October 31, 2012

Mixing Brews #5

Uinta Oak JACKED Imperial Pumpkin (2011) "VS" Woodstock Inn Autumn Ale Brew (2012)

WHAT'S GOIN' ON: Happy Halloween... Motherfuckers! It's that time of year again. Aw yeah. Time to poison small children Oh wayt, I mean fuck hot bitches no, that can wait too, uhh... fuck hot poisoned small children's bitches?! Combining those two things doesn't really come out right. I've been watching too much Epic Beer Time. But wait!, what's this!? I'm posting another beer review! (how exciting) and on Halloween!? Well, pathetic as it is... I'd carve a piece of my heart out tonight, if I had any of it left.

No matter the case though and drunken ramblings aside, tonight I'm doing a little self poisoning of my own by mixing these two incredibly delicious toxins: JACKED, and Oak Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale that clocks in at 10.31% ABV (Get it?), with quite possibly the best tasting beer you'll ever find under 5% (this one is a 4.4%): Autumn Ale Brew! Looks like I'm in for one hell of a tricked out treat tonight.

HOW IT WENT DOWN: Me poured about a third from each bottle into this pint glass here. Head faded rather quickly, but left some bubbly puddles here and there.

While the colors for both beers are similar, this maintained more of the Jacked attributes with its darkness and gloom. It's a dark and cloudy reddish orange with light carbonation.

The Autumn Ale Brew brings the apple cinnamon pastry to this pumpkin party and now this mix smells exactly like Pumpkin Pie. It's marvelous! The wood and heavy booze from the Jacked is a bit subdued, but this concoction is no doubt ten times sweeter smelling than the two of these awesome beers alone.

The taste is, and there's no other way to describe this, just pure unadulterated bliss. It's instant gratification in liquid form! You get all that cinnamon, candy apples, pumpkin pie, sweet and sour, and a gentle fade out. This mix is probably one of the sweetest and most flavorful brews I've ever had, for such a gentle ride. The booze from that Jacked bottle really hides out here, I can't even get a hint of it. This spiced ale mix is the stuff that this season is made of.

Mouth is light to medium, a little watery, tingling, sticky, and fiery.

Due to the oak aging in the Jacked, mixed with the low ABV of the Autumn Ale Brew, this one does fade a bit fast and leaves a watery and wood toned aftertaste. The cinnamon lingers the most, but it was all great while it lasted.

October 30, 2012

Uinta JACKED Oak Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Uinta Jacked - Oak Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale (2011)
Limited Autumn Seasonal.
25.4 fl. oz. / $12.99 USD / 10.31% ABV

About: "Uinta Brewing Company introduces the newest addition to their Crooked Line of beers, Oak Jacked Imperial Wood Aged Pumpkin Ale. “Jacked” is a very limited, seasonal beer, only 850 cases were produced (in 2011).

Jacked is brewed with fresh pumpkin and fall spices and has been aging in Oak barrels for 6 months. The oak barrels add subtle nuances of toasted vanilla and bourbon notes. With an ABV of 10.31% (a play on the date of Halloween), Jacked is a big, unique pumpkin ale.

Continuing with the spirit of the Crooked Line, Utah artist Trent Call was commissioned to design the Jacked label. Each bottle is a work of art. Pop the cork and pair Oak Jacked with flavors of the season!"

Thoughts: Decided not to struggle with the cork on this one and took the scissor claw to it. Why? Because my hand hurts from doing manly things... like plowing (if you know that I mean), and jerking (if you know what I mean), and strangling bitches to d... (if y...), and on top of that, it's drinkin' time! Not time to break a sweat on some impossible to open brew. Hell, it's hard enough cracking thighs op... I mean, things open, while tying rope (if you know what I)

Jacked poured a dark and sinister, hazy burnt orange. It's got a bit of some reddish-brown tones to it, maybe even a little auburn. It is really, really cloudy, and the colors are shadowed and / or shining off the light from whichever angle I view this glass. The yellowy orange head was huge to fluff up and eventually left a half moon ring around the edges.

Smells fan-fuckin'-tastic! It's rich and spicy, very boozy, tons of malt... it's like layer upon layer of circling aromas. Gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, chocolate and vanilla ice cream cake doused with rum(!). It smells like a frosty cold night in front of a bonfire. Kinda makes me miss those old times I would make a rainbow connection at the beach and leave with sand crabs (if you know wha

First gulp, and yeah, me happy. Up front it's got a rich malty sweetness that's slowly chizzled away by a mini -onslaught of cinnamon, pepper, clove, nutmeg and ginger, finally giving way to a slightly sour mash of pumpkin and some falling leaves. This beer is incredibly flavorful, and tastes really good too... but it seems to fade just a little fast. That could just be the oak barrels though, as that woodsy flavor creeps in and takes over just as the spice boom dies off.

The feel is super smooth and just a little watery. It's sticky and coating, and that cinnamon leaves a dust in the mouth, but it's not really drying at all.

Overall this is a great representation of a pumpkin ale. Drinking the final few gulps straight out of the bottle and I'm really loving that harsh, oaked and boozy feel about the whole brew. I wonder what this years version tastes like? After all, there's nothing like a fresh, ripe pumpkin... if you know what I mean.

