Welcome to another Friday evening…let us coax you in with another set of delicious new release reviews to help set your weekend plans. Follow us on the quick trip to downtown… I mean, Uptown Greenville. From that comment you may have noticed (and from the photos) that we visited one of the original breweries here in town, Uptown Brewing Company. The brewery in the heart of Greenville, NC recently released a new set of beers including a pale ale and a farmhouse ale. For this week’s new release post you’ll get a double feature – we will be tackling one beer each. Giving you a perspective on each brew while attempting to avoid redundancy. So sit back, relax, and enjoy (a beer while you read this).
Joe’s Beer – “Weird Flex”
Style: Farmhouse ale
ABV: 6.5%
“Weird Flex” but ok…this farmhouse ale was a style I have not previously tried from Uptown Brewing Company. I have had their renditions of sours, IPAs, pale ales, stouts, you name it. So when I saw they had a farmhouse ale, I had to try it. “Weird Flex” poured a caramel color into the tulip glass they served it in. In fruit terms, as Nick so eloquently put it, it had the appearance of apricot puree. I agree with this statement although my initial impression brought me to caramel in a cup. The beer was hazy, opaque, and topped with a micro bubble head that settled in place atop the brew without intentions of leaving.
The aroma of the beer was dominated by yeast character – by that I mean heaps of banana-like esters bordering on bubble gum. The smell reminded me of a hefeweizen or Beligan brew that focuses on the yeast to produce a majority of the flavors. Unlike our favorite IPAs that focus on our dear oily aromatic companion, hops. Under the yeast character slid out a little bit of fruited sweetness.
The mouthfeel of the beer was pleasant with a nice level of carbonation. It wasn’t too much that created a biting sensation, but a good level that complemented the medium body of the brew. It was smooth and easy to sip.
Flavortown… the place this beer, and every beer, takes me. This is the reason I love craft brews, the unique variety of flavors you encounter with every beer. “Weird Flex” brought me to flavortown in the province of hefeweizen. Although a farmhouse ale, the smoothness and banana-like esters took me on a path similar to Germany’s wheat beers and I couldn’t shake the similarities. Now, that isn’t to say I didn’t like the beer – I thought it was enjoyable and highly drinkable. I just think it was missing the tartness, the funk, and the bitterness I would expect from a farmhouse ale. The flavor just hit me too much as a smooth drinking wheat beer. I’m not sure that wheat was included in the recipe, but the appearance, texture, and flavors took me right to that place.
As far as drinkability goes, this beer hits it out of the park. I could easily down several of these without batting an eye. The smooth texture, moderate carbonation, and gentle flavor profile make this beer a crusher. Especially on a hot day, this would be very appreciated if it was handed to me after a tough 30 minutes of mowing the lawn.
Uptown has been a great staple of the Greenville beer scene and I’m glad to see a unique beer style emerge from their kettles. I think the expansion of their taproom offerings would satisfy the local market and bring new customers alike. So stop by, try the beer, and share your thoughts with us! We would love to hear your feedback!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Apricot color, hazy, opaque, micro bubble head that stays in a nice layer in the beer. (3.5/5)
Aroma: Ester, wheat, banana, one yeasty boi. (3.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, nice level of carbonation, pleasant, smooth. (4/5)
Taste: No detectable tartness. Like a hefeweizen, more yeast character. Some fruit flavor but not pronounced. Lots of yeasty ester notes. (3/5)
Drinkability: Very drinkable, smooth, easy to crush. (4/5)
Total: 18/25
Nick’s Beer – “Tweener”
Style: Pale Ale
ABV: 5.7%
“Tweener” is one of Uptown’s latest brews alongside “Weird Flex” and I was happy to make it my New Release subject. I ended up having “Weird Flex” afterwards (I can’t pass up new local beers) but left the work to Joe, as far as making tasting notes. Believe it or not, sometimes we just enjoy a beer without sharing our opinions about it – which is a good thing, because I don’t think I’d have enough time in the day to review all the beers I drink. I digress…
“Tweener” poured a very rich, hazy golden color that resembled some honey without as much of a sheen. There was a good amount of foam that had developed, and its whipped consistency made the beer look very enticing.
While in a shaker pint glass, normally aromas can be hard to detect, but luckily the head retention in this beer allowed me to pick up some good hop notes. It came across as a bit piney and floral, yet subtle and sweet, which I tend to like in a pale ale. The malt aromas were also appearing and I think they were the source for the sweetness.
On first sipping “Tweener,” my initial thought was that the amount of carbonation was perfect. Just a bit crisp upfront but finishing smoothly. This pale ale was medium-bodied and pretty soft after that little bite of carbonation, and was not drying or coating. It definitely quenches your thirst.
While the hop flavor was certainly making itself known (and reinforcing the piney, resinous aromas I smelled earlier), I found more complexity in “Tweener” than just a hoppy profile. Some of the malt flavors were coming through as well, and it gave a bit of sweet corn flavor. Dimethyl sulfide (or DMS) is a byproduct from malting in beer, but is most noticeable in lighter beers. It gives a bit of a corn flavor that you may have experienced in some light lagers and ales. I think this served well to balance with the hop character and made for an easy-to-drink pale ale.
Overall, I was happy with “Tweener” and it was incredibly drinkable. It seemed to me that it would lend itself to a barbecue or cookout, with some burgers/brats/hot dogs and all the fixings. For those who may not be huge into hoppy beers but want to give them a second chance, “Tweener” would be a great option for a pale ale, as it won’t overwhelm you with a ton of bitterness. I recommend doing what Joe and I did and try both “Tweener” and “Weird Flex” while enjoying some music on their TouchTunes machine. Make sure you head to Uptown soon before the kegs are empty!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Rich gold, like honey, a bit hazy. Whipped head that leaves some lace on the glass. (4/5)
Aroma: Floral and piney hops. Some sweet malt aromas as well. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slight carbonation upfront, pretty smooth finish. (4/5)
Taste: Some smooth hop flavor (a bit piney) and rich, sweet malt. Bit of sweet corn flavor (DMS) on the backend. (4/5)
Drinkability: Easy to drink with not a lot of overbearing hop compounds. (4/5)
Total: 20/25
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