Being an Indiana boy, I always tried to get some of the stuff from the area. I purchased this beer at Kahn’s in Indianapolis, and it is produced by Upland brewery in Bloomington. They are an up and coming brewery, so don’t think that you won’t see their stuff anywhere. I expect them to do well over the next few years.
It’s not often that one sees a blueberry lambic; they also make a Strawberry version which I’ve not had. At any rate, they did not use the typical fruits that are associated with the style. Nice to see some out of the box thinking on this.
The Pour: I really didn’t know what to expect when I bought this beer. I knew very little about it, so when I opened and poured, it was a surprise when I saw a hazy red and bluish body. Very very little head retained, which is a bit of a disappointment for a beer like this.
The Nose: I’m guessing it weighed in around 6% ABV, but it’s not on the bottle anywhere, and the alcohol was undetectable on the nose. The aromas did indicate pretty quickly that the sweet fruit had been fermented out and that this would be a beer more on the sour than sweet side. Tannic oak, tart blueberry, and a touch of sweetness melded well on the aroma perception.
The Taste: Plenty of oak and blueberry came through when I tasted Upland’s offering. The blueberry was distinct and sour but not overwhelming in either respect. The dry, tannic, and sour oak really came through nicely and faded into a long and lasting fruit finish, which lingered like it does in Lindeman’s lambics.
Overall, I think the beer was well done. I prefer a little more sweetness, even if it is a sour version. The finish length was certainly on of the highlights for me. Good but not great!
Mike’s Rating
Overall Satisfaction: 
Among other Lambic Styles:
They actually made several flavors in 2008: Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Cherry, Peach, and Kiwi. There were only 40-something bottles of Kiwi because of an accident, and they were selling for obscenely high prices on eBay. I bought all of the other flavors, and already drank them except the Peach and Cherry. They were kind of plagued with issues: the Blueberry and Strawberry being delicious but flat, the Raspberry tasted like the juice from a can of corn but was carbonated, and the Blackberry was perfect. I’m eager to try out the Peach and Cherry, but I have too many other things competing for my drinking time!
I recently read that they’re preparing the 2010 batches right now, and that Kiwi will be making a return. I believe they plan on releasing three flavors this time.
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Howard, do you happen to recall how much they went for (kiwi)? Just wondering. The thought of a kiwi lambic kind of turns my stomach…but you never know.
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The highest I heard was $150 for a $15 bottle.
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Absurd!
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Blueberry lambic, mixing tart and tarter!
@howardf – wow, very few bottles of beer I would pay that kind of dinero for, certainly not for a beer with no history. Although it would be nice to have that kind of discretionary income to do so….
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@simply beer- Amen, brother! That type of income would be great.
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