Tag Archives: pumpkin spice

Pumpkin Spice Milk Stout by Belching Beaver

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12029775_10102824660978720_1911309553480354729_o 12037949_10102824663329010_7429984166961928221_nRating: 4.45/5

Pumpkin Spice Milk Stout by Belching Beaver is a 5.3% ABV Sweet/Milk Stout brewed with Pumpkin spices.

Label:
It’s all about the Beaver
We came out with this beer when we first opened in 2012; our first derivative of our Nitro “Beaver’s Milk” stout and people loved it. Everyone, but the brewers. The spices were clogging up the nitro spouts. We were constantly cleaning them. Troy would not make it the same again the following year. So now you know what I have to deal with. It’s always production verse sales. Dave and I love the beer and wanted it back. So basically this year, I pre-sold some rather larger accounts, I’m just sneaky that way. So we have to make it now, and we did. Hints of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, you know, Pumpkin Pie! – Tom

==Introduction==

Belching Beavers has been one of those awesome breweries that has really nailed the aspect beer and beer flavors almost to the T in taste. The Peanut Butter Milk Stout has been a super favorite for my friends Oscar and Julio for the longest time. Our trip earlier even justified it with their brewery only release of the Milk coconut stout. Since then, I have reviewed other beers like the Me So Honey, Great Lei IPA and the Me So Honey, All great beers. So now that they released this Fall offering, it was obvious I wanted to bring this one to the site as well. This is the first pumpkin beer I review this year. I have reviewed many of the best in the craft beer world and hold Belching Beaver to high standards but still going non biased, I will try this one and see where it stands in my many pumpkin beer reviews. Cheers!

Aromas:
Chocolate, coffee cake hints, mild pumpkin, nutmeg, allspice, clove spice, ginger spice, mint, marshmallows, anise, licorice hints, dark chocolate, milk chocolate,pumpkin pie, roasted malts, milk sugar, pumpkin spice latte, citrus, vanilla, caramel and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Pumpkin, candy corn, mint, anise, licorice hints, dark chocolate, milk chocolate,pumpkin pie, marshmallow hints, roasted malts, milk sugar, pumpkin spice latte, vanilla, caramel, ginger spice, ginger bread, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove spice, banana hints, citrus, Danish cream hints, buttermilk crust hints, brown sugar, citrus and coffee cake hints.

Aftertaste:
Pumpkin spice, earthy notes, vanilla, cinnamon, roasted malt notes, milk sugar, dark chocolate and mint. No alcohol in the the tastes, dark full body, creamy, smooth and silky mouthfeel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very good Pumpkin beer for sure but even while it does lean toward the pumpkin spiced milk lattes in a way, it unfortunately does not exceed my expectations in terms of some of the other pumpkin beers I have had before. What can I say, I’m a Picky Pumpkin Eater/Drinker. It is still the delicious Belching Beaver type of beer many love which I really do but I come from a background where pumpkin beers actually taste like actual pumpkin pie, pumpkin flesh, or rich pumpkin in Mexican pilloncillo and, milk and cinnamon stick, like the kind of desserts my mom used to make. I’m looking at my all time faves, Smashing Pumpkin by Shipyard. I have to be fair though because this is not strictly a pumpkin beer and it actually falls more with the pumpkin stouts and porters. The best one of those styles was the Midnight Sun T.R.E.A.T. Still though, this is a delicious little minty pumpkin pie milk stout and as that, it is very good so I recommend it even worth the try.

Anime Corner:
Samus Aran from Metroid makes her way to this Halloween pairing. Reason I wanted to pair Samus with this beer is because pumpkins and she has many delicious pumpkins. That and this is the first time I try a Halloween pairing with Samus anyway. The beer and the art says how good the beer is that you will want to leave that candy pumpkin glass dry!

