Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Ale by Thomas Creek Brewery

I am trying a brew from a brewery I have never tried before, tonight. This Brewery I am trying tonight is called Thomas Creek Brewery. They are located in Greenville, South Carolina. Here is a little about them, "Since the brewery’s inception in 1998, we have been winning the hearts and taste buds of beer enthusiasts all across the southeast and beyond. Our brewery is open to the public for tours, pints, growler & 6-pack purchases, events, and home brew supplies. The homebrew shop offers everything from equipment kits to ingredients including malted and flaked grains, grain milling, hop pellet varieties, liquid & dry yeast, bottles, caps, chemicals, draft equipment, fittings, and more". The beer I am trying tonight from Thomas Creek is, Pumpkin Ale. Pumpkin Ale has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 7.3% and an IBU or bitterness of 26.4. Time to figure what pumpkin side this brew is on: TOO SWEET/TOO SPICE or just right. 

Appearance of Pumpkin Ale 

Appearance of the Pumpkin Ale is one that looks like an amber ale. The color is a copper color or a deep brownish orange hue. Giving me the thought that this might be a good pumpkin brew. The aroma is intriguing as well. I pick up both on the spices and the pumpkin notes in the brew. The Pumpkin note is stronger and more pronounced than the spice note. The spices I am picking up are cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. I feel like baking when I have this beer, because it reminds me of baking a pumpkin pie.The foam is thin and has a brownish orange tint to the head of the brew. So far, this is like most of the Pumpkin Ale's that are out there and now time for the taste to separate is brew from the others or to fall in line with everyone else. 

Taste of Pumpkin Brews is where I think most of them separate themselves from each other. Most have similar aromas and appearances. The taste of this brew is delicious and something I would order many of. The beer is not too heavy, which is surprising because of the 7.3% ABV. Taking the second sip, I notice more of the flavor profiles in the brew. The spice note hits you as you finish you sip and swallow you sip. The pumpkin note hits you in the beginning and blends well with the spice finish, Overall I think the way Thomas Creek Brewery focused on this brew and used specific hops and malts to make this flavor, was perfectly together. This pumpkin ale has a medium body and a medium mouthfeel that gives the pumpkin fan a great brew. 

Thomas Creek Pumpkin Ale 

Check out this seasonal brew from Thomas Creek Brewery, it is available from September to October. To me this is a good pumpkin brew, but not the best I have had. This brew is in the top ten of my pumpkin ales. I think that the sweetness of the pumpkin could be too much for some, but I enjoy it and think that the spice notes pair well with the sweetness. If you are looking for a pumpkin ale this is a brew you check out and try for yourself. 

Check out Thomas Creek Website and Twitter:

 http://thomascreekbeer.com/

Tweet @ThomasCreekBeer

Matilda

MATILDA BY GOOSE ISLAND BEER COMPANY 

Trying a brew from a brewery, I have tried before on this blog. I am trying a Belgian Pale Ale from this brewery. The brewery I am trying tonight is Goose Island Beer Company. Goose Island was created in 1988 and in 1995 they opened a larger brewery to keep up with their growth. Now they are widely known and have become part of the growing craft beer scene in America. One of their most popular brews is the Bourbon County Series, which was first thought of in 1992 and actually created in 2004. Goose Island Beer Company is located in Chicago, Illinois and even though they are in a big city they are still able to focus on sustainability and creating green beers like their Green Line, which is only available in Chicago. The brew I am trying tonight from Goose Island is Matilda, part of their Vintage Ale Series. Matilda is a Belgian Pale Ale, she has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 7.0% and an IBU of 26. I have tried only one other brew in the Vintage Series and that was Juliet, which is a Belgian Style Wild Ale, so not exactly close in styles.    

Appearance of Matilda 

I poured Matilda in to my beer glass for the night and was shocked at the appearance of this brew. Personally I thought it would be lighter since it was a pale ale, but looks can change and depending on the brew you can get a range of colors for the style. To me this is a pale golden complexion to Matilda and it almost looks she has a goldish red tint to her. Foam or head of Matilda is does leave some lacing on the glass and has a thick appearance to it. One aroma I notice of the bat is the clove aroma that is closely followed by a spiced aroma. The clove aroma is a strong aroma and definitely makes its presence notice when you take a whiff of this Belgian Style Pale Ale. 

