MMM, Pumpkin

You may have noticed that your local grocery store has loaded up on pumpkins out front and in the produce section.  Again, that is a sign.  Yes, like the long shadows and changing leaves, this means something.  More beer of course!  Pumpkin ales are abound in your favorite beverage coolers, and if your local brewery hasn't yet, they SHOULD be releasing their own (if they aren't, I suggest you inquire as to why that is).  I was able to get one of these sweeties through my kettle about 3 weeks ago now and could keg it this weekend; that just depends on my final gravity reading.  At any rate, I went on a quest to find the perfect pumpkin(s) to grace my oven and after that, my kettle.  The hunt was quick, Whole Foods has a good selection, and the brew was pretty uneventful.  I'll be sure to update you all with my final taste/readings whenever it goes into the keg.  For those of you looking to get your mitts on some pumpkin ale, a few notables are: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery's Punkin Ale, Southhampton Publick House's Southhampton Pumpkin Ale, Coors (yes, surprisingly) Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale.

Last week a few of us had a bit of tasting to do.  A couple of local breweries released their own versions of pumpkin ale.  Our first stop was at Upslope Brewing Company (http://www.upslopebrewing.com) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Upslope-Brewing-Company/76835986834).  Their version was poured fresh out of their bright tank and out came a nice pint of deep amber colored goodness.  The quarter inch head was quick to depart, and the first whiff of this fall favorite of mine reminded me of pumpkin pie baking in the oven.  There was a slightly sweet/malt smell with a hint of nutmeg.  "Once it hits your lips, it's so good!"  Yes, I had to.  So the first sip met me with a sweet crystal malt and almost no hop character (not a big surprise with this style).  As in the nose, there was a slight hint of pumpkin pie spice.  Like most of the other beers you've read about, this one was another medium bodied beauty.  Definitely make your way down there and grab one for yourself!  ABV: 7.3%

Upslope Pumpkin Ale

So our second stop was at Avery Brewing Company (http://www.averybrewing.com/) (http://www.facebook.com/AveryBrewing) for their Rumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale.  I'll be honest, this one had me a bit scared/nervous; at 13.5% ABV I think I had a good reason to be!  Being an imperial, this big-dog was served in a 10 oz glass.  As I wrapped my hands around the glass it was nice to see a deep/dark amber color; a bit darker than it's Upslope cousin.  There wasn't much head that stuck around, and was definitely a strong aroma of alcohol and nutmeg.  The first taste was, as you might have guessed, a bit alcoholic.  That flavor quickly dissipated to leave a malty finish but "imperial" overtones.  This is definitely a full bodied beer and I could probably only do one (I did in this case).  Another twist to their version is that it was aged for 6 months in Goslings Rum barrels.  I would drink this again, but would have to plan to have a bite afterwards!  It's a potent drink and worth a try for it's uniqueness.  I apologize for not getting a pic...