Name: Upland Brewing Company
Location: Bloomington, IN
Type: Production
Available in DC Market: No
What you need to know: Nestled in the hills of southern Indiana, Upland Brewing has been doing its thing since 1998. One look at their website and you know they’re a fun-loving bunch – check out the staff photos and the beer labels for their Cherry BB TBK and Badder Elmer’s Baltic Porter. This playfulness also extends to their brewing, resulting in unusual beers like kiwi and persimmon lambics. But don’t underestimate them: with under 10,000 barrels put out in 2011, Upland’s measured approach has earned them deep respect from their peers and some serious hardware at GABF and WBC.
Beer #1: Gilgamesh Flanders-style Red (American Wild Ale / 10.5%)
Notes: Upland released this hefty take on the Belgian style in late 2011, upon which it immediately won the gold medal in its category at Chicago’s Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers in November 2011. It’s full of funk and dark fruit, but its time in bourbon barrels introduced an additional boozy/oak layer. As the only Flanders red (and one of the few sours) at SAVOR, you can bet that Gilgamesh will get some serious attention.
Beer Advocate: 90 (14 reviews)
Rate Beer: 95 overall, 59 style (33 ratings)
Beer #2: Teddy Bear Kisses (Russian Imperial Stout / 10.2 %)Notes: Big and brassy, TBK packs a ton of flavor. It pours a relatively clear pitch black with a respectable head and solid lacing. The cocoa nibs on which it’s aged come through strong on the nose (and the palate), as do its high-alpha hops. Relatively thin for such a heavyweight, TBK is more effervescent and (some say) less overtly boozy than other imperial stouts, though with a pronounced char. Be careful around this teddy bear.
Beer Advocate: 80 (90 reviews)
Rate Beer: 91 overall, 33 style (61 reviews)
Summary: Unless you’ve got a trip to Indiana, southern Wisconsin, or Louisville, Kentucky planned, this is your big chance to try out Upland, a regional brewery serving its community well. I’m going to save them for the end of the night myself; given the potency of their beers and their team’s joie de vivre, Upland’s looking like a great way to round out the night.
This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2012 SAVOR participants.
Beer Review Disclaimer: The beer reviews found on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer do not represent the opinions of this site. We provide these in the hope that they will serve as a resource showing what some craft beer fans have thought of the beers. These reviews can be a helpful guideline, but are not the be-all end-all about a beer’s strengths or weaknesses.
