Flora Rustica - Upright Brewing Company

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2012 vintage, bottled recently and picked up at Belmont Station. Tasted 24 July 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours orange-yellow, cloudy enough to be opaque. Big nearly overflowing white head, fantastic retention and gobs of lacing clinging to the glass.

Smells of eponymous flowers. Has a very oily floral aroma, like I'm inhaling the essential oils of the petals. Some earthy slightly funky notes, but primarily it's light, effervescent, and flowery in a way that most flowery beers are not.

Taste is less complex and unique than the smell. Light, slightly funky, with a flower-petal / hop bitterness that persists. Definitely different than most saisons.

Mouthfeel is fine. Lighter-bodied than most, and carbonation on the low end.

A really interesting saison, showcasing the flowers that it's infused with. Light, airy, floral, and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 22:53:24 | More by zeledonia

Kopfschuss

Oregon

4/5  rDev -3.6%

06-12-2013 03:40:03 | More by Kopfschuss

oline73

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

05-16-2013 23:25:23 | More by oline73

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -15.7%

05-16-2013 13:04:18 | More by mendvicdog

Kenzie

Utah

4/5  rDev -3.6%

04-22-2013 06:46:51 | More by Kenzie

tcampbel1

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

03-31-2013 05:57:33 | More by tcampbel1

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.09/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750 mL bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead glass. No bottle date.

Appearance - Very hazy orange body. Big billowing head. Settles to a layer of foam and sticks to the inside of the glass.

Smell - Sweet and floral. Slight earthy aroma. Almost like brett. Yeasty.

Taste - Much more floral. Just a touch of sweetness then moves into an earthy bitterness. Again almost like brett. Bitterness dominates the finish but it's never intense.

Mouthfeel - Feels heavier than 5.1%, never quite crisp. Still easy to drink. Medium carbonation.

Overall - The flower flavor is really nice. Earthiness makes a nice counterpoint. Tough to tell if it's brett or the yarrow, whatever that is.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:37:47 | More by Alieniloquium

harrymel

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

Presumably Vintage 2012

Nice turbid amber with a solid 2-3 fingers of fluff. Smells spicy, some dandelion, some grain, yeast, a bit of malt and floral character. flavor is funky, water, some grain, some biscuit and a little bit of bitterness. Really empty body with moderate on hi carb. Very surprised how thin this feels. It's an okay beer, but not nearly the caliber I expect from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 08:23:00 | More by harrymel

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%

03-04-2013 17:14:55 | More by t0rin0

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.49/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to sideshowe for sharing!

Pours a very hazy dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a two finger white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.

Very floral aroma with funky saison yeast, earthy hops and light fruit.  Musty straw, grass and flower petal along with some honey, farmhouse yeast, apricot apple and pear.  

On the fuller end of medium bodied with delicate carbonation and an excellent balance of floral, citrus and farmhouse notes.  Floral with subtle peppery spice and dry farmhouse funk.  Grass and straw notes along with earthy hops and strong citrus. Orange peel and grapefruit juice with flowers, spice, bread and dry, funky yeast.  Really well balanced, refreshing and very easy to drink. I enjoyed this beer very much.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:06:09 | More by corby112

stakem

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a snifter. The brew appears a hazed amber color with a rich white frothy cap. Some patchy lace clings to the glass.

The aromatics are lemony with a hint of floral quality that is a bit earthy with hops thrown in the mix. A caramel candy sweet maltiness is the last thing noted across the back.

The flavor is herbal with some hoppy bitterness. Some rindy earthen elements are present that are minorly lemony into the aftertaste with a touch of floral quality.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is very easy drinking with a pleasant subtle unique character that adds to an overall solid example of the saison style. I would get this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 20:06:51 | More by stakem

claytong

Vermont

4/5  rDev -3.6%

01-15-2013 13:33:47 | More by claytong

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

Big thanks goes out to MSquared2 for sharing this one at a recent Random Sunday Tasting! Poured a hazy pale golden yellow with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, wheat, wood, and earth. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, wood, earth, and funk. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I went into this one hoping that this would be a big time sour that would melt my teeth with sweetness and tartness. However, that was not the case. What I found was a very mellow wild ale that was more earthy and funky than anything. It was still fairly nice just not what I look for exactly from the style. Really glad I got the chance to try this one and I hope to get to revisit this one in the future again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:05:45 | More by thagr81us

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.6%

01-12-2013 00:50:04 | More by spycow

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

01-07-2013 00:24:35 | More by AlexFields

cfrances33

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Hazy orange with some nice glowing orange edges. Thick, foamy white head hangs around for a while, and leaves nice thick lacing. Beautiful saison.

Smell: Big yeasty breadyness up front, followed by clean white pepper. Some floral and vegetal aspects, like green pepper and cucumbers. A light lemon. Finishes with more yeast.

