Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Brewer: Brooklyn Brewery; Utica, NY

Goodness! I sort of dropped off the face of the earth there! Well, I'm back and this year I'm gonna try my darndest to keep up with this confounded thing!

I went out to get new shoes today, and that old familiar crispness hit me...Always seems to around mid-October, that itch on the back of my tongue that craves pumpkin-y things in all forms. We cracked into a half-gallon of Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream last night and while I can safely say there is better out there, it really did set the mood. Walking past my local Wegmans (they have a pretty nice beer selection), I decided I wanted to try something new; that something was Woodchuck Hard Pumpkin Cider, which I had heard existed and yearned to try, but alas Wegmans did not carry it! There were some interesting new pumpkin ales on the shelves, though, and I had a hard time picking just one $9 six-pack to take home with me! Eventually, I settled on Post Road, mostly for it's appearance...

On that note, the labeling has a classy sort of colonial feel to it, with its calligraphic logo and a darling little pumpkin that looks as if it had been carved in wood. Even the neck label boasts the use of a traditional 18th century recipe, using local ingredients to create interesting flavors. Barley is a highly emphasized ingredient, and it shows with the first sip. On the pour, I noted a gorgeous pale orange color and a thick, creamy head.

As for flavor Post Road is not as strong on the pumpkin as I'd like. The standard team of pumpkin pie spices are present, and while allspice tends to hog the spotlight a little at first, it backs into a pleasant harmony with the rest after a few sips. The ale is somewhat heavy on the tongue and finishes very smoothly, with hardly any bitter aftertaste (something I set in high regard). This brew clocks in at 5% alcohol by volume, a low-maintenance ale in my opinon.

Overall, I'm certainly going to enjoy my first pumpkin ales of the season, and the impulse buy is not regretted. But on a side note, Woodchuck Pumpkin Cider, don't think I've given up finding you...

Rating:

4.5 out of 5

Oh, how the months fly by....

So a lack of funding had kept me from buying beer for the rest of the exclusive pumpkin season... go me.

Okay, assuming someone still checks this periodically...It's been a very long time since the last post I made. I still intend to keep this blog going, and with my recent change in situation I plan to make it more active than ever.

I recently moved out of New Jersey, and into Pennsylvania. I've been here for six months now, and have begun my research for the local breweries in the area. Looks like I'm gonna have a lot to review...and I hope to cover all the bases.

This is just kind of a message to anyone who might still read this. I'm still around, and I'll be back when the ales come around again.

Time to make my first pumpkin bread of the year. Later.

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Brewer: Weyerbacher Brewing Company; Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. (microbrewery)

After about an hour of following a highly-intelligent toddler around with a camera, I retired to the kitchen for some birthday cake. I found my cousin's husband Patrick taking a bottle of beer out of the fridge.

"Yeah, this is that other pumpkin ale we got," He said, opening the bottle with a quick flick of his hand and a Tungsten wedding ring. "I know you're driving, but did you want to try a little?" And he poured me a small glass.

Already I noticed a vibrant orange hue, and my hopes were immediately enlightened. Let me try to explain the flavor in this: Take one part pumpkin puree, to two parts brown ale, blend until smooth. Yes, this was truly what I was looking for in a pumpkin ale.

The pumpkin flavor was remarkably bold, paired with a sweet aftertaste and a gorgeous medley of fall spices. Nutmeg and cardamom stole the show. Actually, a few quotes from "Beerfest" came to mind on the first sip: "It's magical! It's laughing at me! I wish I could brush my teeth with it! I wish it were winter so we could freeze it into ice blocks and skate on it, and we could melt it in in springtime and drink it!" Yeah, it was that good.

And doing some research, it comes as no surprise. Weyerbacher has a reputation for "huge taste" beers with higher-than-usual alcohol content; Imperial Pumpkin clocks at 8% alcohol by volume; pretty heavy stuff. Another nifty fact straight off the Weyerbacher Wiki: The company ages their beer in barrels previously used for aging bourbon. One could assume that contributes to the awesome flavor of their brews.

I also want to make a note of the clever labeling. I had noticed this brand in the liquor store when I had purchased a six-pack of Punk'n, and remarked that the pumpkin character on the label is strikingly "Burtonesque". It's just overall a spooky imagery, very appropriate for a variety of beer that flourishes close to Halloween!

So, thus far Weyerbacher is king in my book, being the first I've tried that actually tastes of pumpkin! Very impressive, and worthy of the label of Imperial. I tip my hat to you, Dan and Sue Weirback, keep up the good work.



