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. :)