This week I try Harpoon Brewery’s much improve Chocolate Stout.
I also try some beer from the _insert_stinky_body_part_ of Ohio, Akron.
Tonight’s musical pairing is Mr November by The National as I am working with #TeamBoston to raise money to destroy cancer. Any amount from $1 up matters. Thank you in advance.
Surprising outcome on today’s episode. I drink Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin and climb a tree.
Click here for the entire Dogfish Head Punkin Ale episode.
@tclick suggested we try Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. We were not disappointed. We? It’s just me. Really. Mew is the featured band.
Cracked this brew open and smell a beautiful patch of wild flowers. Huh? That’s right. The aroma coming off of this beer is more like your mother’s flower garden than Linus’ pumpkin patch. There is nothing sincere about the scent of this beer, so don’t expect the Great Pumpkin to rise out of the bottle and give you any toys. You will be lucky to get a rock.
This pours a deep red, which is what I was expecting when I poured the Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale. After agitating the beer, I took another deep sniff and got a trace of vanilla.
When I tasted this brew I was shocked to find a creamy, sweet flavor. Holy CANDY CORNS Batman! This beer tastes more like those barfalicious, pumpkin-shaped, candy corns than pumpkin.
The beer is not vile. It’s highly drinkable and finishes without any real aftertaste. I think it is an attempt to have pumpkin beer appeal to the masses and I give it credit for trying to straddle the line with some creativity. Give it a try if you are of age.
When I popped open the bottle and took my first whiff, I got a sense that this was a robust beer. It has the smell of pumpkin pie. There is a bold nutmeg and cinnamon scent gives the impression that Shipyard is a dessert beer.
Pour it into the glass and the color is actually pretty light orange. It’s a wheat beer which is not evident on the bottle, but you get a little more information by checking out the Shipyard Brewery website.
I was expecting the beer to be darker in color given the robustness of the smell.
My first sip was delicious. The pumpkin flavor is strong and the finish is powerful. I would not call it bitter, but there is almost a citrus, acidic quality to the aftertaste and liked that, although I was expecting it to finish sweeter and to be more pumpkinny. I found it to be bold and courageous. It accomplishes what I feel like Post Road’s Pumpkin beer is trying, yet failing to accomplish. This is a must-try beer for anyone (over 21) who is interested in pumpkin ales.
The Shipyard Pumpkin Ale: Rating B
Blue Moon Pumpkin: Rating: C
