We close out November with a Balaton cherry ale from Upslope Brewing in Colorado. This is the 15th iteration of their Christmas beer following the raspberry version from last year.
The Beers of Christmas – Day 21
Colorado takes the spotlight today with Upslope Brewing and their festive red can of Christmas Ale.
“Holiday spices complement the dark fruit and spicy notes from Abbey Ale Yeast. The distinctive holiday aroma, ruby red color and rich malt flavor make this ale perfect for spreading Christmas cheer.”
Barrel to Can
If you had told me when I started this blog back in 2009 that a brewery would put rye in a beer, I might have raised an eyebrow. Then putting that rye ale into Rye Whiskey barrels from Leopold Brothers would have made me lean forward. That said barrels are described in a press release as Maryland-style would have made me snicker a bit. Then if you said that the finished beer would be put into cans, well, I would have asked what form of time travel transport you used.
And even today an Upslope Brewing Manhattan Style Rye Ale made to mimic the famous cocktail is an outlier for craft beer. But I sure wish I could get a couple of the 19+oz cans. $10 is a steal for one.
Barrel Aged and Canned
Now that Ska Brewing is in L.A., it is time to work on getting another Colorado brewery over here. And that means Upslope to me. And they have given me another reason to want their cans on shelves here in SoCal…..
“Our original North Boulder brewery at Lee Hill has been a hotbed of creativity lately, crankin’ out some killer small batch brews for our tap rooms, and is now the home of the Lee Hill Series – a quarterly, limited release series celebrating experimentation and creativity. This Series, served up in 19.2 ounce cans, offers new and innovative styles that are sure to be cellar keepsakes.”
Yup, cans to cellar. Barrel aged then put into cans. Brown Ale. Daring choice in a time of hopped madness but this beer spent “four months in first use Maryland Rye Whiskey barrels from Leopold Bros. ” I have had the pleasure of a few beers aged in that spirit makers barrels and they were excellent so I expect nothing less from this one.
Xmas 2012 Upslope / Christmas Ale
If Upslope were anywhere near my beer buying radius, I would always have their cans on hand and in hand too. It would be especially nice to crack open a can of this Christmas cheer…..
“Celebrating the wintry nights and lights of the season, this lightly spiced English old ale is caramel colored and malty sweet. Second generation to the traditional Winter Warmer, allspice, orange peel and ginger round out the piney aroma of crushed juniper berries.”
new from Upslope
Though I would have expected a brown can to match the name. I am glad that Upslope is growing their canned beer offerings.
“Upslope Brown Ale. It’s an English-style Brown Ale with an American twist in that its sweet roasted-malt base is offset by a pronounced hop bitterness and higher alcohol content — about 6.7 percent by volume — than its counterparts brewed across the pond. It has a well-balanced character with a clean, dry finish that makes it easy to kick back several in one sitting.”
Read this update from the Boulder Camera to get the full scoop on this Colorado brewery.
Let’s Tour…Upslope Brewing
Are you ready for another Colorado beer tour? Let’s go to Upslope then!
Here are their specs and their signature beers…”Brewed with Patagonian hops, high quality Rahr malts, snowmelt and yeast, Upslope’s ales satisfy a wide range of beer drinkers. We have chosen to package our beer in cans because they are portable, light, crushable and the most recyclable container on the planet.”
Upslope Pale Ale
“This clear, crisp, dry pale ale is our signature beer. It’s refreshing characteristics, and signature dry finish, blends smooth malt flavors with a unique spicy hop bitterness. This will be the “go to” beer on any camping trip, fishing excursion or music festival.”
Upslope India Pale Ale
“Our IPA will appeal to the beer enthusiast who desires a bold, deep and bitter ale. With a coppery color indicative of a traditional IPA, Upslope India Pale Ale has a complex malty character and is more well-balanced than most IPA’s, but still offers that bitterness that IPA lovers seek.”
UPDATE:
I was lucky enough to sample the pale ale from Upslope in Boulder. The cans logo and design is striking and simple and that carries through to the beer. It is hoppy but it does not coat the mouth. A great beer for the beach on a summer day. I made room to bring two back home to LA if that tells you anything.