Upland Ard Ri

Brewed by Upland Brewing Company
Style: Irish Ale
Bloomington, Indiana USA

pours a deep copper with a beige head. notes of caramel, dark fruits, and chocolate with a creamy mouthfeel. ok

12oz bottle: Deep orange pour that teeters on red. Nice foamy cap. Very nice toasted aroma meets the nose - softer notes of caramel, unsweetened cocoa, toffee and fruity hops blend well. The body is thick and creamy - nicely done. A heavy dose of bitterness leads the charge as sugary sweet honey, white cake, dough and cereal keep the beer balanced. Finishes with a nice, rindish bitterness on the back of the tongue. The yeast is sufficiently malty and gives the beer the back it needs to balance the hops. I am not crazy about lower ABV Irish Reds, but this is something I would pick up from time to time.

Bottle from Keg Liquor. Poured clear rddish copper color with an average frothy off-white head that was mostly lasting with excellent lacing. Moderate citrus hop and toasted malt aroma. Medium to full body with a slick smooth texture and soft carbonation. Moderate to heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of moderate duration. My expectations where more then met.

12oz bottle split. Nice creamy malt/hop aroma. Dark orange-brown, looks filtered. Says Imperial Red Ale so that’s the category I’ll rate from. This beer is excellent. Reminds me of the Belgian Bierre de Corsaire, pretty impressive. Hops are ever present, but the thick malt more than holds it’s own. I’d love to pick up a six-pack of this in the future.

12oz bottle served in a Guinness pint glass. A clear copper pour was capped by a big, frothy head of light tan foam that showed some very good retention. Heavy lacing coated the sides of the glass. The aroma consisted of caramel, fruity English yeast esters, along with some light butterscotch. The flavor was malty and bready. Big notes of caramel and bread followed by some faint notes of fruit and butterscotch. The diacetyl/butterscotch wasn’t severe, but it did detract from the overall enjoyment just a bit. The mouthfeel was full-bodied and slightly sticky. Light carbonation. An interesting take on a style that can be pretty mundane.

12 oz bottle into snifter. Pours a red amber with small off white head with nice lacing. Aroma is all sweet malt, burnt sugar. Flavor is very sweet up front - light brown sugar, maple syrup, alcohol, bready malt and finishes with bitter hops and more warm alcohol. Booze are not well hidden in this one, may get better with age.

This was obtained via a trade. Lucky me. From a 12 oz bottle this poured a very rich copper color with a nice foamy off-white head and really sticky lacing rings. The nose was caramel malts, ripe fruit, citrus, and flowers. Mouthfeel was very rich and creamy. Really rich flavors with lots of malt and some light bitterness in the finish. The alcohol is hidden well. A very nicely crafted Irish Ale.

Ruddy, copper color with a tallish stable dark cream head. Buttered rye bread scents. Hints of citrus and earth in the background. A bit raw and undeveloped in the aroma. Caramel and butterscotch in the front. Middle continues with the butterscotch, with a sharp alcohol and herbal bite that carries well into the finish and linger. I catch the Irish Red Ale and this is definitely one on steroids. An Irish red can be a bit biting to begin with this one is grabbing on and not letting go. Hints of vanilla as time passes. I appreciate it for what it is, but some time an imperial is just too much.