Billy The Mountain - Upright Brewing Company

Ale-ienation

California

3.15/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

A: Pours an opaque dark brown with amber highlights, with a tan head that dissipates quickly. No lacing.

S: Lots of dark fruit esters abound; figs, prunes, stewed red apples. Rich malts blend with a potent acidic tartness; rather vinous.

T: Very tart and acidic throughout, with notes of sour cherries and prunes. Very sharp finish where a strong presence of brett comes to the fore.

M: Medium bodied with light carbonation.

O: An interesting beer, but could benefit from some balance to round out the very sharp tartness.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 04:52:37 | More by Ale-ienation

lighthabit

Oregon

2.14/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

a sampler from my bro, i suspect something went wrong. thin pour, weak head dies down to nil, just a bit around the edges. leaves a decent bit of lacing. nose is cherry/bit of leather/vinegar. appears a bit hazy, a deep reddish brown. a dry mouth feel makes me think of wine more than beer, and again i pick up a tartness that say "vinegar and old cardboard" far more than anything pleasant. maybe it's supposed to be like this, but i'm not finishing it.

update 5/5/13 seems this isn't my style, as friends of my brother are saying what i got was representative of the brew, and they like it, so . . . ymmv.

Serving type: growler

04-05-2013 00:30:54 | More by lighthabit

spdyfire83

Ireland

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

281st Review
75cl bottle poured into a tulip glass
Vintage: January 2011

From notes. Enjoyed a while back at a tasting hosted by Doodler (whom probably supplied this as well). Cheers, amigo!

A: Hazy medium brown; almost a tint of burgundy. Single (tan) fingernail head on gentle pour.

S: Smells of dark cherry, tannins, slight funk, and touch of leather. Very interesting. Can’t decide if the nose is enjoyable or the opposite, but that’s how it goes with experiments like this.

T: Nearly prune juice-esque with mix of mashed dark cherry and currants. Oak. Nice tart funkiness here with a touch of sweet brown sugar the fades to the finish. Dies quickly and leaves a weird after taste as well. This beer changed quite a bit as it warmed. ABV is well hidden though.

M: Medium/full bodied with medium carbonation.

O: An interesting beer to say the least. I enjoyed the slight funk, but I think the fruits could stand to be a bit more balanced. Maybe it’ll get more rounded (and better) with age, but I’m not sure that we’ll cross paths again. Either way, fun to try.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 12:23:54 | More by spdyfire83

sweemzander

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

750mL bottle poured into a tulip. Thanks to Jason for the bottle!

(A)- Pours a very murky/cloudy cola brown color. Produced some good tan froth. Some lace.

(S)- Alot going on with this. A dense woody dryness with equally dense malty profile: cocoa, raisin, and dark fruits. Mildly yeasty.

(T)- Similar to the smell in the malt profile. Very very dense in a raisin, cocoa, clay, and a bit heavier yeast presence than in the smell. Alot of dry wood too somehow.

(M)- A good carbonation level. Very dense overall. Its really too heavy in a coarse/grainy core; abrasive really.

(D)- I appreciated the effort, but not exactly Upright's best. A little disjointed and coarse. Also, a bit different than your average old ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 15:04:48 | More by sweemzander

barleywinefiend

Washington

1.85/5  rDev -48.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A: Poured a lighter brownish color with no carbonation leaving two bubbles, no lacing and for get the head. This beer is flatter than a board!

S: Funky notes, hints of old wood, molasses and toffee but rather mute

T: I am completely disappointed in this beer. Flat mouthfeel, no carbonation leaves funk, sugar and old musty caramel notes with two year old chocolates. Tannins, cardboard coming. Old wood, molasses is subdued and dirt rounds it out.

M: No carbonation, nothing to feel out, thin with booze

O: Extremely disappointed. I snagged this bottle from Apex's cooler just three days ago.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 12:14:16 | More by barleywinefiend

shleepy

California

4.35/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into a tulip glass at The Trappist in Oakland.

A: Chocolate brown color. Small-ish head with big, off-white bubbles.

S: Lovely brett and barrel flavors... Similar to one or two Russian River beers.

T: Creamy chocolate, followed instantly by oakiness / sourness. There's some citrus in there, as well as some light toastiness. Pretty clean finish.

M: Fairly flat. But it does have a nice, creamy mouthfeel.

O: Unique, drinkable, and generally pleasant. Would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 22:48:23 | More by shleepy

vkv822

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into tulip snifter.
2011 release.

Pours near black with deep red hues and a frothy tan head.

