2016 Pumpkin Beers

Crown Valley Brewing - Imperial Pumpkin Smash

Similar to Warlock by Southern Tier, this pumpkin beer is a stout, which is a nice alternative to the typical pumpkin ales and lagers, and seems to be a format which really works for pumpkin. At 10.6% ABV, this beer is no joke! It has a wonderful yeasty pumpkin scent and it is dark with a slight rust tint when it hits the light. A bit more carbonated than you would expect for a stout - it's actually slightly fizzy. Some chocolate notes become apparent as the beer warms, which starts to mute the pumpkin quality. It actually begins to taste more like a cinnamon roll - very sweet and tasty. This is a beer to be savored and enjoyed as it is quite heavy and filling - definitely not a session or poolside beer. Very enjoyable.

Harpoon Brewery - Pumpkin UFO

I look forward to Harpoon's wonderful unfiltered pumpkin ale each year, and this year's offering does not disappoint. In previous years, the finish was very dry and long, but this year's version has a smoother and sweeter finish which is very enjoyable. Once again, the foundation of the flavor of the UFO is raw pumpkin, with the background spices barely noticeable. Bright orange in color and hazy due to its unfiltered processing, this is a beautiful beer and looks like pumpkin in a glass. Not a heavy beer - you can enjoy several of these on a college football Saturday. Delicious!

New Belgium Brewing - Pumpkick

In a world where every brewery wants to grab a piece of the pumpkin pie, brewers are trying to be creative in order to produce something distinctive that will lure consumers. New Belgium's idea was to add cranberries and lemongrass to their pumpkin beer, and while these additions do make it different from a run-of-the-mill pumpkin ale, it doesn't make it better. It isn't a bad beer, but it does lack the pumpkin-forward quality that most pumkinficionados crave. The cranberry becomes more dominant as the beer warms. As far as a true pumpkin beer goes, it misses the mark.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company - Fall Hornin' Pumpkin Ale

Looks great. Smells great. Tastes....OK. There's a lot going on in the glass...maybe too much. A lot of spices and complexities with a very long finish. Malty and heavy. Good, but not my fav.

Blue Moon - Harvest Pumpkin Ale

There really just isn't much to this ale. Very subtle pumpkin flavor. If you're not going to make a pumpkin beer taste like pumpkin, then what's the point? This just tastes like an ale....and not even a really good ale. Don't bother.

Cigar City Brewing - Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Good gourd, that's delicious! Pumpkin beer of the year! Once you start drinking it, you just can't stop. Based on the flavor, you would never guess this baby is 9.6% ABV. A beautiful deep orange color with a very thin head and low carbonation makes this not as heavy a beer as you might imagine. The nose is loaded with pumpkin, butter, and spices. The pumpkin flavor of the beer is accented with light spices and has a sweet caramel finish. If you can find this beer, load up on it!

Southern Tier Brewing Company - Pumpking

All of the pumpkin loving world looks forward to the annual release of Southern Tier's masterpiece and aptly named Pumpking. With the scent and taste of pumpkin bread, enjoying a Pumpking has become an Autumn tradition.

Ballast Point Brewing Company - Pumpkin Down

While simultaneously jumping in on the pumpkin beer trend while bucking the typical pumpkin beer style, Ballast Point has released a pumpkin beer in the style of a Scottish Ale. This is always a malt-forward style of beer, and because of that, the pumpkin flavor is severely muted behind toffee and caramel sweetness. It is a good beer, but if you weren't told that there was pumpkin in it, you might not ever detect it. Personally, I enjoy tasting pumpkin in a pumpkin beer...call me crazy.

Barley Mow Brewing Company - Lord of the Gourd

I am always happy to try new beers from Florida, especially those from the constantly growing Tampa Bay brewing scene. This was the first beer I have ever had from Barley Mow and WOW is it good! Admittedly, I am a huge fan of porters, but porters are a tricky style and easy to fuck up, but Barley Mow absolutely nailed it, and the pumpkin flavor gives this porter a great dry finish which I absolutely love. Super creamy body and easy to drink with low carbonation, this is a great year-round beer to me. During my next trip to the liquor store, I will be loading up on Lord of the Gourd. Well done, Barley Mow!

Holiday Beers 2015

Today marks the triumphant return of the South Florida Bulls to bowl competition as they play the current head coach's former team, Western Kentucky, in the Miami Beach Bowl. What better way to mark the occasion than to sample some delicious holiday beers? Kickoff is a half hour away, so it's time to kickoff this beer tasting!!

