94 Rating: Free Time by Upland Brewing Co.

This beer is a Vienna Lager, or category 7B in the 2015 BJCP style guidelines. 

It’s a great looking Vienna lager, with a light copper color with very good clarity. We had just a hint on haze in our sample, but still very clear. The head was off-white and very persistent. Visually it’s very appealing, and the nose and flavor do not disappoint either. In the aroma I got some low chewy toasty malt aroma. There was a low spicy hop aroma, which is right where you would expect it. The flavor was very similar to the aroma, with some toasty melanoidin character and a hint of sweetness from the malt, a moderate bitterness, and low spicy hop flavor. It is smooth in texture and crisp. Both the flavor and aroma are very clean.

I found this beer to be medium-light in body and as I mentioned, it has a nice smooth texture. It’s an excellent example of a Vienna Lager and I enjoyed this sample both on a stylistic level and personal enjoyment. I would seek this out again in a heartbeat. In today’s age of beers with funky ingredients and big bold flavors, it’s a breath of fresh air to get a solid classic example. It showcases just how good a beer can be without all the frills.