If you recall, last Thursday I posted a double review praising the mighty Dogfish Head Midas Touch and . . . um . . . well let us not discuss the rest. I'm going to go ahead and do that one more time. While last week had no particular theme other than "Beers Caity and I Drank That One Day", this week, I'm going to big up Halloween and, perhaps more importantly, big up the West Coast, who might have caught a stray shot lost week when really, Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Extra (just the beer, not the brewery) was the target. Let me just get this out of the way now: the lefter coast is THE brewing capitol of the world right now. The northeast has tradition on their side, but the West Coast has their own incredible native hops and some of the most rebellious, creative minds in beer on their side. They crush it. That's that. So, I decided to contrast two pumpkin ales I've been drinking lately, and though they are going to be tough to come by post-October, it is key to know your pumpkin ales. The variations are mostly subtle in pumpkin ales, but they really make or break the beer.
In the last review I mentioned this beer: Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale. Read it, learn it, know it. Elysian is based in Seattle, and though I've only had a few of their beers, I think it is safe to say they are fantastic. We serve this beer seasonally at work and the employees, customers, and I all go absolutely apeshit for it. I always describe this beer to customers as "exactly like a pumpkin pie" so it was quite heartening when I went to the official page yesterday and saw the brewery describe it as "like pumpkin pie, with a rich smoothness". Honestly, it tastes
just like a fantastic pumpkin pie. The look is a deep copper-orange. A hint of that orange makes it into the head, which generally comes up pretty minimally. Once in a while our taps would pour it with a slightly deeper head, but even then it was pretty flimsy in density. Their website also says they are rocking a 1.060 gravity, which is pretty hearty and it makes sense: the mouthfeel is rich and coats every corner. Of course, pumpkin prevails taste-wise, but what really makes the beer great is the sweet maltiness, bolstered by robust notes of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The spices are absolutely spot-on. The
very slight hop bitterness at the front of the tongue make the whole sweet palate explode in a perfect seasonal frenzy. Possibly the best part? It packs 6.1% ABV, but you most certainly wouldn't know it. This is a rich, wonderful beer which manages to be malty-sweet while also bringing a spiced-up savoriness to the table. Despite being an autumn ale, I found it more complex and enjoyable at around 45 degrees than 50-55. It might sound simple, but a handful of walnuts goes brilliantly with this beer. Want to get a little more complicated? Pair it with some sweet barbecue for dinner. Needless to say it makes a fantastic desert beer by itself or paired with a slice of cheesecake or pecan pie. Steer clear of red meat in your pairing for sure. I arrogantly tried it with a smoky, grilled burger and it was a thorough fail on my part.
On the other hand, we have Southampton's Pumpkin Ale. Southampton Publick House in upstate NY is pretty legendary. They make good beers most of the time, though in my opinion they are rarely exceptional. However, they had the upperhand going in: personally, I'm a SUCKER for the old-fashioned Northeastern autumn and winter. As soon as October rolls up, all I want to do is drink warm cider and wear Cosby sweaters. Shouldn't Southampton be able to rock this and bring the dream pumpkin ale? If you were to put a pint of this next to a pint of the Elysian, you could
see the difference in flavor. My pint was marvelously clear, but also sadly light and washed-out in color. The scent is lovely, featuring the usual pumpkin ale suspects, but also presenting a nice maple syrup tone. The head poured richly, much moreso than the Elysian, though the depth and darkness in Elysian is worth the loss of head. The nice head on Southampton does take out a notch of the bitterness, which it has too much of as the head fades out. The spices are overwhelmed by an odd tang and bitterness which I can't quite put my finger on. This is alleviated somewhat by the subtle vanilla notes at the end of the sip. The aftertaste is straight pumpkin however, and this lack of dimension makes it ultimately easy to walk away from after the first pint.
I heart pumpkin ales and it is going to be sad to see them go once again. If you can still find any, I highly advocate grabbing some, though in my experience some people just flat-out dislike them. If your local place has any left over, Weyerbacher makes a fantastic pumpkin ale and the psychos at Southern Tier have their Pumking which pushes the ABV to a whopping 7.9%. In small doses, it is pretty great. Stocking up on some of these for Thanksgiving is certainly not a bad idea, so if you can , snatch them up and age them for a month. Otherwise, do like me and bide your time until next year, when I will await the Great Pumpkin's return. Then I will crack him open and use his delicious innards for beer. Cheers!
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