Pumpkin Beer Taste test

Bon appetit did an 11 beer taste of some pumpkin beers.  They have an interesting choice for number 1.  What are your thoughts...???

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/inside-our-kitchen/article/the-best-pumpkin-beers-taste-test?mbid=drnk_20130928_12500604&crlt.pid=camp.JFZ0Aj50Ecjh

Amarcord Brewery - Bruna

Amarcord Brewery

Bruna - Dubbel

The color of this beer is a wonderful rich hazelnut brown.  It's a wonderful color with some slight reddish hues around the outside.

The aroma of this beer is sweet, roasted malt with hints of fig and toffee.  The sweetness of this beer is the first thing you notice, and then it is followed by a hit of alcohol.  The other scents come after the alcohol gives way.

On the palate this beer is a little bit of an in you face at first.  Alcohol is the first thing you notice.  The beer is 7.5% abv and it makes the most of it.  After that you notice the wonderful balance of toffee and fig.  It's actually the best part of the beer.  As the beer rolls back on your tongue and in between sips, the layers of the flavor really come out.  If the alcohol was as strong up front I would like this beer even more.

To be honest, I didn't mind the alcohol being the first thing I noticed, but I know it isn't for everyone.  I am a fan of beers like this and this one didn't disappointment me.  Being that I never heard of this beer, or brewery, I got it while out with no information given.  I thought it had a lot of flavor, nice aroma and color.  Worth a try if you are up for something different.

Beers to try this fall

Here is a list of beers that some one smarter than me says you need to try this fall.  I have had a bunch of them either this year or last.  Which have you had???

http://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/falls-best-beers

River Horse - Hipp-O-Lantern

River Horse Brewing Co.

Hipp-O-Lantern - Imperial Pumpkin Ale

The color of this beer is a nice rich light brown with a slight copper/orange hue.  

The aroma of this beer is gives off a nice nutmeg, cinnamon and molasses scents.  I don't get any of the pumpkin puree the beer is supposed to be brewed with.

On the palate the beer has a nice amount of nutmeg and cinnamon.  There is a mild sense of the pumpkin puree on the backend of this beer.  This is a little bit of a stronger beer at 8.5% abv, and it makes sure you know the alcohol is there.  Overall, the most potent flavor of this beer is the molasses.  It's a little over powering.

Overall this beer is just ok to me.  I think there is too much molasses, and not enough pumpkin.  I also wouldn't mind a little more of the cinnamon.  I love the color of this beer though, it's really nice.  This isn't a bad beer, and you can't please everyone all the time, and that is me with this beer.  If i had to give it a rating it would be a 5.5/10. 

24 best beers in America - by Men's Journal

http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/the-24-best-beers-in-america-20121026?page=1


Check out this list of beers!

I have had 11 of these.  The Ommegang, Russian River, Victory, and Stone are my favorites on this list.

Pumple Drumkin

Cisco Brewers Nantucket

Pumple Drumkin - Ale brewed with pumpkins and spice

The color of this beer is a bright, and shiny burnt orange.  No cloudiness, and no depth to the color, you  are able to see right through this beer.

The aroma of Pumple Drumkin fills the nose with nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice, and some raw pumpkin.           The spice is paramount with very little bit of the pumpkin scent.

On the palate this beer is a very different kind of pumpkin beer.  Flavors all kind of muddle together, nothing stands out, not that it is a bad thing, just a different thing.  The beer's prickly carbonation hits the tongue first, then follows the flavors appear, but are hard to make out.  There are hints of meat pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and a slight tartness.

This is an interesting brew.  The flavor of this beer is not to bad, it just doesn't have layers to it like some beers do.  Instead of the flavors appearing one after the other, they kind of come at you all at once.  A unique approach to a seasonal pumpkin ale.

John Henry - Colonial Cream

John Henry Beverage Co.

Colonial Cream & Brown Ale aged in brandy oak spirals

The color of this brew is a deep mahogany.  It has a nice layer to it, going from a deep mahogany to a lighter brownish red.

The aroma of this beer is sugary sweet, with hints of cherry.  There is also a sense of creaminess on the nose that does appear in the taste.

On the palate the beer has a sweet flavor, and a hit of alcohol.  You do get a nice sense of the brandy.  the beer also has a smooth creaminess that coats the tongue a little bit.  The beer also gives off flavors of toffee, and roasted malt.  There is plenty of flavor in this beer.

Overall I thought this beer a pretty good.  The alcohol kick is there, and at 9.3% you can understand why, so that will turn some people away.  This is a sipping beer, you shouldn't drink it to quickly.  Let this beer warm up a little bit too before you drink.  The flavors a aroma really come out then.