October 29, 2012

Avery Rumpkin

Avery Rumpkin - Ale Brewed with Pumpkin and Spices and Aged in Rum Barrels (2012)
Limited Seasonal Release.
12 fl. oz. / $10.99 USD / 18.1% ABV

About: "We wondered what would happen if a monstrous pumpkin ale, plump full of spicy gourdiness, were aged in extremely fresh Gosling's Rum barrels to add suggestions of delicate oak and candied molasses. Rumpkin is what happened! This first member of the Annual Barrel-Aged Series was brewed with roasted pumpkins from a local Boulder County farm, and spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Barrel Type and Time: Dark Rum Barrels, 6 months / Malt Variety: Aromatic, Honey Malt… and Pumpkins!"

Thoughts: Rumpkin poured a thick, murky, dark burnt orange color with medium carbonation (very unexpected) and a head that dissipated during the pour itself.

The scent on this monstrocity is heavy, dangerous and pretty damn good. Up front it's strong booze and rum. Once you get past that barrel aging though, the strong ale starts to come through. It's mildly sweet and the spices are blending well. There's a mix of dark fruit notes here, but the longer you take it in, it mellows out to an earthy mild pumpkin puree.

First gulp, here we go. It starts off with a strong haze of rum, a blast of booze, it's instantly warming and wow... its a "dooozy". After the swallow, the blending of tastes start to really come through. As I breath in I'm getting the wood from those barrels. It's pretty cool. This beer starts off very spicy, and not only is it spicy, but it's hot! I'm getting tons of burnt sugar, brown sugar, molasses, figs and raisin. After the swallow the spices hit hard and heavy with a single peppery cinnamon explosion, then the strong ale comes through and slowly rides out, exposing flavors of nutmeg and ginger. Caramel comes in strong about halfway in, once the tongue adjusts to the strength. It's got a sort of cold pumpkin pie slice with french vanilla ice cream on top drizzled in steaming hot caramel type vibe. Slight hints of cocoa and cinnamon rolls.

This beer is pretty light on the tongue. It's silky and very coating, but not too heavy.

Aside from being a great pumpkin beer, this is a great beer in general. While I absolutely love the strength in this one, and while the flavor is superb, this one doesn't raise above the ranks of Pumking for me. They are two totally different beers mind you, and I'd grab a bottle of each no matter what... but as far as Pumpkin Beer goes, nothin' beats the King.

October 28, 2012

Cambridge Brewing 2012 Pumpkin Beer Festival

Freaks, Geeks and Weirdos - and not to mention some Totally Hot Babes - all united yesterday for a fun filled elbow to elbow beer-breath-a-thon in Cambridge, Mass, known as LineFest! Uhhh, I mean PumpkinFest. Well, it was LineFest for anyone who got there after 2:30 PM, as the small venue was jam f'n packed with thirsty hipsters and pumpkin-lovin' nerdlings alike! Everybody was in the pumpkin pool. A couple of times I even stood in line for a few minutes, only to realize that it wasn't even a line. What in the fuck is that? Just a bunch of people standing around near a line that's so bombarded by other lines that it's nothing short of a rabid zombie horde. There were lines everywhere man. People were getting felt up... warm, wet breath hit the back of necks... boobs were grazed... crotches were pressed upon unsuspecting

And did I mention totally hot babes? Well, there were some pretty hot babes there. One girl looked like Mary Jane's slightly thicker sister. She was wearing a hello kitty shirt and was by far the hottest chick at the place (I fell instantly in lust)... she was Gourd-gous! And there were quite a few ladies there in ultra-tight leather and pleather and spandex outfits as Bayonetta, Black Widow and Baroness. OK, they were all Black Widow. Or trying to be. Whatever. The point is they were hot, and babes too. There was also a guy in a low budget homemade old-school Captain America outfit that really looked the part, so well done on him. Oh, and the girl in the red cloak that works there was really jacking my lantern. If you know what I

Also, I don't know if there were really so many hipsters there, or if they were just dressed up that way for the costume party? Hey, is everyone utilizing Belgian Yeast in their beer now? I thought my tongue was playing tricks on me, but apparently not. I rinsed out my cup each time before getting my next beers, but I could still taste that Belgian Yeast! I thought I didn't clean the cup well enough, but in fact it was because nearly every beer I drank at the place has it in it. What gives? Anyways, I got there at 12:30, a half hour before the doors opened, and ended up being in the middle of a huge ass line down and around the block. The last half of my stay at the establishment, people weren't being allowed to enter until someone else left. So that sucks for them... I guess? But I read that you gotta go either early or late to these things so, yeah. Since I like to get my drinking out of the way early

Onto the hot babes beers:

1. The Bruery Autumn Maple - Belgian Style Brown Ale (2012)
Brewed by The Bruery, in Placentia, CA. USA.
4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 10% ABV

About: "Brewed with 17 lbs. of yams per barrel (in other words, a lot of yams!), this Autumn Seasonal is a different take on the “Pumpkin” beer style. Brewed with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Vanilla, Molasses, and Maple Syrup, and fermented with our traditional Belgian Yeast strain, this bold and spicy beer is perfect on a cold autumn evening."

Thoughts: Autumn Maple. Alright. Oh, The Bruery. Sweet. This looks to be a  good beer to start with. Autumn Maple poured a thick and cloudy burnt orange color with a small white bubbly head.

