Upslope Christmas Ale

Brewed by Upslope Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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Finally got my hands on this 4-pack when a local liquor store that was going out of business had it for 40% off! Certainly a beer brewed for a specific season. Still, drinking it in after a big meal in May was no problem to me. Pours a dark, amber crystal. Spices are noticeable on the palate. the 8.2% is formidable, but fairly well balanced with the style. Upslope loves the big beer styles and it shows in this Christmas Ale.

16 oz. can. Pours a thin, very poorly retained off white head, over a clear dark amber (SRM 15) body.....nose is allspice, citrus, ginger toffee/caramel....taste is sweet toffee/caramel, leading to allspice, ginger, ending with a spice hop bitterness.....mouth feel light, sticky, light alcohol warmth present, carbonation adds carbonic tingle. The commercial description mentions an English Old Ale. This misses that style because the malt backbone is quite simple in both aroma and flavors and has only minimal fruit layers. The spices were used with a relatively light and do not dominate. The lingering spice bitterness is not very pleasant. To improve this beer will take a readjustment of the malt backbone with an increase, perhaps of both caramel and specialty malts. Finally, what yeast was used? Rating as an Old Ale. BJCP 7/2/12/4/6

The pour is a clear ruby color with a fairly small, off-white, pillowy head which is mostly diminishing. The nose is bland and boring with a gingerbread note, some orangey in there, other spicing, and some resins. The flavor is sweet and nearly cloying with flabby caramel, some clovey and cinnamon notes, very light orange peel, and a light juniper berry note that I feel I missed in the nose? The palate is syrupy, lively, more than moderate. The finish is still cloying sweet with some spicy cinnamon to balance a bit, ginger, and a lingering resinous note. Not horrible in the nose and flavor but very unpolished and unrefined. Not a drain pour but not worth trying.

can. clear red cola colored body with a small head and little retention or lacing. red malt / apple / cherry nose with noticeable alcohol, some solvent / chemical cleaner and mild touches of cinnamon and nutmeg spice. watery body, slick and oily texture, thin finish of cherry cough syrup.

Clear dark amber with a receding white head. Aroma is kinda herbal and winter spice-y, with sublte pine and juniper mixed with ginger and allspice. The flavor is kinda malty but plenty herbal, with that juniper berry note coming back, along with some bitter orange peel, nutmeg, and earthy toffee with a dry, sorta mineral-water and dusty finish.

16 oz can. Pours clear rub red with a smallish fizzy off white head that quickly goes to a thin collar.

The aroma is toasty, bready malts with some muted gingerbread spices.

The flavor is toasty malts with light gingerbread spices and a dry spicy bitter finish. The mouthfeel is pretty full bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, a decent Christmas beer - a bit muted though.

I know this has abbey yeast so maybe I should have entered the beer as something belgian, oh well. I picked up a single can of this because of some chatter here on BA about it being good, thank goodness I didn’t spend the $15 for a four pack. Red color, foamy head that collapses quick. Aroma is kind of gummy with a hint of spice. Flavor is more gum, not bad but nothing that made me say wow. The belgian yeast was apparent. Overall, totally not worth the $3.75 I paid for the can. Serving type: can Reviewed on: 11-17-2012 03:55:30

Can. Head is initially small, frothy, light brown, mostly diminishing. Body is dark amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (caramel), with light notes of allspice and cola. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium to full body, syrupy texture, lively/soft carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Completely devoid of character. How they got such a lack of aroma out of a beer this strong and with that many supposed adjunct ingredients, I will never know. Just smells like sugary malt, the spicy notes are faint and indistinct. Syrupy sweet in the mouth with very little to balance. It’s not really offensive, but there’s nothing enticing or enjoyable about it.

Pour out of 16 oz can, dark reddish brown with thin to no off white head, aroma brought notes of slight caramel, biscuit, bread, some spice, hints of molasses, touch of toffee, slight earth. Taste is a mix of sweet caramel, toffee, hints of dark fruit, red ripe fruit, some slight spice, earth, finishing fairly sweet. Pretty tame.