Upland Beer’s sour program dates back to 2006 with just 4 oak barrels. Obviously the program has grown considerably. On October 5th, 2011 at 12 noon, head brewer Caleb Staton’s years of hard work are about to be realized. Sour fans will be able to reserve this limited release beer at uplandbeer.com.
In addition to the reservation, those close to brewery can get tickets to a sour reception:
Alongside reservations, we’ll open online ticket sales for a Sour Reserve Reception to be held the first weekend of the pickup period, on Saturday, October 22nd.
Attendees will have the chance to sample all ten styles of sour ale released by Upland, including the Sour Reserve, and meet our brew crew. Only 100 tickets are available, and they are $30 each. You do not have to reserve a bottle of Sour Reserve in order to buy a ticket (but why wouldn’t you?). The reception will take place at our Bloomington Brew Pub from 3-6pm, and will include an assortment of cheeses and fruits suggested for pairing.Sour Reserve Is A Gueuze.
Gueuze is a lambic without fruit. Lambic? A Belgian style beer that is allowed exposure to open air fermentation, allowing the natural funky yeasts to do their thing. A gueuze is a blend of a few different brews or vintages of lambics, then aged in oak. Upland did the same thing. Blended portion of their favorite sour batches.
The lambics are then aged in oak, and we blend portions of our favorite batches together in their own barrels to develop unique flavors and aromas that can never be replicated. The final step in this patient process is bottle conditioning, which creates a fresh, zesty carbonation.
Arrival: October, 2011