It's a light smelling ale, toasty, very lightly spiced.... I'm getting loads of Belgian Yeast. There's a little bit of cinnamon lingering about, and a real subtle blend of spices. For a 10%, I expected more of a scent on this one, not one so mild.

It's very tasty. There's a harsh booze sting on the first sip, and I guess that's where that strength was. I'm really trying to get that maple syrup here, it's what I want to taste. Feel is about a medium  and it's a bit fizzy. There's a sticky quality to this beer, and I guess that's the maple syrup coming into play, but it's not really all too evident in the taste itself. I guess I should expect that by now though. However, the beer is very pleasant tasting, and has a classic type taste for the Autumn season. Gotta love those yams! And it's strong, which is always a plus.

2. Hill Farmstead Autumn Saison - Belgian Farmhouse Ale  (2012?)
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery, in Greensboro, VT. USA.
4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV


About: "Shaun Hill's 1'st Pumpkin Beer, brewed in collaboration with Jackie O's Brewing Co. and Grassroots Brewing after years of goading from Will Myers. A simple malt bill provides an orange hue. Ben's Pumpkins from Snug Valley Farm provided the requisite squash. The goal: A complex Belgian style pumpkin ale with little to no spicing."


Thoughts: This beer is a very light orange color, especially light compared to the rest actually, but it's still a pretty orange. Kinda murky too. The head was tiny and not condensed at all.

There's a lot of malt in the scent, and it's very straightforward. An underlying Belgian yeast comes up from the back, but overall everything here seems pretty light.

The taste is pretty damn sour. It's very mushy tasting. It gets slightly peppery once that yeast kicks in, and once all the flavors mingle together the beer gets more of a fruity tone about it. Still pretty sour though.

Mouth is light and that sour tone brings on the puckering.

3. Stewart's Brewing Mischief Night - Pumpkin Ale (2012)
Brewed by Stewart's Brewing Company, in Bear, DE. USA.
4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV

About:  "Many innocent pumpkins met a gruesome fate so that you sadistic people could have your annual spiced treat. We hope you're happy! Straight from the mind of the ‘Beer Admiral’ himself. Head Brewer Rick Hoffman presents a ‘traditional’ spiced pumpkin ale. Rick added over 10 lbs of pumpkin per barrel. Brewed with a touch of Maize for softness, and to fit the harvest spirit. Spiced with a custom blend of whole botanicals including Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Cloves and Nutmeg."

Thoughts: Mischief Night. What a cool name huh? This one poured a reddish-orange with a minimal haze to it. One of the filtered offering of the venue perhaps. The head was pretty frothy, yet faded quickly.

This beer smells really sweet. Kind of like spiced apples, or strawberry syrup! Really cool.

The taste is unique. It's rich and malty, but with a weird kind of tang to it. Not bad at all. It's sweet, spicy and has a a mild sourness to it that creeps up on you.

It's pretty frothy. I'm sure the corn brings it back from being a total malt bomb, but the more you sip this one the sweeter it gets. Is that cloying sweetness? It's a very interesting brew, that's for sure.

4. Elysian Headless Horsey - Pumpkin Brett Beer (2011/2012?)
Brewed by Elysian Brewing Company, in Seattle, WA. USA.
8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 6.7% ABVSPECIAL TAPPING: 2 PM!

About: "100% Brettanomyces-fermented Pumpkin Ale brewed with Pale and Wheat malts and unmalted wheat. With some time to age, it has become more of an elegant thoroughbred than drayhorse. The inspiration for this beer? They thought of the name first, and knew they had to brew it." What the hell kind of description is that?

Thoughts: Headless Horsey poured a super cloudy auburn orange hue with no head whatsoever, which was weird.

And speaking of weird, this one smells weird as shit too! It's very tart, kinda like pineapple juice. Pineapple juice... and funk. Yeah. Not incredibly pleasant.

The taste is a sour pineapple hit to the mouth. Whew! This is a strange ass beer, man. I'm not really diggin' it all too much. And by the looks of things, the people that just got this brew before me aren't really into it either. There's a lot of strange WTF faces around and some not too flattering banter on this one.

This is the funkiest one so far. Like watered down juice with a double extra tart thrown in, and a touch of funk.

5. Cambridge Brewing Valley Ghoul - Scotch Ale with Pumpkin and Heather Flowers (2011)
4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 8.5% ABV

About: "2011 Strong Scotch Ale with Pumpkins and local barley. Our Valley Girl series of local-ingredient-beers gets ghoulish with barley grown and malted in MA from our Valley Malt BSA. Super rich malt character presides over Pumpkin, Brown Sugar, Molasses, and Heather Flowers in the finish. Subtle, like a swift kick in the kilt. Adding pumpkins was a seasonal no-brainer, and a last-minute addition of heather flowers contributes subtle, delicate floral notes to this robust, malty beer. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!"

Thoughts: Valley Ghoul poured a dark and gloomy raspberry red / orangy brown color and was very hazy. The head was small due to the pour but lasted a long while.

This smells Awesome! Wait, what the hell... bubblegum just came rushing in. Oh, and loads of booze! It's flowery, and well, just an insane mix of things going on. This is like a Bride of Frankenbeer.

