435. Upright Five

Our first official beer from Upright Brewing Company (we had Seven on tap at Bottleworks), located in Portland, OR; this was one of the treasures brought home from Seattle. Pouring a hazy dull straw, Five has a prolific and mousse-y ivory head that profusely laces the glass. The nose is perfume-y and spicy with a pleasant hoppy backdrop while the body is dry and crisp on the tongue. Starting dry with cracker and biscuit malt flavors, Five moves into bitterness in the middle with light spicy hop flavors and a lingering bitterness that lasts well past the finish. There is also a slight citrus tang or bite in the finish. The well-attenuated body accentuates the bitterness, leaving a pleasant mix of dryness and slight chalkiness to mix with the bitterness. The carbonation is just short of bright, helping to further balance the beer on the palate. Delicious, crisp, and refreshing, Five combines the best characteristics of a saison with American hopping practices to create an eminently drinkable beer. Nice work, gentlemen. We can only further add that this is a Top 10 Best contender. Kudos.

From the bottle: “Five is our hoppy beer, starting with a strongly aromatic and spicy nose. On the tongue deep herbaceous flavors underscore a firm bitterness that lasts through a dry finish. This beer is made with pale and caramel malts, rolled barley, Willamette, Liberty, and Perle hops, xanthohumol, and French saison yeast. All Upright Brewing Company beers pair well with locally made bread and artisan cheeses, amongst other straightforward foods. Pour into your favorite glass, whatever that may be, and enjoy!”

From the Upright website: “Five is a farmhouse pale ale that was born after enjoying a few small production European brews that use a heavy hand of hops. Ours blends several Mt. Angel grown varieties to create a deep and complex flavor with an underlying earthiness. Pale fruit aromas created during the fermentation brighten the profile and bring the beer balance.”

ABV: 5.5%

Malts: Organic pale & Organic caramel
Unmalted: Rolled barley
Hops: Willamette, Liberty, & Perle
Specialty Ingredients: xanthohumol (bottles only)

Dag. I’m not sure about that 120 gallons part.

(11/28/2010)