Flora Rustica - Upright Brewing Company

FosterJM

California

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

1412th Review on BA
Bottle to Bruery Taster
750ml

Thanks to GonzoIllini for sharing

App- A mix of yellows and golds as most saisons are. They color shine a little bit more and have a bit more highlights. A small amount of cling in a small glass.

Smell- The yarrow and floral notes are most upfront. The yeast and pepper and true saison notes come second. The aroma reminds me of a gruit actually.

Taste- This had a lot going on. It was dry, and a bit bitter and the floral from the flowers added another level to it. Take in the malts and it was a very unique beer and also flavorful at the same time.

Mouth- A medium body with a medium carbonation. The dry finish is a very welcome suprise on this beer and makes it very tasty.

Drink- Thanks Tony! Glad I got to try this one. Upright does some really good beers and this didnt let me down.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 04:24:50 | More by FosterJM

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 batch. Time to update. After being disappointed with last year’s batch (there's a chance I simply got an off bottle), I was hesitant about giving this year a shot. Boy am I glad I did. Twice on-tap and three bottles later, I believe this one's a winner.

A: Brilliant gold, rocky impressive looking four finger head that hangs around for quite a while, and ridiculous lacing. Nothing could make this look better. 5/5

S: Complex herbal layers, citrus zest, and a classic ester profile I associate with fruitier Belgian farmhouse ales. Some slight white pepper goes a long way. 4/5

T: Bitterness is obviously from a source other than hops. It's a softer bitterness without the harsh bite that seems to come from alpha acids. Grapefruit pith dirty things up and keeps my interest. Rustic qualities with round grain profile. It's almost hard to describe due to its uniqueness among American saisons but it's extremely enjoyable. This just screams to be paired with dinner. Very food friendly. 4/5

M: Full and lush. Very silky texture that somehow finishes cleaner than expected. Although there's so much head suggesting carbonation it actually feels low-medium on the palate. Impressive perceived size for a beer hovering at 5% ABV. 4.5/5

O: The very best beer Upright has made this year. This is the third batch and the third yeast strain. I'm sure there has been some other tweaking along the way but this amalgamation is my favorite. Alex, don't change a thing next year. I'm likely getting some more bottles this year and will probably regret not buying a case once I'm out. An absolute must try if you have the chance. 4.5/5

2011 batch. 75cl bottle split between a couple Duvel tulips and shared with TulipSnifter. Bought at the brewery tasting room for $8.

A: Pale light amber in color with a big fluffy white head that recedes slowly leaving adequate lacing. Off to a great start. 4/5

S: Gone are the rich botanicals I remember from last year’s batch. A mild mannered typical herbal saison is what I get this year. Lightly floral character could just as easily be from the hops as from the flowers. 3/5

T: It's a saison. Actually comes off slightly sweet and uninspired. Simple ester's and herbal qualities makes this a better pairing for a charcuterie plate, but isn't something I'm drinking by itself when I want a provoking beer. 2.5/5

M: Slightly fuller than the ABV would hint at with moderate carbonation. This finishes just a little sticky. I'd prefer it was drier. 2/5

O: Last year’s batch seemed more interesting to me. It was more dynamic and a little tart. I'm not sure if there were other changes to the recipe, or if the yeast was the only thing that changed, but whatever happened I'm not on board. 2.5/5

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 12:59:32 | More by hopsbreath

cmadd

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Straw-orange pour that billows to a fluffy three-finger head.

S: Sweet honey and flowers. For me, this saison wins here. Absolutely explosive and unlike any beer I've smelled.

T: Lime and hay and grass rounded out by herbs, by a light malt sweet. The finish is astringent.

M: Light with adequate carbonation.

O: Great refreshing saison that brings something new to the style. It feels inspired by the exuberance of spring.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 02:32:59 | More by cmadd

Mora2000

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to americanbrew for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is very nice with a ton of lemon and coriander notes, which are mixed in nicely with some grains of paradise. The flavor has a bit of wheat and biscuit malt, as well as the fruit from the aroma. I get the grains of paradise and lemons, as well as a hint of cherry. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 03:04:50 | More by Mora2000

pmlondrigan

New York

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

Surely this is one of the finest looking saisons I've had. A dense, thick, creamy head. Honey golden color. And speckled belgian lace all throughout the glass. What an interesting aroma! Very herbal / floral. Grassy, with hints of lemon. Like no saison I've ever smelled before. The flavor is complex, a mixture of tradition and inovation. Typical saison esters can be found with some hop charecter, but so to can huge earthy flavors like grass, hay, and herbs. Also pretty bitter from what I assume is the yarrow. Great dry saison, squeeky clean. All in all this is one unique beer and worthy of the high rating it has. I could drink a good deal of this.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 22:48:43 | More by pmlondrigan

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle shared by Thorpe. Thanks!

