Malefactor

Upland Malefactor is a monster of an American Sour! This brew, promoted as an “Epic Flanders Style Red Ale," delivers quite the impact to the senses in all aspects, delivering a memorable and epic experience indeed.

The aroma of this brew is very complex with intense cherry, lactic and acetic notes. There is a wine-like character that could be coming from the barrel-aging or perhaps from the microbiological complexity. The mouth salivates immediately upon the first whiff after popping the cork. Visually, this moderately carbonated quite turbid reddish-brown-colored brew has a solid, rocky cream-colored head. In overall appearance, except for the turbidity, it hits the mark quite well for a Flanders Red. The flavor comes through as a Flanders Red as well, but with an intensely complex wild character that complements the base beer character very well. The flavor has a very impressive sour flavor complexity of cherry and vinous aromatics married with a moderate level of tartness. The middle and finish retains this complexity, along with a browner woody note that adds even more to the mix. The finish is quite dry and spicy, with the moderate sourness cleansing the palate quite well to prepare you for the next sip. The complexity is intense, but this is a fantastic representation of the Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer style. While this could certainly be cellared, it is ready to experience and share with friends immediately.