It’s a Saturday afternoon, and per my usual routine this time of year, I’m watching college football and sitting down to enjoy a beer. It’s that time of year for pumpkin beers, and I got this one in the mail a few weeks ago. If your regular reader, you know that this is one of my favorite beer styles, and I’m always looking for new pumpkin beers to try. I like that this one had the wax over the cap and information on the back. The label says it was “Bombed on 7/31/13.”
The label says, “Our Pumpkin Porter is made with pumpkins and fruits of the harvest, balanced with our bend of holiday spices. This Porter is dark and smooth with a warming finish and will be sure to complement the fall season.”
Location: Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass from the 22oz bomber at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 5.8% ABV, 32 IBUs, 16 OG, 39 SRM, ~170 Calories
Ingredients: Yeast: 1318; Hops: Fuggle
Appearance & Aroma: It’s deep, dark brown in color, almost black, with some brown highlights when held up to the light. It’s got a good amount of carbonation in it, but almost no head. There’s just a thin layer of bubbles at the top with a thin ring around the edges – that surprisingly, left some lacing on the glass. It has a pumpkin spice aroma with some roasty notes as well.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is slightly crisp from the carbonation. Upfront there’s a nice roasty flavor with some spices in the background. The spices come forward a bit in the middle, but the roasty flavors continue to dominate. It finishes with a mix of
cinnamon, allspice, and a cocoa-coffee roastiness. These flavors last for a minute or so in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: This beer had a good amount of roastiness, along with the spices, and therefore, I’d pair it with a hearty meal from the grill or smoker. I’d pair this roasty porter with a seasoned steak, or BBQ, like ribs or a pulled pork sandwhich.
Overall Impression: This was a good, roasty porter with some
seasonal spices, but the roastiness dominates. I like pumpkin beers to have a bit of pumpkin-pie-like flavors, so I would have liked a bit more pumpkin flavor from it. Overall, it was a flavorful beer that complements a nice fall day and perhaps a last fall outing with the grill.
My Rating: 
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