Hazy yellow-orange color with a nice frothy white head. Nice retention and streaks of lacing. Floral aroma, light lemon and lime, with some dry tea. Yeasty, earthy body with a strong lemon and floral flavor mid palate and a dry lemon zest finish. Florals are not as strong in the finish and actually turns a little sweet with a hint of honey. Medium thick, full body with high carbonation. I enjoy the flavor and aroma but they seem a little at odds with each other.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 21:11:49 | More by yourefragile

drabmuh

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Thorpe. Beer served in a snifter. Beer is yellow, hazy, nice white head, small and tiny bubbles, lots of lacing, decent retention, nice look to it.

Aroma is sweet, floral, tea-like bitterness, mild honey sense to it.

Beer is nice and light, almost creamy in the mouth, the carbonation plays nicely, accenting the honey and the malt with a mildly bitter / dry finish. I enjoyed it and would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:23:34 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike.

The beer is orange with a thick white head. Lasting retention and plenty of lacing sticks to the walls of the tulip glass. The aroma offers herbal, floral, and tea notes. Tea and honey flavors, with a pleasant yeast character. Light and easy to drink. Complex and well balanced. Honey sweetness is balanced by tea and herbal notes, slightly dry. Overall, very enjoyable. An outstanding saison.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 19:48:20 | More by Huhzubendah

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from batch 2. Pours a light honey gold with a very large, rocky head. Nose is zesty, citric, meadow, Belgian yeast. Mouth is oddly earthy upfront and on the finish. Some sour lemon flavors, but really earth, grass, flowers. Finish is bitter with a sweep of saison yeast. Not really "floral" in the typical sweet, pretty way, but rather the weird, funky way, earthy and insect-y. Quite a dry flavor profile. Nice, interesting brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 02:16:33 | More by JAXSON

womencantsail

California

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

Bright orange in color with a tall off-white head. A nice floral note to it, maybe some fruit notes of apple and pear. Some grass and yeast, plenty of biscuit malts, maybe white pepper. A more bready flavor than I imagined. Doughy biscuits with lots of cracker. Still heavy on the apple, yeast, and white pepper. Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 06:50:33 | More by womencantsail

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Jason. Served in a Surly Darkness glass.

A - A finger of foam quickly settles to a thin cap, thicker collar, and no lacework. Hazy pale golden body.

S - Smells of aloe, eucalyptus, and a faint note of menthol cough drops. There's an odd lotion flavor that reminds me of the cardamom-rose cupcakes from Native Foods. Very floral, and quite unusual.

T - Taste is less floral, with some of the pale malt sweetness shining through. Not much bitterness or spice, which is nice for a beer made with herbs and flowers. There's a bit of citrus flavor too. Not as complex as the aroma, but I think it's easier to drink as a result. I appreciate the amount of flavor for the lower ABV.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation that gives this some nice spritz and liveliness. Dry finish with some tannic character to it.

D - The initial aroma is a quite a shock, as it's so unique and unconventional. It took me a while to warm up to this but ultimately it was pretty enjoyable. I don't think I could drink this often, but I would enjoy having it again at some point.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 18:58:27 | More by MasterSki

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Golden yellow, semi opaque. A huge fluffy white head just sticks itself to the glass.

Floral bomb nose. Like winds blowing off a meadow in the spring. Yeasty saison quality. Smells sweet too.

Slight vegetal (broccoli) flavor. Never had yarrow root so I'm guessing that's where it's coming from. Bright lemony malt. Flower aspect reminds me of dandelions. Saison esters, pepperiness. Crisp bone dry finish. Very interesting and rustic flavor profile in a saison.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 18:56:54 | More by BearsOnAcid

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled the other day at the Grain and Gristle.

The beer pours a golden amber color with good head retention and considerable lacing. The nose is complex and intriguing in this beer, as I get ginger, light lavender, white pepper, light clove and some honey. There's also something of a sour component on the nose, something that was even more evident on the palate (lemon and quince come to mind). While the flavor profile generally replicated the nose, I was surprised (pleasantly) by the amount of bitterness I got on the finish. There is light sweet malt in this beer as well, but it's very nicely countered by the bitterness and sour component. I get an element of yeast and wheatiness as well, and I have to say I'm really quite impressed by the amount of flavor I'm getting from this 5% abv. beer. Mouthfeel is light and crisp, and the beer is well carbonnated. This beer would be an excellent accompaniment to a lot of different foods. Alcohol is perfectly integrated into the flavor profile in this beer, and drinkability is quite high.

Delicious stuff. Were I to try this blind, I'm not at all sure I would guess this is a domestic saison style beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 14:40:53 | More by johnmichaelsen

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ the Upright Brewing Company (Portland, OR) on 9/4/11. Served in a footed glass.