The aroma is quite complex. It starts with a cherry and vinous tartness, followed by some caramel and molasses sweetness. Slight leathery notes.

Again, more vinous and lightly earthy, Bretty tartness, followed by dark fruits, a light leathery character. Notes of oak come through as well in the transition from tart and Brett to dark fruit.

A medium body, with fairly low carbonation.

A very unique and enjoyable beer. A seasonal I will definitely look forward to each year now.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 08:20:42 | More by vkv822

emerge077

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served in a tapered sampling glass, review from written notes.

Pours a murky reddish copper, some light gets through, giving it a reddish highlight in the bottom of the glass. Thin ring of wispy skim around the edges.

Winey nose, some tangy cherry, and woody notes of dry sawdust.

Tart cherry, tangy and vinous, with ample bitter tannins in the dry finish. Some funky leathery qualities, along with the tartness suggests more of an Oud Bruin impression. Not too drinkable though as the bitter/tart/tangy/funk elements never seem to blend cohesively. Interesting experiment to try, sample it with an open mind.

Thanks to Eric for sharing this!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 14:46:04 | More by emerge077

loren01

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours into a snifter a murky red/plum color, not much head and no lacing
S: Smell is dark fruit, sour funk and earthiness.
T: Fruity sweetness up front followed by red wine, merlot like dryness. Slight sour flavor in there as well.
M: Medium bodied finishes dry, could use a bit more carbonation.
O: Old ale meets a sour unlike any beer I've ever had before....pretty good I'd buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 02:57:49 | More by loren01

HopHead84

California

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

9/5/11

My curry farts herald the coming of dawn as I pour batch one Billy the Mountain into my snifter. This bottle has been sitting in my fridge for what seems like forever, sent to me in a time beyond time. I'm happy to finally free it from its imprisonment. The bottle opens with a sinister hiss.

A: The body is red kissed dark brown with a finger of beige froth. Retention is good.

S: I'm greeted by a strong bready malt foundation, upon which is built a small village of dark fruits. Plum melds with grape and prune. The nose is lightly tart, with a little leather and must.

T: The flavor opens with earth and prune, segueing into a restrained brown sugar essence. Malt is bready. Grape, currant, and prune are evident, accompanying a dry earthy leathery bitterness. The beer possesses a light acetic acidity, with oak and tannins in the finish.

M: Medium in body with upper moderate carbonation.

Overall: An interesting beer, to be sure. Definitely worth a try. I guess this is the first beer made by Upright, so I have in my glass a piece of Portland history.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 12:51:34 | More by HopHead84

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer has a murky light brown / amber color, that shows a very hazed, pale brown color when held up to the in light. The beer is not quite still, as a careful pour manages to produce a few bubbles, but very low in carbonation. Just to see if I could, I vigorously poured a small amount into another glass and was able to scare up a half finger thick, nicely brown tinged, dark tan colored, large bubbled head. The aroma smells most predominantly of spicy oak that is backed by a touch of red-wine like fruitiness. There is a soft, buttery oak like character as well as perhaps a hint of toasted grain if you really dig for it. After tasting the beer, the Brettanomyces character becomes quite a bit more apparent in the nose as well; it is a fairly soft Brett character, but well representative of Brett C. with a oak-spice accentuating, slightly earthy phenolic character and spiciness as well as a touch of medicinal plastic.

Lightly tart tasting up front, and this has an earthy funkiness that seems quite characteristic of Brettanomyces Clausenii (or something similar); a slight, almost, but not quite medicinal character, touches of plastic and maybe even a slight smokiness that leans more towards burnt plastic. The beer has some texture to it, there is actually just enough carbonation to this beer keep it from seeming flat, and there is some viscousnous to the body that contributes to a medium'ish heft. Up front there is a touch of sweetness, it is not a whole lot, but is enough to suggest a berry like red wine character as well as just a general fruitiness. Despite not mentioning it yet, there is quite a bit of oak that comes through in the flavor; notes of spicy, plank like wood, perhaps a hint of buttery oak character, and a spiciness that provides some heat a bit like Bourbon. The malt character is quite a bit more subtle than I ever would have expected; there is perhaps a suggestion of toasted malt character here and perhaps a bit of brown bread like character, but I feel like I should be able to taste a lot more malt character than ends up in this beer.

