Upland Castle Rock Irish Red Ale

Formerly brewed at Upland Brewing Company
Style: Irish Ale
Bloomington, Indiana USA

Said to be a bottle from 2005, got a sample at the 2009 UpCup. Reddish brown body with a slight little beige head. Lots of caramel and chocolate and a viscous, swimming malt backbone that is both complex and richly tasty. Smooth feel, medium-full body. Still somewhat hoppy but with a touch of oxidation, still, holding up wonderfully.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with merlin48. Poured a medium mahogany color with an average sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, roast, light chocolate, and a light earthiness. Tastes of caramel, chocolate, and toffee. Malty and sweet.

A pleasant surpise from Upland here. Attractive clear body is red mahogany, topped by a modest beige head that retains well and leaves some patchy lace. Toffee and caramel to the nose, accented by some spicy hop. Well carbonated medium body. Taste is malty with toffee and molasses notes. Spicy hops sneak in to provide a balancing hop bitterness. Very well done for style.

This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a medium sized head of foamy off-white colored bubbles that was and left behind a transparent strong bubbly carbonated brown colored body and a very good lacing. The aroma was malty hoppy caramel malty and mild Irish Red malty. The mouth feel was tingly at the start with a mellow bubbly finish. The smooth flavor contained notes of red malts and hops. A decent one that I would consider buying again.

This beer poured an attractive ruby red color out of the 12 oz bottle, with a fizzy beige head that shrank to a lasting ring along the edge of the glass. Grainy nose that reminded me of the powder that you make malted milk out of. Burnt toast taste with some chocolate and what feels like cinnamon. Caramel and white sugar sweetness. I would never identify this as an Irish Ale. Finish has an almost grassy bitterness. Nice but odd beer.

12oz - Aroma is subtle, carmel, hops, and toasted malt with a little staleness. Pours red-brown with a huge head and great lacing. Flavor is nuttier but otherwise matches aroma. Palate is sweet and creamy. Drinkable.

Bottle marked Bottled January 2006. Small tan fizzy head that mostly diminished, sparse lacing, carbonated, transparent, and a ruby hue with some orange peeking through. Malty, caramel, sweet, hops and fruit (apples?). Flavor was sweet, malty, caramel, and some light bitterness. Rather bland tasting. Tingly mouthfeel. Light body. Very quaffable. Almost a guzzler.

(draft) My first impression was that this beer was simply a relabeled Smithwick’s. After a bit, however, I did begin to notice a slight hint of bitterness. More like a hint of a hint actually. Smithwick’s is better.