Sources:
http://pre08.deviantart.net/561c/th/pre/f/2014/300/1/c/halloween_by_splashbrush-d84e3tt.jpg
http://img08.deviantart.net/ad07/i/2014/266/c/d/sweater_samus_by_splashbrush-d80a8vz.jpg

(Double Review) Good Gourd & Good Gourd Almighty by Cigar City Brewing

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10653695_10102076646660410_4058892050325129670_n 10702075_10102076648042640_6782403729961338047_n 10386835_10102076649200320_8500370107269952928_n 10670106_10102076649759200_2382520294939542327_nSummer is officially over as the reaper walks out of the hallways of the NubisSanctum cellar and sets its course to take the lives… I mean, leaves from the trees and plants to ready the environment for the winter. This time, the reaper brought a friend… As I do this double review, I would like to point out that these beers have been waiting an entire year in my cellar waiting for the next fall and now I have brought them forth together to unleash double review for the fall. I have previously had the good gourd before and it was an awesome beer. When I heard of the release of the Good Gourd Almighty, I had to grab it before it was gone. This beer was released for what Cigar City calls its “El Catador” club back in late 2013. So those that joined had the Almighty to obtain. Unfortunately for me, I had to go out of my way to trade for this one. Even some of the online sites do not have it and it would be hard to get it. So if you can find the almighty version, awesome! Fortunately for many, Cigar City released the regular Good Gourd for the masses. So if you can get this in your state, Florida mainly or have it shipped to you via the online stores, I vouch for this beer for sure. Let us now see how the reaper tolls… Cheers!

Original Good Gourd Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/good-gourd-by-cigar-city/

Good Gourd 1 year aged Review:

Good Gourd by Cigar City brewing is an 8.5% ABV World Class Imperial Pumpkin Ale brewed with spices. This one has been sitting in the dark for a year.

Label:
Legend has it that when a pumpkin comes into the world it is possessed by either a good or an evil spirit. Ours got all the good baby! Bursting with real pumpkin flavor and yummy pumpkin spices including Ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican all-spice, Zanzibar cloves and nutmeg, Good Gourd is a celebration of Fall and that spookiest of holidays, Halloween. Pair Good Gourd with pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and costume parties.

This high Gravity gob of Gourd-y goodness incorporates pumpkin in the mashing process and then gets wicked with the spices including Ceylon Cinnamon, Jamaican All Spice, Zanzibar Cloves and nutmeg.
___

Aromas:
Pumpkin pie, brown sugar, pumpkin flesh, coffee cake, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove spice, dark fruit prunes, raisins, sweet potato, yams, piloncillo, ginger bread, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel hints, maple, marshmallows, graham crackers, banana bread, hazelnut, pecan pie, maple syrup, hazelnut nectar, dark candi sugar and flan hints.

Flavors:
Rich Dark fruits like raisins, prunes, figs, plums, dates, pumpkin flesh, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, sweet potato rich, yams, maple, piloncillo, milk pumpkin latte, flan, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger bread, rock candy, dark candi sugar, dulce de leche caramel, hazelnut nectar, vanilla, coffee cake, marshmallow, whipped cream, Danish cookies, milk sugar, ginger snaps, candy corn, clove spice, rum hints, banana hints and pumpkin seeds.

Aftertaste:
Pecan pie, hazelnut, pumpkin flesh, dark fruits, vanilla, caramel, gingerbread, earthy notes and spicy notes linger for a bit. No alcohol in the taste, smooth, syrupy and creamy mouthfeel, slight sipping drinkability and medium to full body.

Overall:
Damn! Age does make quite the difference. This one went several notches over perfect. I have not had a pumpkin beer like this in, well, ever. It seems that 1 year aging took it to a whole new level I did not expect. It really is not the same beer anymore, it became a Pumpkin God. If that is the case, The Good Gourd Almighty will probably be in some new dimension of pumpkin reality, some kind of (nth) dimension of pumpkin. We will will only know until we see it. So if you stuck around to read this, I would highly recommend this one without a doubt and make sure to get 2. One for now and one for a year or later.

Good Gourd Almighty 1 year aged Review

Good Gourd Almighty by Cigar City is a ??% ABV World Class Imperial Pumpkin Ale brewed with spices and aged in Rum Barrels. This one, just like Good Gourd has been sitting in the dark for a year.