This beer could definitely use a bit more carbonation; a bit more liveliness would really help the flavors and aromas pop too. The aroma, especially, and the flavor are a little too dominated by the oak character. The oak character is significantly spicy enough that it seems to drown out the complexity of the base beer; the malt especially seems to be quite a bit more reduced than one would expect from a beer of this color and gravity. In the end the oak and the Brett, and a little bit of the Wine, contribute more to the profile of this beer than the base beer does. This is certainly not a bad beer, but I could see this recipe and oak aging process being dialed in a lot more tightly; I wouldn't be surprised if a great beer is hiding here somewhere and I would love for Upright to keep trying to improve this beer so that they can get there.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 14:03:52 | More by Gueuzedude

zoolzoo

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not sure of the batch on this bottle, though this bottle has been hanging around in my "cellar" for a while. At this point, the brett is really taking ahold of this beer.

The aroma is full of over ripe dark fruit, wine barrel, and funk. Impression is semi-sour

As for taste...the core of this beer is semi sweet, dark cherry, wine barrel, and oak. All of this is turned funky due to a musty brett presence. Its tough to find any malt base fitting to an "old ale" in this bottle. Really, this beer almost seems thrown together randomly, but in the end I think it works.

Mouthfeel is fine for what it is. Thinner side of medium, high amount of carbonation.

Overall, a good beer that doesn't fit its own description.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 23:26:11 | More by zoolzoo

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a hazy brown color with a tan head. The aroma is full of dark fruit with some nice toffee notes mixed in. The flavor is more of the same with a few welcome additions. I get a lot of dark fruit, but there is some nice tartness to it. I also get some toffee and alcohol. As the beer warms, I get some flavors that resemble dry red wine as well as some brett notes. Medium to thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 01:16:19 | More by Mora2000

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a tasting glass. Thanks, Chris, for sharing this. I'm always excited to try a new Upright!

A: Clear dark brown body with a strange-looking head that mixes coarse big bubbles and finely-patterned wisps of foamy scum. Weird.

S: Pretty sour, with floral Brett and tart vinous oak. The wine barrels really dominate the aroma, with the Brett being the only other presence. Pungent, where's the Old Ale?

T: Follows the nose - dry, floral, barnyardy Brett and rich red wine barrels. Delicious, as long as you don't think too much about what the bottle says it's supposed to be.

M: Smooth medium body, lots of fine carbonation. Lovely.

O: This one should really be listed as an American Wild Ale: the intentional addition of Brett, plus maturation in freshly-emptied Pinot barrels, makes this entirely unlike any traditional Old Ale. For what it is, it's pretty good. It's certainly the least impressive Upright beer I've had so far, but I'd gladly drink it again.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 00:01:13 | More by woosterbill

Kelton

Oregon

3.03/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

First & Second batch tasted over two nights.

Batch 2 first:
Poured dark amber, no head, light body, little bubbles... uh oh, looks to be infected. Hold the phone, I know Billy has Brett, but this is truly infected & first sip confirmed it. Bummer

Not good, taste did not fair well with infection. Hopefully the second bottle I have wlll be OK.

Batch 1:
Now we're talking. Much better. Similar color, body is thicker, taste is definetly old ale w/ a nice slight sourness. Will keep my second bottle for some time to come.

Overall, this beer is unique, but I didn't love either batch enough to buy it again. Will look forward to a draft version for Batch 3.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 05:53:16 | More by Kelton

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750 mL bottle courtesy of fthomasl. Pours a clear copper color with a small tan foam. Light lacing to a nice collar.

Nose is sugary and fruity with some spicy yeast esters. Cinnamon, caramel and toffee. Malty brew, but the sugar aromas are killing me.

Taste is lightly tart with a dark fruit and caramel flavor. Bitter on the finish...and I dont think it is the hops. I want to say some spices are involved here, but I cant be entirely sure. By far my least favorite of the (usually outstanding) Upright beers I have had. Tough for me to even finish my half of the 750.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 01:13:23 | More by twiggamortis420

hopsbreath

Oregon

2.63/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

TulipSnifter and I each had a glass on tap at Grain & Gristle on New Years Eve. Paired with the burger served with house made pickles. The burger was great! The beer... Not so much.

