Upland Crimson
(Previously called Malefactor and before that Gilgamesh) Developed as a stronger version of a Flanders-style Red Ale, Crimson is our only sour aged in bourbon barrels that have been previously used to age beer at least once. This creates petite notes of bourbon character, and darker, charred wood character. Crimson also undergoes a turbid mash, with a portion of flaked maize being boiled with the rest of the malt bill, including Vienna and caramel malts. A different cocktail of microorganisms are involved in fermentation, which creates sour notes, and hints of cherry pie. Crimson is aged for up to 8 months or more before packaging.
3.8
193 reviews
Bloomington, United States
Community reviews
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 10/2017. Pours slightly hazy reddish orange/copper color with a 1 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big tart cranberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, green apple, currant, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, oak, wheat, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, bourbon, oaken vanilla, pepper, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, dark/bready malt, and bourbon barrel notes; with geat strength. Taste of big tart cranberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, green apple, currant, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, oak, wheat, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, bourbon, oaken vanilla, pepper, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light lactic tartness and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart cranberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, green apple, currant, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, oak, wheat, caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, vanilla, bourbon, light funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, dark/bready malt, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome malt/tartness and yeast/oak spiciness balance; with zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from tart/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy, fairly acidic, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Mildly warming alcohol for 11.2%. Overall this is an excellent Flanders red ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, dark/bready malt, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV with the mildly acidic/tannic/drying finish. Not overly lactic, but still has solid tartness. Perfectly balanced fruity/funky Brett/Lacto and dark/bready malt complexity; with nice bourbon barrel presence. Very well attenuated and not overly sweet for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Backlog entry. This beer was well rounded, no major surprises and as expected.
Batch listed at 11.2%. Vanilla bourbon oaky aroma with lactic sour and almost a woody sour cherry aroma and flavor. Sour maybe 5 of 10. Lactic sour, tannic woody oaky cherry, and vanilla bourbon oaky. Complex and a very nice sour. Does not seem as strong as it is. Almost seems like it has a light body for the strength.
Bottle labeled as "Malefactor." Sampled at a Goose Island brewery office bottle share. Very pleasant, tart nose. Very gentle, not overly sour. The taste, though, is more pucker. Plenty of sour and oak ahead of the malt, showing every bit of its barrel aging with added mystery bugs. But that all clears away to set up a nice sour strawberry note that goes down very easily.
On tap at Cap Tap. Pours orange copper with a thick beige head and a cherry aroma. There is a sour dark malt flavor with a lot of cherry and a tart finish.
Has an intense sour aroma, lots of red sour character in this. Has little head and darker red brown body with just a bit of fog. Flavour is strong sour meaty dark rye with lemon crispness. Very acidic and just a bit too much on that front. Yet overall, a very nice sour red.
At RB best awards show 2016. A clear amber red coloured pour with a halo of light tan / beige head. Aroma is big vinegar, semi sweet malts, and tart red currants. Flavour is composed of tangy sour, vinegar spice, lemon and red berries. Palate is sweet and sour, , highish carbonation.
Pours reddish with an off white head. The aroma has oak, cherries, sourness, light vinegar and a richness. It has a fairly full body with mild soft carbonation. The taste has the aroma notes along with raspberries and is quite peppery. Very nice.
Malefactor bottle. Aroma is vinegar, cherries, oak, and light bourbon. Tastes moderately sour with loads of fruit and moderate vinegar. Tart and acidic finish. So crushable though which is amazing for a 10.5% acidic sour. The bourbon is subtle but adds so much to this. Love this beer.
750 ml bottle at home. Pours a hazy reddish amber color with a small off white head. The aroma and flavor have tart/sour dark fruit, vinegar, caramel, bourbon, oak, funk, acidic, all the stuff going on kind of makes me forget this is over 10%, the lactic acidity is noticeable, very good sour red/brown.
Hazy caramel cola colored... Aroma of vinegar, tart berries... Flavor is funky semisoft cheese, vinegar, berries, tart caramel malts... Really nice flanders...
April 30, 2015. Bottle at CBC pre-tasting.
Cloudy dark amber with a small off-white head. Aroma is slight sweet with toffee, red berries, tart cherries, grapes skins and hints of balsamic vinegar. Taste is acidic, balsamic vinegar, light sweet berries, toffee and dark fruits. Finish is dry, acidic and light fruity sweetness. Medium bodied, dry, average carbonation.
Courtesy of Brandon
Bottle: The aroma consists of cola and caramel, vinegar, and a touch of lemon. It’s a dark brown with some orange transparency. It has a small off-white head that fades to a minimal film outlined by a thin ring. The flavor starts with a quick dose of caramel and cola. The finish has moderate lemon, light vinegar, and a hint of cherry. It’s light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Bottle. Aroma is funky fruit and lemon. Taste is tart lots of berry and hay. Very nice beer.