The taste is hard caramel, molasses, and literally tons of brown sugar. This is some serious malt. It's intense. Very sweet, a little peppery, and then those Heather Flowers come in again and it's bubblegum booze.

There's a bit too much bubblegum for my liking, but I did enjoy the hell out of this one while it lasted. And I'm sure there's a market for a beer like this. A weird market.

6. Cambridge Brewing Kraftwerk - Belgian Tripel brewed with Pumpkins and Aged in White Wine Barrels (2011)
4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.75% ABV

About: "Kraftwerk is brewed in the style of a Belgian strong ale known as Tripel, but to it we have added hundreds of pounds of pumpkin, along with a very subtle addition of assorted autumnal spices. After a very warm fermentation with our house Belgian ale yeast, Kraftwerk was sent to the CBC Barrel Cellar to age for several months in Sauvignon Blanc barrels where the beer transmogrified into a striking beverage like no other. The result is a classic version of a traditional Tripel, with subtle pumpkin flavors, and notes of oak and a white wine-like finish. The combination of esters from fermentation, barrel aging, and lingering wine character has created a beer with crazy fruitiness, a super dry and sparkling body, and a grape/stone fruit/tropical finish. Simply unlike any pumpkin beer you've ever had."

Thoughts: Werk poured a lighter yellowy orange color with a fluffed white top. The beer is of course quite hazy.

Scent is on the lighter side of things, but really interesting and inviting. It's fruity, and you get a big presence of that white wine. It's pretty cool. Smells a bit like fruit cocktail after a while. Nice.

This tastes excellent! You really get that mix of the oak and white wine straight away. There's a lot of ripe pear, mild squash, and a ton of fruitiness. The spices have all but been lost in the mix, and you wouldn't immediately think of this as a "pumpkin beer", but that flavor is still inherent to the beer. Only muted. Overall though this is a really interesting beer, it has some intriguing layers of taste and it's just "delightful".


7. Cambridge Brewing Fire and Brimstone - Cask-conditioned Ale with Chipotle Peppers and Cacao Nibs (2012)
4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 6.66% ABV

About: "S.A.T.D cask-conditioned with Ancho, Chipotle, and Habanero Peppers, plus Cinnamon Sticks, Cacao Nibs, and Dried Pumpkin Flakes. Rich, chocolaty, smokey and maybe a little hot. You have no one but yourself to blame!"

Thoughts: Yeah, I suppose after that I may as well hit up the beer with the Habaneros in it. Why the hell not wreck the palate after that whimsical brew above.

This beer is dark. It smells harsh. There's tons of chilies in this. A smile, comes to my face.

That's hot. Not only is this beer just spicy as all hell on the first gulp, but it's got a creeper quality about it too, because halfway through that burn is just rushing in and doesn't let up. There's a nice mingling of flavors going on here. The chocolate really takes a backseat to the peppery flavor and the smoke, and for that I am thankful.

Fire and Brimstone is super tasty, has a slight tartness to it, is rich, malty and brings the heat. Did I taste the dried pumpkin flakes? Nah... but whatever.

8. Elysian The Gourdfather - Pumpkin Barleywine (2012)
4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 11.2% ABV

About: "The Gourdfather is a Pumpkin Barleywine you can’t refuse, mellowing with age but still reminding you who’s boss. A veritable pushcart of malt bill brings Pale, Munich, Cara-hell, Cara-vienne, C-15 Crystal and Pumpkin Seeds up against a rival neighborhood armed with Magnum hops. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Thoughts: Gourdfather poured an auburn red, honey like color with a foamy white head atop.

This smells like red wine. Ah, memories. There's a super strong barley flow to this one, but at the same time the hops and seeds give off this weird otherworldly type scent to it. It smells slightly acidic and maybe a little bitter. It's pretty cool.

The taste is unexpectedly more sweet than I had expected. It was a bit of a shock. There's not much of that red wine vibe in the taste, but rather a booming slam from those malts. It's slightly tart, there's a heavy dose of dark fruit, plums especially, and a lot of sweetness. After a while some caramel notes start to come out and it gets a little twang from that fruitiness and the hops.

Despite being so heavy and rich, this is some easy drinking.

9. Iron Hill Ichabod - Imperial Pumpkin Ale (2012)
Brewed by Iron Hill Brewery, in West Chester, PA. USA.
4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.5% ABV

About: "This extra strong spicy Belgian Pumpkin Ale is truly a beer from the farm. It is unfiltered with a beautiful burnt orange color. Ichabod’s nose is filled with flavors of the harvest including Clove, Allspice, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. The palette is sweet with hints of Roasted Pumpkin, and Caramel. There is a warming finish that is both fruity and aromatic. Over 6 pounds of pumpkin per barrel were added right to the mash. Drink enough and you’ll lose your head too!"

Thoughts: This beer poured a semi-dark auburn haze that's blood orange in color. The head was extremely minimal.

I'm picking up scents of light bubblegum (again!?), toasty malt, a little bit of booze. The spices are light, and aside from that roasted tone to it, it seems pretty mild.

Well, it tastes a bit rubbery. It's malty and the spices are indeed light. Not really too interesting of a beer. It's kind of got this burnt embers mixed with old He-Man toys going on. I've tasted beers with similar problems, and this one isn't too offensive in that area, but it's there. This beer is very boozy, but it's also pretty meh.

