Day 18: of the 3rd Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 18: Uinta Brewing Rise & Pine
Uinta Brewing is based in Salt Lake City, UT. They produce some really solid beers, and if you like sours we suggest checking out their Birthday Suit series that they release for their anniversary every year. Sours aside, we’ve never really had a bad beer from them, so we were excited to try this one. From the website: “Juniper and piney hops build the framework for this bold dark ale. With its assertive bitterness and smooth malt finish, this beer stands tall above the rest.”
REFLECTIONS
Beard & Broad
Beard: So I’m still fighting off my death flu, but I did pull it together enough to take a sip of this for the sake of the Christmas spirit. I get some nice herbal and chocolatey, roasty notes in the aroma, along with some piney bitterness. The first sip is all Juniper, but it’s balanced very nicely by dark roasty flavors. The piney hops round it out. This is by far the most complex beer we’ve had so far and I’m sad I’m too sick to really enjoy it. Definitely going to see if there’s still some fresh cans of this out there when I don’t feel like death anymore.
Broad: Big fan of Uinta brews and I’m excited to try this one. In full disclosure, I caught Beard’s bug so I’m not feeling great but I still wanted a few sips of this. I REALLY enjoy this one. It’s dark, malty yet piney and hoppy. I’m a big fan of hoppy beers that aren’t IPA’s, if that makes sense. I wish I felt better so I could drink more of this. Despite the illness, it’s one of my favorite ones so far!
Adam & Alex
Adam: So this smells crazy hoppy and that got me nervous because while I LOVE piney smells, overly hoppy flavors aren’t my bag but man do I love this beer. It’s like a hoppy-chocolatey-dark wonderbeer. This… is my favorite beer of the season so far.
Alex: When I opened this can my reaction was, holy hops, Batman! I was surprised that I actually liked this beer. I’ve noticed this holiday advent-ire that my taste buds have changed quite a bit from last year. This one tastes hoppy and malty at the same time, and is delightful.
Scott & Christa
Scott: The Uinta Rise & Pine has me stumped. Pun intended. As the can states, it’s a hoppy dark ale and that’s exactly what it tastes like. It’s really hoppy, dark and I get hints of the tree-taste. I give this beer big props for having a unique flavor profile but I probably won’t be ordering this at the bar. Just not my style.
Christa: I really like this! You immediately get the pine and juniper notes in taste and flavor and it is very pleasant. As we all know, I am here for the hops and the hoppy, maltiness of this beer balances well. I truly feel like I am drinking a Christmas tree but in the best way. If you like your ales a little toasty, a little fruity, and a little crisp, then this beer belongs on your holiday rotation.
Tony & Megan
Tony: The “Hoppy Dark Ale” description is accurate. Very dark, rich color with a hoppy aroma. You get some pine in the taste along with those hops. If you like hoppy beers then you would probably enjoy this one. For me, I would like to see that hops meter on the side of the can reduced a little bit. Otherwise, you do get some good, bold malt and pine flavors. The can is really cool and it’s a unique dark ale. Overall pretty good beer, just a little too hoppy for me.
Megan: Not as sweet, and on the hoppy side, it looks like a frothy coffee in color. I wouldn’t expect pine flavors with such a dark and heavy beer. I typically associate pine with lighter ales and IPAs that also feature citrus. I’m not sure if I’m a fan or not, but it’s not bad and if you like hoppy beers, you might like this one. I also love that this beer is brewed with renewable power.