FALLING LEAF: The Pilot Brings the airplane into a stall. Then works the rudder to slip back and forth from right right to left while hold the nose forward.

Each autumn we brew a fresh batch of Gourdgeous, an Imperial Porter which pays homage to our local pumpkin harvest. To create FALLING LEAF, we placed a small portion of last year’s Gourdgeous in barrels to age gracefully through another turn of the seasons. A year in our cellar has mellowed and sweetened the robust flavors of pumpkin pie spice, molasses, caramel and dark chocolate, while the single-use bourbon barrels we selected lift the beer back up, adding bright layers of bourbon, oak and vanilla. Beneath these layers you’ll recognize the strong core of the base beer: 1,000 pounds of pumpkins grown just ½ a mile from our brewery. Falling Leaf is ready to drink now, or can be placed into your own cellar to continue aging gracefully.

==Introduction==

Essentially, the Barrel Aged Gourdgeous which is their seasonal pumpkin porter. I had not heard of this until I saw this one online. The unfortunate part about it is that it is limited so only able to obtain 1 bottle of this, I was hoping to get another for a good friend. I will have to see if I can find more however the label does specify that it is a rather limited beer. Hope they make more of it but if you can find it, well, let’s see if you want to buy it based on my review. So let’s go and see what this evolved Pumpkin Porter can do. Cheers!

Aromas:
Strong scent of honey dew melon and pumpkin flesh, plantains, bananas, clove spice, piloncillo sugar cone, Mezcal Tequila hints, honey comb, bourbon, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, maple syrup, rye bread, fruit cake, Danish cookies, flan, Dark fruit raisins, cherries, blue berries, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, marshmallows, smores, anise, pumpkin cheese cake, anise, molasses, honey comb, wine grape hints, cookie dough ice cream, chai tea and sweet potatoes.

Flavors:
Honey dew melon, Agave syrup, Tequila hints, grape sangria, pumpkin seeds, piloncillo sugar cone, pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, pecan pie, bananas, rum hints, bourbon, marshmallows, chocolate smores, toasted coconut, rye bread, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, blue berries, currants, bananas, plantains, capirotada raisins bread pudding, flan, coffee cake, brown sugar, anise, honey comb, maple syrup, spiced coffee, vanilla, oak, Danish cookies, pumpkin cheese cake, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cookie dough ice cream, all spice, crème brulee, chai tea, sweet potato, wine grape hints, walnuts, nutella, old mango hints, graham crackers and fruit cake.

Aftertaste:
Fruit cake, pumpkin spice, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, rum bourbon, marshmallow, tequila and sangria hints. No alcohol in the taste, creamy mouthfeel, sipping drinkability and dark orange full body.

Overall:
I think the biggest part about this beer is that it was nothing like a bourbon barrel aged pumpkin beer I have ever had before. This was something very special. The barrel flavors were not like those of the bourbons I am used to. They were more like a rum or a tequila. It is almost like the pilot in this one took a strict page from the witchcraft book of Halloween and decided to do it’s own spell to really give that ‘Trick Or Treat’ feel. The only problem is that this one is limited. So I suggest you get to searching and really try to find this one.

Anime Corner:
Nia Teppellin from Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagan was used in this pairing as a pilot. In the past Hangar 24 Barrel Roll beers, I have put specific pilot characters for each review as I feel it fits the series overall. Many wear jumpsuits or some sort of suit in general. Since Nia in her Anti-Spiral suit sort of resembles a mobile suit pilot and the fact that she comes from a mobile suit pilot show and got to drive one next to her love Simon, this was perfect. In reference to the beer name and the overall Fall season and dark Halloween look, I paired several pictures. In the first one she is falling like the name of the beer, falling leaf. In the dark picture with the mobile suit, Gurren Lagan, it looks evil and dark with the moonlight representing fall and Halloween and the aspect of being a pilot. In the last picture it is just her and a close up as to how sweet she is. While is very powerful and evil in one point in the show, this paired greatly with the strength and complexity of the beer. The teal and red colors represent the colors of the label as well but also that Tequila and Rum notes I kept getting on this beer. Definitely a lot going on with the beer and a great pairing at that.