Pours a clear gold, with a ½ finger of bright-white head. This retains with a thin creamy richness that drenches the sides of the glass with thick sticky lacing. The aroma smells fresh and floral in the nose, with extra notes of herbs, lemon, spice, earth, and sweet backing grains. This has a delicious airiness in the nose but also has some flavorful power as well.

The taste is crisp and flavorful on the palate, with lots of zesty tart lemon, peppery spice, and herbal earth notes that all linger on the tongue. There appears to be a bit of a light grassy (or I could see even a flowery) bitterness to this that is balanced and supported by a light backbone of sweet and gently toasted malt. The lemon, earthy botanicals, and spice flavors really drive this. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a prickly creaminess that expands out in the mouth. Overall though, this is light and crisp enough on the palate to bounce those flavors around nicely and help this retain a certain amount of a refreshing feel to it. This is about perfect in relation to the flavors here.

I really liked this and it made me a believer about the great things that I’ve heard about their beers from here. This was just packed with a deep flavorful complexity, yet was still extremely approachable and even borderline thirst quenching at times. Between this and the samples that I had of their other Farmhouse Ales, I’d certainly say that these guys know what they are doing here.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2011 14:25:05 | More by Kegatron

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to a few generous BAs for getting bottles of this out to me. Served in a Mikasa tulip glass.

Pours a brilliant light orange-copper with a three-finger white head. Crystal clear. Good retention before falling into a thick collar with a thin cap. A bit of lacing on the sides of the glass.

The nose is quite intriguing. Everything blends together at first, revealing only that it is a saison. As it warms the first thing to come through is a bit of spice, mostly white pepper and a bit of coriander. Along with that is faint citrus, including a moderate amount of orange peel. Faint floral notes and a generic herbal quality are there as well. What must be the yarrow really rounds thing out.

The flavor is a bit different than the nose, but just as interesting and complex. The orange peel comes through with a bit of rind-induced bitterness. Herbal character is there throughout. Light coriander, though the pepper isn't quite as strong.

The mouthfeel really takes the beer to the next level. Light-medium in body with moderate carbonation. A very nice dryness to the finish. Not very bitter, but borderline puckering in the way it dries out my cheeks. Explosive and addictive, this is a fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:59:43 | More by Thorpe429

Shmeal

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Cloudy orange, with 2 and a half fingers of beautiful head that dissipates rather quickly. leaves little bits of lace along the side of the glass

Aroma: Some funk, with lots of floral and herbal notes to back it up.

Taste: I like this beer! Some tartness, cinnamon, lemon, and fruity yeast. What a great beer for the summer season.

Mouthfeel: Extremely crisp and leaves the mouth feeling dry. I’m grateful to have a 750ml bottle!

Drinkability: With it’s low ABV, I could easily down two bottles of this if I was outside and it was hot. Game on.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 05:53:23 | More by Shmeal

backfat

Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to aasher(Al) for this rare tick. dude gave me this for absolutely nothing. Beeradvocate at it's finest. Poured into my favorite piece of glassware (fantome tulip).

The pour is hazed orange. Lots of froathy bone white resting gently atop. slushy, clingy lace. very inviting.

aroma is extremely floral, herbal, and complex. lavendar, eau de toilette, coriander, spicy breads, wet stone, and vanilla.

wow. The flavor does not follow the aroma. it hits your tongue with a wallop. Rustic, fruity yeasts, ginger and white pepper. Bright and clean. slides right down.

I have yet to have a beer from upright that didn't blow my mind. Didn't realize that this would blow me away. This was very impressive. I could drink this beer for the rest of life and be quite content.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 20:32:12 | More by backfat

BurgerJones

Oregon

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

750mL bottle poured into stemmed goblet.

Orange-amber, slightly darker than other farmhouse beers I've tried, thin white head that laces the glass well.

Strong floral aroma, with yeast, lemon, pepper.

Taste a bit funky and grassy, strong spice at back end and more citrus tones.

Mouthfeel, medium body, less carbonated than I was expecting.

Overall, solid, not my favorite farmhouse beer, but quite drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 01:50:29 | More by BurgerJones

jdense

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big green unlabeled bottle gifted by Brewmaster Alex Ganum, enjoyed with neighborhood beer buddy over tasty jambalaya. poured into beaker glasses.

