Haven't posted in a while, and since it's Halloween, I thought it would be fitting to rate a pumpkin beer. I bought this new release from Southern Tier: Pumking.



The 22 oz. bottle ran me $5.35 and weighs in at 9% ABV. Pours a clear orange with minimal white head. Aroma is all pumpkin bread, with some cinnamon or other sweet spices. Taste is similar, with pumpkin spice being the dominant flavor, followed by other maltiness, with some booze in the back. Despite the slight booze, it goes down very easy. If the palate were thicker, I’d be in heaven. I'm a big fan of pumpkin pie, I must admit. This was certainly the best pumpkin beer I’ve had, though I haven’t had too many (Blue Moon, DFH Punkin). 3.75

If you are looking for a good pumpkin beer then look no further than schlafly pumpkin ale.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/583/32767

It is easily the best pumpkin beer I've tried and I've had quite a few. It tastes just like pumpkin pie and weighs in at a nice 8%abv. You may have trouble finding it if you don't live fairly close to stl though.

Maxx,

I'd definitely look up the Weyerbacher, and IIRC, you can get their beer. It sounds like Weyerbachers might be a little thicker and darker, just like you were looking for.

I tried a new brew from a new brewery tonight. On a whim, I picked up the Incubus tripel from the Sly Fox brewery based out of Roversford, PA. I've never tried anything from this place, or even heard of them, but I felt like doing something different. The tripel came in a 750 mL bottle that ran me $8.55. I wasn't thinking about it at the time I bought it, but this is more expensive than a bottle of Unibroue's La Fin Du Monde. Unfortunately, this probably means I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I'm not sure of the ABV of this beer.



The beer pours the usual yellow-gold with a decent head. It might be a slightly thinner head than is typical for this style. It's also surprisingly clear. There's some yeast sediment in the bottom of this beer, but not enough to cloud everything like most good tripels I've had.



While I'd been setting myself up for disappointment, the smell of this beer is pretty good. I smell the usual sweet fruitiness and some of the spice. The taste is a let-down, though. It's a little too syrupy, the malt has an unusual and unsavory taste I can't place, and the yeastiness and spiciness is lacking. On an absolute scale, this is roughly a beer, but that doesn't mean it's not one of the worst tripels I've had to date. I'd advise anyone thinking about picking this one up to reach for the La Fin Du Monde instead -- it is cheaper and much better.

Wookie,

Was there a lot of compacted sediment on the bottom of the bottle when you finished, or progressively more sediment as you poured? I can't imagine any brewery going to the trouble of partially filtering, if that's even possible, and the yeast would have to be really highly flocculating for almost all of it to drop out. I guess another possibility is they filtered it and then added yeast back for bottle conditioning, maybe even a different strain if they wanted a blend of two flavor profiles. That would probably result in less sediment, too.

I'd say there was a light amount of sediment that just barely was dislodged when I swirled the last portion of the beer around to dislodge everything. I think that filtering and then adding yeast back is a possibility.

Max, I just logged on to review the So. Tier Pumking and you beat me to the punch! I agree with your review and had a similar opinion. I thought it was delicious and is definetly going to be revisited.

Mr. Wookie - I too was dissapointed with Heather Ale. Still love the Elderberry Black Ale and the Pine Scots. - Different tastes I suppose... Also - I think my ratings are probably on the high side as a 4 should blow one away. I'll have to adjust going forward.

Good to know we're on the same page w/ the Heather ale. I've liked your reviews, so I'm curious what you think about some other beers.

I'll be reviewing tons more as I live near a great store that has like 500 different beers sold as singles. I do need to get a digi cam also. For the record - my current fav micro in a bottle is Dogfish 60 IPA. My fav cheapo beer is Yuengling Lord Chesterfield Ale.

Hi Guys,

New to the forum...uNL player... I am actually a brewer by occupation and training..
Anyone want to ask any techno questions etc I would be happy to try and answer. If irrelevant please ignore... enjoy the beer!

Kind Regards

siggy, just curious what store you are referring to? I typically head down to Total Wine in Claymont, DE or State Line Liquors in Elkton, MD (when I'm passing by). Just curious if you had a different 'hot spot'

Haven't checked the thread for a while, so apologies if this one's been reviewed before. Picked up a 4 pack of Corsendonk Pater Abbey Ale last night ($11.50 US at my local booze merchant). What a great strong ale!

Poured into a crystal goblet, it displayed a dark reddish brown color with a frothy caramel head that wafts essence of chocolate, plum, and a bite of alcohol at the finish. Very bubbly (the carbonation had me blowing the sheets off the bed) but I managed to polish off two of the bottles and had a warm headfull. At 7.5% ABV this packs a whallop, but the palate is rich and the hint of alcohol at the finish is understated.

