Crimson
Upland Brewing Company in Bloomington, Indiana, United States 🇺🇸
Flemish Red / Bruin Regular|
Score
7.47
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(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.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle @ Steve0’s house. Gilgamesh bottle, maybe from 2010 or so. Murky brown appearance with a thin head and fairly low carbonation. Definitely some caramel and tannins in the nose. The flavor is oaky, some vanilla, light to moderate acetic acid. Moderately tart. Black cherry and raspberry notes. A little acidic but pretty tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Sep 2018
at 21:38
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
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.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Mar 2018
at 01:08
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
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.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Jan 2018
at 18:52
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
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.
Tried
on 21 Dec 2017
at 16:42
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
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.
Tried
on 08 Oct 2017
at 13:32
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
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...
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Jul 2015
at 04:50
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
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.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 May 2015
at 12:02
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
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.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 May 2015
at 04:46
6.1/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Refrigerated 75 cl brown bottle corked and capped from queenholly poured into a tulip. Dark red with small/medium with small/medium beige head. Aroma is tart cherries, medium body, well/medium carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is dark candy sugar, tart, some subdued cherries, some vinegar, and some bourbon. I prefer most of the other Uplands selections I have had.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Feb 2015
at 20:03
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 9
Sampled during RBSG. From notes. Sour. Tart cheries and a hint of oak. Pretty good.
Tried
on 30 Nov 2014
at 15:08