October 31, 2014
Happy Halloween to all you beer-drinking goblins and ghouls- let’s celebrate with a beer review! Each year, when the leaves start to change colors, some people get excited about apple picking, colorful hikes, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin bread and pumpkin Oreos (yes they’re a thing). No offense to any of these fall specialties (jury’s still out on the Oreos), but fall to this gal means stocking up on all the pumpkin beer I can snag, and getting some fellow beer lovers together to help me drink and judge them. This year’s tasting included an impressive array of candidates, including some truly delicious selections from locals like Town Hall Brewery, North Gate Brewing, and Flat Earth Brewing Company. With so many different styles, it’s hard to pick just one winner, but the one beer that I can’t stop talking about is Pump[KY]n from Avery Brewing Company. Beyond the clever name lies a beer full of personality (and booze).
Pump[KY]n comes in a much smaller bottle than many of its pumpkin beer classmates (and a heftier price tag), but don’t let that scare you off. Pump[KY]n is a porter, spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, and aged in fresh Bourbon barrels for 6 months. It pours dark brown with little head, with aromas of vanilla, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of bourbon. Taste starts off sweet and a bit fruity, followed by spice and molasses, and finishing off with bourbon heat.
As our tasting crew will attest, Pump[KY]n isn’t for everyone, and not for the faint of heart, but I wasn’t the only one to think Avery took pumpkin beer to a new level with this creation, and I’m happier for it. I am a sucker for bourbon barrel-aged beers, after all. A word to the wise: enjoy this one slowly and in small portions. At over 17% ABV, downing a Pump[KY]n too quickly could have spooky results!