Campside - Upland Brewing Company

    Campside is an American Blonde Ale brewed by Upland Brewing Company which is located in Bloomington, Indiana. While the beer is described as a Blonde Ale, it definitely has the hops profile and aroma of an American Pale Ale, making it an interesting choice for a summer session beer.

    Campside pours a pale golden color with a small bit of head. The beer has a slight haze to it. Though the head fades quickly, the beer's bubbles leave a slight ring on the glass which sticks around much longer.

    The American Blonde Ale features great floral hop scents. Citrus and tropical fruit aromas accompany slightly milder pine-like smells. The hops aromas are more subtle than those found in IPAs or Pale Ales, but still very nice. Light biscuit or cracker malt scents back up the florals with sweetness.

    Campside is medium bodied with a light-moderate level of carbonation. The beer ends quite crisply, but leaves an oily, bitter film in the mouth. The beer's alcohol content of 4.5% ABV is somewhat surprising as I get a slight bit of warmth as it sits in my mouth.

    The ale's flavor is hop forward with a citrusy bitterness. The bitterness level is actually somewhat surprising for a Blonde Ale. The floral hops flavors are present, though less pronounced than in the beer's aroma. The slight sweetness of pale malts just barely come through. I feel as though the beer's bitterness is out of balance with the malt flavors. I still really like the floral character of the hops, but there definitely needs to be a bit more of a malt backbone to mellow things out.

    Normally when I think of a session (especially a summer session) beer, I think of something with a low alcohol content, low bitterness, and high "drinkability". I'm really glad to see Upland trying to use more of the floral properties of hops, but Campside comes off as too bitter for the regular "session" drinker. I like Campside a lot when compared to other Upland beers, but I can definitely see how others may not feel the same way about the American Blonde Ale.

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