First up, N'Ice Chouffe, brewed in Belgium by Brasserie d'Achouffe once per year for the holiday season. This is a great selection to start the day with its 10% ABV and full body. A deep dark Amber with a frothy head, this beer is effervescent and sweet smelling, as it is brewed with dark candy sugar and dried orange peel. This would make for a wonderful after dinner treat as it is like a dessert in a glass. Who needs fruit cake when you have N'Ice Chouffe?!?!

While the N'Ice Chouffe was full bodied and filling, it was so delicious that it went down quick. With just under 15 minutes until game time, I opened this year's offering of "Our Special Ale" from Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. Each year, Anchor produces a new and unique type of holiday beer, and this year is super dark and malty with a roasted finish. Smells and tastes like freshly baked brownies. This may Anchor's best holiday beer ever....better stock up because once it's gone, it's gone FOREVER...

The Bulls score first! That's a good reason to celebrate and open up the Southern Tier 2XMAS. One of the most creative breweries operating today has made yet another winner with this spicy seasonal brew. Loaded with cinnamon, this rust colored beauty is 8.5% ABV of goodness. USF interception!

I look forward to Harpoon's Winter Warmer every year, and this year did not disappoint. Less malty than in past years and a bit sweeter...in other words: delicious. The other beers in this category are more of the "one and done" variety, but this is a beer that you can enjoy all day long. At a very reasonable 5.9% ABV, you can put down a few of these and not be in too much danger of insulting your boss at the holiday party.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Bulls are losing and not looking good. Time to bust out the 2015 Celebration Fresh Hop Ale by Sierra Nevada. Like the Winter Warmer, this is a holiday seasonal standard that I look forward to each year. It is rare to see an IPA as a seasonal variety, and this IPA separates itself from the brewer's always available Torpedo IPA in the use of first-growth American whole cone hops. The malty backbone of this IPA makes it full bodied and worthy of a cold weather brew. This beer has a fairly high production volume and I have found it as late as March in certain stores, but do not wait to start stocking up on this delicious IPA!

The Bulls may have lost the game, but all of the delicious holiday beers helped to ease the pain. Happy holidays!!!

2014 Pumpkin Beer Review

IMPERIAL

SOUTHERN TIER Pumpking

This deceptive golden ale resembles an IPA in the glass, but it is nothing of the sort. Yet another example in the lesson of not judging a book by its cover, you simply can’t even believe the pumpkiny goodness of this wonderful brew. At 8.6% ABV, the yeast of Pumpking makes it resemble pumpkin bread more than pumpkin pie. Pumpking truly is the king of pumpkin beers. It is one of the reasons that the year of beer cycles around Autumn. All hail the king!

WEYERBACHER Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Once again, Weyerbacher has nailed it! This may be the most consistently good pumpkin beer year after year. Clearly, Weyerbacher only selects pumpkins from sincere pumpkin patches which would make Linus himself proud. This beer has the perfect balance of pumpkin flavor with just the right dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves. At 8% ABV, this is a dangerously delicious beer. Once you start, you won’t want to stop, and so you’ll end up on your ass dreaming of the Great Pumpkin. Other than Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead back when it was awesome, this is the only pumpkin beer I have ever bought a case of….and unlike Pumpkinhead, I would buy another case of Weyerbacher every year.

SHIPYARD Smashed Pumpkin

Brilliant orange color and a cloudy, unfiltered body. The thick, creamy head sits on top like frosting on carrot cake. At 9% ABV, it is surprisingly smooth. Good pumpkin in the foreground with very light nutmeg in the background. This is a big bodied beer that improves as it warms, but it is so tasty that there is a danger of finishing well before it reaches its optimal temperature.

SOUTHERN TIER Warlock

Another brilliant creation from the beer geniuses at Southern Tier, Warlock is an 8.6% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with pumpkins and roasted malts. The moderate carbonation and short finish make this blackwater selection easy to drink. The brewers have managed to retain the same spicy pumpkin pie quality as their signature pumpkin beer, Pumpking, in this stout version with the malts providing hints of coffee and dark chocolate which work surprisingly well together with pumpkin. Southern Tier once again proves to be one of the more imaginative and creative brewers around and they are not afraid to take chances to see what works…and this counter-intuitive combination works like a charm!