Mouth on this one is slightly drying, but I have been ingesting good dose of cinnamon throughout the day. Not to mention that oak. But the drying is just starting to hit after this one particularly so take that into consideration.


10. Stewart's Brewing Gourdzilla - Pumpkin Ale (2012)
8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 8.666% ABVSPECIAL TAPPING: 4 PM!

About: "This Monstrous Pumpkin Ale is brewed with Radioactive Pumpkins grown at a secret location in the South Pacific, and fermented with Genetically Modified yeast. Gourdzilla is sure to please even the most finicky pumpkin zombies, and still have time to lay waste to Tokyo in its spare time."

Thoughts: Radioactive Pumpkins huh?

Gourdzilla poured a honey gold with orange tones, and featured a frothy light beige head on top. This one's got the biggest head out of all the beers so far. Huh. Must be that "Genetically Modified Yeast"!

The smell starts off with a "traditional" Imperial Pumpkin Ale style scent, which is promising since none of the other beers so far have had this. Spices are present, but a little light, and I can actually smell the water in this one. It's nice.

The taste is very peppery up front. This one isn't too sweet, not too bitter, and while the taste is rich and savory, it feels a little light. There's no kick to this beer, and that's a bit unfortunate. It's the closest thing to tasting pumpkin out of this lineup though, and it's still pretty good.

I guess everything in some way will always be compared to Pumking. If this one had a longer linger to it and a spicier kick, it could very well compete.

11. Cambridge Brewing Grey Ghost - Belgain-Style Double White Ale with Grey Ghost Pumpkins (2012)
12 fl. oz. / 3 Tickets / 6.75% ABV

About: "300 pounds of Grey Ghost heirloom pumpkins from Sylvan Nursery flavor this strong version of a traditional Belgian White Ale, along with Orange Peel, Coriander, and Grains of Paradise. Freshly chopped and shredded, the pumpkin is added to a mash of Pilsner and wheat malt, raw wheat, and flaked oats and fermented with our house Belgian yeast."


Thoughts: Ghost poured a light gold, yellowy orange color. It's slightly hazy and the white head left a ring around the top of the brew for a long while.

The scent is sweet and tart, and of course that Belgian yeast is making an appearance. There's some mild zest and a gentle flow of spice to this one.

The taste, just like the last beer and many other pumpkin beers, is peppery at first. This one has got a heavy taste to it though from that mash. It's also very fruity on the tongue... that orange peel really brings some nice citrusy tones to the brew, and there's almost like a lemon lime thing going on. The wheat and grey ghost pumpkins really blend well and I think adding coriander was a nice choice.

It's slightly watery, and goes down smooth. 

To me, most of these beers are more of an experiment in brewing rather than what's normally classified as a "Pumpkin Ale". These are like "Ale with Pumpkin in it" instead. Of course, I didn't try anything that I have already tasted before when I went to this event. They had Pumking, DFH Punkin, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumkin, Heavy Seas and a slew of others. I forgot to try Wormtown's offerings, but I'm not going to cry over it. What I really wanted to try was the Ultra-Rare Allagash Ghoulschip (a Barrel Aged Sour Pumpkin Ale brewed on Halloween night 2008 and aged in oak!), but they were tapping that at 8 PM and I wasn't going to stay that long. They tapped the Avery Rumpkin about forty-five minutes after I left as well, but I just drank that a few days ago.

I had a real mellow time at this extremely festive event. The overly large Pumpkin Ravioli was a really sweet and good tasting dish, though I should have saved some cash and ate a Sausage with Pumpkin Mustard outside. And it would have been a lot more comfortable it I wasn't rushed off of my table, but they've got time limits set up so I don't really give a fuck. Plus it was hot in there. It was just the hovering that bugged me. I also would have liked the Pint Glass to have the pumpkin design from their previous logo above. It looks a lot more sinister with that jagged mouth. Will I ever go to another one of these? Probably. Will I do reviews? Not sure. I would of loved to have drank tons of Pumking on tap and chased it with Rumpkin, but hey, I like trying the new shit. Maybe next time. Hopefully there will be more Totally Hot Babes for me to

October 27, 2012

Sixpoint Autumnation

Sixpoint Autumnation (2012)
Brewed and Canned by Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY. USA.
Autumn Seasonal.
16 fl. oz. / $2.95 USD / 6.7% ABV

About: "No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace, as I have seen in one autumnal face. One of the most special times of the year for craft brewers is the hop harvest. The Autumnation celebrates this season by harnessing pumpkin and fresh "wet hops" chosen by our fans. Our Autumnal brew is made with subtle pumpkin and spice, but its prominent feature is the fresh harvested "wet-hops" that are added. There is a new hop strain and selection every year. Autumnation 2012 features Citra Hops." 

Thoughts: What an absolutely beautiful looking beer. Autumnation poured an extremely cloudy bright orange hue with a huge fluffy white head on top. There were a few flakes floating around in there at first, but they quickly dissolved.  The carbonation seems slight.

The scent is of incredibly fresh, strong, zesty and piney hops! Awesome. I'm reminded of Sierra Nevada's Estate Ale and a little bit of that Pliny The Elder. It's very resiny, and has got a nice and sweet malt backup to it.

