 unclemattie (1584), Georgia, USA
May 10, 2008 22oz bottle. Pours dark brown. Light pumpkin aroma. Flavor is much more smooth than the non-Oaked version. Rich malt character. Much more balanced.
golubj (990), Redwood City, California, USA
May 15, 2008 Bottle, thanks to puzzl for sharing this spectacle. Black pour, no head. Aroma is sweet malt, nice spiced pumpkin, a small amount of roasted malt, and sweet milk chocolate. Flavor has hints of wood, lots of sweet chocolate, light roast, and a little bit of the pumpkin spicing is still there (although not as apparent as in the aroma). I enjoyed this style more than any imperial stout I have had recently.
jsquire (1863), St. Marys, Ohio, USA
Feb 3, 2008 This was an oak aged version of the beer that Gabe brought out for the ’08 GABBF. It was one of the big hits of the festival for our table. Very dark beer with a thin foamy brown head. The beer coats the side of the glass as you twirl it. The aroma has bitter chocolate, some roasted grains and wood. Chocolate is the first flavor I got, like a rich, homemade chocolate cake. Great complimentary notes of vanilla, wood, cinnimon, nutmeg and roasted grain. It was like eating a very good chocolate cake. I went back several times to load up on this very nice beer.
egajdzis (2969), Terrapin, Pennsylvania, USA
Feb 1, 2008 Poured a deep, dark brown color with a medium sized, light tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of pumpkin, light spice, vanilla, roasted malts, and some chocolate. Taste of light spices, vanilla, nuts, roast, chocolate, and light alcohol in the finish. Creamy mouthfeel.
ChainGangGuy (1536), Kennesaw, Georgia, USA
May 9, 2008 Appearance: Pours a dark brown body with a small, short-lived, beige head.
Smell: Chocolately, roasted barley aroma with notes of earthy spices, vanilla, and wood with plenty of squashy pumpkin.
Taste: Sweetish roasted barley flavor then spice, then pumpkin, then chocolate. The oak delivers a good deal of vanilla and wood flavoring that blends in quite nicely. Light sweetness on the earthy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Smooth texture.
Drinkability: Pretty yummy! Finally something beyond the old, tired, standard pumpkin ale. Had it alongside the non-oak version, and, I must say that the oak WINS.
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