Upland Castle Rock Irish Red Ale

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

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.

On tap at Legends: Medium amber hue with a small frothy head and good lace. The aroma has notes of carmelized and smoked malts, grassy and floral hops, a hint of fruit (apple and pear), and a dusty ester. A bit of DMS as well noted. The taste is quite straight forward, sweet malts followed by smooth bitterness and not much depth, quite bland after half a pint glass. I can see where this would appeal to the masses more than the beer geek, but then it does offend either. The feel is a touch watery and chalky, seems to have a hard mineral water aspect. Okay, I’ve had worse in the style. Brewed for St. Paddy’s day I guess, hence why it ended up at the University of Notre Dame!

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.

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.

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.

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.

On tap at brewpub. A deep almost murky red (though filtered) with a decent head. The aroma is nearly absent, with maybe a little malt smell? The mouthfeel is very good, with nice CO2, though a little watery. The flavor is substantial chocolatey malt. A little chocolate aftertaste. It kind of tastes like a good Killians. Not a bad beer.