A: Dark brown prune juice, wisp ring, no lacing. 2.5/5

S: Alcoholic raisins, a touch of smoke, lightly tart. Its not typical to the style, but not bad either. 3/5

T: More of the sweet prunes that the appearance promised, black tea, and tart cherry juice fermented in oak. Its not as complex as I like, and perhaps a little boring. 2/5

M: Lowly carbonated, moderate body, dry on the tongue but a little sticky on the soft palate. 3/5

D: The drinkability is highly enhanced by boring nature of this beer. The lack of complexities makes this easy to drink without thinking about it. That and the 9.1% ABV never really shows up in all its glory. Since the alcohol is well hidden, I'm going to call this "slightly above average". 3.5/5

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2011 04:07:24 | More by hopsbreath

clearlydiluted

New York

3.3/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

8 oz glass @ Grain & Gristle

Pours a dark brown with ruby hints. smells slightly funky with hints of dark fruit. the taste is slightly sweet with hints sherry, balsamic notes, and an sour acetic hit in the finish. the aftertaste is anchored by an earthy bittering with hints of dark fruit and some fruity funky notes from the brett. the body is medium-thin with no hint of the 9.1% alcohol.

truthfully I think this leans more towards an oud bruin rather than a brett inflected English old ale, which is too bad as I was expecting more dark fruits and malt in the beer overall. still, I'd love to see how it ages out in the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2010 19:06:59 | More by clearlydiluted

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the Grain and Gristle this evening.

The beer pours a dark chocolate brown color with virtually no head or lacing. The nose is kind of bizarre, and I assume what I get reflects some extended aging in barrels. In any event, I get a melange of celery salt, dry sherry, nuts, wood, light vanilla, prunes and molasses. The flavor profile replicates the nose fairly closely, but is clearly dominated by the molasses and prunes, as well as the dry sherry and more wood. The finish is fairly dry and sherry filled in this otherwise moderately sweet, full flavored beer. Drinkability is where this beer really falls apart, and in fact I was unable to finish even the 8 ounce wine glass serving I received at the G&G. While not hot, the beer is heavy and a bit tiring on the palate, and it was just a chore to get this beer down given the sweetness, wood and sherry flavors.

Interesting beer, no doubt, but I'm not sure this is a beer I'll want to revisit any time soon.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2010 05:01:02 | More by johnmichaelsen

Arbitrator

California

1.88/5  rDev -47.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Chilled 750mL bottle into a glass. Purchased at the brewery with ramnuts' help back in March, I think. Thanks, Frank.

A: Pours a murky brown body, translucent at the edges but dark in the center. The head is two fingers of light tan foam that recedes quickly into a short-lived cap and then a moderate collar at the edges. Some lacing as I sip.

S: This beer evolves quite a bit as it warms. At first, it's molasses and nuts; the beer later adopts a light leather character, then finally nuts once more. It's not altogether pungent, though.

T: Wood, molasses. Some caramel and leather, with a touch of hay (funk) and tannins in the finish. The flavors are not well integrated, piling on in random orders and wavering strengths. In the finish, the flavors simply drop out and leave a small, lingering alcohol burn that isn't particularly pleasant.

M: The beer is thin, with a watery flavor that is accentuated by the strong tannic character as it warms. Well carbed. There is an alcohol burn in the finish that detracts from the experience. If it were thicker, it would mute the burn, but its thinness makes the experience harsh overall.

D: It's not undrinkable, but it's uninteresting. Kind of has an experimental homebrew vibe right now.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 07:23:41 | More by Arbitrator

ccrida

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance is murky dark brown with a big, very tight, creamy light tan head that leaves scattered, foamy lace. Probably my favorite of Ezra's labels.

Smell is big raisiny malt (special b?), toffee, a little bretty funk. Major bourbon as it warms, huge caramel and vanilla, some fruity esters, grapes. Drastically improved as it warmed to room temp, but then again, I'm a bourbon lover. A total shift from the nose at fridge temp, with plenty of Belgian characteristics as well.

Taste is not as rich, the brett seems to have dulled it down a bit, although it's not overly funky, just a little horseblanket on the clean finish. The palate is not as drastically changed as it warmed, although the malts really come out more, a really nice slightly funked BSDA. Loving it quite a bit by the end, but still note as much as the nose.

Mouthfeel is medium light, not creamy or well carbonated though, which I expected from the pour.

Drinkability is good. It's a pretty smooth strong ale, more BSDA then old ale, but I realize that is how Upright billed it, so no really complaints about the style designation. I'd drink this one now if you're holding it in the cellar, the richness of the malt will only continue to thin by the brett. It started out kind of boring, but the depth increased as it warmed, and the smoothness speaks to the execution, particularly due to the obtuse style.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 05:52:55 | More by ccrida

jedwards

Rhode Island

4.65/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to msubulldog25 for the trade!