Stinging hops burst and explode upon first impact, and after slowly settling down, an earthy semi-sour mash rolls in... and is then uprooted by a gentle and slightly sweet, toasty caramel malt. This one is really light on the spices. I would have liked to get a little bit more of a traditional pumpkin beer taste with this one, but I'm not really complaining. It's very raw, peppery and pretty fierce. I like it a lot.

Mouth feel on this one is very frothy, tingling and only slightly sticky.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this as a "pumpkin beer". It's one hell of an IPA, that's for sure. And for what it is, a definitely worthwhile beer to seek out, this one is going high up the list of Pumpkin Ale for me. It really does bring all the flavors of fall along with it. This is a strange beer, but it's some damn good fine drinking.

October 20, 2012

Chloë Grace Moretz is Feelin' Lucky in Hick (2011)



I know what you're thinking...



Did I fire six shots, or only five?


Well, to tell you the truth... Pew! Pew! Pew!


You see, this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world...
And it'll blow your balls clean off, so you've got to ask yourself one question:
Do I feel lucky?


 Well, do ya, punk? 


Pew! Pew! Pew!

October 17, 2012

Blue Hills Stingy Jack Pumpkin Lager

Blue Hills Brewery Stingy Jack Pumpkin Lager (2012)
Autumn Seasonal.
22 fl. oz. / $4.49 USD / 5.8% ABV

About: "The legend of Stingy Jack is rooted deep in Irish folklore. He was always known as a fellow of questionable morals." Hey, I like him already! "Twice in his life, he tricked the Devil into sparing his life. When Jack's final day came, he was informed in heaven that he would not be allowed to enter. When Jack went to into the fiery depths, the Devil told him he didn't want him either." Wow, now I really like the guy. "The Devil gave Jack a flaming rock and hallowed out gourd and banished him to an eternity of wandering the earth with just a glowing pumpkin to light his way. Thus the legend of Jack O'Lantern was born. As you enjoy our pumpkin lager, if you happen to encounter Jack, think twice before offering him a pint." Cool story bro.

Thoughts: Thanks to The Yankee Brew News (my favorite newspaper in the whole wide wurld!) I knew that Blue Hills was releasing a pumpkin ale this year. Though, I never figured it'd show up since it's well into October and all the pumpkin beer has already been released and dismissed. And I wouldn't have known that this was a pumpkin ale when I found a row of bottles in the liquor store fridge down the street. Why you ask? Well, first of all there's a fuckin' grinning Leprechaun on the bottle! It was new to the rotation though, so I took a closer look at the label, only to find that the name of the beer had a round sticker over the name! This sticker however, had the face of Frankenstein's Monster on it! Boo-yah. The one behind it had another round sticker that read "Trick or Treat" and behind that "Happy Halloween." There I noticed the words below said shit-eating-grin Leprechaun: Pumpkin Lager. Nice. But why the sticker over the label I wondered to myself!? It wasn't until I checked online to find their statement: "The Blue Hills Brewery beer formerly known as "Stingy Jack Pumpkin Lager" is in no way associated with Les Trois Emme Winery's "Stingy Jack Pumpkin Wine". Blue Hills Brewery apologizes for any confusion this may have caused." Which seems weird to me, because when I looked this beer up on my Untappd account, I found that there are like seven other fucking beers with this name. And their covering up their own shit... over some local wine? G H E Y.

BHB Stingy jack poured a lighter pumpkin shade of orange, with maybe a little bit of potted gold at the end of the rainbow. Or is that rusty copper? It's very carbonated and there are a ton of flakes everywhere throughout the brew. It's very grainy, but not a complete haze. There's a ton of shit suspended in there, slowly floating throughout the beer, but you can make out each speck so it's not cloudy. Pretty cool looking actually. The eggshell head was super quick dissolving, which made my clover welt, but left a puddle of foam and a ring.

It doesn't smell half bad. It smells more like a pumpkin bread rather than pie. It's a little nutty, and toasty... I'm getting a hint of butter. Lots of grain, cereal, almond butter and rice. Whatever spices they've got in here are pretty low on the totem. The scent is a mild earthy one.

The taste is surprisingly not as bitter as I thought it would be. It's mild, but it starts out pretty sweet actually. The cinnamon and spice comes out a little more in the taste, and mixes well with that buttery biscuit type thing it's got going on. It tastes almost like cinnamon rolls, kinda, but nowhere near as sweet. As it warms it starts to smell better, but not necessarily taste better. Alright, now it tastes like a rice cake drizzled with some light caramel, with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg on it, dipped in a Budweiser. That being said, it's still not half bad. Would I lie to you? 

Mouth is pretty watery (especially after it warms), but it's frothy too. And the carbonation gives off a neat tingling sensation.

While this beer isn't all that exciting or groundbreaking, there's a really solid upside to it and that's the fact that it doesn't taste bad. I'd say it ranks right down there with Sam Adams Pumpkin, it's probably slightly better than Harpoon's UFO Unfiltered Pumpkin and just edges out Shock Top's Pumpkin Wheat. Good job Blue Hills, even more so considering the only other beer from them I've tried so far (Black Hops) I pretty much hated. Maybe I will end up trying that Watermelon beer of theirs. Or is that just the Doubloons talking!? ;) Wow. Such a long post for a beer that I really don't give a fuck for.