Taste I am eager to see, since I have tried a few Pale Ales and not been too keen on them. I think the clove aroma is giving of more of a Tripel aroma and is making me eager to try this brew, because I am fond of Tripels. I took my first sip and was pleasantly surprised by the style of brew. I thought this would be hoppy, but it was rather enjoyable and something I can really enjoy. Matilda is a light body and finishes with a sweet dry note. The spice note that you find in the aroma you pick it back up in the brews taste and it goes well with the sweet dry finish. When you drink Matilda this brew is light and has dry finish, but it does not have the taste of a higher ABV. Rather it finishes like a brew you drink that is much lower in ABV. The more and more I drink of this brew, I begin to notice the clove note and a banana flavor mixed in. I really enjoy this brew and the way it was done so eloquently. 

Check out MATILDA

Matilda is a year round brew and something that can pair well with some many different flavors. If you want to know examples make sure you check out Matilda on Goose Islands Website. Matilda was an enjoyable brew and a great style that I will be looking into more. I think that if you like Belgian Style brews, Matilda is a brew you need to try. Even if you are not into Belgian Styles, you need to explore this style and Matilda is a perfect way to start.  

Check out Goose Island Beer Company's Website and Twitter: 

http://www.gooseisland.com/home.html

Tweet @GooseIsland

Trick or Treat

Trying a new brew tonight from a brewery I have yet to try. I am always looking for interesting brews and I stumbled upon this brew. I thought ' Oh this sounds interesting and I should add it to my six pack'.  Of course it did not hurt that there was pumpkin involved in this brew. I am trying my first beer from Evil Genius Beer Company, who are located in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Area. Evil Genius Beer Company was thought up at Villanova University in 2008 and became a reality in 2010. I am trying a beer called Trick or Treat by Evil Genius Beer Company. Trick or Treat has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 7.8% and an IBU of 35. I am curious to see what is behind this chocolate pumpkin porter. This is my first porter on this blog, so I figure I might want to explain what a porter is style wise. Seeing that they created this like a Robust Porter, I should explain the difference in styles as well. A porter is a dark ale that was created around 1722, it is a blended style of three beers at the time: pale ale, new brown/mild ale and a stale sour brown ale. The beer had a full body and became popular amongst London workers called porters and that is how it got its name. A robust porter is a porter that is made with a dark roasted malt or barley to create a dark black color and include dark roasted flavors such as coffee, chocolate without a burnt finish.  

Appearance of Trick or Treat 

Taking whiff of Trick or Treat aroma, I notice one thing right of the bat. That is the chocolate and smoky aroma of the porter. After that I pick up the pumpkin aroma, which is not as strong as the chocolate or smoky aroma. In addition to these aromas there are two notes that I pick up faintly after swirling the beer around to release the aroma and they are nutmeg/clove. The color of this brew is dark and looks like a dark chocolate color to me. There is no light shining through the beer because the beer is so dark in color like a porter should be. The addition of chocolate does help and adds to the depth of color in this brew. If you were looking for the color of this beer on a SRM it would be a 26+ following the robust porter characteristics. The foam or head of the brew is a brownish white and thick, again following the typical profile of a porter. 

Time to dive into the taste of this Robust Trick or Treat Porter. I am curious to see how the chocolate and the pumpkin come through in the beer. I took my first sip and primarily just picked up a chocolate note. I took another sip and first thing I noticed was a pumpkin/spice note followed by a dark roasted profile of the porter. The dark roast was the rich smooth chocolate profile of this porter. Trick or Treat in my opinion is a full bodied brew that is smooth and rich. I think that the chocolate and pumpkin are an interesting combination. I think this brew would go great with a chocolate crusted pumpkin pie that I create every year for thanksgiving, You would think that the chocolate is overpowering and you would not be able to find the pumpkin in the beer or the pie but you can find it in both. I think there needs to be more chocolate and pumpkin brews like this or more beers to add chocolate and pumpkin together. 

Evil Genius Beer Company Trick or Treat Chocolate Pumpkin Porter

If you are a fan of dark brews you might want to give this brew a chance. In addition if you like pumpkin and chocolate together again you might want to drink this brew. This brew is a limited availability and something you should look for every fall, like I look forward to pumpkin season every beer year.  

