2021 Halloween Beers

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Elysian Brewing Company, Halloween, Oakholm Brewing Company, Pumpkins, Spencer Trappist Brewery

Hello friends!  It has certainly been awhile since I last posted here but the Halloween season inspired me to share some of my most notable beers from the past month.  I know pumpkin brews haven’t been my thing in the past, but for some reason this month I’ve really been into them.

Pumpkin Carver – Oakholm Brewing Company (5.7%)

Beer number one I came across at a farm before picking apples.  The brewery was pouring two beers that day and being in the fall spirit I opted for the pumpkin brew (on the right).  It had a slightly sweet and mildly roasted malt base that took on notes of fresh pumpkin around midsip and  combined into a clean, well blended finish.  Silencing the purist in me I went for the caramel and cinnamon rim and honestly pretty happy I did.  The beer didn’t need the embellishment, but it did compliment the flavors very nicely.

The Munkster Mash – Spencer Brewing (5.2%)

My next beer poured a very appealing golden orange body topped by a thin layer of white foam.  It had a very approachable and easy going smooth light malt taste upfront accentuated by hints of yeast and subtle notes of pumpkin and spice.  The medium-plus body carrier these flavors near perfectly into a clean, subtle finish.  This was a truly good beer that was a real pleasure to enjoy outdoors on a beautiful fall day.

Dark O’ The Moon – Elysian Brewing Company (7.5%)

Now for something a little different, this brew poured dark with not even a hint of lacing.  It’s distinct cinnamon and chocolate aromas were picked up immediately on the front end taste.  It picked up some extra spice notes on the backend but the creaminess of the base stout kept them in check which j definitely appreciated.  Another solid brew.

Night Owl – Elysian Brewing Company (6.7%)

My next pumpkin ale poured to a dark copper body with some slight off-white lacing.  The taste and smell both featured fairly prominent vegetal pumpkin, sweet malt, and spices though fortunately the spice element wasn’t as potent as the scent suggested.  A very nice pumpkin beer that approached my spice limit without surpassing it

The Great Pumpkin – Elysian Brewing Company (8.0%)

This next brew was labeled as an imperial pumpkin ale.  It started out innocently enough by pouring to a festively murky orangish amber body, but unfortunately things took a downward turn from there.  The smell was sweet with a noticeable spice presence.  On the sip I got some doughy pumpkin pie notes that were quickly got overpowered by an unbalanced blast of nutmeg and allspice.  The finish was boozy and unexpectedly tart.  This was a miss for me.

Punkuccino – Elysian Brewing Company (6.0%)

My final beer for this post poured a dark coffee color with some minimal off-white lacing around the edges.  Tastewise creamy light roast coffee mixed with hints of chocolate cinnamon and nutmeg in the background in roughly that order. I could nitpick and suggest that this could do with a bit more body, but overall this was another one that I really enjoyed.

And that’s it for now.  Until next time, Happy Halloween!

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13 Days of Halloween – Day Five: Elysian Brewing Company – Night Owl

Tags

13 Days of Halloween, Beer, Beer Review, Elysian Brewing Company, Halloween, Pumpkin Beer

It wouldn’t be fall without the arrival of pumpkin everything!  While I’m not necessarily opposed to this occurrence, I have become somewhat wary of pumpkin beer over the years.  There does, however, always seem to be one that catches my eye.

Beer Name: Night Owl

Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company (Seattle, WA).  In the interest of full disclosure, this brewery was acquired by AB-Inbev in 2015.

Style: Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 6.7%

Description: The rather descriptive label on the bottle tells us that this unfiltered ale was brewed with pumpkin and roasted pumpkin seeds and conditioned with nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice to give it that Fall feeling.

Appearance: It poured a cloudy copper orange body with some visible sediment in glass.

Smell: Moderate levels of sweet malt and pumpkin spice.

Taste: Sweet candy malts and earthy pumpkin notes upfront, followed by a moderate “pumpkin spice” blend from the aforementioned conditioning ingredients.  The finish saw a return of the sweetness with perhaps just a bit of heat around the edges.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Hype: None on my end.  Despite my skepticism about pumpkin beers these past few years, we picked this one up because it fulfilled my theme requirements.

Overall: I liked this and my wife loved it.  Speaking for myself, I appreciated that it had actual pumpkin notes to it and achieved a nice balance between the malty sweetness and added spices.