Magic Hat DeVEILed and Seance

Magic Hat deVEILed (2013)

Seasonal (Fall).

12 fl. oz. / $1.49 USD / 5.2% ABV

About: "Shrouded in otherworldly goodness! A thin veil rests between two worlds, shrouding one’s view from the other. Lives of the present and those long gone may cross the boundary if they wish, but they must first awaken to the possibility. Once eyes have opened, a harmonious convergence of life and death can be seen, the oneness deveiled, shifting into sight. Malts: 2-Row Pale, Victory, Crystal 40L, Caramel Munich, Caramel 120L, Chocolate / Hops: Magnum, Cascade / Yeast: English Ale"

Thoughts: Damn that is some nice artwork label there. I wonder how much the beer is going to suck just based off that it's got such incredible artwork alone! DeVEILed poured an amber red color with a small foamy light tan head on top. There's generous carbonation and the beer itself is very cloudy. Leaning in for the first whiff and I get toasty water. It's really hard to smell anything here. I get some sweet syrup way in the background but that's about it.

Mouth feel is a little fizzy like and really watery. This beer has a raw funk to it. It's peppery and citrusy and just really kinda grimy. Not all too pleasant I'd have to say. The flavors all blend together kinda nice at first but once you swallow and let the air hit the inside of your mouth it gets all jumbled up and gross. It's like a spiced brown ale, with a lot of grassy water and a little dirt added. Not liking this one too much. Fuck you awesome artwork. Final thought, this motherfucker needs to be REveiled. Ha!

Magic Hat SEANCE (2013)

Seasonal (Fall).

12 fl. oz. / $1.49 USD / 4.4% ABV

About: "Some mysteries are more easily attainable through collected energies and certain assembled elements of seasons, dreams and that which is not at all what it seems. Hold a Séance and peer into an ethereal world of pleasures lying just on the other side of our psyche, floating on shifting winds, through blurred seasons and between waking and sleeping bends. Malts: 2-Row Pale, White Wheat, Victory, Carafa, Flaked Oats, Crystal 80L, Cherry Wood Smoke / Hops: Goldings, Hallertaur / Yeast: Saison II"

Thoughts: Seance poured a really dark brown color with a long lasting light tan head. One things for sure this smells a hell of a lot better than deVEILed. Ahh, it must be that belgian yeast. This one smells sweet, with hints of banana, candy apple, toasted oats, and bonfires.

The beer starts off peppery and smoky, with a lot of that bonfire feeling coming through real strong. The tons of malt mingle together peacefully while the sprinkling of hops bounce around the palate. It's not a strong beer at all, but it's loaded with flavor and tastes good. It's slightly on the charred side, but I've really got no problem with that. Drinking this really reminds me of getting drunk at the beach back when I was a freaky teen. It's got a slight hint of sourness around the middle mark, but a really fine and clean aftertaste to it.

Mouth is a bit fluffed up and weighty. You can tell this beer was made by Magic Hat as their stuff does share a similar kind of base taste and a gritty, dirty rawness to them... but here's one that actually worked out. I'm not in any rush to go buy any more of it, but if they do something special like age it in wine barrels or something I'll have another go at it.

Fantôme de Noel

Fantôme de Noel (2012/2011???)

Brewed and Bottled by Brasserie Fantome, in Soy, Belgium.

Speciale Release (Winter). 

25.4 fl. oz. / $14.44 USD / 10% ABV

About: "FANTOME SPECIALE NOEL: brune foncée, très caramélisée, malts torréfiés, et assez forte! (10% alcool).... Une bière pour un hiver rigoureux ... et idéale à offrir!" "A very dark and entirely unique holiday seasonal beer, at a whopping 10% alc. by volume. Reportedly spiced with honey, caramel, coriander, black pepper, and other secret ingredients."

Thoughts: A bottle with a cap and a cork? What in the fuck... well that's interesting. As I hold this bottle up to the light I notice what appears to be a shitload of yeast floating around the bottom. At least, I hope that's what it is. ;) As I snap a few shots of the bottle, I think to myself 'how the fuck am I gonna do this?'...so I pop off the top and go to work with my shitty one dollar corkscrew (hey, it beats a sharp knife). I man up and twist that cork out of the tight bottle, a billow of grey smoke rises up and I take a whiff. Not bad. The cork has "Brasserie Fantôme Soy 086/477044" written on the side of it.

