Upright Four (#4)

Brewed by Upright Brewing
Style: Saison
Portland, Oregon USA

In short: A very basic Saison with a little lemony tartness. Session beer.
How: Bottle 750ml. Consumed fresh soon after purchase. Tasting session with Montreal crew
The look: Cloudy dark yellow body topped by a small white head
In long: Nose is a little wild with lemony notes. The body is yeasty and packs quite a bit of wheaty-like cereals. And with the fluffy texture I had a breakfast muffin sensation. Fruity notes of bananas. Lemony tartness. Minimal citrusy hops presence. Adequately attenuated. All in all the beer is slightly wild, slightly dry, slightly fruity, slightly tart, slightly good. Easy to drink session beer that can be enjoyed in very large quantities. I’m very found of the Saison style so I’m giving it a decent score but honestly this really is a very basic Saison. And what’s with the beer name being a number that is both spelled and written in brackets? A Sesame Street compliant beer?

On tap at the brewery. Excellent saison overall, lighter bodied and dry, excellent session beer. The hops pull a nice citrus and spicy character, hoppy for a saison. Soft wheat note up front, lots of pepper from the French Saison yeast in the finish.

Name: Four
Date: September 19, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Portland Indie
Appearance: cloudy pale yellow, frothy off white head, sheets of lace
Aroma: light wheat aroma, touch of tartness, light sweetness
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, hint of banana, light spicyness, light lemony character gives a touch of tartness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ** /4

My Bottom Line:
Minty hops, straw-like cereals and subtle herbs swirl into a lightly tart finish for a quenching, humble Saison.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam skirts the cloudy blond.
-The body is very light and thus very drinkable.
-Citrusy fruitiness also increases drinkability.
-Every flavor is well integrated, yet few stand out.

Bottle.

Tap @ Upright Brewing... Poured a hazy yellow with a thick, white head. Creamy and light palate. Light on hops with smooth citrus and grain flavors. Finished leafy and earthy with wheat. A little more tart and complex yeast qualities than would be a traditional wheat style.

Draught. Poured orange yellow with thin fast dissipating white head. Little lacing. Fairly flat flavour, a little citrus, a little spice. Lingering spice and floral finish. This beer began and ended well, tho’ it fell off in the middle.