Draft magazine on Upstream Grand Cru

Draft magazine featured Upstream Grand Cru recently. Upstream and Nebraska Brewing Company had some high profile tweets last week at GABF from some very respected brewing people. You can read through my tweets from last week to see but having Ray Daniels find your beer interesting is a great deal and came with surprise that Nebraska was doing this.

Belgian inspiration lures American brewers down many paths. Some follow the Senne Valley’s hard, acidic sour ales, while others find solace in sweeter concoctions from the Trappist monasteries. Somewhere between the two you’ll find this beer: a majestic offering from America’s heartland, matured to perfection in oak barrels.

Upstream Brewing’s Grand Cru pours beautifully with a healthy, hazy bronze color that glows under the light. Sweet honey, oak, and soft tannins -- often associated with wine -- float to the nose in a full, well-orchestrated aroma. The flavors move through the mouth pleasantly, making elegant curves from ripe red apples and pears to musty white wine grapes. There’s a punchy tart moment that’s both a little funky and earthy, but doesn’t have the enamel-scraping sensation you’d find in a hard lambic. An American oak thread is wonderfully drawn out, complementing the lingering sweet fruitiness and yawning through the swallow’s last moment. Truly world-class, Grand Cru is a profound amalgamation of malt complexity and barrel-aging qualities.

Price: $20 for 750mL
Glassware: Chalice
Pair with: Savor with a fine, flavorful dish like duck confit. The beer’s complex malts and oak presence draw out the meat’s sweet and earthy flavors, while the carbonation cleanses the palate between bites.
Age: 2 to 3 years