, but isn’t distracting. Of the Upright beers I’ve had so far, Flora Rustica is still my favorite, but this is a very nice saison, and another winning offering from these guys.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 19:16:23 | More by PDXHops

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a tulip)
A- This beer pours a very hazy apricot body with a microbubble carbonation and a big beige cream that fills half the glass on the first pour. The head sticks to the glass with each sip.

S- The yeast bread dough aroma has some fresh meadow aroma with fresh rain and green fruity hops growing in the finish. There is an apricot hint to the fruity finish aswell.

T- The spicy phenols and some classic saison esters blend with a green bitter hint that is soon overpowered by a slightly dry but full flavored hop finish. There is some tropical fruit qualities to the hops with some spice notes and a Munich malt sweetness that complements the other flavors nicely.

M- The medium mouthfeel is enhanced by the thick head texture and the tight fizz in the finish with no alcohol heat noticed.

O- The nice solid saison base has some interesting malt sweetness and good complexity to the full hop profile. This is very drinkable and sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 20:25:59 | More by rhoadsrage

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to VegasBeerMan for this bottle...

A: Pours out a nice light honey color. Orange is the dominate shade, but bits of yellow and even a few reds seem to blend into the look. There is about 2 fingers of bone white foam that takes a bit to settle.

S: The nose is decent. It has notes of banana, spice, yeast, and a touch of sweet fruit. There is a juiciness to to this beer that makes me want to take a sip immediately.

T: Nice. My first impressions is floral, tropical fruits (pineapple), grass, spice, and banana yeastyness. It's hard to pick out a dominate flavor, because I can pull each one out individually if I try. It's like all the tastes meld into a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. There is a touch of alcohol, but I'm ok with that.

M: Light bodied beer. Although it's an 8% beer, it still feels light on the palate. The flavors swirl nicely and nothing lingers for too long.

O: This is a really solid saison. It's super refreshing. This is the type of beer that I'd want to sip sitting by the pool, kicking back on a nice summer day. I'm a fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 00:13:11 | More by trxxpaxxs

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle. This was sampled alongside Upright 4, 5 and 6.

The beer pours a golden yellow color with a white head. The aroma is wheat, oranges and lemons. The flavor is heavy on the lemon and oranges with some wheat. A very fruity, citrus flavored saison. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. This was my favorite beer out of Upright 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2010 04:11:01 | More by Mora2000

ccrida

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a goblet, Seven is a brightish, hazy gold with an orange core and white head that leaves nice lace. Nice glow to this, like just before sunset, sexy.

Smell is very nice, fruity and spicy esters accentuated by the robust noble hops . Excellent.

Taste is great as well, big esters, some continental hop flavor and clean malts. Reminds me of De Ranke's saison, which is one of my favorites.

Mouthfeel is dry, a little slick from the hop oils, medium light.

Drinkability is pretty good. Great big saison esters on the nose, a satisfying flavor, although it could stand to be cleaned up or tightened a big. Fairly digestible, it goes down dangerously.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2010 00:19:14 | More by ccrida

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Apex the other day.

The beer pours a hazy honey gold color with pretty good head retention and lots of sticky lacking all around. The nose is attractive, especially if you like a little clove in your saison (clove really dominates in this one). There is also some noticeable wheat and lemon zest, but the aroma of sweet clove really dominates. On the palate, this beer is just delicious. Aside from the clove, there is some lovely cherry, bread dough and light lemon. In combination, the flavors in this moderately sweet beer are terrific. Fortunately, there is a enough underlying spice to counter and balance the sweetness, though I wouldn't have minded a bit more hoppy bitterness on the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, though I thought this beer pretty rich for a saison style beer. Drinkability is good, though one can definitely detect the increase in booziness the 8% abv. gives this beer (especially when compared to Upright's four).

Another solid effort from the folks at Upright.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2010 15:38:44 | More by johnmichaelsen

UnknownKoger

California

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased from The Bruery Provisions and poured into my Bruery tulip. Smell is pretty fruity: green apples with saison spice in the background.

Pour is somewhat aggressive. Carbonation doesn't seem very high. Thin head. Color is golden and looks pretty nice. Taste is fruity at first but with some hops in the background. This is pretty interesting for a saison...certainly not like any I've had before.

Mouthfeel is decent. I'd like a little more carbonation. Overall it's pretty good. I like it enough that I'd maybe buy it again, and I'm certainly interested to check out their other saisons

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 01:50:58 | More by UnknownKoger

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Viggo shared this one. thanks eric!

750ml bottle. sampled oct 3/2010.

pours hazy orangey gold with a huge fluffy off-white head. the head drops very slowly and leaves lots of chunky lace as it falls.

aroma is great. great funky saison spice. earthy and slightly herbal. light citrus. orange and tangerine. light alcohol. white bread and cracker. bit of grain.

taste is good. more funk than i got from the aroma. lemon. malt vinegar. white bread and cracker. horse blanket. leather. bit of tobacco. bit of alcohol. orange. bit of tropical fruit - pineapple and mango. light caramel.

mouthfeel is good. light bodied with a fairly dry finish. medium-high carbonation level.

drinkability is good. nice balance, hiding its alcohol well. a little funkier than most saisons, but i like 'em funky and this one delivers. good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 00:04:55 | More by grub

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Le Trappist, in Oakland.

Upright Seven has a nice sunny complexion, marmalade colour and fine, soapy head. The beer actually looks like it was painted with watercolors, the light it reflects off its surface has that same lambent effect. But there's far too much protein haze to see beyond its orange blush. And the lacing makes it difficult to see even beyond the glass.

The usual scent of orchard fruits (pear, apple) appears slightly more tropical than usual, with an orange-y citrus acidity well blended into the characteristic saison mustiness. What else would you expect from a Pacific Northwest brewery? Aside from the very fresh 'outdoors-y', dry scent of field grain, this has the moist dankness of a cottage basement.

The taste is far more floral, like an herbal tea it has lots of dried flower petal taste and fruity essence. Again there's that little extra dose of citric acidity. The malts taste of lightly toasted bread, perhaps with a spoonful of honey, but they are obliterated by yeasty spiciness. Just as anything pickled has brininess, so too anything made with Belgian yeast has spiciness.

Those yeast phenols really do put on one hell of a Fourth of July pyrotechnics show. Once that display is over - rest assured, it doesn't go on too long - graininess is once again sensed on the palate, floral and fruity esters start to flutter like butterflies again and, before all is said and done, a bitter earthy pungency set's in. It's all fantastically pleasant.

Upright Seven deserves at very least an eight of out ten. It's a superbly crafted saison that would have no hard time fitting in with the Belgian countryside, nor the Belgian drinkers. And while I leisurely sipped on it in a Belgian-themed bistro, I couldn't help but almost feel I was actually there. And even though I wasn't, I had the two best things about it (good fare and good beer) - so what was the difference? Airfare is expensive nowadays anyway.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2011 16:08:48 | More by biegaman