Love the labels on these Upright seasonals. Active head that settles quickly into a dense, pillowy foam. The beer itself is a murky brown that doesn't settle out. Smell is unusual -- prune and caramel with slight brett funk. Taste leads with vanilla and a slight tartness followed by brown sugar/toffee, characteristic dark fruit, and a long vinous finish. Mouthfeel is smooth but not slick and carbonation is high but dense. This beer is really, really terrific -- almost like a Belgian old ale, whatever that might be. Will have to track down some more bottles, would love to see what another year or five does to this.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 21:44:59 | More by jedwards

Docer

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle purchased at The Beer Mongers some months back.... grading based on memory here... have a grade, not too much to say.

- Nice dark and super foamy brew... can't see much through it, murky brown with a huge light mocha fuzz... had to wait quite awhile to get it to calm down.... must have still been working hard in the bottle...

- Yeast and brett character dominates... bready, biscuit.. farmhouse funk.... and subtle sweetness, herbal qualities... grassy.

- Smooth, slightly sweet... biscuit, and yeast madness. Little bit of funk, tart quality.... slight spice, and more herbal hops.. grassy,.

- Medium bodied, and plenty well carbonated. Let it warm a bit too... and it is just kind of a wild drink.

- Overall the Saison qualities sat heavy, while the other qualities I was looking for... weren't there... like a more barleywine dominance. Overall it was too carbonated for my liking... and the yeast/brett took over. Worth the try, but I can't see giving this an A. Sofar I am a much bigger fan of Uprights lighter brews... 4... Alcohol was well hidden though I might add.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2010 17:57:50 | More by Docer

Pecorasc

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750mL green bottle poured into pint glasses and split two ways with Boothbeer. The bottle was almost filled to the cap. Like their other seasonal releases, this bottle has great artwork.

A- The head starts crackling and fizzing as soon as the beer hits the glass. It makes you think its going to fizzle down to nothing, but it eventually settles into a dark tan, dense foam that shows little activity. With no light behind this, it looks dark brown and murky, but when held to light it is actually deep orange to red with some haze and plenty of beading.

S- Brett character is dominant in the nose: tart and funky, wet horse blanket. There is almost a limoncello character to this, probably from the yeast and alcohol. The alcohol is restrained, but noticeable. Everything is layered on top of a flowery yeast character and a dark carmel-like malt backbone. Not your typical old ale, but wow does this have character!

T- Starts out with a very slight brett character, that is much more restrained than in the aroma, and a tangy lemon flavor. A moment later, dust and cardboard shows themselves along with a chewy carmel and toffee flavor. The next transition is to alcohol and a residual sweetness that clings to the palate. The sweetness in the aftertaste is a combination of toffee and chocolate malt. Judging by the aroma, I thought this would be more brett influenced; a fantastic transition of flavors.

M- Smooth with a medium body and a dry finish. This does have a high level of carbonation, but less than their other offerings. The mouthfeel really allows for the great drinkability.

D- 9%? Really? One of the most sessionable beers at this high level of alcohol that I've experienced. In hindsight, I didn't need to and shouldn't have split this one. The alcohol was so restrained, but did build moderately after 3/4 of the pint. Very nice beer, but I would like to see some age on it and find out what direction the brett goes... maybe next year!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2010 18:01:49 | More by Pecorasc

jdense

Oregon

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big green unlabeled bottle purchased at a visit to the brewery 11/09, two months before public release, mystery bottle for last slot on Twelve Beers of Christmas tasting. Thanks, Alex!

Light amber clear body, one finger off-white head, nice lacing. Vanilla, oak tannins in nose from pinot noir barrel aging. The taste is very mellow and smooth for the style, not heavy. The Brett is hardly noticeable, usually my tummy reacts pretty quickly, but it certainly added a bit of funk to the bottle. Not overly carbonated, very smooth and drinkable. Another winner from one of NW rising breweries. Worth seeking out at Lucky Lab Strong Ale Festival under Studebacher Hach moniker. Grab a bottle during January 2010 limiited release. Recommended.

EDIT-Batch #2 bottle shared with neighborhood beer buddy poured into tulip glasses 6.12.11.

Poured almost flat, a minimal amount of light tan head, quick dissipation, over dark brown almost opaque body. Smell features a bit of barrel aromas, some molasses, minimal hops. Uh Oh, funky sour cherry taste right up front dominates taste, pretty sure this is infected, though since we both like sours we were able to get this down. Mouthfeel fairly light for style, minimal effervescence. I love Alex's beers, but this was the first dud I've had from Upright. Hope the two Batch #1 bottles I have left don't suffer from same affliction. Disappointing.

The rating pertains to Batch #1. If I was rating the latter it would be 3/3/3/3/2.5.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 15:05:43 | More by jdense