Billowing four-finger white rocky Duvel-esque head, a thing of beauty, slow dissipation with some lacing. Clear golden body, multiple streams of tiny bubbles, second pour got a bit murky due to yeast at bottom of bottle. Nose is floral, big botanical hit, some meyer lemon sweetness, and floral hops on back end. Taste mirrors nose, not too sweet, complex floral and botanicals, quite dry, small controlled bit of bitterness on back end. Mouthfeel is a bit on the light side of medium, good effervescence, a really dry mouthfeel, nice. At this ABV I don't think I'd have a problem polishing off a bottle by myself, but was glad to share this stelllar Upright offering. Can't say I've had a farmhouse/saison like this very unique. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 15:38:43 | More by jdense

dgilks

Australia

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Spicy, fruity aroma. really quite nice with a floral overtone.

Moderately cloudy golden colour with a massive, tight, white head. Great head retention.

Light malts with a nice peppery, spicy flavour up front. The floral notes are interesting. Good.

Medium-light body with high carbonation. Good and suitable for style.

A nice saison with a twist. Great beer and an interesting take on the style form an up and coming brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 09:49:56 | More by dgilks

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml capped bottle I got from Vancouver, was really looking forward to cracking it after seeing the great reviews on here.

Pours a slightly murky apricot with whipped meringue head that never ends and leaves gobs of lacing down the glass.

Aroma is herbal and floral, just a hint of lemon and a spicy tea like quality. Not bold, subtle and demands attention.

This is a really unique and complex saison and all for the true to style low ABV. A light dry funk, lemon, a more subtle fruitiness that is perhaps apricot or peach, pepper, dry herbal tea finish, floral, a light zip and bite in the finish. Light, spunky mouthfeel with a pleasant, gripping dryness.

At the same time, everything a classic saison should be and superbly unique. Definitely enough to keep Upright on my personal radar.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 13:40:03 | More by ritzkiss

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I love saisons, so trying this highly acclaimed and locally distributed west coast offering is a real treat that I have to thank my friend Eric for. I'd take beers like this over any RIS in an instant.

Pours a vibrant apricot with a huge white meringue of a head, which leaves huge deposits of lace on the glass. This thing is like stiff egg whites, and it just refuses to die. As beautiful as an Orval. Great aroma has a unique mix of floral and herbal notes mingling with black tea. Some lemon and a bit of dry funkiness too.

The taste is really neat. It has that great dry saison funk and pepperiness, but the addition on the calendula and yarrow kick things up a notch and add a wonderfully complex herbal and floral character. Lemon, horseblanket and tea round off one of the most impressive saisons I've had. The light mouthfeel and dry finish work perfectly with the flavour profile, and the lower ABV makes this a ridiculously sessionable beer.

Big thanks to my main man, ritzkiss, for sharing this gem. I love this style and try everyone I come across, and I'd instantly say this is in my top 5 saisons, and should be in the top 100 beers out there. Its beautiful, smells great, has a delightful complexity, and drinks ridiculously easy. I'm not sure what more you can ask of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 13:18:39 | More by bobsy

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a bottle for $10. That's a lot more than I usually pay for a session-weight beer, but this was completely worth it. It reminds me of the best pale Belgians and saisons I've had - Duvel, De Ranke XX Bitter, and Saison Dupoint. It's light and dry on the palate, but bursting with earthy and tea-like spice flavors. No, I can't pick out the yarrow and calendula, but the rich floral and herbal character blend them with a robust yeast character to create a beer that the best breweries in Belgium would be proud to make. Find this beer if you can.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 01:40:23 | More by tempest

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Orange-apricot body with a massive white head. The body is a bit cloudy and the head is thick and fluffy with superb retention. Sheet like lacing down the glass from start to finish.

S: Rich floral/herbal notes up front. Fresh grass, tea like notes from the flowers, a bit of funk, and a nice green apple tartness in the back end. Truly impressive.

T: I'll be honest, the first sip was a disappointment. I think I spent so much time sniffing the beer my tastebuds weren't quite ready for what was to come. With each progressive sip layers of flavor emerged. Grass, earl grey tea, flowers, some spice, horse blanket, green apples, honey, lemon.

M: Smooth, light bodied. Perhaps a touch thin for the flavor profile. Good carbonation. Clean, refreshing finish. Nice low ABV saison.

D: This is a f'ing impressive beer. When it comes to floral saisons it manages to outclass the incredible Southampton Cuvee de Fleurs... I have a bottle of Four and Seven in the fridge... if they come anywhere near this I will have to consider moving to Portland.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 02:23:44 | More by callmemickey

clickpush

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml to tulip glass. Hazy apricot body w/ huge, rocky white head. Head is sticky and slowly moves downward. Hefty cap of lace remains throughout the drink.

Fruity, rich, brown sugar aroma. Spicy, almost winter warmer like. Citrus hops. Orange vanilla.

Tart, dry, chewy body. So pleasant, drinkable, light. Simple hop presence, grassy, slightly bitter. Too easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 02:48:45 | More by clickpush