Label:
(SAME AS THE REGULAR)
Legend has it that when a pumpkin comes into the world it is possessed by either a good or an evil spirit. Ours got all the good baby! Bursting with real pumpkin flavor and yummy pumpkin spices including Ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican all-spice, Zanzibar cloves and nutmeg, Good Gourd is a celebration of Fall and that spookiest of holidays, Halloween. Pair Good Gourd with pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and costume parties.

This high Gravity gob of Gourd-y goodness incorporates pumpkin in the mashing process and then gets wicked with the spices including Ceylon Cinnamon, Jamaican All Spice, Zanzibar Cloves and nutmeg.
___

Aromas:
Rum soaked pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, dark fruits, pineapple hints, leche nestle sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, candi sugar, rock candy sugars, crème brulee, candi sugars, toasted coconut, piña colada, capirotada raisin bread pudding, sweet cola, pumpkin flan, pumpkin cheesecake, clove spice, gingerbread, molasses, oak and chocolate marshmallow smores.

Flavors:
Banana and Coconut Rum soaked Pumpkin Flesh in piloncillo and cinnamon sticks, yams, Japanese purple sweet potatoes, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dates, dark cherries, milk and dark chocolate notes, vanilla, tropical notes like hints of pineapple, stone fruit peaches, apricot hints, pumpkin seeds, marshmallow, hazelnut nectar, Leche nestle sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche caramel, sweet Cola, flan, crème brulee, oak, graham cracker smores, almond joy chocolate, capirotada raisin bread pudding, pumpkin cheesecake, clove spice, ginger bread, molasses, piña colada, milk sugar, Danish cookies, candy corn and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Pumpkin pie, cinnamon, coffee cake, clove spice, bananas, tropical rum piña colada hints and earthy notes. Partial alcohol in the taste imparts flavors of nice sugary milk cream. This is a syrupy mouthfeel beer, with a sipping drinkability and full pitch dark brown body.

Overall:
Frankly, the best Pumpkin Beer, EVER!! This beer took what was awesome about the original and made it way better. Even after a year later, in comparison it shows how it moved along which is different from the original Good Gourd. This reminds me of Rumpkin from Avery but take to a new pumpkin extreme. The complexity and beer consistency is crazy up to the level of some of the greats like Chocolate Rain, Black Tuesday, Wineification and White Chocolate, some of the greats on the West Coast that are my favs This pumpkin beer is pretty ridiculous and I understand why it was so damn exclusive. I highly recommend it if you can trade or find this one online.

Anime Corner:
Rukia Kuchiki (Dark version) and Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach were used in the overall pairings you see hear. They are both Soul Reapers from Soul Society. I wanted to pair Evil Rukia in these pairing since I had used Rukia for the original review. The addition of overall heightened power and Ichigo were for Good Gourd Almighty which basically all the colors they represent are of the death of plants, coming of the fall, the pumpkin like Ichigo’s hair, the dark fruits and the purple yams of Rukia’s hair and over all strength and complexity from both the characters but mainly from Rukia. Evil Rukia is a bad ass, plain and simple even if her Bankai form is supreme, but that is a “Grey Monday” story all together.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Kuchiki.Rukia.full.663934.jpg
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/34500000/Dark-Rukia-hichigo-and-darukia-34581200-245-400.png
http://hdw.datawallpaper.com/anime/dark-rukia-318386.jpg
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Fade-to-Black-213542097

Rating: 5.5/5 *Good Gourd 1 year aged
Rating: 6/5 * Good Gourd Almighty 1 year aged

Floyd D’ Rue Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds

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10174993_10101791726482730_9039393417013231374_nRating: 6/5* Rating given at the time of tasting (4/28/2014)

Floyd D’ Rue Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds is a 14.7% ABV Imperial Porter brewed with spices and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
DARK TUESDAY

This collaboration brew was made in the spirit of experimentation…. and then condemned to barrels for one year. We hope you enjoy!