NON-IMPERIAL

HARPOON Pumpkin UFO

This hazy unfiltered beauty is as close as it gets to drinking a raw pumpkin. While there are many pumpkin beers which resemble pumpkin pie, this offering is more like squeezing a pumpkin into a glass…..but without the mess of seeds are rinds. The pumpkin UFO is accented with some light spices, but the predominant flavor is pure pumpkin. Leave it to a New England brewery to produce a beer that perfectly captures the essence of Fall. This beer will give you visions of lying on a pile of leaves on the side of hill surrounded by trees bursting with yellow, orange, and red foliage. An incredibly long finish that lingers on and on and on and on…..

TIMMERMAN’S Pumpkin Lambicus

A bright and alluring orange color, this lambic tempts you right from the glass as it flaunts its beauty. A pumpkin lambic is something entirely new to me, which is somewhat ironic considering that it is made by the world’s oldest lambic brewery (brewing since 1702!). As you would expect from a lambic, this brew is very fruity, and the pumpkin is a very unique twist on this style. Unlike the dry quality of most pumpkin beers, the pumpkin lambic is sweet with a hint of brown sugar. Only 4% ABV, so you can drink the entire 750mL bottle without passing out. A very delicious change of pace from your usual pumpkin beer.

ANDERSON VALLEY Fall Hornin’ Pumpkin Ale

This dark rust beauty packs a heavy dose of smooth malty goodness. There is plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg to complement the pumpkin flavor, and there are hints of baked bread and caramel on the finish. The high level of carbonation makes this a very filling selection, so it certainly isn’t a session beer, but the one or two you can fit in your belly will be very enjoyable!

SHOCK TOP Pumpkin Wheat

Shock Top continues to produce a pumpkin beer that I am ashamed to like. It is the kind of beer that I would never order in public but will enjoy at home with the lights off and the blinds closed. With its wheat base, it is very crisp and lively. The pumpkin flavor is quite subtle and it is lightly spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. This isn’t a hearty pumpkin ale built for a cold Autumn night, but rather a refreshing and light version suitable for some late Summer tailgating. While you may not admit it to your buddies, you will enjoy this surprisingly good beer.

BLUE POINT BREWING COMPANY Pumpkin Ale

Spices dominate this copper colored ale. Cinnamon and nutmeg are the dominant flavors which combine to overpower the pumpkin notes. Still a very tasty selection despite its lack of a true pumpkin flavor. The heavy spices result in a long, dry finish that will make you reach for a chaser.

MAGIC HAT Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale

A lovely copper color and an even lovelier spice-filled aroma, this seductive temptress lures you in with her looks and perfume, but then you kiss her and discover that she has dragon breath. The use of Allspice is just a bit overbearing and results in a dry and somewhat sour finish. While this is not necessarily a bad beer, there are just too many other better pumpkin options out there to enjoy!

UNITA BREWING COMPANY Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Rubbish. I won’t waste my time talking about it, and you shouldn’t waste your time drinking it.

The IPA Project v2

July 26, 2014

A few years back, I took on the very fun task of trying to find the best tasting IPA using the following guidelines:

 

1. Widely available: The IPA had to be well distributed and not limited to a local market or, worse, only available at a brewpub or seasonally.

 

2. ABV: The IPA had to be of the non-Imperial or double-IPA variety in order to qualify. The cut-off is anything over 7.00% ABV. Now, I am happy to include these "illegal" IPAs into the tastings for fun, but they would not officially qualify for a ranking in this project. 

Basically, the goal was to find the best IPA that you could grab a 6-pack of from a decent liquor store  on your way to a friend's house or to enjoy at home. 

The Approach: 

Each sampling session consisted of a total of 6 beers in 2 flights of 3 beers each sampled in a blind tasting. The winners of each flight were then blind tasted against each other to determine an overall winner for the tasting.

After sampling over 30 IPAs using the guidelines detailed above a few years ago, Stone IPA emerged as the ultimate IPA. For the 2014 version, the winner of each sampling session will be matched against the reigning champion. Let the fun begin!

Today's contestants

Flight #1

Sea Dog: Known more for their fruity beers, the Dog was the clear winner of the first flight. This is a full-bodied IPA, high in bitterness units, and a dry finish. A nice surprise from an unexpected source.

Hoppy Boy: An enjoyable spicy IPA with some citrus notes. Had a somewhat acidic aftertaste.

Hoplanta: The taste is dominated by the piney hops. 

Flight #2

St. Arnold: Delicious! Very smooth. A classic IPA. The overall winner of today's event.

Peak Organic: A very close second. Great showing for this organic selection.