Rating:


5 out of 5

Blue Moon Harvest Moon

Brewer: Molson Coors Brewing Company; Denver, Colorado, USA.

I went to a party tonight for a 2-year-old. In my experience, adults tend to use their very young children as an excuse to have a party with more "grown-ups" than kids; and that's fine, especially when said child is too young to really appreciate an elaborate birthday party to begin with.

I feel like I should elaborate on how incredibly advanced my 2-year-old second cousin is in the field of speech and language comprehension -- to the point where I forgot I was talking to a 2-year-old -- but that's mostly irrelevant. I'm here to talk about beer. And if there's one thing my family likes, it's a nice cold bottle of that, or twelve...

So my cousin and her husband provided a spread of different beers, most of which were autumn brews and pumpkin ales. I sampled two, since I was driving home later and...let's face it, I'm a "Two-Beer Queer". So the first of the two is Blue Moon's take on the gourd, Harvest Moon.

Now, I'm a pretty big fan of Blue Moon, mostly because from the taps it's got a light and fruity taste to it. I don't feel like I'm really drinking a beer; in essence, it's kind of "gourmet". But I'm sad to say I was disappointed by their attempt at a pumpkin ale. To me, this is Blue Moon with clove and cardamom. Again, the pumpkin was lacking, and I began to give up hope.

In all honesty, this beer is drinkable. If I weren't worried about my blood-alcohol content and dick cops in my town, I may have taken a second. However, if you're looking for a pumpkin ale that has a more distinctive flavor, then this isn't the one for you.




Rating:


2.5 out of 5

Punk'n

Brewer: Four+ Brewing Company; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.



My cousin works in a Halloween Store in our town. So I went to visit her...just as they closed for the night, so I couldn't go inside. Luckily, a friend of mine who works at the nearby PathMark also had the same problem. So a conversation picks up outside of the store, which leads us to the liquor store a few shops down the strip. Inside I see the pumpkin ales for sale and almost immediately I decide to buy one.

"Get this one," my cousin said after joining us later, pointing to a six-pack of Punk'n Harvest Pumpkin Ale. "It's just adorable."

$9.99 later, after half-price appetizers at Applebees as well, I come home and sample this "adorable" brew. Really, one word sums it up: bitter. Ice cold, it tastes like any other beer I've had...well, not say, Corona...it actually has a decent flavor and it's got a really nice full body. What it lacks is the very thing I was looking for: the pumpkin. There is a slight, very slight nuance of it in the aftertaste, and a very enjoyable medley of spices. Clove and nutmeg stand out to me. This beer tastes better after a few minutes out of the fridge; then all the flavor really stands out.

Overall, I'm most likely not going to finish this six-pack. It's not one that particularly stands out to me.


Rating:



3.5 out of 5

And now, a word from your critic....

Salutations, my name is Margot, and I'm a pumpkinholic.

Fall tends to be a good season for me, considering everything -- and I mean everything -- becomes pumpkin flavored. I've found so far the usual staples: pies, muffins, lattes, ice cream...I've enjoyed pumpkin ravioli and my boyfriend's homemade pumpkin pancakes, baked my own pumpkin bread, and even found recipes for pumpkin stir-fry. It's all wonderful, and it shows the diversity of this beautiful gourd.

Pumpkin ale, however, is just about a mystery to me. I'm not a beer-drinking girl, as it turns out, and I'm very picky about the beers I like. But the prowess of pumpkin ale certainly intrigued me, and so I've decided to set forth and try as many brands of brew I can acquire, and consequently critique them.

I'll be writing on flavor -- from the moment it hits the tongue to the aftertaste -- mostly. If anything stands out to me, I'll make not of it. I'm not a professional beer-taster; I don't know what's required, therefore I'll note as I see fit. I'll also be cheesy and rate each brand on a scale of 1-5, half points included.

My mission here is to enlighten people about the differences between brands, in hopes that readers will venture out and find the "right" pumpkin ale suited to their tastes. And one last note, my super-eloquence in this introduction may make me seem boring; forgive me, I'm just a very fancy typist.

By the way, I'm 21-years of age (at the time of writing this, of course), and I come from the Jersey Shore. So I may not be exposed to many brands of pumpkin ale. I'm also open to suggestions...that is, if this blog ever reaches that much of an audience...so you can feel free to e-mail me at metalmidge87@aol.com with those. And please don't bash the e-mail, I haven't changed it since I was thirteen.

And here we...go!