I tilt the glass and start to pour and this beer is nothing but head. Usually I have a half-finger head, not a half-finger of beer with a head nearly to the top of the glass.  I let it die down and go for a second pour... same results. Yeah, this is going to take a while. I guess I'll talk about the cool artwork on the label. It features Santa riding on a sleigh with the Fantôme ghost looming in the air, looking down on him mischievously. Cool stuff. He also looks like a floating snowman.

Noel pours a really cloudy, muddy apricot amber like dirty-orange color with a ten finger off-white head and about a trillion carbonation bubbles rising up at the speed of light. With the vast amount of bubbles maintaining the head there's no way this is going to be dying down anytime soon.

Smells just like a Belgian farmhouse ale. There's that heavy yeast, hints of crisp apples and black pepper. Overall very pleasing to the senses. It smells a little bit fruity, slightly tangy, and lightly spiced. Not really sensing anything "Christmas-y" about it, but whatever... I'm used to that by now. It's a bit floral, there are cherries dancing in the background and it's got a toasty note to it most likely due to some rye like malt and pepper. This beer is in a green bottle as well, and has a fair amount of skunk to it.

The taste is... well, not really like anything I've ever tasted before so I guess that's new and interesting. On the first gulp I got a little bit of tartness that mellowed out quick, which followed by a little bit of a burnt rubbery sensation and after I swallowed tons of cigarette smoke and ash. That all sounds really unpleasant, but it wasn't actually that bad for a first gulp. The taste of kissing a cute girl who smokes all day long is probably the least spectacular part so far. I wonder how it'll get upon further inspection.

Hmm... is't actually not quite bad. It only tastes like cigarettes and stale bubblegum when you breathe in afterwards, but aside from that it's got a gently sweet and tart taste to it. It's got a char to it around the back like I noted, but it's not really like wood, but more like burning paper. My, doesn't that sound refreshing? It doesn't taste much like bubblegum as much as it does like sour cherries, ocean and bonfire mist, and gentle spices. It's a bit rubbery, like chewing on old 80's He-Man toy heads, but I've had FAR worse than this. In fact, if going into this you consider it a smoked beer then you'll probably be more than excited and pleased by the taste of things here.

Puckering inside my mouth to examine flavor and it gets a little bit like fresh cut grass and fruit that has fallen from a tree and is starting to get moist. While inside the mouth this beer is a treat in itself, nicely sweet with some very enjoyable Belgian yeast, a lot of cherries with some gentle tartness. It's only when air hits it afterwards is when the heavy fog sets in. I'm not even a third of the way through the bottle yet, and can only imagine what this beer will be like once I pour that yeast from the bottom of the bottle into my glass.

Alright, poured the bottom of the bottle in and now it's thick like fog! Looks kinda like brown juice from a carrot and vegetable juicer or some shit. And huh... perhaps I should have rolled this bottle before I poured it, because to me now it tastes a little more even. Still tastes pretty much the same... just a little more even. I guess the closest thing I could possibly compare this to is Mad Elf Ale. I guess these Belgian folk have some crazy as all fuck Christmas beer. Apparently I'm getting used to it. Have I evolved!? o_o Nah, perhaps these beers have damaged my brain cells.

Sierra Nevada and Russian River BRUX

Sierra Nevada and Russian River BRUX - Domesticated Wild Ale (2012)

Limited Collaboration.

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.99 USD / 8.3% ABV

About: "What began as mutual admiration between Sierra Nevada’s Grossman Family and Russian River’s Cilurzos has grown and progressed into genuine friendship. Brux began as an idea and has grown into something altogether different: The liquid manifestation of change over time. Refermented in the bottle with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Brux will change and develop over time. Copper-colored, dry and complex, with slightly tart notes of green grass, pear, spice and lemon - this ale will progress in the bottle for many years."

Thoughts: The cork popped off with a fair amount of pressure and smoked like a gun out of some kind of Film Noir. BRUX poured a really light yellowish, apricot color with a huge erupting head of tiny bubbles that faded damn near instantly. While the beer is a total haze, you can still see vast amounts of carbonation bubbles rising up like crazy.