Stone Unapologetic IPA: This beer did not qualify due to its high ABV, and while it did place third, each beer in this flight was very tasty. 

The tasters

And STILL the champion! Stone IPA wins again!!!

St. Arnold was a nice discovery, but was unable to dethrone the reigning champion. Yes, the Maple Bacon chips in the background complemented these beers quite well. Beer + bacon = good. :)

Running errands with the wife on a Saturday.....

I accidentally broke my racking cane prior to bottling my latest batch of McWhale Red Ale, so the wife and I headed out to Southern Brewing & Winemaking to dash in and quickly pick up this much needed item. After locating and selecting the cane, we were walking by the bar and noted all the tasty beverages available, and we said "It would be a real shame to come all this way and not enjoy at least one tasty beverage...."  

So, we sat on down and enjoyed a beer. Michele had the SBW Milk Stout which was fermented on top of a pile of chocolate and vanilla and tasted like a delicious candy bar. I had the SBW Red IPA which was full bodied and complex. 

We were quite pleased with our decision. Since we had finished this highly important errand, we said "It would be a real shame to be this close to The Independent and not enjoy some of their tasty beverages...." So, we popped over! 

Michele went with the Unibroue Ephemere which has a strong and refreshing apple quality, while I went with the Franziskaner Dunkelweisse which is like drinking a liquid banana.

We were quite pleased with our decision. Since we had finished this highly important errand, we said "It would be a real shame to be this close to Total WIne and not purchase some of their tasty beverages...." So, we popped over!

Total Wine has arguably the best selection of beer in the Tampa Bay area. They should really consider modifying their name...



We were quite pleased with our decision. Since we had finished this highly important errand, we said "It would be a real shame to be this close to Brick House Tavern + Tap and not enjoy some of their tasty beverages...." So, we popped over!

Michele had the Sea Dog Blueberry Ale (with real blueberries in the glass) and I enjoyed the Stone Arrogant Bastard.

We were quite pleased with our decision. Since we had finished this highly important errand, we said "It would be a real shame to be this close to The Brass Tap and not enjoy some of their tasty beverages...." So, we popped over! 

The Brass Tap is an outstanding beer bar with a tremendous offering of draught and bottled beer.

Michele had the Southern Tier Creme Brule which is so delicious, I could not stop kissing her because her breath was irresistable. I enjoyed the Green Flash Double IPA and the Hofbrau Maibock. 

We were quite pleased with our decision. Since we had finished this highly important errand, we said "It would be a real shame to be this close to our house and not go home and pass out...." So, we popped home and our long day of difficult errands had come to an end!

Beer in San Diego

Beer in San Diego

There is so much to do in San Diego, but one of the best things you can do in this great city is to just do nothing at all and enjoy one of its many fine locally brewed craft beers. Sure, the beaches and the mountains are nice, but they pale in comparison to a west-coast India Pale Ale. In addition to all of the great beer in San Diego, they also have the best theme song for a city since Sinatra sang "New York, New York."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhNneU5shTs&feature=related

Neighborhood

Neighborhood is a cool, little corner bar on the outskirts of the Gaslamp Quarter. While they do not brew any of their own beer, they do have almost 30 taps with lots of local beers and the entire line-up is very Cali-centric.

There is limited seating both inside and out, and it doesn’t take many people to make the place seem crowded. Be prepared to use your words for entertainment as there is but one TV which resides behind the 10 stool bar. In a bit of irony, there is a hint of a Jesus theme to Neighborhood (their signature T-shirt is Jesus eating a sandwich), and yet there is a ram’s head mounted above the bar (Thou shalt not kill?).

The menu can be considered creative pub grub. The item which jumped off of the menu page (and also my plate) was “The Diaz” - 3 mini hot-dogs wrapped in bacon. Are you kidding me? So awesome.

As for the beers, I enjoyed the following:

Russian River Blind Pig IPA
-Crisp hops layered above a citrusy ale. A light IPA bordering on a hoppy blonde.

Green Flash Imperial IPA
-Very smooth and a lack of bitterness for an imperial IPA

Rock Bottom Brewery

Rock Bottom is a chain restaurant and brewery which is found primarily west of the Mississippi but is beginning to pop up along the east coast (maybe even to Florida….one fine day). Having been to the Seattle and Chicago locations, it had been my experience that the ambience and the beer were consistently good, and the San Diego Rock Bottom was no exception.

