Rock Art Extreme Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout

Rock Art EXTREME Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout (2013)

Brewed and Bottled by Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville, Vermont. USA.

Autumn Seasonal. 

22 fl. oz. / $5.99 USD / 8% ABV

About: "Rock Art Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout is a big stout brewed in the colonial fashion with large amounts of pumpkins and spruce tips added to the kettle for flavor and bittering qualities. The pumpkins complement the malt flavors and are used to add sugars to the mash. Whatever you do, do not think this is going to taste like pumpkin pie. For a SLOW experience, pair with BBQ venison loin, extra sharp cheddar cheese, vegetarian chili, fresh warm soft pretzel dipped in a honey mustard or grass fed beef stew."

Thoughts: Extreme! Radical!! Scrumpadoochous!!! Is that guy with the frohawk smoking a bong? Rock Art EXTREME Pumpkin poured a very dark brown, near black, almost cola looking brew with a light brown, one inch head full of tiny bubbles on top.

Hot damn this stuff smells sweet. Like Hershey's syrup. Straight up, like you held some upside down and just squeezed it out into this beer. It smells like really strong chocolate milk. This reminds me a little bit of something Southern Tier would do, like their Choklat. Not really getting any pumpkin or spice though. Meh.

Well, like they said, it doesn't taste like pumpkin pie that's for damn sure. It's got a little pinch of tartness right when it hits your lips, then a mild dark chocolate flavor rushes in and once that retreats a bit of burnt coffee lingers around before the piney, resinous cola like spruce tips bounce around on the tongue. Spruce tips taste pretty weird. It's got a harsh little haze of booze and grass just after the swallow, but it's not all that bad.

Body is a little light. With the smell and taste of this thing you'd really expect it to be the consistency of syrup, but it's pretty clean. It's a soft medium, slightly creamy and it puffs up a little. But it fades pretty quick. All in all this one isn't exactly all that "extreeeeeeeeeeeeme!". It's a decent spruce tip stout, with pumpkins for added texture, but if you go into this one expecting a pumpkin-y pumpkin beer then you'll be disappointed.