Smells really crisp, really sweet, with some lighter Belgian yeast... spicy notes, and there's a little bit of an apple cider-like spice to it. Very fruity and tart with a hint of pear, but mostly a green apple crisp type of thing going on.

Intense first gulp! A blitzkrieg to the mouth, even with the smokey aftermath. It happened so fast. Let's try it again... it tickles. The carbonation in this is off the fucking charts here and just attacks the tongue viciously while the tartness and flavors pounce all over the place. It really is "wild". It doesn't let up either. Every single gulp has a tang to it, a haze to it and it's just fucking raw tasting. I like it. It's like, almost fuzzy feeling. The finish is really dry, but not super drying.

This really reminds me of a mead. With that cider like consistency and a little bit of a honey flavor in there at least. After adjusting to the immense blasts here a little bit more flavors start to come through. Earthy leaves, bundles of hay, and a lot more of that yeasty base. It's not really funky, but there is a degree of funk there, only it's not really unpleasant by any means. I did let this sit in my fridge inside a paper bag for about six months or so though, since I heard it was pretty rough upon initial release.

I was really expecting that wild yeast to be a huge factor and very up-front in the beer, but perhaps it's fallen back a little bit because it is blending rather awesomely here. It's pretty cool how it starts out like a hard cider / farmhouse type brew and ends up tasting a bit like a spiced ale. I guess this one really played a lot of mind tricks on people. For me I waited the right time, since well... any time I open a beer it's the "right time". But I'm pleased that I got a bit of the strange along with the unusual here.

Mistransformed, transforming or just malformed to begin with, well, who's to say? Some people online try to act like they're the shit, or shiznit if you will, saying that they drain pour $14 bottles of this, that, and other beers. You wanna know what I think? They're a bunch of lying fags. Yeah. I don't drain pour nothin', especially bottles over three dollars no matter how horrid it may be. This one wasn't bad at all though, just saying, so keep rolling with those cheek punches babies.

Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone The Perfect Crime

Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone "The Perfect Crime" - Black Smoked Saison (2012)

Limited Collaboration Brew.

12 fl. oz. / $3.59 USD / 6.8% ABV

About: "Dark with deception, mysteriously smoked, unexplainably dry, and intriguingly hopped," as Strumke states on his bottle, this beer gets away with the farmhouse ale classification... but just barely. Like traditional farmhouse ales, Belgian saison yeast provides intense fruit and spice notes. However, unlike traditional saisons, the beer is black as night, has added viscosity, and pronounced smoke character that dominates thanks to the brewers’ decision to use oak-smoked wheat malt, a new malt style that produces a flavor eerily similar to a fresh oak barrel. Hops bill: East Kent Goldings, Chinook, and Cluster."

Thoughts: Perfect crime, goddamnit it's the perfect crime, motherfucker it's the perfect crime. I said it's perfect!

This Collab brew poured a very dark brown with some reddish tones and a huge fluffy multicolored tan head. It's got a nice look to it, there's no denying that. What? Is looking good a criminal offence? Then set me free, ya fuckin' CD.

Smells pretty cool. Spicy Belgian yeast, really strong and up front. It's awesomely roasty in its nature. Loads of toasted malt in this, and thankfully it doesn't remind me at all of coffee. There's a hint of fruitiness in the background, but that's hiding out for the most part.

A ton of hop characteristics in the taste. That Belgian yeast is strong and permeates throughout the whole beer, but at first gulp each time there's a blast of hop bitterness and resin. Pretty damn good. And it's not overly bitter either, nor is it tart, but it's just on the edge of those things. I suppose the malts pull it back right before it even gets close, by delivering a dash of that sweetness there. It's got a lot of roasted, smokey flavors that come through once you start breathing the air for a while.

Mouth is pretty wet but thick. It lingers for a while. Also, it drops all of that flavor on the back of the tongue and just laughs about it.

There's an Evil feeling in our brains, but its nothing new, you know it drives us insane! So said Venom.

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% ABV / SPECIAL 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% ABV / SPECIAL 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

Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory Saison du Buff

Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory Saison du Buff - Ale brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (2012)

Brewed and Bottled by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware. 

