 ChainGangGuy (1393), 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.
brewandbbq (186), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Jun 27, 2008 Vintage 2007
Pours opaque black, with a thin, tan head.
Some ruby around the edges, and the head dissapated quickly. A few errant dots of lacework.
Aromatics lead off with chocolate, nutmeg, cinncamon, and pumpkin.
A vineous, almost tart note steps forward, and a hint of oakiness.
Full bodied, slick, chewy, and velvety. Chewy, lush mouthfeel.
Dark chocolate, pumpkin pie spice, espresso, Kahlua, and roasted malts start the pallet.
A red-wine-like vineousity pulls through and adds some depth.
Alcohol is warming, and the beer is quite intense.
Finishes with lingering chocolate, nutmeg, and coffee.
Definately the most intense Pumpkin beer, ever. Not in the Pumpkin aspect, but in the Imperial Porter one, with the Pumpkin playing second fiddle.
The oak doesn’t really come through though. A bourbon barrel version would be kick-ass.
bu11zeye (3573), Frisco, Texas, USA
Jun 26, 2008 (22oz. bottle) Pours a black body with burgundy edges and a small beige head. Aroma of chocolate, pumpkin, vanilla, and oak. Flavor of pumpkin, chocolate, nuts, toffee, and roasted malt with a creamy mouthfeel.
kmweaver (1768), Takoma Park, Maryland, USA
Jun 16, 2008 22oz bottle, courtesy of jjpm74. Thanks, John! Pours a murky, chocolate-brown color; medium-tan head with solid fine-bubbled lacing. Very toasty: chocolate, pumpkin, and woody vanilla notes in the aroma. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: chewy, toasted oak and vanilla, lightly toasted malts, and soft spices and milk chocolate; very soft, generous spicing and milk chocolate and chewy nougats; excellent, chewy beer; quite similar to the non-barrel-aged version. Lengthy finish: nougat, milk chocolate, and lightly toasted malts. Very good stuff.
jjpm74 (2660), Connecticut, USA
Jun 15, 2008 Bottle courtesy of blackdonald. Pours dark brwon with a light tan head. Smells of pumpkin pie spice, touches of pudding, chocolate, some peppery splashes. Tastes of pumpkin pie, some oaky hints, punpkin pie spice, sweet malt, some toffee. Nice!
travita (637), Lewisville, Texas, USA
Jun 11, 2008 Dark brown in color with a tan head. Pumpkin heavily in the smell also some chocolate and spices. Taste is the same as the smell. Did not notice the alcohol. Its like having liquid dessert.
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