Upright Brewing Five
What the brewers say
“Five is a well hopped saison with an herbaceous nose, underscored by firm bitterness lasting through a dry finish.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Heavy prototypical saison esters, with dominant lemon, tangerine, clove phenols, pepper, and pear. Subtle earthy peppercorn spice, with a slight floral, herbal note. Peach and apple character are present in the nose.”
Flavor: “Surprisingly bitter for style, almost astringent. Yeast esters still present, but fitting for a place at the table with the heavy-handed use of hops. Spicy pepper and herb, grassy lemongrass, grapefruit, and orange. Slight floral iris comes through retronasal. Very light malt sweetness develops into a moderate firm hop bitterness that slowly fades into a dry finish. Carb is medium- to-low for the style.”
Overall: “A wonderful aroma that promised a tasty saison but was lost in the bitter hops, and a bit of astringency. Fairly classic saison with peppery phenols and lemon citrus esters. This beer was enjoyable, with a mix of fruity and floral, and a nice, dry finish.”