12 fl. oz. / $3.49 USD / 6.8% ABV

About: "The idea for this beer germinated way back in 2003 when the three guys (Sam from Dogfish, Greg from Stone and Bill from Victory) formed the BUFF alliance (Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor) - a noble endeavor with the goal to highlight the passion and camaraderie of the American craft brew movement. Saison du BUFF was first brewed at Stone and then replicated at each of the other two breweries - same recipe, same ingredients, three different breweries throughout 2010 - and then again in 2012."

Thoughts: Poured a seriously hazy muted yellow with a slight amber shade and a one finger frothy whiter than white head. Carbonation bubbles are plentyful.

The scent is very zesty at first, like a mix of orange and lemon peel. The yeast in this one presents itself strongly. The herbs all blend very well into the mix here and aren't stand alone or overpowering to one another.

The taste on this one is very fresh and crisp. It's semi-sweet when it first hits the mouth, but a soft coating tingling of tang erupts after the swallow and it later followed by an unoffensive bitterness. There's an earthy wheat flavor to it that's doused with a moderate amount of Belgian tasting yeast. Everything here blends perfectly and comes off as a really enjoyable drinking experience. The last of the bottle gives way to a pleasant aftertaste with a hint of pine and a coating of spice inside the mouth.

Mouthfeel is sudsy. Little bit heavy. Slightly grainy and just a little bit sticky.

I've been recently drinking quite a few Farmhouse Ales and I've gotta say that I'm really digging this style of beer. This one tasted great from the first gulp to the last sip. I will be seeking out more of this style, and perhaps may pick up the Stone version of this that's been collecting a bit of dust at the store.

Dogfish Head Noble Rot

Dogfish Head Noble Rot - Ale brewed with grape must and with grape must added. (2012)
Occasional Rarity.

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.39 USD / 9% ABV

About: "This saison-esque science project gets complexity and fermentable sugars from two unique wine grapes sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Wash. The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind. "This is the absolute closest to equal meshing of the wine world and the beer world thats ever been done commercially," says Dogfish's Sam Calagione. Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish."

Thoughts: Super Light, completely transparent, yellow toned and nearly almost colorless liquid came pouring from Dogfish Head's newly designed bottle with extruded logo. The head was completely white, massive and full of about a million and a half bubbles that later left a thick foam on top and in puddles around the glass. Carbonation is a low medium, but it's moving.

The scent is that of a Belgian Ale straight off. Sour peanut butter and grape jelly jump right out and there's an underlying crusty crackers to it. It smells of a wine, but not too strong of one, and it as the same time does smell of a beer, but it's very faint and hiding.

It's pleasant at first, a lot smoother than I thought it would taste, and then there's a huge zing of tartness that shocks the senses. Let's try it again. It's actually pretty sweet, surprisingly sweet even, and the sour notes really only kick in after the swallow. This wine, er.. beer, is very mellow and laid back. After a while there's nothing harsh about it. There's no kick of high alcohol, but instead just a lingering sweetness from those grapes.

Mouth is a medium watery with some bubbling fizz around each gulp, and it's a bit coating. It's not drying at all either.

I poured the second half into the glass and watched the head form and then deplete. This one is really cool since the head starts out as four fingers and then as it fades away it looks just like snow melting in a fast forward time lapse that takes a while. Maybe it's the twelve hour work day, or this shit is really kicking in... or perhaps I'm having an acid flashback, but overall I'm going to have to say that I enjoyed this beer. It's got a scent and taste that I usually associate with sour or funk sometimes, but the sour here is very light and welcoming, and there's no funk to be found. There's only sweet and mild sour mellow light golden refreshing goodness.

Cambridge Brewing Tripel Threat and Sgt. Peper

Cambridge Brewing Tripel Threat - Belgian Style Tripel (2011)

Brewed and Bottled by Cambridge Brewing Co., in Cambridge, MA. USA.

Winter Seasonal - November (Limited Release) - Batch #1.

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 10.0% ABV

About: "...CBC was the first American brewery to create and produce a Belgian-style beer. Our tripel went on to win our first ever Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, in 1991, before there was even a category for 'Belgian Ales'. Tripel Threat is fermented with our proprietary Belgian yeast strain and brewed using imported Continental malts, hopped with Spalt and Goldings, and very lightly spiced with freshly toasted and ground coriander.


