A couple of weeks ago, Ezra sent me an invite to Upright’s Billy the Mountain release party. I wasn’t able to make it up to Portland for the event, but my brother happened to be in Beervana visiting family. He was given the esteemed honor of being Beer and Coding’s first correspondent, attending the release party and procuring me a bottle.
I had originally planned to pour Billy on my Birthday last Friday, but even with the help of a few friends, we weren’t able to drink our way deep enough into the fridge to uncover the bottle. I finally had a chance to sit down with Billy last night while cleaning a batch of bombers for a smoked porter I was preparing to bottle.
Before I get into my review, here is some background on Billy the Mountain. Billy was Upright’s first brew, back in March of last year. It is a 9.1% ABV English style Old Ale that spent five months aging in Pinot barrels, then another four conditioning in bottles. Oh, and the name is a tribute to the Frank Zappa song; a 25 minute tale of a California mountain name Billy and his wife Ethell, the tree (both of which are captured in Ezra’s excellent bottle art). Now, onto the review…
Billy is one of the more unique looking beers I’ve ever poured; milky brown with a frothy tan head. When held to the light, it glowed bright orange, but remained completely opaque. The initial aroma took me by surprise. The beer smelled quite tart, with hints of caramel and sweet fruit. I knew that Billy was an Old Ale, but I didn’t realize that Upright had employed a strain of Brett to sour it.
My wife started in on her glass before I had a chance to sample mine. “There’s a lot going on here,” was her initial comment, and a completely correct assessment. The ale was tart-forward; I was met immediately by the sour results of the Brettanomyces’ hard work. The sourness faded slowly into a sweeter, fruity middle. While there wasn’t a strong alcohol presence, there was a delayed warming that came on a second or two after the dry finish.
After my first couple drinks, I decided to let Billy sit for a while; the brew was still pretty cold and I was confident the low temperature was muting some of the flavors. Once warmed, Billy showed a much more complex middle. The fruity flavor became distinctly vinous and the sweetness grew into a deep caramel. There was also a faint hint of oak, which I assume is from the brew’s time spent in barrels. The fuller flavors seemed to clash less with the initial tartness, giving the brew a smoother, polished feel. I suggest serving Billy in the upper 50’s to unlock its rich profile.
After my session with Billy, I can easily say that it is the best beer I have had so far this year; a solid A. If fact, I’m kicking myself for not having my brother pick up an entire case for me. I would have liked to cellar a few bottles and see how the flavors develop as the Brett has some additional time to do its thing.
I’m not sure if any Billy remains at this point; Upright only produced a biscuit over 50 cases. If there are still bottles available, I suggest you make your way down to the brewery and convert your $12.00 into one. If not, don’t worry yourself too much. Yes, you missed out on a fantastic beer, but Upright has just finished brewing another batch; now we just have to sit back and wait about a year. If it’s any consolation, I’m sure the wait will be filled with other world-class and uniquely Upright concoctions.
Cheers!
Kevin