October 14, 2012

STOCKPILE!


Read 'em n' Weep boyzzz...

Click the pic to see it light up your screen.
Went on a couple road trips and just happened to find exactly what I wanted! I'm pretty fucking excited too.

Pictured: 21'st Amendment MONK'S BLOOD (Saving), Avery Rumpkin (18% Rum Barrel Aged)Cisco Brewers Pumple Drumkin, Dogfish Head Burton Batton (Saving), Dogfish Head Midas Touch (Saving), Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (Saving), Firestone 15'th Anniversary Ale, Firestone Sucuba, Founder's Breakfast Stout, Founder's Cerise (drank), Goose Island Harvest Ale, Ipswich Harvest Ale, Jack's Abbey Pumpkin Crop Lager, Rogue 'John John' Dead Guy Ale (Aged in Whiskey Barrels), Sixpoint Autumnation, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (x2) (Saving), Sierra Nevada / Russian River BRUX, Southern Tier Oak Aged BackBurner, Southern Tier Harvest, Uinta Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin AleWeyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale, and Woodstock Inn Autumn Ale Brew.

Mixing Brews #4

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (2012) "VS" Cape Anne's Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout (2012)

WHAT'S GOIN' ON: DFH Punkin Ale has a lot of hardcore fans, it's a fact. Personally, I think they (Dogfish Head) make a lot of other beers that are far superior to this seasonal. I still enjoy a few bottles whenever it comes around, but it's by no means a holy grail of pumpkin ales. I've tried Fisherman's Imperial Pumpkin Stout last year and it was a pretty cool experience. How their "regular" version of this brew holds up, I do not know... and I probably won't know, since I'm mixing it with the Punkin for my first try. Oh well. Both of these brews clock in at a respectable 7% ABV, and are regulars this time of year for languishing on the singles shelf. So why the hell not?

HOW IT WENT DOWN: I couldn't stop smelling that Punkin once I popped the cap off the bottle. It's wondrous. I stood there with my nose in the bottle for about a minute straight. The Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout smells pretty good too... you definitely get that pumpkin, but there's a half and half with a coffee scent.

These two beers have quite a similar density as the stout just creeped right in and blended with the brown ale. The final result is a pretty deep brown, but while dark in tone, it's still a really clear beer mix. A lot clearer than I thought it would be actually. Head was minimal, though I poured carefully and had a few issues.

Well, that coffee comes through first, dominating the scent. It pretty much drowns out the spices from the other beer, and in itself for a while. There's a pumpkin mash in the background, and the spices have all but been subdued. It smells a little bit like Dr. Pepper now. Weird.

Taste is very smokey. Minimal bite. There's a gentle bitterness, and a toasty, roasted note throughout the whole thing. It's not terribly exciting. The smokiness from the cloves and that roasted coffee are really battling it out here, and neither one is winning. It's a stalemate. And speaking of stale, well, quite frankly this all tastes a bit like day old coffee with a shot of cough syrup in it. It's mildly spicy, but that shit fades instantly!

Mouth is a bit thin, and slightly frothy. It's also flat feeling too, which is weird since both bottles pretty much exploded when I opened them up. Must have let out all the carbonation. Huh.

This one is going to get a great big MEH! from me. I'm not the biggest fan of coffee flavored stouts to begin with, especially the weaker versions, and also brown ales aren't really my thing. So perhaps I'm getting the worst of both worlds here. It just tastes rather bland. Heavy clove, stale coffee, extremely mild cinnamon and a touch of sour pumpkin flesh. Consider this Experiment, failed. At least the DFH Punkin smelled really good.

Berkshire Brewing Oktoberfest Lager

Berkshire Brewing Oktoberfest Lager (2012)
Autumn Seasonal (Limited Release).
22 fl. oz. / $4.39 USD / 6.8 ABV??

About: "Aged for months prior to release, this Marzen-style lager is brewed using German hops and yeasts, true to tradition. Its orange-amber hue reminds us of the fall foliage that accompanies the season, and its elegant and complex malt structure produces a smooth, drinkable brew. It finishes with hints of spice and a subtle hop flavor, just enough to entice you to have another."

Thoughts: BBC Oktoberfest poured a deep and hazy honey orange color with abundant carbonation and a large fluffy head that eventually died down to a half inch thick slightly yellowed top that stuck around.

It's got a very distinct and spicy scent to it. Noble hops and yeast are prominent, as it smells a bit like a German Pilsner, but there's also a thick haze from those heavy malts that are very rich and even a little sweet. It's a little toasty, and a bit hard to describe the dimensions - almost like a fruity bread but not really, but it's very robust.

Taste is a severe blast of malts that flood around the tongue. Like a peppery semi-cooked sourdough bread. There's a ton of spice in here and flavor bursts all over the place. Little bits of leafy and grassy hops pop and tingle after the swallow and breath in. Somewhat chalky after a short while, but the aftertaste is very clean.

This beer is smooth as hell. Little heavy, and even pretty frothy... but it goes down smooth.

After a while this one is just a tad too sour. Mix that with the extreme peppery aspect of it and it's pretty rough around the edges. The hops gather and linger a bit around the end of the bottle. Still, it's got a pleasant (if somewhat overwhelming) taste, and as I said the finish is clean. I'd say try it.