750 ml bottle courtesy of hackobock. Pours hazy reddish brown with a small beige head that leaves a small trace on the glass while
dissipating. Smell is malty, fruity and tiny funky with dark bread, biscuits, vanilla fudge, dark grapes, cherries, balsamic vinegar, moist
hay, dry soil, moist wood, barnyard and lemon zest. Taste is sweet, sour, malty, fruity and funky. Mouthfeel is round, tart, slightly throat-
burning acetic and medium bodied. Finish is sweet and sour with dark bread, biscuits, lemon juice, yoghurt, dark grapes, sour cherries, hay,
dry soil, moist wood, barnyard, leather and lemon zest. Duchesse on speed. Good but a bit too acetic for me...
Shared 750 ml. bottle poured to snifters showing a coppery/mahogany color, with a persistent layer of bubbly, tan head foam, and clingy dots & dashes of lacing. The nose was tart & sour with expressive esters as dark cherry & concord grape, and touches of wood and funkiness. Medium+ bodied, with lively carbonation, the taste was similar, full flavored notes, complementary warming, but non-boozy alcohol influence, with some vinous characteristics adding to the complexity. Very nice!
Dark reddish brown color. Poured from bottle at Beermiscuous. Fruity sour and barrel taste. Super good. Small sample but have a bottle to try later
Shared at a tasting hosted by Steebo on February 13. Not one that I enjoyed on the evening. The pour is a dark amber/light brown color with an egg shell colored head that dissipates to a film rather quickly. The aroma is spicy. Lots of cinnamon with a weird sourness and a hefty dose of bourbon, that comes off like acetone. The flavor is, if even possible, more heavy on the bourbon with a sourness coming on the way back with a touch of lemon. The mouth feel is thin, light, no real heavy carbonation, and the flavors disappear quickly. The aftertaste is booze and a light sour. Should’ve enjoyed this one earlier in the night
Bottle split at the sleepy-rapping tasting at Ronny & Alex’s pad, CBC fine tuner, 30/04/15.
Extremely dark mahogany brown with moderate tan spotting / swirl.
Nose is tarte red berry, acidic notes, rich fruit, damp hay, wood must.
Taste comprises acidic strokes, bitter dark fruit rinds, light vanilla, wood notes, spice, tarte red berry, oak tones, light bourbon chase.
Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a tarte berry rinse and rising acidity.
Decent sour red.
Pre CBC-tasting in our rented apartment in Copenhagen 2015-04-30. Hay dark brown beer with a nice beige head. Sourish vinous aroma, vinegar, grapefruit, hay, floral, some dandelions. grapes and raisins. Sourish flavor, vinegar, citrus, grapes, raisins, floral, some rubber, leather lacto notes, some cream. Very nice.
Pour on tap, dark reddish pour with off white head, aroma brought notes of red wine, oak, lemon, some dark fruit into a bit of vinegar, slight spice into a bit of tart apple notes. Taste was a mix of apple, dark fruit, some vinegar, acetic notes into a bit of lemon, some slight yeasty notes with a hint of spice, finishing slightly tart.
Bottle@Ronny and Alex pre cbc tasting #2 - fuzzy amber pour with off-white head. Aroma and taste is fruity citric and malty, some caramel, candi sugar, lemon, tart and acidic to the finish.
750ml bottle in a tulip. Pours brown with a beige head. Aroma of sourness, some bourbon and oak, caramel malts, hints of dark fruits, and some light notes of acetone. Flavor the same with a nice blend. Average texture. A solid beer but it’d be phenomenal if the light acetone was removed.
Pours a dark reddish/brown. Aromas are amazing bubblegum, vanilla, sour lemon. Sour, sweetness, bubblegum, oak, bourbon. Awesome stuff. B3shine thanks!!
Thanks cards04 for this sample. Maroon colour. Great sour and grain aroma. So sour it bites in the nostrils. Tate is sour fruity lactose grain. I detected something a little off but not off. It was the bourbon which is subtle and effective. Smooth palate.
Pours opaque mahogany with light tan head. Aroma has strongly sour apple overtone. Flavor is mainly sour apple with roast malt undertone. Fizz and body are average, but OK.
HMOG 2015. Definitely one of the more sour beers on the day of a long list of sours and wilds. Light cherry flavors and aromas but overall the lactic acid here is what gets you.
HMOG 2015. This one won the most sour beer of the day for me. Whoa. Murky brown/mahogany. Big tart aged cherries, vinegar, bit funky.
Bottle: Swampy, murky copper & burnt amber, fading khaki head turns quickly to a foam. Aroma of cherry, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon spice, acetone, & lactic acid. Flavor is heavy acetone, white wine vinegar, wood, acidic lemon, perfume, & modest cheesy funk. Kind of heavy on the senses.
750ml bottle pours a hazy Amber brown with an off white head. Caramel oak and slight funky cherry finish.