191. Shipyard Brewing – Smashed Pumpkin Ale
While I was picking up pumpkin beers at the liquor store, this one stood out because of the 9% ABV. I thought I’d give it a shot after reading the label… “Smashed Pumpkin is a big bodied beer with a light coppery orange color and pleasing aroma of pumpkin and nutmeg. The OG and final ABV provide the structure and body. Pale ale, wheat and Munich malts combined with the natural tannin in pumpkin and the delicate...
190. Hoppin’ Frog – Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale
After going to the Great American Beer Festival, I looked to see the medal winners from the festival. I saw that Hoppin’ Frog Brewery had won a GABF Gold medal for the “field beer” category for their Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale. So, when I saw this one on my recent trip to the liquor store, there was no doubt I should get it. The bottle says, “There’s a place just South they call Frog’s...
189. Buffalo Bill’s Brewery – America’s Original Pumpkin Ale
After a break from pumpkin beers for the last couple of days, I thought I’d get back to it with an original. Even six or 7 years ago when I started brewing pumpkin beers at home, Buffalo Bill’s was available. I’m not quite sure how long it’s been around, but it’s pretty much considered the original pumpkin beer – as you can see that it calls itself, “American’s Original” Pumpkin...
188. Boulevard Brewing – Bob’s 47 Oktoberfest
I went tot he liquor store and picked up a mix-a-six so that I could get a variety of Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers. This was one a friend from Kansas City had recommended, so I thought I’d pick one up and give it a try. The bottle says, “A tribute to our friend Bob Werkowitch, master brewer and graduate of the US Brewers’ Academy, class of 1947.” It was very clear and copper in color. It initially had a...
187. Hofbräu München – Hofbräu Oktoberfest
After four straight days of pumpkin beers, I thought I’d break it up a little bit with an Oktoberfestbier. My picture from my post announcing my Octoberfest Challenge is from a couple years ago when I had dinner at the Hofbrau Haus in Las Vegas and had a huge glass of this beer. Much like the Spaten Oktoberfestbier I had last week, it doesn’t get much more traditional Oktoberfest than this beer. I only felt like I should...
186. O’Fallon Brewery – Pumpkin Beer
Another St. Louis brewery with a pumpkin beer is O’Fallon Brewery. Theirs has been around a few years longer than Schlafly’s Pumpkin Ale. I’ve found O’Fallon’s beers to be a little hit or miss, as I wasn’t a huge fan of their Hemp Hop Rye Amber Ale or their Chocolate Cherry beer, but am a fan of their 5 Day IPA and Wheach. It had a reddish copper color, and was fairly clear. it had a creamy, foamy...
185. New Holland Brewing – Ichabod
I was at the liquor store looking for different pumpkin beers and came across this one. I’ve had a few of New Holland brews, including their Mad Hatter IPA and their Pilgrim’s Dole Wheat Wine, and after those, I was willing to give Ichabod – their pumpkin beer – a chance. Besides, I liked the creativity of associating their pumpkin beer with something surrounding a Halloween story, and not just calling it...
184. St. Louis Brewery / Schlafly – Pumpkin Ale Special Release
I heard about Schlafly’s pumpkin beer about 4 years ago, and while in St. Louis for a friend’s wedding, we stopped by the Schlafly Tap Room specifically to try this beer. Due to the high alcohol (my memory tells me it was around 9% ABV back then), it was served in an 8oz snifter. I think they started bottling this last year, and I’m sure they lowered the ABV when the started bottling it. This beer will always...
183. Dogfish Head – Punkin Ale
I’m kicking off my Oktoberfest challenge with a pumpkin beer from Dogfish Head. Their site says it’s a “full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, organic brown sugar and spices.” The bottle says it’s “brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg.” It also says it’s 7% ABV. It was clear and...
Oktoberfest Challenge – Seasonal Beers
One of the inspirations for this blog was the 999 beers blog by Dave Selden. His quest is to drink 999 beers in 999 days, and he provides excellent tasting notes on each beer. I’m not trying to “one-up” Dave, as I often don’t have a beer every single day. HOWEVER, for the month of October, I’ve challenged myself to try to have a beer every day AND ensure that it is a seasonal beer that relates to every beer lovers...
