Upstream Grand Cru

Brewed by Upstream Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Omaha, Nebraska USA

(750ml bottle, #461/912, thanks General_Gao) Small off-white head atop clear amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, cherry, some alcohol, light woody sourness. Taste is moderately sweet, cherry, wood, candi sugar. Alcohol evident but not overwhelming. Medium-full body, fairly sticky.

750mL bottle, #461/912, courtesy of General_Gao. Thanks, Colin! Pours a slightly hazy, golden-amber color; thin off-white head with very patchy lacing. Lightly tart aroma, showing plenty of cherries, pitty red fruits, and some light spicing. Medium-to-full, sticky mouthfeel: lots of sugar, red fruits, and just lots of stickiness, viscous maltiness; messy, sweet. Lengthy finish: toasty grains, red fruits; a touch of bread.

Clear amber body with a small white head. Nice nose of apple cider, spicy Belgian yeast, cinnamon, etc, along with a bit of booze and some fresh fruit and candy sugar. The sweetness is well presented and well-balanced by a frothy and bright yeast character, and the spiciness, while minimal, imparts a sort of “authenticity” on this beer, something that a lot of American-made Belgian strong styles lack. Flavors of bread, candy sugar, fruit, alcohol, they’re all integrated very well, and the semi-thick and frothy body holds up well to these bold and bright flavors. Overall I’d say it’s a very well made beer and offers little to offend the professional drinker.

750ml bottle acquired in trade with valpoaj (thanks!). Bottle # 219 / 912. Poured a deeper orangish / lighter brownis color with a small sized off white head. Lots of small suspended floaters in there too. Aromas of apples, vanilla, citrus, wood, and a little nice funkiness. Tastes of caramel, vanilla, lighter wood, dark fruits, and the same nice funkiness. Alcohol content well hidden.

Poured a hazy light brown color with a small, light tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, ginger, caramel malts, dried fruits, nuts, some horsey brett, and oak. Taste of more spices, nuts, citrus, some dark fruits too, and a slightly bretty, vanilla oak finish. Thanks to hopdog for sharing!

Bottle, thanks to Hopdog. Nice carbonation with some pumpkin spice molasses, orange, cognac and Grand Mariner.

Bottle shared by notalush, gracious. This was probably the most surprising beer of the night. It has a very dark, almost orange, golden color. The aroma was a nice mix of funkiness and sweetness with some fruitiness at the end. Pretty awesome sweet funk. Taste I found to have lost the funk with light candi sugar and some sweet estery bubblegum. The body has some heft to it. The one issue I had was a sort of sticky-oily-sweet syrup aspect through the flavor, some in the aroma and felt in the body. Kind of like a sour beer was dumped from barrels, hand bottled, oxidized and then a small portion was blended with a good Belgian. Is that a weird analogy?
750mL, Rodenbach smaller tulip glass.

Bottle shared by notalush. Deep orange beer, white head. Wow... the aroma is incredible. Loads of rich bretty funk. Orange peel, leather, cherries, spicy cologne and a soft perfumey yeastiness. A soft earthiness, cedary woodiness. Rich and resiny with a soft cherry and orange back notes. Flavour is very soft and lightly oaky with a rich leathery funk. Soft palate, dry pale malt with a lemon/orange acidity and a touch of honey floral flavour. Man, this is awesome.