Fat Jack

Fat Jack was among the armload of pumpkin beers I picked up a couple weeks ago.

I have a love/not-so-much love relationship with Samuel Adams beers.  I've said before and I'll say it again, I think it's really hard to be a craft brewer when you're so freakin' large. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they don't.

I think they did here, with Fat Jack, but I don't think it's their best effort.  It's good but I think it could have been so much better.

Fat Jack (8.50% ABV) is a strong ale brewed seasonally with real pumpkin and spices.

The aroma has a big hit of pumpkin pie spices and sweet caramel.

Compared to the smell the flavor was a bit of a let down. The taste was pretty shallow. I detected almost no pumpkin, if any, and the spices were subdued. Caramel was the strongest flavor and was quite nice. The alcohol could be felt as a tingle on the tongue but not tasted. The finish was clean with the lingering ghosts of spice.

The mouthfeel was full, but lighter than expected. Smooth and drinkable.

I thought Fat Jack was a bit of a let down. I was expecting something bolder and more flavorful.  It's not a bad beer, by any means.  If you're looking for a gently spiced beer, then this will work nicely for you.

Overall: good

Great'ER Pumpkin

Date night was a rousing success. I got to go out with hubby for hot wings, cold beer, more beer, a margarita and in bed by 9 PM. That's what I call success!

The more beer came in the form of Heavy Seas Great'ER Pumpkin.

When I saw it on the beer board I shouted above the din of the raucous bar room, "Yo! Bar babe! Bring on the pumpkin!" I didn't actually say that, but close enough. And I didn't have to shout either.  There's a reason we go out in the middle of the week. Just sayin'. 

Oh, and the tap handle is awesome in a creepy but in a fun way. I'm not too sure I'd actually want to touch it.

Great'ER Pumpkin (10.00% ABV) is a seasonal bourbon barrel aged pumpkin ale. It was served in a snifter. It poured a somewhat hazy bright burnt orange color with a floofy white head.

Holy moly, this is a BIG beer!

The aroma is loads of pumpkin and spice and vanilla. The wood and bourbon are also easily sniffed out. The alcohol isn't hiding anywhere, either.

Pumpkin and spices and vanilla are all boldly in evidence. The bourbon and booze push their way front and center. There is also the subtler flavor of oak lurking in the background. This is a boozy beer, for sure, but there is so much other yummy stuff going on here that it's not a distraction.  

The mouth feel is full and smooth.  It leaves your mouth all tingly - both from carbonation and alcohol.

This is an excellent example of a pumpkin ale. It's big and bold and wonderful.

Overall: very good!

 

Pumking

Not every beer wows me. Not every ten or even every twenty beers wow me.  This beer - Pumking - it wowed me.

This may be the best pumpkin/spiced beer I've ever had. And that's saying something! I don't necessarily like pumpkin beer.

I've had no fewer than six different pumpkin beers this season, so far. And many in previous years. I would go so far as to say this is the king of beers. The PUMking of beers!

Pumking (8.60% ABV) brewed by Southern Tier is an imperial pumpkin ale.

It pours a hazy golden copper with what appears to be a subdued inner glow. The head is thin and quickly dissipates into a wisp of tiny swirly bubbles.

The aroma is like fresh pumpkin pie. Just like that, the spices are warm and inviting.

The flavor is remarkable. The pumpkin is a solid foundation of this brew, of course. But the spices are uniquely distinct and stand apart so that you can taste many of them individually - cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice. The vanilla and caramel really come forward and build on the already malty sweetness yet it is not a cloying beer. There is just enough bitterness from the hops to mellow out and balance the lush sugars. Don't be fooled, this is a strong ale and it is bold. The alcohol is well hidden, although there is a pleasant tingle left on the tongue. The spices linger in the finish.

The mouth feel is full and rich with just amount of carbonation to lighten it up.

Pumking is far better than I could ever have anticipated.  This brew is too smooth and too drinkable.  Dangerously good. One of the best pumpkin ales out there! Get some!

Overall: excellent

Smashed Pumpkin

It's getting cooler, the leaves are turning. You know what that means, right? It's pumpkin time again! Spicy, pumpkin beer.  You know you want some.

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing several pumpkin beers. One that stands out for me is Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. It's big, bold and loaded with pumpkin goodness. My review from last year:

Of course I wanted to try this year's rendition but I wanted to mix it up a bit.  This brewtail is partially inspired by how Shebeen Brewing presents their cannoli beer.

Smashed Pumpkin

1 12-oz Bottle Pumpkin Beer
Rum
4 Tbsp Confectioners Sugar
2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Wine Glasses

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small plate.

Dip the edges of each wine goblet in water and then rim the glass with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Pour half the bottle of beer into each glass.

Add a splash of rum and serve.

A Pumpkin Beer Trifecta

The season for spiced autumn beers is here.  So in celebration of this most awesome time of year I did a sampling of three pumpkin beers.  There are so many to choose from but these are the ones I selected:  Dogfish Head Punkin, Saranac Pumpkin and Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin.








Dogfish Head is one of my favorite breweries so choosing Punkin was a no brainer for me.  Punkin is a spiced brown ale. It pours a reddish golden color reminiscent of fall foliage.  The flavor?  Well, it pretty much tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass . . . pumpkin (obviously), nutmeg and cinnamon are prevalent. It's slightly sweet but not overly so.  Frankly speaking . . . it tastes like fall.  Yum!  (7% ABV )

Saranac an another brewery that hasn't disappointed me so picking up a jug of their Pumpkin Ale wasn't a difficult decision to make.  This ale isn't as pumpkin-y as the Dogfish Head Punkin but it's still a pretty tasty pumpkin beer.  This beer has a mellow pumpkin taste that is accentuated by cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg with a hint of sweetness.  There is nothing overpowering here . . . simply a good pumpkin beer.  (5.40% ABV)

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale was the biggest of the three.  It poured a rich golden red with a thin head.  The pumpkin pie spices were forefront to this beer followed by the pumpkin itself.  Not as pumpkin-y as the Dogfish Head but spicier and more alcohol-y than both the Dogfish Head and Saranac.  It's big and boozy. Like an alcoholic pumpkin pie.  Overall good. (8% ABV)