Pumpkin and Spice

I went outside Monday and it was cold! Well, not cold- cold for Florida anyway. It's beautiful and sunny, and a brisk 60F. It was the first really cool day of the season, which makes it finally feel like autumn. The cool temperatures remind me of trick or treating as a wee one back in Kansas and are really putting me in a Halloween-y mood. In the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share a review of some festive seasonal beers. Over the past month and a half, I've tried several varieties, all in the name of blogging, of course. (Oh, the sacrifices I make!)

Harvest Moon
Where to Find It- Widely  available in grocery stores. I found it at Publix, Super Target and ABC Liquor

I've blogged about this one before. It's very easy to find in stores, which is a plus. It has a fairly full body, with hints of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and coriander. There's a faint roasted pumpkin flavor, too, but nothing overwhelming. The finish is quite clean. It's "pumpkin" flavor is very subdued, making it, in my opinion, a good beer for the newcomer to the relm of pumpkin beers. Kyle and I brought a six pack to a party and it went fast!

Shipyard Pumpkin Head Ale
Where to Find It- Specialty grocery stores. I found it at Whole Foods and ABC Liquor

Brewed by the Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland, ME, this was a reasonably easy-to-find beer. It's a wheat ale, meaning wheat and not barley is the primary grain used in the brew. I like wheat ales- I think they have a nice, nutty quality. It's nice and full, but not bitter at all. It has a nice mellow pumpkin flavor, with just a hint of spices. There's a nice caramel-y flavor that lingers a bit. All in all, very satisfying.

Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
Where to Find it- Specialty stores. I found it at World Market.

Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale is considered to be the original pumpkin beer. Honestly, I was just kinda so-so on it. It was a gorgeous color, and I loved the old-timey bottle and lable, but the beer didn't blow me away like I expected it to. It wasn't as beer-y as I would have liked. I like my pumpkin beers to be dark and rich, and this was a much lighter beer. It smelled like cloves, nutmeg and pumpkin, but the spice flavor was a little light and I thought it had a bit of a raw pumpkin aftertaste. Kyle liked it, but I was kinda meh on it.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
Where to Find It- Well stocked bars and liquor stores. I found it on draught at Coaster's Pub (Melbourne, FL), and while my ABC Liquor doesn't stock it, I was able to special order a case through them

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is a little difficult to find. And when I say "difficult", I mean it's something you have to really want to find. Odds are you won't just stumble on it. I tasted it at a beer tasting at school and fell in love. (In all fairness, I've had a beer-crush on Dogfish Head since I tried their Raison D'Etre and 90min IPAs...) Since my favorite local bar, Coaster's is known for their impressive beer selection (over 130!) and also carries several other Dogfish varieties, I figured they'd have it. I was in luck. The Dogfish Head Punkin (yeah, I spelled that right!) Ale is a lovely dark brown color. The smell is pumpkin-y, spicy and sweet. The beer is very full and rich, with flavors of brown sugar, roasty pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. It's not at all bitter, and it practically begs you to have another sip. I wish I could fill my bathtub with this beer and swim in it. Honestly, it's hands down the best pumpkin beer I've ever had. In fact, I'd say it's one of the better beers I've had, period. It is, admittedly, hard to find, and once you do find it, a little spendy (about $11 for a four-pack), but it's a seasonal treat you won't soon forget, I promise!

Ultimately, whatever pumpkin beer you choose, do it quickly! They only come once a year and already the winter ales are arriving at the stores. It's around for such a short time. Maybe buy some for drinking while you watch scary movies and hand out candy to the kiddies on Friday? Personally, I would also grab a six-pack or two to tuck away for Thanksgiving dinner, because what is more in the spirit of Thanksgiving than pumpkin?