Floyd D’Rue is the complement to Rue D’ Floyd and was brewed with our good friends from 3 Floyds in Indiana. This invigoration ale will age gracefully if cellared properly, but the spice flavors will be the most prominent when consumed fresh.
___

Obtained as part of the Bruery’s reserve society, this beer was made with high expectations as it was collaborated with 3 Floyds. The label on the beer advises “Drink by 6/30/14” and “May contain Lactobacillus”. The Bruery does advise this was not on purpose but the odds of such a great beer to be a ticking time bomb, basically consume it before it sours, is such a damn shame. If you can get this before the time runs out, definitely get it. This one is the Floyd’s attempt at the recipe with the Rum barrels with spices. So basically drinking both at the same time would probably be over kill. This one is called “Dark Tuesday” just like the other one was called “Black Lord”. A poke at both their awesome super beers, Black Tuesday and Dark Lord… in my previous review, this would be the offspring’s twin sis…oh!!?? wait…

Aromas:
Rich Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cake Rum, lots of cinnamon, dark fruit raisins, capirotada raisin bread pudding, hazelnut, dark, milk, bakers and chocolate, ginger bread, nutmeg, cookies and cream, holiday spices, fruit cake, rye bread, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, marshmallow, cookie dough ice cream, citrus, earthy notes, hazelnut, pecan pie, peach cobbler, flan, crème brulee, Danish cream, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin flesh, pillocillo sugar cone, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, molasses, brown sugar, anise, mint notes and candy sugars.

Flavors:
Taste exactly like rich Rum pumpkin spiced coffee cake! Vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, capirotada raisin bread pudding, fruit cake, pumpkin flesh, honey, maple syrup, ginger bread, nutmeg, dark fruit raisins, Kahlua liqueur, coffee, molasses, pecan pie, hazelnut, peach cobbler, marshmallows, flan, waffle cone, Danish Cream, cheese cake, all spice, cinnamon, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cookie dough ice cream, oak, holiday spices, earthy notes, citrus, apples, apricot hints, brown sugar, candy sugar, mint, anise, crème brulee, pilloncillo sugar cone, chai tea ice cream, sweet potato pie, sweet potato pudding, old mango, banana clove spice, banana bread, walnuts and nutella.

Aftertaste:
Rum, cinnamon, fruit cake, sweet potato, flan, chocolate, pumpkin and coffee cake linger. No alcohol in the taste and just like the other beer, dangerous and smooth. While moderate sipability, it goes down nice and warm with a syrupy consistency.

Overall:
What can I say about this one that I haven’t said about the other one. They are definitely exceeding great. One taste like chocolate coffee cherry cake and the other like rum pumpkin coffee cake to say the least. There is no denying it, they are both exquisite collaborations and both worth the merit. The Ultimate sadness is not being able to see the potential that this beer has as it’s existence is only as brief as the candle in the wind. If you can some how get this one or both or the other one, I suggest you get to it before they are gone. I really hope they brew this one again as it was really good. Combining both would probably be a insane!! Maybe I will save that type of fusion for another review.

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel and Tōshirō Hitsugaya from Bleach were used in this pairing to represent another aspect of the Bruery’s and 3 Floyds collaboration, in terms of the label, flavors and greatness of the two. These 2 are in the highest caliber of awesomeness and the battle they had in the series was awesome. Reflecting on 3 Floyds and the Bruery’s reputation in terms of awesome shows the insanity of the two to have come together, hopefully not once in a life time, but to show case their insane abilities that both share. Tia Harribel, obviously with the 3 on her breast which was used in a previous review to show case the Zombie Dust. She was the perfect candidate for this pairing as she came forth like a beast and like death in the night show casing the awesomeness of the 3 Floyds. Hitsugaya was used in as the Floyds adding the aspect of Cold. Why cold you ask? Well, Cold in relation to his ice ability which relates to Winter in relation to the holiday spices that this beer is abundant with. Without these 2 in the game, such a beer would not come into fruition. The irony of 2 such great breweries is that the release of this beer in the spring is like the opposite which is the fall. Like if Rue D’Floyd and Floyd D’Rue were like the sun and the moon or the spring and fall, or summer (Tia) and the winter (Hitsugaya). Hence forth, just like the Summer approaches, so will the Sun (Lactobacillus/Tia Harribel) consume the beer, forever lost in the pits of hell where once the shining light of hope of pandora’s box once stood. Sour Sour, everything returns to Sour (NOTHING)!!……

