For the Super Bowl this year, we were finally able to get together to do an Upland Lambics tasting. Upland’s lambic program is diverse and truly impressive. In 2014, they plan to release 8 different fruit lambics and another 3 in their Combination Series. We got the opportunity to try the Kiwi, Blackberry and Strawberry, which really showed the diversity of this portfolio. There were 2 main characteristics that set up the flavor profile for these beers: 1) level of sourness and 2) presentation of the fruit. If I was ranking the beers from most to least sour, it would be Kiwi, Strawberry, Blackberry. Ranking the beers on the presence of the fruit from most to least prominent: Strawberry, Blackberry, Kiwi.
Kiwi Lambic
From the first smell, you can tell this is going to be an intense ride, the sour notes are present right up front. As soon as this one hits your tongue you can feel your palate being crushed by the intense sour flavor. Interestingly enough, some of the kiwi notes do actually come through on the far back end. Not to the point where it wipes away the sour onslaught, but does give you a bit of reprieve and adds another layer to the mouth. This was the only one of the three that had any distinct acetone notes. In my opinion, the acetone got a little heavy but not too bad.
Strawberry Lambic
Looking back on the scales, this beer had the highest amount of fruit notes present. The nose was just fantastic with ripe strawberry notes filling the glass. This beer was also second on the sourness scale, which Upland was very smart about. Strawberries are intensely sweet and sugary and the only way to cut that was with the sour. The amount of sour really seemed strategic in balancing out the sweetness. The distinction between the sweet and the sour may have been a bit contradictory, but a certain level of balance was definitely achieved.
Blackberry Lambic
Very subtle fruit notes in the nose, but more along the line of the Kiwi than the Strawberry. When the this beer hits your palate it is like a light shining down from the heavens…everything is in perfect harmony! Blackberries have a tiny bit of sweetness, but also have nice tart notes. The fruit and the sour live together so perfectly in this beer it is as if everything makes sense in the world.
It was so interesting to be able to drink these beers side by side. All of them are and would have been amazing on their own, but you can really notice the subtleties when you can drink them side by side. Out of our group of 5, everyone had Blackberry as their favorite, except for one Kiwi vote. In a fight for our second favorite beer of the night, the Kiwi and Strawberry actually tied. If you are just looking for an intense sour ride, look no further than the Kiwi. If you are looking for something a bit more complex and balanced, definitely seek out the Blackberry.