In San Diego, Rock Bottom operates in a large, convenient location in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. It is a huge space with the main bar and restaurant downstairs, an additional bar with more seating upstairs (which can be reserved for private functions), and a large patio area outside. The bar area downstairs has a wrap-around bar with plenty of barstools and high-tops. While seated at the bar, the brewing area can be seen through large panes of glass…and it is a lovely sight. There are tons of TVs at the bar and throughout the restaurant.

The beer selection contains the Rock Bottom regulars which can be found at any Rock Bottom location, and a few location-specific specials. I enjoyed the following:

Chai Tea Porter Cask Ale
-Way better than expectations. The tea gives a nice earthy finish to the malty, smooth porter. Also some espresso notes.

Belgian-style White Ale
-Very crisp. A smooth finish without the orange peel or peppery quality. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Angry Dragon Imperial IPA
-Perfect floral, hoppy nose. Low on bitterness, high on flavor. Warning -- this beer may ruin you for all others! This was the best locally-brewed beer of the trip!


 

Pacific Beach Ale House

A great spot just a few steps from Mission Beach, PBAH has ample outdoor seating with a huge open window looking into the main bar area where there are 8 stools at the bar, 6 high-tops, and 4 widescreen TVs. There is also rooftop seating with ocean views. The brewing area can be seen from the main dining area which has plenty of booths and a few TVs.

The beer selection is pretty limited for an otherwise great brewpub. There are 11 beers on tap, 4 of which are brewed by PBAH, and the remaining taps are guest beers which are mainly from local breweries.

I enjoyed the following:

Racer 5 IPA

-Very good, hoppy IPA. Medium bitterness. Medium-to-dry finish. Damn good!

PBAH Pale Ale

-Not within my preferred taste profile -- high malt content, bad finish, not good - I had to send it back.

PBAH Whitewash Wheat

-American style wheat beer. No zip to it. Rather bland.

PBAH P.B. Porter

-Coffee notes, good roasted malts, not overly heavy or malty. Long, pleasant finish.

Yard House

Yard House is a national chain of tap rooms with 100+ beers on tap…..otherwise known to beer drinkers as “heaven.” There are craft beers and imports as far as the eye can see….it can render the patrons gitty with delight. Sure, there is a food menu as well, but food would only take up valuable beer room in your belly, and with sooooo many beers on tap, ‘tis better to save that precious belly room for the real reason you came to Yard House.

I enjoyed many of my old favorites, and also this gem:

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA

-Frothy head, black body, very sweet and hoppy, good bitterness

 

Coronado Brewing Company

Located on Coronado Island, the décor of Coronado Brewing Company will make you feel as if you’ve entered into a Caribbean oasis. With wooden horizontal blinds and indoor trim, exposed beams, rustic copper-colored lighting and fans, and tropical plants, the CBC has a real island feel to it. The long wooden bar has 2 TVs, and there is plenty of seating in the two dining areas, as well as some outdoor seating under ceiling fans.

CBC has 9 of their own beers on tap plus one local guest. I enjoyed the following:

Stingray Point IPA

-This is an unfiltered IPA with a frothy head, and a very floral nose and taste. Mild fruit notes. It is wonderful!

Islander IPA

-A bit more bitter than the Stingray, but very similar in all other respects.

Frog's Breath IPA

-Very lemony and citrusy.

Idiot IPA

-3lbs of hops per barrel! This is a SUPER HOPPY imperial IPA with good levels of bitterness.

Stone Brewing Company

Located in northern San Diego County, Stone is the epicenter of the universe for hopheads and beer lovers of any kind. If Stone isn’t the best brewery in the country (and possibly on planet Earth), then it is at least a part of the conversation. I used to think that Stone was made with some sort of magic beyond human comprehension, but after taking the tour, I now realize it is not magic – it is just awesomeness.

The inside bar and restaurant area is huge; it uses a tasteful and creative combination of stone and wood in the décor; and there is a wall of glass facing the brewery on one side of the room and large open doors leading to outside seating and a garden area on the other. If you were to design the perfect place to enjoy a perfect beer, you could only hope to come up with something this cool.

While at the bar prior to the tour, during the tour, then at the bar after the tour, I enjoyed the following:

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

-A hoppy version of a Belgian ale, crisp and delicious

Levitation Ale

-Very dry, low abv, malty and grainy

Smoked Porter

-Smokey deliciousness

IPA

-Awesome...of course.

Arrogant Bastard Ale

-American strong ale, dry hopped

Imperial Russian Stout

-So dark, rich and thick, 10.5% ABV

Ruination IPA

-Best beer on Earth? Possibly.