Check out Evil Genius Beer Company Website and Twitter: 

http://www.evilgeniusbeer.com/index.php 

Tweet @EvilGeniusBeer 

  

The Devil's Pumpkin Ale

The Devil's Pumpkin Ale by Lavery Brewing Company 

Trying a brew from Erie, Pennsylvania tonight. The interesting part about this brewery is that the name of the brewery is like my Aunt and Uncle's last name and pronounced the same way as they do. I figured that I needed to try this beer and checkout some beers by them. Lavery Brewing Company is the brewery that I am trying a beer from tonight. They were founded in 2009 and are in downtown Erie, PA. Make sure that you say the name right because people usually say it wrong. "It's 'Lav-ry' not 'Lav-ery'." Lavery Brewing Company, much like America – they blend flavors and traditions to bring you some truly innovative ales. Their beers span styles and stereotypes to create something distinctly remarkable. If you look on their bottles it says BREWING INNOVATIVE ALES IN SMALL BATCHES. The beer I am trying tonight is The Devil's Pumpkin Ale. Devil's Pumpkin Ale has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6.5% and an IBU of 26. I am excited and eager to see what The Devil's Pumpkin Ale has in store for me.

Appearance of The Devil's Pumpkin Ale 

The appearance of Devil's Pumpkin Ale has a sweet dark appearance to this brew. When I look at this brew I think of a dark Halloween night and Jack-O-Lanterns. The color of The Devil's Pumpkin is a dark amber brown appearance to the beer. In addition to the appearance the beer is not thick and cloudy, the color just does not allow much light to pass through it. The color/appearance is similar to most pumpkin ales out there. Aroma of this brew is interesting and my nose is following a variety of aromas. First thing I noticed was the malt backbone of the beer, by that I mean a sweet malt aroma is the first aroma I picked up on. Second, I pick up on are the spices. I notice the clove that you would use with pumpkin and a nutmeg as well. There is a subtle hint of Pumpkin in the aroma of this brew, but it is faint and not too overpowering. Foam or head of Devil's Pumpkin Ale starts with a thin layer at the top and quickly dissipates leaving me to think this might be a unfiltered brew. 

Taste is where the good pumpkin brews separate themselves from the rest of the pack, in my opinion. First thing I noticed was the mouthfeel and the malt presences in this brew. Mouthfeel of this beer is like an unfiltered beer and I notice the spice notes played with the mouthfeel of this brew. I also think that another thing you pick up on right away is the malt backbone of this brew. There is a sweet taste to this beer, which is not too sweet like other pumpkin brews tend to be. I think the thing I kind of notice the most is the fruity taste in the beer that is pleasantly delicious and makes this brew an awesome brew. The beer is smooth and can be drank rather quickly because of how smooth the beer is. 

Tango with this Devil's Pumpkin Ale by Lavery Brewing Company

Overall I think this is a great brew and I would put this Pumpkin Ale in my top 5 Pumpkin Brews. I do not think there is a bad thing I can say about this beer. I really enjoy it and find nothing wrong with the brew. I think that anyone who enjoys Pumpkin brews should try this and check out more brews like this. Some might think this brew could be too sweet, but I think that goes well with the approach of the brew and is not too sweet.

Check out Lavery Brewing Company on their website and their Twitter: 

http://www.laverybrewing.com/

Tweet @LaveryBrewing

Hipp-O-Lantern

Hipp-O-Lantern Imperial Pumpkin Ale by River Horse Brewing Company

Trying a brew from a local brewery. Originally, this brewery started in Lambertville, New Jersey, since they have grown in size they have moved down the road to Ewing, New Jersey. River Horse was founded in 1995 and current owners have had control since 2007. I am trying Hipp-o-Lantern by River Horse Brewing Company.  Hipp-O-Lantern is a Imperial Pumpkin Ale and a beer I am really looking forward to reviewing. Hipp-O-Lantern has an alcohol by volume of 8.1%. Every pumpkin beer drinker knows that we are headed towards the end of the season, the weather is getting cooler and it makes me want to enjoy pumpkin beers more. To me honestly, end of October is the end of the Pumpkin season for most breweries. I think that the end of the season should be extended til Thanksgiving, so you can enjoy a Pumpkin beer with a Pumpkin Pie. Time to review Hipp-O-Lantern and see what is behind this brew. 