For the first time ever, Tripel Threat is also available in 22oz. bottles for takeaway at CBC and at better beer stores throughout the Commonwealth. Our label pays homage to CBC’s first Head Brewer, Darryl Goss, who developed Tripel Threat. Proceeds from bottle sales of Tripel Threat will benefit research for a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease."

Thoughts: Poured a very light straw yellow with shades of light auburn and a two finger seriously white fluffy head that took a few minutes to pop away. There's a ton of carbonation bubbles rising up. A Ton! Though a very light brew, there's no seeing through this one at all. It's hazy as a dusty motorcycle kick-up.

This spicy Belgian yeast is becoming more and more familiar with me over time. Smells a tad bit sour, with some almost tropical fruity tones. Papaya?

That spice is pretty damn amazing. It's like a zinging. Orange peel. Bananas. Not so flowery, and some fine tasting hops. It's hardly bitter at all, in fact, it's actually really sweet with a gentle sour flowing in and out. I'm very pleased that the normal funk associated with Belgian yeast is very low level here. This beer tastes absolutely beautiful. Yeah, I could drink this all day long. There's got to be some of that Belgian Candi Sugar in this... it's just too good.

This beer is a medium-thick, a little bit syrupy and very warming.

I was pretty psyched when I saw this on the shelf about a week or two ago. After the total ownage of their first bottled batch of the Great Pumpkin Ale, I've been waiting eagerly for more of the company's offerings. This very special candy / beer of theirs has finally been bottled in a 22oz Bomber with some kickin' artwork. What's next guys? I'll buy it you just bottle it.

Cambridge Brewing Sgt. Pepper (2012)

Limited Release - First Batch (May 2012)

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 6% ABV

About: "Saison-style ale with Peppercorns. It was twenty years ago today… Well, almost twenty years ago today, as we present to you the first of three special Anniversary Beers in celebration of our upcoming Twentieth Anniversary! It was April Fool’s Day, 1989, when Phil “Brewdaddy” Bannatyne first opened the doors to what would become one of the preeminent breweries in the country. Of course, true to the spirit of the day, it would be another month before the first house-made beers would be available on draft.Sgt. Pepper has been brewed with Pilsner, CaraVienne, and Rye malts, plus Magnum and Spalter hops. But the driving force behind this beer is the contribution from whole peppercorns! Black, Green, White, and Pink Peppercorns were added to the brewkettle, and they provide a noticeable fresh, herbal spiciness to the nose and through the palate. Pink pepper provides a high, floral character mostly as an aromatic, and Green pepper offers an herbal freshness with slight heat. White pepper contributes a subtle earthiness, and Black pepper engages the palate in a lingering, tingling warmth. All combine to accentuate the complexities of our Belgian yeast, and are balanced by crisp malt character with a hint of sweetness."

Thoughts: I'm lovin' the Beatles ref and the Psychedelic Record logo. Very nice work. This beer looks of a dark amber, hints of orange, with a robust stark-white head.

Well, the scent certainly lives up to the name. I'm getting nothing here but Belgian yeast and Pepper! Tons of it. It actually smells pretty damn good, considering that I love pepper and have recently become accustomed to the strange beast that is Belgian yeast. It smells fun and interesting in a funky sort of way.

Belgian yeast is heavy on the nose but light on the tongue even though it's a major part of the flavor here, but man, the pepper in this brew is fucking amazing! Not only does it have a decent kick at the swallow, but it's permeating throughout the overall flavor and then afterwards there's a spiciness of that dust on the tongue and back of the throat that just sizzles a little bit. It's done to perfection and never reaches any extreme point where it becomes undrinkable in any way. Fuckin' loved it. My mouth is filled with a peppery coating and that's they way I like my foods. And beer, is my foods.

Mouth feel is a little light and fluttery, but I think that matches well with the lingering affects of that burning spice that creeps up on you with each gulp!

Well, Cambridge Brewing have done it again. There's not one single beer of theirs that I've tried that I haven't enjoyed tremendously. I guess that would have to place them now as my second favorite brewery, after Southern Tier of course. I cannot wait for their next release! Every time I hit that bottle shop and see one of their striped labels on the New Beers rack, I go a little nuts.