I'm partial to Belgian ales, and this time of year the strong ales warm the soul. I daresay I give Corsendonk Pater Abbey Ale

Nice review, and there's no shame in reviewing something that someone else has done. I like to see multiple takes on the same brew or how much other people enjoyed a beer I liked. This goes for everyone, not just KT .

With that encouragement, I'll proceed.

Last night I broke into a 6 pack of Rodenbach Flemish Sour Ale ($8.99 US for six 8.5 oz bottles). I was skeptical to say the least, as "sour" is not a flavor I equate with good beer.

This ale is certainly not for everyone. The label says that this is a blended ale, with 75% "fresh" and 25% aged ale top fermented with a "proprietary" microflora that gives its sourness. The pour is mellow into a tankard with barely any head. The nose is sweet apple cider-ish, sort of like a snake bite (cider and ale). The sourness overpowers at the back of the palate, but a patient sipper will find the sweetness of fruit preserves and an earthy malt.

I admit that I didn't particularly enjoy the first sip, but I pressed on in the interest of science. More hops would help balance the sourness and the sweetness, but would render the brew less remarkable. By the second bottle my palate (or my expectations) had adjusted and I enjoyed it. At 5.1% ABV it's on the lighter side, but this is more of a novelty sipper than a football game gulper.

I reiterate, Rodenbach Flemish Sour Ale is not for everyone, but it is worth checking out simply because of the uniqueness of the style. 1/2

This is one of the few beer styles I haven't tried yet. I remember MaxxDaddy loved it, but yeah, it sounds like a style that might not appeal to everyone. I'll keep my eye out for it, and even if it ends up not being my thing, I'll be glad to have tried it.

Perfect timing as I just bottled a home brew last night and had a question. I've only done 5 brews up to this point, so I'm sure not everything is perfect. However, on every beer I have made, the opening and final gravity has been different from what was advertised by the recipe. Am I wrong in assuming the OG is affected basically by the amount of sugars the yeast eats? If so, is there any reason why all of mine have been significantly lower?

If you're doing extract and getting a lower OG than you expect, either your shorting how much extract you're putting in, or you're not hitting the correct volume of water. If you're doing AG, there are a bunch of things that could be off.

OG is taken before fermentation starts, so it's not the yeast throwing things off, it's either your extract/efficiency/volumes. fyi, different brands of extract have different amounts of fermentables, so if you've only been using one brand, switch it up.

Wookie,

The Rodenbach I sampled is different from the Grand Cru. I tried their base brew. Grand Cru, according to the web site is a more robust brew in the style of a red sour ale whereas the beer I tried is a lower end sour. Haven't tried the Grand Cru yet and doubt that I will.

Ah, I see. Good to know.

KT, way to go off the beaten path. I must admit I was skeptical my first go-around, but I'm a big fan of sour things in general, so maybe that's why I like sour beer so much. One of the major differences between regular Rodenbach and the Grand Cru is that the latter is aged in French Oak I believe, so you end up getting a much dryer finish and you can smell/taste the barrel's influence in the beer. The Grand Cru is the superior beer, IMO, as it should be. As far as sour ales go, both Rodenbachs are probably the cheapest you'll find and they're damn good for the price.

For those who may not want to jump into the deep end, but maybe want put their foot in the water, I suggest trying beers that have been partially fermented with Brettanomyces. This particular yeast gives beers a very funky aroma and slightly sour taste, but it's not balls-to-the-wall or anything. Some examples include Ommegang Ommegeddon, any of the Jolly Pumpkin brews, and Orval.

Foodery - 10 and Pine in Philadelphia - Unfortunately - it's a bit pricey - I do actually wing on down to Total Wine in De occasionally.

Currently sipping on Unibroue's Trois Pistoles, and had to come write about it. Not sure if it's been reviewed before, this thread's getting so long. Anyway...

Belgian Strong Dark Ale, 9% ABV
Pours a deep brown with amber accents, and a decent tan head that fades a little too quickly. Smells of dried cherry/raisin, as well as alcohol. The taste is incredibly balanced: a perfect amount of sweet yeast, dried fruit, alcohol, and malt that come together in perfect harmony. Very drinkable, and not just for a 9% brew. I absolutely love it, and highly recommend it.

Yep, that's one of my favorites . Nice pick, and nice review.

KT,

The Rodenbach grand cru is much much better than the classic. I don't care for the classic, but the grand cru is a very nice example of using sourness well outside of lambic styles.