Pumpkick by New Belgium

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546930_10101439808184820_403516156_nRating: 2.8/5

Pumpkick by New Belgium is a 6% ABV Pumpkin ale brewed with pumpkin juice, cranberry juice and spices

Label: 
What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. PUMPKICK is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it’s the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that send your tastebuds sailing.
___

Pumpkick is a beer that was made as a rerelease of Lips of Faith Kick which I had a couple of years ago. Back then the beer was a collaboration with Elysian and possibly the recipe has changed a lot since the the last time I tried it. I will review and see if this pumpkin beer is as good as the Kick I used to remember

Aromas are of cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, biscuit malts, caramel, hints of cranberries, cherry candy hints and a bit of brown sugar

The flavors are of pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, light cranberry notes, biscuit, caramel, brown sugar and pecan notes.

The aftertaste is pretty dry. Very refreshing and easy to drink.

Overall it is an okay beer. The original kick was way better from what I remember. That one actually had distinct flavors of pumpkin and cranberry which worked pretty well for it. New Blegium unfortunately no longer makes it. If this was their replacement, I think they need to kick it up a notch with more awesome flavors or just bring back kick!! Either way, it is not a bad beer for a 6 pack and it has good merit in its own way, especially for the season. Worth trying once but I would recommend getting a stronger pumpkin beer.

Pumpkin Lambicus by Timmermans Lambic Brewery

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1379530_10101428780244900_1828523104_nRating: 3.5/5

Pumpkin Lambicus by Timmermans Lambic Brewery is a 4% ABV Pumpkin Lambic

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (Ratebeer.com)
Two traditions are brought together here in a unique complacency, namely an original succulence never tempted before. The result is sublime, liberating a graceful taste tinted by a controlled acidity on the lambic confused with the dry fruity of the pumpkin and the discreet sugar added. By crossing the middle of the mouth appears a taste of brown sugar remembering and accentuating the convivial touch of Halloween.
___

I have tried different lambics in the pat. However, I have not really sat down and reviewed any. His year I wanted to add a pumpkin lambic to this year’s pumpkin beer trip. 

Aromas are of cinnamon, pumpkin, apples and apple cider, pear, nutmeg, cereal grains, brown sugar, all spice, wheat and coriander notes.

The flavors are of pumpkin, gingerbread, apple cider, apple pie, pumpkin pie notes, tart berries, cinnamon, nutmeg, wheat, cereal grains, candied apples, caramel, brown sugar, pepper and coriander spice.

The aftertaste leaves with like cinnamon, tart green apple and pumpkin spice notes. Drinks easy and is refreshing.

Overall a pretty good lambic. It has a good amount going for it, but not a rich amount of pumpkin. Still delicious as it reminds me of apple pie with some pumpkin pie notes. It is worth trying atleast once. However, if you are looking for a pumpkin beer, you can definitely find something more awesome

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale by Coors Brewing

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1376603_10101428763538380_607849606_nRating: 3.25/5

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale by Coors Brewing is a 5.7% ABV Pumpkin ale

Label: 
We crafted this rich amber colored ale with a feast of fall flavors like vine-ripened pumpkin, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Then we added a touch of wheat for a smooth finish. It’s the perfect complement to fall’s crisp, clear days.
___

Of all the times I have tried many pumpkin beers, I had yet to review this one. I picked this one up along with the caramel apple spiced ale and decided to do a review of yet another pumpkin beer. Pumpkin beers are awesome, each unique to a variety of flavor profiles ranging from pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin flesh and spices. I did many reviews last year and this year I seek more. So here is to Blue Moon and their version of a pumpkin beer.

Aromas are of light ginger bread, pumpkin notes, cereal grains, pilsner, cinnamon, brown sugar, slight wheat grain and hints of clove spice

The flavors are of moderate pumpkin notes, caramel, all spice, nutmeg, cereal grains, cinnamon, pilsner, toffee, biscuit bread notes, brown sugar, graham cracker notes, light clove and coriander spices

The aftertaste leaves with sweet pumpkin hints and very little grains. Easy to drink and refreshing beer.