Taste: Follows the nose with some floral aspects. A light cucumber juice. Some white pepper and lemon bite. Lots of bready yeast through the entire body and finish.

Mouthfeel: Refreshing and juicy, like biting into a fresh cucumber. Some nice carb. Finishes quite dry.

Overall: Really nice, traditional saison. Nothing mind blowing, but done very, very well.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 17:26:45 | More by cfrances33

drewone

California

3.25/5  rDev -21.7%

12-05-2012 09:14:13 | More by drewone

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Wowcoolman for sharing this one at drewone's tasting.

Pours a hazy orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, spices, herbs, yeast, and some floral notes. Taste is much the same with a mild spice and herb bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some interesting aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 21:45:20 | More by UCLABrewN84

GRG1313

California

4/5  rDev -3.6%

12-03-2012 06:35:03 | More by GRG1313

mdaschaf

Washington

4.48/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange color with a small white head on top, rather foamy with decent head retention with thin lacing down the sides.

S: Extremely floral, probably the most floral/flower filled aroma I have come across. There is some nice spices mixed in, not spicy as in pepper, but more herbal. A bit of funk as well.

T: Wow, this beer has a lot going on. Nice saison funk upfront with some pepper mixed with a bit flower component from the yarrow and calendula. In the middle there is a bit of fruity sweetness with a bit of lemon and apricot.

M: Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation. The flavor really coats the entire mouth. It is rather creamy as well.

O: Very impressed with this beer, loved the flowery aspects to it. Has a nice level of complextiy between the flowers, spices, and fruit. Great mouthfeel, a winner.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 05:46:45 | More by mdaschaf

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a nice hazy amber with a foamy half inch of sticky white head. The beer has a very floral nose that's a distinct lemony lemon grass. The taste is yeast forward with a good malt base that has some character. The aftertaste consists of initial bready sweetness followed by a touch of lingering, citrusy bitterness. The beer is quite tasty, as good as expected, with slightly better aromatics. I'd try this beer again, especially with a meal.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:17:41 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber into tulip glass.

A: Hazy Orangish Hue, Passes Some Light, Thick White Head, Great Lacing

S: Heavy Lemon, Floral, Funky

T: Mild Lemon, Mild Floral, Mildly Yeasty

M: Great Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Yeasty

Overall, the appearance was great, the smell was good, the taste was okay...just kept getting weaker as I got deeper into it.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:07:21 | More by merc7186

Phelps

Arizona

2.93/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This saison was brewed with yarrow and calendula flowers. Poured into a tulip.

Sunset-orange, with just a touch of haze. One finger of white froth doesn't do much depleting.

Sweet aroma. A base of unripe pear adorned with floral notes and a hint of pepper.

Odd. In the front, there's a nice pear sweetness and big floral hit. But the finish is so dry and weak. After the swallow, you hardly realize you even drank beer. It's like drinking air.

Thin, soft body. Nearly zero carb. Dry as a bone.

It's not doing anything for me. A drinking experience easily forgotten.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 06:16:44 | More by Phelps

Cookeeman

3.53/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found a random bottle of this on the clearance shelf at the LRS by my house. I guess that's why I had low expectations, and thus why I was so pleasantly surprised. It poured a great hazy tangerine colour, pretty thick white head, great retention. I was apprehensive of how floral it was going to be, but the flower flavours are mild. They do assert themselves more as the beer warms, but it plays well with the NW hops and saison yeast. It's a really well-crafted saison, great champagne bubbles, nice dry finish, VERY thirst-quenching. The NW hops are also really mild, they seem to add more floral flavor and some dryness without adding much bitterness. I really had trouble rating this beer, because it was good in so many categories, but it didn't really Wow me in any of them. No flaws at all to speak of, but nothing to rave about either...

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 00:42:05 | More by Cookeeman

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Crap, I can't even remember who sent me this, but thank you! 2012 bottle.

Beer pours a slightly hazy orange/gold with a fluffy white head. Smell combines your typical yeasty saison smell with a bit of a floral/herbal aroma that I can't quite place. It all comes together very nicely to create something both unique and somehow familiar. The flavor is a little different than I expected after the nose - the floral/herbal aspect barely comes through at all in the taste. That said, it's rather unique. The first thing that strikes me is that it's a lot more bitter than I had anticipated, there is a bit of graininess here along with hints of citrus and some more traditional yeasty saison flavors. This is a rather complex beer and quite good, but after the incredibly interesting nose, I wish it had a bit more of that floral aspect in the flavor. As it warms, the floral flavors come through a little more. Mouthfeel is light and crisp, very nice. Overall, another very nice beer from Upright, but it's not quite as refreshing or easy-drinking as I would like from a saison. It's uniqueness gives it points for creativity, but perhaps detracts points for drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 21:50:53 | More by starrdogg