Upland Gilgamesh

From Upland Brewing – Continuing our adventure into the realm of sour ale brewing, we designed a recipe to create an Upland version of a traditional Flanders Red. Melding flaked maize into a turbid mash and adding Belgian candi sugar during a long kettle boil, we prepared this ale for epic proportions. We then incorporated wild yeasts and other acetic and lactic acid producing microorganisms for a year-long oak fermentation in bourbon barrels, which had previously been utilized to age beer. The journey was worth the hardships.

Upland Brewing – Upland Gilgamesh – 750 ml. bottle poured into a goblet. 10.5% abv.

Appearance:  Pours dark beet red with a white ring and a few swirls.  Visible rising bubbles.

Aroma:  Sour red fruit, soaked oak barrel, alcohol, funk.

Taste: Sour grape, wood, bourbon barrel. A little red wine vinegar. While there was apparent booze barrel character, the alcohol of the beer was well hidden for 10.5%.

Mouthfeel:  Full bodied. Very carbonated.

Overall: One of the best executed sours I’ve had from Upland, even though I haven’t tried them all. The cross between the red sour ale and the bourbon barrel scared me at first, but worked really well together.