Overall the beer is good. I think this is better than Shocktop Pumpkin wheat. The wheat and pumpkin is not well balanced with that one. Doesn’t seem to work too well for some reason. However, here, the ingredients do work better. While it is not a mind blowing pumpkin ale like I have had before, it is a nice refreshing pumpkin beer that people with light palettes may enjoy. Definitely could drink several of these.

Warlock (Blackwater Series) by Southern Tier Brewing

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1233628_10101396321098290_36871604_n 1003928_10101396320893700_1998980934_n 1237635_10101396320838810_730696591_n 11219_10101396320803880_943768510_nRating: 4.85/5

Warlock (Blackwater Series) by Southern Tier Brewing is an 8.6% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Pumpkins and Natural Flavors

Label: 
Warlock is brewed to enchant your palate on its own and also to counterpoint our Imperial Ale, Pumking. Make your own black magic by carefully pouring this Imperial Stout into a goblet

Master of the Underworld
Dark and mysterious, the Blackwater Series is serious about high gravity. Reanimate your senses with Warlock’s huge roasted malt character, moderate carbonation and spicy pumpkin pie aroma
___

Time for the fall and as fall approaches, so does the array of delicious pumpkin beers. I have tried many pumpkin beers last year and brought them forth here to review. This year I will try out a handful as well and may even review some of the past ones I have done. Warlock is actually supposed to the the Dark Sorcerer version of the Pumpking. Basically if Pumpking turned into a stout or close to it. This years release seems to be very promising

Aromas are of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate candy corn, pumpkin, pie crust, hazelnut, squash, cinnamon, nutmeg,vanilla, piloncillo sugar cone, buttery caramel popcorn, butterscotch, caramel, brown sugar, ginger bread, cloves and spices

The flavors are of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, roasted pumpkin seeds, lots of Halloween candy corn, butterscotch, caramel buttered popcorn notes, caramel, pumpkin notes, pumpkin spice, ginger bread, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla, mocha notes, cloves and hints of banana

The aftertaste leaves with pumpkin, chocolate candy corn sweetness and a bit of roasty notes that linger. While beer has a moderate level of sip-ability, good luck trying to find the alcohol. It is covered up in buttery Pumking goodness

Overall, to me this was better than Pumking. Mainly, the milk stout properties works very well with that buttery pumpkin pie and candy corn flavor making this one that more amazing. He beer is easier to find online so far as it is still trickling down the distribution nooks and crannies. If you like Pumking, you may actually enjoy this one. No down, an awesome Imperial Pumpkin stout

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat by Anheuser-Busch

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1234532_10101391541796050_1081832293_nRating: 2.5/5

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat by Anheuser-Busch is a 5.2% ABV Belgian-Style Wheat Ale brewed with Pumpkin and Spices

DESCRIPTION:
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is a traditional Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and a variety of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, for a refreshingly smooth beer that fully captures all the flavors of fall.
___

Shock Top pumpkin wheat has been one of those beers that I usually have avoided for quite a while Mainly as many have advised that the beer is decent but not the best pumpkin beer out there. I would agree, but I have not tried it, until now that is. Last year I did a lot of pumpkin beers, so this year to make it fair, I also want to review those I missed out on. So here’s to the fall 

Aromas are of pumpkin spice, caramel notes, coriander, citrus, oranges, a bit of ginger bread notes and brown sugar

The flavors are of cereal grains, citrus notes, light pumpkin spice note, coriander, ginger bread hints, cinnamon, clove notes, hints of nutmeg and lemon peel

The after taste is of wheat, grains and hardly any pumpkin in the finish. Easy to drink but not quite balanced.

Overall it is decent, but not the greatest example of a pumpkin beer. The notes are here and there but there is no balance and the wheat only makes it partially work. I have have had way better pumpkin beers in the past. Even better Shocktop beers before as well. It is not a terrible beer, just something worth trying once. I would almost say a good gateway to pumpkin beers, although I would definitely would recommend others. I think the problem is that wheat orange and pumpkin sweetness only works partially. It is like saying have a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich or peanut butter and mayo sandwich.