182. Bell’s Brewery – Bourbon Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury Draft
At our homebrew club steering meeting, one of the guys mentioned that they had Bell’s Hell Hath No Fury on draft at Medici. So, I decided to quickly stop by and try it. I had read about it on Bell’s website and which says, “Originally conceived along the lines of a Belgian Dubbel, Hell Hath No Fury… Ale morphed during development into something entirely different. Blending a pair of Belgian abbey-style yeasts...
181. Spaten Franziskaner Bräu – Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen Draft
We were having our ABNormal Brewers meeting at Fat Jack’s in downtown Bloomington, and I was trying to take a look at the board to see what my next beer would be. I had tried many of the options, so I thought I’d go for the Spaten Octoberfest, since I hadn’t written that one up yet – despite the fact that it was not yet October. However, it did give me an idea for the month of October, which I’ll...
180. Founders Brewing – 2010 Nemesis Draft
I was at Fat Jack’s in downtown Bloomington tonight for an ABNormal homebrewers club steering meeting. I was surprised and happy to see that they had Founders’ Nemesis on draft. I had read about it, but hadn’t had it, so this was a good opportunity to try it. Despite it being $4.50 for a half pint, I’m glad I got to try it. It was extremely black in color and had a creamy tan head on it. The head fell...
179. RAM Restaurant & Brewery Indianapolis – Indy Blonde Draft
I was looking for another beer to try, and, since we were in Indianapolis, I thought I’d give the Indy Blonde a try. I suspect that it is the same as the Big Horn Blonde at other RAM locations, just with a local name. That didn’t matter too much, as long as I got a chance to try a new beer. I was really surprised at how clear the beer was, and it was a golden yellow color. There was a very thin white head on it, and I...
178. RAM Restaurant & Brewery Indianapolis – ’71 Pale Ale Draft
We were on our way back from Louisville, Kentucky and decided to stop in Indianapolis for dinner. I was pushing to stop at a brewpub, and my coworker chose RAM Restaurant & Brewery. I was somewhat familiar with the brewpub chain since we stopped there a few months ago and I had their Buttface Amber Ale and their Big Red IPA at their Chicago location. The ’71 Pale Ale was cloudy and was deep amber in color, the head was...
177. Bluegrass Brewing Company – BBC APA Draft
This was my second last minute trip for work in the last two weeks, however, the one last week gave me a chance to go to the Great American Beer Festival. This week we found ourselves in Louisville, Kentucky for work, and just down the street from Bluegrass Brewing Company. So, we just had to stop in for a bite to eat and a beer. I felt like something a little hoppy, so I went with the APA, which I thought stood for American Pale...
2010 Great American Beer Festival GABF
I was thrilled when I found out I was going to be in Denver for work this week. And, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I called the crew from Full Sail Brewing from my Brewmaster Cuisinternship, and they allowed me to extend my internship for just one more day. They let me use one of their brewer’s passes to attend GABF. I really can’t thank them enough, and I really didn’t mind being called...
176. Wynkoop Brewing – Mile HI.P.A. IPA Draft
I met up with my friend from the homebrew club at Great Divide, and we knew we needed to grab a bite to eat to get something in our stomachs before heading over to the Great American Beer Festival. Although I had already been to Wynkoop a couple of days ago, it seemed to be the best place to grab a bite between Great Divide and the convention center. It was also a chance to try another one of their beers, and since I was in the mile...
175. Great Divide Brewing – Hoss Rye Lager Draft
A friend from the ABNormal Brewers gave me a call and said that he was also out in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival. He was also interested in checking out Great Divide, so I grabbed another beer and a chair and waited for him to come by. The Hoss Rye lager was clear and red in color, not reddish, but red – the reddest beer I’ve ever seen. There was, as you can see, an amazingly large and creamy white head,...
174. Great Divide Brewing – Hibernation Ale Draft
I was having a great time hanging out at Great Divide Brewing before heading over to the Great American Beer Festival. They had pulled couches out onto their back area, so I was just hanging out in the nice Denver weather and enjoying the beer. They were actually currently brewing and serving their Hibernation ale, which is their winter seasonal. It was brown in color and had a very thick, tan head on it. The head retention was...
Recent Comments