Appearance to Hipp-O-Lantern

To me when I look at this beer, I see fall in a glass. Pumpkin brew season is upon and this beer makes me think of Fall and late October. There is a deep burnt auburn orange appearance to Hipp-O-Lantern and it reminds me of Amber Ale color. Hipp-O-Lantern's color, could also be the addition of the molasses to the beer that might give the beer it's deep color. There is a thin layer of foam or head at the top of this beer. It has a brownish white appearance to it, the color makes me think some of the spices mixed with the foam. Actually it reminds me of baking a Pumpkin Pie, when you add cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into the sugar before you add the Pumpkin in.  The foam or head also leaves some lacing upon the glass as you drink it.  Aroma wise I smell, Pumpkin and some spice notes mixed in. The aroma is too heavy on the spice side and is sort of on the sweet side. Spice aromas I picked up were cloves and cinnamon.  

The taste of a Pumpkin brew is the most important aspect of a Pumpkin beer for myself, as a Pumpkin beer fan. The first sip of this beer is so smooth. I notice the sweetness of the beer right away,but it does not follow it all the way through the finish of the beer. You first get hit with a sweet note as you take the first sip. Shortly after you begin to notice the pumpkin and the spices, before having the spices take over as you finish your sip. The smoothness of the beer makes me really enjoy this brew and want to go out and buy a case. I will say that as you finish the sip, you do pick up on the 8.1% but not in a bad way. For me, the smoothness of this beer and spices make you think you are drinking not an 8.1% beer, but like a 6% beer.  Body of this beer is medium and you do notice there is a decent amount of carbonation in this brew, but I think you really notice it because of the spice finish in the beer. 

Check Out River Horse Hipp-O-Lantern 

I really enjoyed this brew because it gave me the best of both world's in terms of a Pumpkin beer. You start of sweet and finish with a spice taste in the end. This beer was neither too sweet or too spiced base for my liking. If you really enjoy a Pumpkin brew, like I do than this is a must try brew for you. I think that most people that enjoy beer, but are afraid of a Pumpkin beer having too strong of a Pumpkin taste, this is a beer you should try as well. You do not get too strong of a Pumpkin taste that you cannot enjoy the quality of this beer. Hopefully, soon I am able to stop over in Ewing, New Jersey for a tour and get this beer straight from the source. As the Pumpkin season, closes down make sure you stop by a beer store and give Hipp-O-Lantern, a spook of a chance. 

Check out River Horse Brewing Company's Website and Twitter: 

RiverHorse

Tweet @RiverHorseBrew

Ichabod

Ichabod New Holland Brewing Company

Trying a seasonal brew from a brewing company that I have never tried before. I will be trying a brew from New Holland Brewing Company. They are located in Holland, Michigan, which Michigan is turning into a hot bed for breweries. This beer was first brewed in 1997 and has been around ever since. I am trying Ichabod from New Holland Brewing Company. Ichabod is a Pumpkin Ale. Ichabod has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 4.5% and IBU of 25. Here is a little about New Holland, "Each bottle of our craft beer and artisan spirits captures a flavor, a harvest, a season, a moment in time. We honor those who put imagination, creativity and inspiration into their work. Our beer and spirits pair perfectly with a blank canvas, fertile soil, a blinking cursor, an empty plate or the hint of a spark in someone’s eye. The opportunity for art is everywhere." They believe in celebrating art of crafting and the artist in everyone. The temperature keeps dropping and now it is officially headed towards halloween/thanksgiving and Pumpkin season. So cheers to that and let's checkout what is behind Ichabod. 

Appearance of Ichabod

Ichabod has a deep amber tint to it almost like it looks like an Amber Ale. Colorwise the beer looks like a pumpkin brew and I am extremely excited to find out the aroma and the taste of Ichabod. Aoma wise I am pulling the spices out, when I tried to take a whiff of this aroma. Nutmeg and Cinnamon are prevalent in the aroma. I also get the pumpkin aroma in the beer and am curious to see what the taste of Ichabod leaves around. The foam or the head of the beer has a orange white appearance which I believe is from the deep amber color or the pumpkin in the brew. 

Time to figure out the final verdict on Ichabod from New Holland Brewing Company. When I took my first sip, I got a faint taste of pumpkin and more of a hop note. I drank more and more, I noticed the hop note more and more. The hop I picked up on was the Cascade Hop and I think that it is not a bad thing if you are targeting most beer drinkers. I think that to call this a Pumpkin Ale is a little bit of a stretch. I think that the pumpkin does not really hit the taste palate until you finish your sip and are left with the Pumpkin spices on your tongue. 