Obscura Cacao collaboration between Telegraph brewing and twenty-four blackbirds chocolate

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480745_10101128480133730_1122698375_n 10916_10101128478761480_1173425126_nRating: 3.5/5

Obscura Cacao collaboration between Telegraph brewing and twenty-four blackbirds chocolate is a 7.3%ABV Herb/Spiced ale brewed with cocoa beans and with cocoa beans added.

Label: 
We teamed up with our friends at Santa Barbara’s Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate to create Orbscura Cacao. Made with whole Dominican cocoa beans—prized for there subtle, fruity character and rich chocolate flavor— Obscura Cocoa emphasizes notes of apricot, banana, and tropical fruit, all in perfect harmony with an underlying and unmistakable cocoa character. Pair this unique ale with one of the Twenty-Four Blackbirds artisan chocolate bars for the ultimate chocolate experience!
___

This ale is quite different. I almost expected a dark ale in appearance, but this ale is quite dark in the sense of trying to figure out what it is taste wise. Aromas are of peach, bananas, raisin, plums, papaya, coriander spice, caramel, slight chocolate, candi sugars and veggies. The flavors are of banana, caramel, coriander, peach, raisins, cocoa notes, close to a white chocolate but more bitter, sweet potato /yams with little sweetness, pumpkin spice and pears. Different from what I was expecting. It is an interesting beer regardless but it is something I would only pick up once. I assume they were trying to go for like the Theobroma feel of using cocoa nibs in a clear ale or like the White Chocolate from the Bruery. Although those beers are in another league altogether. The flavors are not as balanced as I liked it to be yet this is still a decent beer. It is closer to the Fantome Chocolat but lighter and more sweet and bitter than sour.

Jubilee by Eagle Rock Brewery

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224830_10100951664353970_285875234_nRating: 4.8/5

Jubilee by Eagle Rock Brewery of Los Angeles California (Yes my home county) is a 8.1% ABV Winter Warmer Spiced Old Ale. I explained in an earlier review about winter warmers. Usually malt forward, sweeter beers that only hop bitterness is used for balance and are spiced up for holiday servings.

Label:

Jubilee, spiced old ale, is a delicious holiday treat with the aromas of freshly-baked banana bread and rich caramel. The spices used in this full-bodied winter warmer combined with a hint of molasses are reminiscent of the complex flavors of gingerbread. The rounded malt sweetness is balanced by an earthy finish, and just enough bitterness to give way to a lingering warmth, subdued sweetness, and rich fruit character on the palate. 
Whether you choose to drink this beer during this holiday season or age it for another special occasion, enjoy it! Because ‘tis the season for jubilation!
—

The fragrance reminds me of a cherry bread, cinnamon, and grapes. It is somewhat like the Holiday Fruit Cake Ale I tried before. Yet, the flavors are more abundant than the fragrance. The flavor is pretty delicious. Just the right type of Christmas beer. Its is full of cinnamon, delicious gingerbread flavors, cherry, some pumpkin spice, vanilla, caramel, bananas, raisins, pears, apples and brown sugar cookies. This is a very damn good Christmas beer. This is a definite pickup for Christmas, it is really awesome 😛

Organic Gingerbread Ale by Bison Brewing

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68911_10100950628080670_97443679_nRating: 4/5

Organic Gingerbread Ale by Bison Brewing is a 6%ABV Gingerbread spice ale brewed with Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon

Label:

Gingerbread Ale our spiced holiday porter is brewed with only a touch of spices for the aroma of fresh baked gingerbread men! The chewy dark malt flavors are sure to smooth out that dinner with the in-laws.
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The aromas on the beer are of cloves, gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, maybe some pumpkin spice but it is not very fragrant. The flavors of this beer are not too strong. I can tell that there is some cinnamon, some ginger spice, a little bit of biscuit, ginger bread, some grainy cereal, faint chocolate and coffee, and somewhat of banana notes as well in the after taste. While this beer is not super overwhelming, it is still pretty good. Very drinkable and goes down well. Worthy of a taste although Sam Adams Merry Michief I think is a better alternative for the holiday season. Still, if you want a gingerbread beer that comes in a pack to share got get this one.