BLOOMINGTON, Indiana — Upland Brewing Company is celebrating their 20th Anniversary with several new beer releases, including a seasonal saison this spring. Life Exotic, inspired by summers in the midwest, will hit shelves in 12 oz 6 pk cans in mid-March to get a jumpstart on warm weather brews.
“We knew we wanted a summer beer, so the obvious emphasis needed to be refreshment. Few ingredients are more undeniably refreshing that citrus fruit, so after a few trials we landed on a tangerine and lemon zest combination that had us all ready to get the boats out,” said Pete Batule, Head of Brewing Operations.
The citrus blend of tangerine and lemon zest adds a bright, thirst-quenching complexity to a lower gravity example of a classic Belgian Saison. Coming in at 5.2% ABV, Life Exotic was brewed for chilling out on the lake, as the packaging suggests.
“Our packaging lead, Breanne, inspired the label art for this beer,” said Batule. “We wanted to capture her laissez-faire attitude and badass tattoos, the perfect match for chilling with zest. But we’re worried our artwork is already out of date from matching her tattoos ink for ink.”
The aroma is dominated by tangerine with layers of lemon, fruity esters and peppery spice from a fermentation on Belgian Saison yeast. Complex citrus notes continue into the flavor, complementing the more pronounced Saison yeast character. Life Exotic is crisp, refreshing and finishes clean and dry with a slight, palate-cleansing bitterness.
Life Exotic will be available in 12 oz 6 pk cans in mid-March and on draught at Upland locations, bars and restaurants shortly thereafter. Fans can “Chill with Zest” and stay refreshed during long summer days on the lake, whether tubing, canoeing or kicking back on the banks and beaches.