Ichabod New Holland Brewing Company

The aroma and the color led me to believe this was going to be like a Pumpkin Ale, but the taste threw me a curveball and gave me something different. I think that if you are more of traditional beer drinker and not to high on pumpkin ales then this would be a beer for you to step into the Pumpkin Ales. Not too much pumpkin taste and more of a hop note than anything else. Even though it has a bitter of twenty five, I can still pick up on the Cascade Hop note in the brew and if you like India Pale Ales brewed with Cascade Hops you should check out Ichabod. This is a good brew just not something, I would go out of my way to get again. I know everyone has their own style of beers and I think right now my palate does not cooperate with Cascade Hops. This is a beer worth trying and exploring, to me it has more of an Amber Ale taste than a Pumpkin Ale. 

Check out New Holland Brewing Company's Website and Twitter: 

http://newhollandbrew.com/

Tweet @newhollandbrew

Pumpkinfest

PUMPKINFEST by Terrapin Beer Company

Trying a brew from Terrapin Beer Company tonight. This is the second brew from Terrapin, I have gotten my hands on. According to Terrapin website, Pumpkinfest is a blend between an Oktoberfest and a Pumpkin Ale. If that is the case then this should be an interesting brew to try and I am eager to see what Pumpkinfest is all about. Terrapin Beer Company is located in Athens, Georgia. They have come up with some really unique and interesting brews like Liquid Lunch and Liquid Bliss. Some of their main brews have come from their side projects. Like Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale as Side Project #7 and now this brew I am trying tonight is Side Project #8. I tried Maggie's Peach and I am curious to see what Side Project #8 has become. "So…keeping up with Terrapin’s out of the box brewing tradition, I decided to brew a beer that combines both of these delicious brewing styles." Terrapin combined Oktoberfest style ale with a Pumpkin Ale to create Pumpkinfest. Pumpkinfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.5% and an IBU of 23. 

Appearance of Pumpkinfest 

Looking at the color or appearance of this brew it looks like an Oktoberfest. The color of Pumpkinfest auburn or a amber tint to the beer.  For example,  below is a picture of Left Hand Brewing's Oktoberfest and if you look closely the colors are very similar. 

Left Hand Brewing Oktoberfest 

In terms of this being a blend of two styles of beers, the color makes you think of an Oktoberfest and the aroma makes you think of a Pumpkin Ale. The aroma notes, I am picking up are the sweet and spiced aroma of a Pumpkin Ale. While I do notice the Pumpkin side of this beer there is a subtle hint of the Oktoberfest aroma, which plays on a malt backbone to the beer. When you pour this beer, the head or foam at the top leaves a quarter inch of foam at the top, with a brownish white tint to it. Spiced aroma I am picking up in this brew is a cinnamon and a clove presence mixed with the pumpkin.  

I am curious to see how the taste combines the two styles or if it focuses on one side in particular. As of right now, this looks and smells like a combination of the two different styles. I think it will be hard to combine the two styles taste, but let's see where it will take us. To be honest, if Terrapin can pull it of this might become my favorite pumpkin seasonal beer. It would be able to appeal to Oktoberfest drinkers and the Pumpkin Ale drinkers at the same time. I took my first sip and I think taste wise I notice more of the Oktoberfest style at first. There is a note of the Pumpkin sweetness, which shows the combination of the styles but it is not as strong as the Oktoberfest flavor profile. The Oktoberfest note that I notice most is the malt, which is an important thing in this style of brew. I think the addition of the Pumpkin, plays more with the mouthfeel and not so much the taste of the beer. I pick up the spice notes lingering on the tongue after I finish drinking the beer. This is a good seasonal brew, but is not taking over my top seasonal pumpkin brew. 

Check out this combination of style Pumpkinfest 

Overall, I think Pumpkinfest is a good brew and gives the beer drinker a sense of both styles. I think though taste wise if it's going to be listed as a pumpkin beer it might need more power in the taste aspect.  If you like Oktoberfest beers, this is a beer you can enjoy while still getting a touch of a pumpkin note. If you like Pumpkin Ales, this is a beer you can enjoy as well because you get the hint of Pumpkin in the brew. I think that this is a good brew to give you a sense that fall has officially arrived and allows you to drink to fall's arrival. 

Check out Terrapin Beer Company's Website and Twitter: 

http://terrapinbeer.com/

Tweet @TerrapinBeerCo