Beers 3 and 4: Upland Maibock and Saison
It's the end of the weekend, and, as usual, that’s pretty terrible. However, in addition to the haunting sounds of not-far-off commuter traffic, Sunday night brings a shining spot along with it this week: the first-ever Beer Daily Double Sunday. Something tells me that, with the way most of my weekends go, these are going to be the rule rather than the exception. But, don’t let the knowledge of postless Saturdays dampen the promise of these weekly superposts. Balance is awesome.
Fuckin’ rad.
Now, with that out of the way... behold, beers!
Since yesterday’s foray into the world of AM beer-drinking went so well, I decided that a repeat was in order for Saturday. So, armed with my trusty pint glass, I plunged right into a spring seasonal from one of Indiana’s most famous breweries: Bloomington’s Upland Brewing Company.
Upland has been one of the best parts of my stay in Bloomington. There’s something about being within walking distance of a top flight brewery that makes even dreary spring rains seem not quite so bad. Today’s beer, Maibock, is Upland’s own answer to the less than beautiful days of mid-spring. Forget sunshine and grains of paradise: this stuff is for fortification.
Maibock might kick your face off.
I knew that I was in for a different sort of morning as soon as Maibock’s rusty amber hit the bottom of my glass. Just to reiterate: this isn’t your average spring beer. The rich smells of caramel, toffee, and roasted spices that issued forth next confirmed this. If Friday’s beer was orange juice, this stuff was coffee.
Flavor-wise, Maibock sports the strong, complex malts found in many of Upland’s signature brews. This fact, combined with the brew’s 7.5% ABV, made for an uncharacteristically stiff morning beverage. However, later in the day, this brew’s complete lack of alcoholic aftertaste would make for a dangerously drinkable choice for bock fans everywhere.
Suitably light-headed but fully awake, I rinsed out my glass in time to catch a ride to Muncie with my roommates. The occasion? The final local performance of hometown merrymakers Everything, Now! at the one and only Heorot Pub and Draught House. For those of you unfamiliar with the Heorot, imagine the meadhall from Beowulf combined with 350 beers from around the globe. Essentially, this place is a beer-drinker’s Valhalla on Earth, and pretty much the only reason to go to Muncie on purpose. In honor of the new blog, and to feed my own curiousities, I decided to indulge in another Upland seasonal while waiting for the show to start.
Upland’s Saison piqued my interests when I read its entry in the brewery catalogue while waiting for a round of $2 pints one anonymous Sunday evening in december. Though it was out of season at the time, I decided to track it down as soon as possible (which, according to the catalogue, would be July). Imagine my surprise when, while browsing the daunting selection that stood before me at the Heorot’s bar, I noticed that Saison was still on the menu. I can only assume that the keg they had was a holdover from last season, but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass without taking advantage.
Wow.
I’m not sure if it was the advanced age of the beer or the fact that I’ve never actually tried a saison before, but it only took me a few sips to fall completely in love with the drink at hand. I can safely say that Upland’s Saison provided the most unique flavor experience that I’ve ever had in a beer. Packed full of florals and off-the-wall fruit scents (I mean, maple? banana? Who’d’ve thought?), Saison’s unique smell is outdone only by its taste. Oh, the taste. Hints of anise, honey, and a host of numerous other herbs and spices all combine to form a meadow in a bottle that’ll knock you back a few with its gentle, yet pronounced sweetness. At the end, the whole thing finishes with a pleasant tartness reminiscent of fresh fruit or hard candy. After a beer like that, Everything, Now!’s rollicking concert was simply icing on the cake.
Visit the Upland site through the link on the toolbar for more info on when to pick up more of their fantastic seasonal beers. Tomorrow, it’s back to the daily grind. Drink up.
Fuckin’ rad.
Now, with that out of the way... behold, beers!
Since yesterday’s foray into the world of AM beer-drinking went so well, I decided that a repeat was in order for Saturday. So, armed with my trusty pint glass, I plunged right into a spring seasonal from one of Indiana’s most famous breweries: Bloomington’s Upland Brewing Company.
Upland has been one of the best parts of my stay in Bloomington. There’s something about being within walking distance of a top flight brewery that makes even dreary spring rains seem not quite so bad. Today’s beer, Maibock, is Upland’s own answer to the less than beautiful days of mid-spring. Forget sunshine and grains of paradise: this stuff is for fortification.
Maibock might kick your face off.
I knew that I was in for a different sort of morning as soon as Maibock’s rusty amber hit the bottom of my glass. Just to reiterate: this isn’t your average spring beer. The rich smells of caramel, toffee, and roasted spices that issued forth next confirmed this. If Friday’s beer was orange juice, this stuff was coffee.
Flavor-wise, Maibock sports the strong, complex malts found in many of Upland’s signature brews. This fact, combined with the brew’s 7.5% ABV, made for an uncharacteristically stiff morning beverage. However, later in the day, this brew’s complete lack of alcoholic aftertaste would make for a dangerously drinkable choice for bock fans everywhere.
Suitably light-headed but fully awake, I rinsed out my glass in time to catch a ride to Muncie with my roommates. The occasion? The final local performance of hometown merrymakers Everything, Now! at the one and only Heorot Pub and Draught House. For those of you unfamiliar with the Heorot, imagine the meadhall from Beowulf combined with 350 beers from around the globe. Essentially, this place is a beer-drinker’s Valhalla on Earth, and pretty much the only reason to go to Muncie on purpose. In honor of the new blog, and to feed my own curiousities, I decided to indulge in another Upland seasonal while waiting for the show to start.
Upland’s Saison piqued my interests when I read its entry in the brewery catalogue while waiting for a round of $2 pints one anonymous Sunday evening in december. Though it was out of season at the time, I decided to track it down as soon as possible (which, according to the catalogue, would be July). Imagine my surprise when, while browsing the daunting selection that stood before me at the Heorot’s bar, I noticed that Saison was still on the menu. I can only assume that the keg they had was a holdover from last season, but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass without taking advantage.
Wow.
I’m not sure if it was the advanced age of the beer or the fact that I’ve never actually tried a saison before, but it only took me a few sips to fall completely in love with the drink at hand. I can safely say that Upland’s Saison provided the most unique flavor experience that I’ve ever had in a beer. Packed full of florals and off-the-wall fruit scents (I mean, maple? banana? Who’d’ve thought?), Saison’s unique smell is outdone only by its taste. Oh, the taste. Hints of anise, honey, and a host of numerous other herbs and spices all combine to form a meadow in a bottle that’ll knock you back a few with its gentle, yet pronounced sweetness. At the end, the whole thing finishes with a pleasant tartness reminiscent of fresh fruit or hard candy. After a beer like that, Everything, Now!’s rollicking concert was simply icing on the cake.
Visit the Upland site through the link on the toolbar for more info on when to pick up more of their fantastic seasonal beers. Tomorrow, it’s back to the daily grind. Drink up.
Shit dude. I was upstairs recording a Good Beer Show with the "Thin Fevers". We must have missed each other.
JeffreyT
http://goodbeershow.com
Posted by
Alpha King |
May 7, 2007 at 11:50 AM