Posts Tagged ‘Pumpkin Ale’

After a rather crazed Labor Day weekend (wherein the Cha Cha Hut made its official commercial debut), we decided to journey to Oliver’s Discount Beverage in Albany to restock a quickly dwindling cellar. I once stated the selection here is much smaller than Half Time in Poughkeepsie, but what is there is truly amazing. I always find a ton of interesting new brews when dropping into Oliver’s So much so, I can’t remember the last time we made the trip to Half Time. Plus – the Oliver’s staff seem to be really excited to be selling something other than the endless stream of BMC we see going out the door.

Bombers
Southern Tier Imperial Pumking Ale
Southern Tier Imperial Mokah (chocolate & coffee stout)
Southern Tier Imperial Cherry Saison
Southern Tier Imperial Heavy Weizen
Dogfish Head Fort (brewed with pureed raspberries)
The Bruery Black Orchard
Brown’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Porter
He’Brew Rejewvenator Harvest Ale
Avery Fifteen Anniversary Ale
Avery Collaboration Not Litigation Ale
Red Hook DB Double Black Stout with Coffee

40 oz.
People’s Pint Tap & Die Malt Liquor

6 Pack
Wolaver’s Certified Organic Will Stevens’ Pumpkin Ale
Brown’s Oatmeal Stout
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
Atwater Block Brewery Vanilla Java Porter
Boulder Beer Mojo IPA

Brewery: Southampton Brewery
Location: Southampton, NY
Style: Pumpkin ale

As a sequel to yesterday’s Wolaver review, I present another pumpkin ale: Southampton Pumpkin Ale.

The Southampton also has a great copper color (like the Wolaver) but the head is definitely paler. The foamy head holds well sticking around for most of the glass. There is a big spicy pumpkin aroma – but this time it is more sweet “stunt” pumpkin. A bit too sweet and cloy. Not a good sign for the flavor.

(By stunt I mean a flavor done not as a component/balance but because it’s a stunt – “Let’s do a pumpkin beer for Fall!”)

This is a very sweet beer. Much too much of the canned pumpkin pie taste with a lot of over bearing spices. Any actual ale flavor is overpowered by the “pumpkin” flavors. Certainly no balance and nothing to hint at the malt and hops under the spices.

Not necessary a beer fail. If you’re a fan of sweet fruit beers or store bought pumpkin pie, you’ll probably like this beer. It falls into a kind of all theme (pumpkin) no ale category for me. I prefer the balance of ale to pumpkin in the Wolaver’s over the heavy pumpkin sweetness of the Southampton.

Brewery: Wolaver’s (Otter Creek)
Location: Middlebury, VT
Style: Pumpkin ale

Kicking off a week of ale reviews with a OAB HQ favorite: Wolaver’s Will Steven’s Organic Pumpkin Ale. We do not drink a lot of pumpkin ales here – most are a bit too fake for us – but this stands head and shoulders above all we’ve ever had. Unfortunately, it’s a seasonal – Fall of course – and we usually have to stock the cellar well if we want to have some for the winter/early spring. Sadly, this review marks the end of our 2008 supply.

This pours a wonderful copper color with a slightly copper head. The head is nicely foamy and falls at a moderate rate. The pumpkin spice kicks in with the aroma. Not a cloy sweet smell – more like a nicely spiced pumpkin pie.

That carries over in the taste. A good balance of malt and hops is complimented by a rich pumpkin pie flavor. Again – not sweet thick canned pumpkin pie, but rich natural roasted pumpkin pie. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg linger in the after taste.

The fact Wolaver uses pumpkins from Golden Russet Farm in Shoreham, Vermont (Will and Judy Stevens run the farm) certainly makes this a true delight in the pumpkin ale arena. It’s once again proof using real ingredients in a fruit beer makes a massive difference.

A recent trip to Albany took me to Oliver’s Beverage Center. Oliver’s does not carry nearly the range of brews as Half Time (yes – I’m a bit obsessed with them) and shopping at Oliver’s is akin to hitting the warehouse, but they do have the best selection of craft brews in the Capitol region.

So, while I have not had a chance to do a full beerventory, here’s a list of the new items bought at Oliver’s:

Wolaver’s Will Steven’s Certified Organic Pumpkin Ale (VT)
Otter Creek Raspberry Brown Winter Ale (VT)
Rogue Dead Guy Ale (OR)
Rogue Double Dead Guy 2008
Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA
He’Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale
Flying Dog Wild Dog Weizenbock Ale
Flying Dog Wild Dog Open Source Collaborator Dopplebock

While doing a bit of warehouse club shopping, I snagged this at BJ’s Club:

10 pack of Ommegang featuring 2 bottles each of:
Three Philosophers
Hennepin
Abbey Ale
Rare Vos
Witte

I’m quite familiar with all of the Ommegang’s and the Wolaver’s Pumpkin, but the rest will be first time drinks.