Brewery Ommegang Upside Brown
Brewery Ommegang has done some wonderful things with wild ales throughout the years. Their latest offering is a brown ale (the label says farmhouse ale) bottle-conditioned with Brettanomyces. And the brewery couldn’t have given the beer a more appropriate name with Upside Brown. The beer is unlike any other brown ale, farmhouse ale or Belgian-inspired ale.
Rich malts and caramel interplay with soft, funky yeast notes for a beer that defies convention. With most modern day wild ales, the influence of “brett” can often create a drinking experience that requires effort on the imbiber’s part. With Upside Brown, Ommegang has once again managed to tame the wildness of the yeast strain and deliver a beer that is not only complex, but wonderfully easy drinking.
Appearance
The brew pours a light brown in color with a persistent stack of rocky beige foam.
Aroma
Bready malt, light caramel, pepper, yeast, a touch of alcohol and a mellow funkiness fill the nose smoothly.
Taste
And here is where the brewery’s expertise with wild yeasts really shines. A soft, wild tartness lingers throughout as a good bit of farm funk, caramel, bread, soft toast and spices fill the mouth fully. This is not a one-dimensional beer. Everything blends well together in a cohesive array of flavors. The wildness is smooth with a mellow nature — it’s not aggressive in the least.
Overall
Upside Brown is a rich and malty brew that brings a smooth funk and wildness to the table. It’s not as assertive as many of its peers, but that’s where the experience also surpasses that of many in the wild realm. The beer has excellent flavor and a surprisingly easy going character. That just makes for a great drinking brew.
Rating: 4/5