October 13, 2012

Southampton Pumpkin Ale

Southampton Publick House Pumpkin Ale - Ale brewed with pumpkin, spices and vanilla extract (2012)
Brewed and Bottled by Southampton Publick House in Southampton, NY. USA.
Autumn Seasonal (Limited Release)
12 fl. oz. / $1.66 USD / 5.5% ABV

About: "Southampton Pumpkin Ale is an unique amber-colored brew that has particular appeal during the autumn months and the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. We use a generous amount of pumpkin as well as traditional "pumpkin pie" spices to give this unusual brew a definite seasonal character. Available in 22oz bottles and seasonal draft."

Thoughts: The cap on this one was pretty damn tough to peel off. Just thought I'd point that out. This one poured a gloomy amber orange that's a complete haze. The crackling sliver of a head evaporated almost immediately, and the carbonation in this is going absolutely nuts! This is the most carbonated beer I've ever seen in my life.

The smell is a strange one. I'm reminded immediately of a Dogfish Head brew... Pangaea. That beer brewed with crystallized ginger and European yeast that smells a bit like a Thai dish with peanuts. This one's just like that... very earthy, nutty, sour, loads of ginger and nutmeg. It smells overall like a mushy substance. I'm hardly getting any cinnamon or vanilla at all.

Hit with an instant sour sting on the first gulp. Taste is just like the scent. No real difference there, but there's a slight graininess to it. It's very chalky. A little peppery. Tangy. Not sweet at all. I don't know if that's vanilla extract or booze. This is a bitter, sour, clove bomb with a lot of caramel malt backup. Interesting to say the least, but not what I'm looking for in a Pumpkin Ale. 

Leaves the mouth a little dry.

This beer isn't horrible. If you're looking for a pumpkin beer that packs a punch and delivers, well, this one ain't it. It seems like a weak, Belgian version of DFH Punk. If you're into clove dominated pumpkin ales, you may enjoy this... as it's somewhat on that end of the spectrum. It's at least a little unique, I guess.

Wachusett Pumpkan

Wachusett Pumpkan (2012)
Autumn Seasonal (New).
12 fl. oz. (x12) /  $11.99 USD / 5.2% ABV

About: "Wachusett Brewing Company is releasing their newest beer, Pumpkan Ale. With the recent installment of the canning line, this will be the third aluminum packaged product added to the portfolio. Pumpkan is a session amber ale with a 5.2% ABV and 20 IBUs. The use of Two Row, Cara Crystal Wheat and Caramunich malts create a perfect balance to the pumpkin puree and Blonde Belgian Candi Sugar. The combination creates a deep orange color with the subtle spice flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg."

Thoughts: From a visual standpoint, this is a really nice looking beer. The color is rich and deep, and the frosty white head topping the brew is dense and frothy.

The scent is very crisp, but unfortunately light and subtleties are not my best area. It smells of mashed and cooked pumpkin along with malts but that's about it. The spices don't come out all that much.

Taste is bitter. Spice is light. Spice does not linger. It's watery. Spice is soft and overpowered by the bitterness. Definitely not sweet enough. It's very earthy, leafy, kinda dirty and grassy. A little peppery. Little bit sour, not horrible but way more sour than I usually like, especially in a pumpkin beer. Needs to be sweeter. Could use a little brown sugar, more cinnamon and less of those grassy hops. Otherwise it's decent and there's nothing wrong with it. It's a standard pumpkin ale and that was their downfall perhaps, after producing a very above average Imperial Pumpkin Ale on their first try.

The initial rush of natural pumpkin, however light it is, is good but it falls flat really fast. An unfortunately weak offering. I wonder how much Belgian Candi Sugar was used in this... a teaspoon? Or does it being of the "Blonde" variety have something to do with it? It's pretty abysmal in terms of the letdown. Still better than Pumpkinhead though, and again, that ain't sayin' much.

I read the press release for this beer before it came out and I was really looking forward to it. After all, just take a fucking look at that can design. It's awesome!! Not only that, but last year I had Wachusett's Imperial Pumpkin Ale (which was their first bottling of the product) and it downright blew me away. I found it comparable to Pumking (in terms of quality), though very different, and graded these beers similarly.

Am I being too hard on this perhaps because I was looking forward to it so much? It's better to not get psyched about a beer you haven't tried before, I know, but I was fairly confident that this would have been a lot better. Meh. I ended up using most of the cans as chasers, and in that particular requirement, this beer served its purpose quite well.

October 12, 2012

Chloë Grace Moretz does Coca-Cola in Hick (2011)

I'm only happy when it snows! 


Blake Lively is such a fucking awesome role model for young girls when it comes to the roles she chooses.


She's never tried these drugs before... but I guess it's better that she's not sniffing it out of a straw inside a Coca-Cola can.
Oh wait, that would be awesome!!!!?


Check it out... Little Miss Snowblind. Ha ha wow.

Dat face!

Fear and Loathing in Nebraska.

My words are my own and as of posted from their creation forward I hereby claim originality to them. Pictures may prove to be promotional items and are the sole possessions of their respectful owners and/or companies. I do not sell, nor do I buy. I only rent, so therefore, nothing I own is truly mine.