UPLAND BREWING – E 82ND ST, INDIANAPOLIS
Hoppy made his first visit to the Upland Brewing Tap House on E 82nd Street in Indianapolis yesterday evening. It opened last December, becoming the ninth location for Upland, and their third in Indianapolis (4th in the Indy area including one in Carmel). They opened their first brewpub in Bloomington in 1998 and they are currently celebrating their 25th anniversary!
Hoppy attended a Taproom Takeover there as part of the Indy Beer Meetup Group. While there he enjoyed sampling a couple of sours and imbibed an imperial IPA. They were as follows:
Raspberry Barrel-Aged Fruited Sour Ale – Described as having a fresh berry aroma with a touch of floral and wine-like notes, followed by a rich raspberry flavor. Reddish in hue with a pink foam appear upon pouring, with zesty amounts of carbonation. Finish is dry, with mouth-watering tanginess and raspberry flavor. It is 5.7% ABV; 9 IBU.
Boysenberry Barrel-Aged Fruited Sour Ale – Boysenberry is a barrel-aged sour ale that combines Upland’s take on a traditional Lambic-style base beer, with a fruit not typically found in traditional Lambics. They ferment their base beer, Basis, for six to eight months in oak tanks to produce tart flavors, fruity notes and funky character. Then, they blend individual batches before aging on boysenberry fruit for an additional month to extract the perfect balance of fruit flavor. 6% ABV; 10 IBU.
Coastbuster Imperial IPA – Inspired by the gloriously effervescent qualities of hop varieties common to West Coast style Imperial IPAs, Coastbuster displays the best of what these hops have to offer: their tropical, fruity, and floral aromas and flavors. With a light malt character and a dry finish, this is a beer designed to let the most succulent aspects of Simcoe, Amarillo, Columbus, and Cascade shine through while keeping the bitterness in balance. 8.5% ABV; 65IBU.
Pictures of the taproom and event follow: