Allagash Curieux, TiarnA and Midnight Brett

Allagash Curieux - Ale aged in oak bourbon barrels (2013)

Brewed and Bottled by Allagash Brewing Co., in Portland, Maine. USA.

Year Round Brew.

25.4 fl. oz. / $16.99 USD (w/ Free Company Glass) / 11% ABV

About: "Allagash Curieux was our first foray into barrel aging. Curieux is made by aging our Tripel Ale in Jim Beam bourbon barrels for eight weeks in our cold cellars. The aged beer is then blended back with a portion of fresh Tripel. The resulting beer is soft with coconut and vanilla notes, with hints of bourbon."

Thoughts: Cork popped out like Nothin'! My second Allagash brew. I once had a 12 oz bottle of their Black. Looking at this bottle I wonder what kind of Ale this is. Is it one of their other ales that they've barrel aged? It doesn't really say on the label. It doesn't say much of anything on the label other than when, how many and how heavy.

One thing I didn't expect at all was for this beer to pour a really cloudy lime green yellow. Hold on, let me hit the lights. Curieux poured a really hazy soft yellow color with shades of orange and apricot. Carbonation is rampant and there's a huge marshmallow fluff head because of it.

The scent is really light. Especially for an 11% beer. I'm getting very soft notes of dried banana chips. Belgian yeast, vanilla and oak. It smells very crisp. It's not all too deep in character, but it smells good.

Taste is mild orange peel, citrus, yeast, soft pepper, rain, margarita salt and angel tears. Don't got much experience with Belgian Tripels, but this tastes great to me. Very peppery in the finish and those pepper flakes bounce around and pop. It's smooth and pleasurable. It's just not all that interesting. It's got a lot of thing I like such as peppery tones and spice though. It's a bit hazy feeling, but really soothing overall.

Allagash TiarnA - ale aged in oak barels (2013)

Limited Edition Brew.

12.7 fl. oz. / 14.99 USD / 7.1% ABV

About: "Tiarna is a blend of two beers, one aged in oak and fermented with 100% brettanomyces and the other fermented in stainless with a blend of two Belgian yeast strains. Both beers were brewed with a combination of 2 row and wheat malt in addition to specialty grains. It was hopped with Hallertau, Styrian Goldings and Cascade hops. The finished beer is dark golden in color with citrus, pineapple and bread in the aroma. The flavor of this tart beer has notes of grapefruit, lemon, and bread crust, and a long, dry finish."

Thoughts: Popped the cork like a willing cherry and a little smoke came pouring out. Sniffed it of course. Smells a little sour, a little fruity. Started the pour and it all came out bubbles. Stopped. It's lighter than I expected, but then again, I know nothing at all about this beer as I write these words. The whipped topping head on this thing just keeps... fucking... growing! Contents under pressure is right. The carbonation on this thing is off the fucking charts. It's like the Stuff from that old horror movie, the uh... Stuff.

TiarnA poured a very light cloudy yellow with so much carbonation that the head grew and ended up expanding out of the top of the glass and nearly fell down. It was so Stay-Puffed however that it just swayed in the wind of my table fan. Crazy shit. There must be a thousand million bubbles rising up in this beer.

Smelling it both at the head and the bottle and really the head isn't holding much of the scent back. It's bright, vibrant, fruity, and wild. This beer smells sour as fuck, dude. It took about five minutes for the head to die down near something acceptable to drink. Oh, and I poured it soft. So soft.

First gulp and it sure is wild. A little smokey, but not how you'd expect smokey to seem. It's more like stale cigarette smoke. Not terribly unpleasant though, so don't get me wrong. It's sour and pleasing to the tongue. It tastes good. It's not all that sour, which is a bit too bad... but it's got a flavorful and fun profile. The oak barrel aging is very light here. It's woody or woodsy or whatever you call it, but there's not much flavor of whatever barrel it was that's imparted in it. I don't know what these barrels were used to age, but if anything it's some sort of wine.

It's soft, fizzy, a little earthy, slightly tart, a little sweet, very low bitterness, and is overall enjoyable. Mouthfeel is a light to medium with a lot of carbonation. This tastes really good, but I wonder what justifies the price. How it was made most likely.

Allagash Midnight Brett Ale (2013)

Limited Edition Brew.

12.7 fl. oz. / 13.39 USD / 7.3% ABV

About: "Midnight Brett is chocolate brown in color, brewed with 2-Row, Midnight wheat, raw wheat and rye malt. It was hopped with a blend of Perle, Glacier and Simcoe hops. The beer was fermented with our house strain of Brettanomyces in stainless tanks. The finished beer has the aroma and flavor of fresh berries, sour cherries and a slight roasted character. The finish is pleasantly tart and fruity making this beer very drinkable."

Thoughts: I was down at the old watering hole when I saw an Allagash truck leaving the liquor store. I was headed in that direction anyhow, but consider me intrigued so I browsed the isle only to find a single bottle of this that wasn't there before. Strange that there would only be one, but I immediately grabbed it despite it being a bit expensive (but then again aren't all Allagash products?) and here we go. Oh cool, I just looked at the side of the label and this was bottled on my birthday. Nice.

Unlocked the cage and slid out the cork smooth and easy with a loud pop and a ton of smoke emerging. Midnight Brett poured somewhat true to its name with a solid dense raspberry brown, but a near black nonetheless. The frosty beige head was thick and lasted forever.

This smells pretty sour. I'm sure in for a treat aren't I? The malt profiles are bouncing all over the place. It's a funky one that's for sure, with that grimy raw wheat and rye battling it out on a pummeled floor of pale. Swirling the glass I get a hint of underlying sweetness, one of cherries, plums and figs... but once it settles that sour house yeast floods the nose. There are other odd notes in there, like cocoa, damp driftwood, and booze.

First sip and well, that's not all that sour at all. Everything was rather calm in fact. It tastes like berries, the middle is a very gentle haze with a hint of tartness, and it all rides out with a roasted nutty like quality. The wild yeast is the main flavor aside from the soft sweetness, and it hangs around long after the swallow. Nothing harsh about this one though. This is some really tame stuff. Tasty, and a little funky, but really really tame.

Mouthfeel is pretty standard for an ale, if a little light. It's clean and leaves a smooth texture in the mouth. This one is OK, but nothing great. I guess if you're into subtleties and all that you might like it a little more than I do, but I would have preferred it to be more up front and powerful.

St. Bernardus Wit and Tripel

St. Bernardus Wit - Pierre Celis Signature Selection (2013)
Collaboration Brew (Year Round).

11.2 fl. oz. / $5.99 USD / 5.5% ABV

About: "St. Bernardus Wit is a traditional Belgian white beer developed and brewed in collaboration with the legendary Master Brewer Pierre Celis. This ale is very pale (whitish-yellow color) and quite hazy. The head is white and dense. In aroma, it has a wheaty, apple-like, tartness; herbal-spicy notes with coriander and orange fruitiness and honey-ish sweetness. Very refreshing: perfect thirst quencher!"

Thoughts: St. Bernardus Wit poured a very cloudy yellow, almost lemonade or margarita colored. The head was stark white but very small, not something I would have expected from a wit. Upon inspection there's a ton of carbonation rising and the beer glows in the light.

The scent is wheat up front, even when popping the cap off the bottle it immediately hit me. I guess you could say that the Wit is strong with this one. There's that beautiful yeast which imparts a delicate aroma here. It's soft, slightly citrusty, crisp smelling and overall pleasant.

The beer starts off pretty sweet with a solid malt background that doesn't go overboard. All that gentle peppery spice flows in and the Belgian yeast slowly builds to a boil, then it kicks off with a huge smooch of all three things before falling back into a totally relaxing aftertaste. Yeah, this stuff is awesome. So flavorful. It's got a thorough yet gentle spice. There's a hint of lemon, but it's like lemon candy, only the perfect amount of it that's not heavy sour or strong, but just real soothing and enjoyable.

The mouth feel is a little dry, crisp and nice. I've had my fair share of wheat beers, and over time have come to enjoy them more for what they are. It was a hard earned appreciation for the style, sure, but that being said this tastes absolutely delectable! Old Chico from Sierra Nevada is something I've been dying to try again actually. When a wheat beer is done perfect, it certainly shines above the rest, and this beer here is the standard that all wheat beers should be held.

St. Bernardus Tripel (2013)
Year Round Brew.

11.2 fl. oz. / $5.99  / 8% ABV

About: "St.Bernardus Tripel is a traditional abbey ale brewed in the classic "Triple" style of Belgium's best Abbey Ales. This high fermentation beer has a pale amber color and a flowery, fruity taste with a harmonious balance between sweet and sour (8% alcohol content). It has a thick and vivid froth and strikes by its balanced taste with a delicate bitterness. Wonderfully drinkable and surprisingly light."

Thoughts: St. Bernardus Tripel poured a dense pear looking yellow color with a thick frothy white head. Only a small bit of visible light is seen through this total cloudy haze of a beer.

Well this one smells a little different than their others, though not all too much. Perhaps it's because I've just had the Pater 6 and Wit, but this one is definitely showing a bit more strength in the nose. Belgian yeast, spicy notes, a sweet lure of booze and soft warm bready malts come flowing through. In the background there's the hint of a tart fruitiness, like cherries.

First gulp and I can tell you right away that this is a marvelous tasting brew. It reminds me of Mad Elf a little bit actually. It's got a huge flavor to it, despite being only an 8% and not a 10-12%, the taste of this thing is absolutely massive. It's toasty, peppery and sweet. It's also so slightly tart it's hardly noticeable, and a there's nary a hint of bitterness. This beer is strong, sweet, refreshing and has a soft haze after each swallow. It doesn't seem all that complex, but that doesn't matter since overall this one is a beauty.

The mouthfeel on the Tripel is super smooth. It goes away pretty clean but that taste lingers inside the mouth for days. The aftertaste is wonderful, and left me feeling fine.

Cambridge Brewing 2012 Pumpkin Beer Festival

Freaks, Geeks and Weirdos - and not to mention some Totally Hot Babes - all united yesterday for a fun filled elbow to elbow beer-breath-a-thon in Cambridge, Mass, known as LineFest! Uhhh, I mean PumpkinFest. Well, it was LineFest for anyone who got there after 2:30 PM, as the small venue was jam f'n packed with thirsty hipsters and pumpkin-lovin' nerdlings alike! Everybody was in the pumpkin pool. A couple of times I even stood in line for a few minutes, only to realize that it wasn't even a line. What in the fuck is that? Just a bunch of people standing around near a line that's so bombarded by other lines that it's nothing short of a rabid zombie horde. There were lines everywhere man. People were getting felt up... warm, wet breath hit the back of necks... boobs were grazed... crotches were pressed upon unsuspecting

And did I mention totally hot babes? Well, there were some pretty hot babes there. One girl looked like Mary Jane's slightly thicker sister. She was wearing a hello kitty shirt and was by far the hottest chick at the place (I fell instantly in lust)... she was Gourd-gous! And there were quite a few ladies there in ultra-tight leather and pleather and spandex outfits as Bayonetta, Black Widow and Baroness. OK, they were all Black Widow. Or trying to be. Whatever. The point is they were hot, and babes too. There was also a guy in a low budget homemade old-school Captain America outfit that really looked the part, so well done on him. Oh, and the girl in the red cloak that works there was really jacking my lantern. If you know what I

Also, I don't know if there were really so many hipsters there, or if they were just dressed up that way for the costume party? Hey, is everyone utilizing Belgian Yeast in their beer now? I thought my tongue was playing tricks on me, but apparently not. I rinsed out my cup each time before getting my next beers, but I could still taste that Belgian Yeast! I thought I didn't clean the cup well enough, but in fact it was because nearly every beer I drank at the place has it in it. What gives? Anyways, I got there at 12:30, a half hour before the doors opened, and ended up being in the middle of a huge ass line down and around the block. The last half of my stay at the establishment, people weren't being allowed to enter until someone else left. So that sucks for them... I guess? But I read that you gotta go either early or late to these things so, yeah. Since I like to get my drinking out of the way early

Onto the hot babes beers:

1. The Bruery Autumn Maple - Belgian Style Brown Ale (2012)

Brewed by The Bruery, in Placentia, CA. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 10% ABV

About: "Brewed with 17 lbs. of yams per barrel (in other words, a lot of yams!), this Autumn Seasonal is a different take on the “Pumpkin” beer style. Brewed with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Vanilla, Molasses, and Maple Syrup, and fermented with our traditional Belgian Yeast strain, this bold and spicy beer is perfect on a cold autumn evening."

Thoughts: Autumn Maple. Alright. Oh, The Bruery. Sweet. This looks to be a  good beer to start with. Autumn Maple poured a thick and cloudy burnt orange color with a small white bubbly head.

It's a light smelling ale, toasty, very lightly spiced.... I'm getting loads of Belgian Yeast. There's a little bit of cinnamon lingering about, and a real subtle blend of spices. For a 10%, I expected more of a scent on this one, not one so mild.

It's very tasty. There's a harsh booze sting on the first sip, and I guess that's where that strength was. I'm really trying to get that maple syrup here, it's what I want to taste. Feel is about a medium  and it's a bit fizzy. There's a sticky quality to this beer, and I guess that's the maple syrup coming into play, but it's not really all too evident in the taste itself. I guess I should expect that by now though. However, the beer is very pleasant tasting, and has a classic type taste for the Autumn season. Gotta love those yams! And it's strong, which is always a plus.

2. Hill Farmstead Autumn Saison - Belgian Farmhouse Ale  (2012?)
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery, in Greensboro, VT. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV

About: "Shaun Hill's 1'st Pumpkin Beer, brewed in collaboration with Jackie O's Brewing Co. and Grassroots Brewing after years of goading from Will Myers. A simple malt bill provides an orange hue. Ben's Pumpkins from Snug Valley Farm provided the requisite squash. The goal: A complex Belgian style pumpkin ale with little to no spicing."

Thoughts: This beer is a very light orange color, especially light compared to the rest actually, but it's still a pretty orange. Kinda murky too. The head was tiny and not condensed at all.

There's a lot of malt in the scent, and it's very straightforward. An underlying Belgian yeast comes up from the back, but overall everything here seems pretty light.

The taste is pretty damn sour. It's very mushy tasting. It gets slightly peppery once that yeast kicks in, and once all the flavors mingle together the beer gets more of a fruity tone about it. Still pretty sour though.

Mouth is light and that sour tone brings on the puckering.

3. Stewart's Brewing Mischief Night - Pumpkin Ale (2012)

Brewed by Stewart's Brewing Company, in Bear, DE. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV

About:  "Many innocent pumpkins met a gruesome fate so that you sadistic people could have your annual spiced treat. We hope you're happy! Straight from the mind of the ‘Beer Admiral’ himself. Head Brewer Rick Hoffman presents a ‘traditional’ spiced pumpkin ale. Rick added over 10 lbs of pumpkin per barrel. Brewed with a touch of Maize for softness, and to fit the harvest spirit. Spiced with a custom blend of whole botanicals including Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Cloves and Nutmeg."

Thoughts: Mischief Night. What a cool name huh? This one poured a reddish-orange with a minimal haze to it. One of the filtered offering of the venue perhaps. The head was pretty frothy, yet faded quickly.

This beer smells really sweet. Kind of like spiced apples, or strawberry syrup! Really cool.

The taste is unique. It's rich and malty, but with a weird kind of tang to it. Not bad at all. It's sweet, spicy and has a a mild sourness to it that creeps up on you.

It's pretty frothy. I'm sure the corn brings it back from being a total malt bomb, but the more you sip this one the sweeter it gets. Is that cloying sweetness? It's a very interesting brew, that's for sure.

4. Elysian Headless Horsey - Pumpkin Brett Beer (2011/2012?)

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Company, in Seattle, WA. USA.

8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 6.7% ABV / SPECIAL TAPPING: 2 PM!

About: "100% Brettanomyces-fermented Pumpkin Ale brewed with Pale and Wheat malts and unmalted wheat. With some time to age, it has become more of an elegant thoroughbred than drayhorse. The inspiration for this beer? They thought of the name first, and knew they had to brew it." What the hell kind of description is that?

Thoughts: Headless Horsey poured a super cloudy auburn orange hue with no head whatsoever, which was weird.

And speaking of weird, this one smells weird as shit too! It's very tart, kinda like pineapple juice. Pineapple juice... and funk. Yeah. Not incredibly pleasant.

The taste is a sour pineapple hit to the mouth. Whew! This is a strange ass beer, man. I'm not really diggin' it all too much. And by the looks of things, the people that just got this brew before me aren't really into it either. There's a lot of strange WTF faces around and some not too flattering banter on this one.

This is the funkiest one so far. Like watered down juice with a double extra tart thrown in, and a touch of funk.

5. Cambridge Brewing Valley Ghoul - Scotch Ale with Pumpkin and Heather Flowers (2011)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 8.5% ABV

About: "2011 Strong Scotch Ale with Pumpkins and local barley. Our Valley Girl series of local-ingredient-beers gets ghoulish with barley grown and malted in MA from our Valley Malt BSA. Super rich malt character presides over Pumpkin, Brown Sugar, Molasses, and Heather Flowers in the finish. Subtle, like a swift kick in the kilt. Adding pumpkins was a seasonal no-brainer, and a last-minute addition of heather flowers contributes subtle, delicate floral notes to this robust, malty beer. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!"

Thoughts: Valley Ghoul poured a dark and gloomy raspberry red / orangy brown color and was very hazy. The head was small due to the pour but lasted a long while.

This smells Awesome! Wait, what the hell... bubblegum just came rushing in. Oh, and loads of booze! It's flowery, and well, just an insane mix of things going on. This is like a Bride of Frankenbeer.

The taste is hard caramel, molasses, and literally tons of brown sugar. This is some serious malt. It's intense. Very sweet, a little peppery, and then those Heather Flowers come in again and it's bubblegum booze.

There's a bit too much bubblegum for my liking, but I did enjoy the hell out of this one while it lasted. And I'm sure there's a market for a beer like this. A weird market.

6. Cambridge Brewing Kraftwerk - Belgian Tripel brewed with Pumpkins and Aged in White Wine Barrels (2011)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.75% ABV

About: "Kraftwerk is brewed in the style of a Belgian strong ale known as Tripel, but to it we have added hundreds of pounds of pumpkin, along with a very subtle addition of assorted autumnal spices. After a very warm fermentation with our house Belgian ale yeast, Kraftwerk was sent to the CBC Barrel Cellar to age for several months in Sauvignon Blanc barrels where the beer transmogrified into a striking beverage like no other. The result is a classic version of a traditional Tripel, with subtle pumpkin flavors, and notes of oak and a white wine-like finish. The combination of esters from fermentation, barrel aging, and lingering wine character has created a beer with crazy fruitiness, a super dry and sparkling body, and a grape/stone fruit/tropical finish. Simply unlike any pumpkin beer you've ever had."

Thoughts: Werk poured a lighter yellowy orange color with a fluffed white top. The beer is of course quite hazy.

Scent is on the lighter side of things, but really interesting and inviting. It's fruity, and you get a big presence of that white wine. It's pretty cool. Smells a bit like fruit cocktail after a while. Nice.

This tastes excellent! You really get that mix of the oak and white wine straight away. There's a lot of ripe pear, mild squash, and a ton of fruitiness. The spices have all but been lost in the mix, and you wouldn't immediately think of this as a "pumpkin beer", but that flavor is still inherent to the beer. Only muted. Overall though this is a really interesting beer, it has some intriguing layers of taste and it's just "delightful".

7. Cambridge Brewing Fire and Brimstone - Cask-conditioned Ale with Chipotle Peppers and Cacao Nibs (2012)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 6.66% ABV

About: "S.A.T.D cask-conditioned with Ancho, Chipotle, and Habanero Peppers, plus Cinnamon Sticks, Cacao Nibs, and Dried Pumpkin Flakes. Rich, chocolaty, smokey and maybe a little hot. You have no one but yourself to blame!"

Thoughts: Yeah, I suppose after that I may as well hit up the beer with the Habaneros in it. Why the hell not wreck the palate after that whimsical brew above.

This beer is dark. It smells harsh. There's tons of chilies in this. A smile, comes to my face.

That's hot. Not only is this beer just spicy as all hell on the first gulp, but it's got a creeper quality about it too, because halfway through that burn is just rushing in and doesn't let up. There's a nice mingling of flavors going on here. The chocolate really takes a backseat to the peppery flavor and the smoke, and for that I am thankful.

Fire and Brimstone is super tasty, has a slight tartness to it, is rich, malty and brings the heat. Did I taste the dried pumpkin flakes? Nah... but whatever.

8. Elysian The Gourdfather - Pumpkin Barleywine (2012)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 11.2% ABV

About: "The Gourdfather is a Pumpkin Barleywine you can’t refuse, mellowing with age but still reminding you who’s boss. A veritable pushcart of malt bill brings Pale, Munich, Cara-hell, Cara-vienne, C-15 Crystal and Pumpkin Seeds up against a rival neighborhood armed with Magnum hops. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Thoughts: Gourdfather poured an auburn red, honey like color with a foamy white head atop.

This smells like red wine. Ah, memories. There's a super strong barley flow to this one, but at the same time the hops and seeds give off this weird otherworldly type scent to it. It smells slightly acidic and maybe a little bitter. It's pretty cool.

The taste is unexpectedly more sweet than I had expected. It was a bit of a shock. There's not much of that red wine vibe in the taste, but rather a booming slam from those malts. It's slightly tart, there's a heavy dose of dark fruit, plums especially, and a lot of sweetness. After a while some caramel notes start to come out and it gets a little twang from that fruitiness and the hops.

Despite being so heavy and rich, this is some easy drinking.

9. Iron Hill Ichabod - Imperial Pumpkin Ale (2012)

Brewed by Iron Hill Brewery, in West Chester, PA. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.5% ABV

About: "This extra strong spicy Belgian Pumpkin Ale is truly a beer from the farm. It is unfiltered with a beautiful burnt orange color. Ichabod’s nose is filled with flavors of the harvest including Clove, Allspice, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. The palette is sweet with hints of Roasted Pumpkin, and Caramel. There is a warming finish that is both fruity and aromatic. Over 6 pounds of pumpkin per barrel were added right to the mash. Drink enough and you’ll lose your head too!"

Thoughts: This beer poured a semi-dark auburn haze that's blood orange in color. The head was extremely minimal.

I'm picking up scents of light bubblegum (again!?), toasty malt, a little bit of booze. The spices are light, and aside from that roasted tone to it, it seems pretty mild.

Well, it tastes a bit rubbery. It's malty and the spices are indeed light. Not really too interesting of a beer. It's kind of got this burnt embers mixed with old He-Man toys going on. I've tasted beers with similar problems, and this one isn't too offensive in that area, but it's there. This beer is very boozy, but it's also pretty meh.

Mouth on this one is slightly drying, but I have been ingesting good dose of cinnamon throughout the day. Not to mention that oak. But the drying is just starting to hit after this one particularly so take that into consideration.

10. Stewart's Brewing Gourdzilla - Pumpkin Ale (2012)

8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 8.666% ABV / SPECIAL TAPPING: 4 PM!

About: "This Monstrous Pumpkin Ale is brewed with Radioactive Pumpkins grown at a secret location in the South Pacific, and fermented with Genetically Modified yeast. Gourdzilla is sure to please even the most finicky pumpkin zombies, and still have time to lay waste to Tokyo in its spare time."

Thoughts: Radioactive Pumpkins huh?

Gourdzilla poured a honey gold with orange tones, and featured a frothy light beige head on top. This one's got the biggest head out of all the beers so far. Huh. Must be that "Genetically Modified Yeast"!

The smell starts off with a "traditional" Imperial Pumpkin Ale style scent, which is promising since none of the other beers so far have had this. Spices are present, but a little light, and I can actually smell the water in this one. It's nice.

The taste is very peppery up front. This one isn't too sweet, not too bitter, and while the taste is rich and savory, it feels a little light. There's no kick to this beer, and that's a bit unfortunate. It's the closest thing to tasting pumpkin out of this lineup though, and it's still pretty good.

I guess everything in some way will always be compared to Pumking. If this one had a longer linger to it and a spicier kick, it could very well compete.

11. Cambridge Brewing Grey Ghost - Belgain-Style Double White Ale with Grey Ghost Pumpkins (2012)

12 fl. oz. / 3 Tickets / 6.75% ABV

About: "300 pounds of Grey Ghost heirloom pumpkins from Sylvan Nursery flavor this strong version of a traditional Belgian White Ale, along with Orange Peel, Coriander, and Grains of Paradise. Freshly chopped and shredded, the pumpkin is added to a mash of Pilsner and wheat malt, raw wheat, and flaked oats and fermented with our house Belgian yeast."

Thoughts: Ghost poured a light gold, yellowy orange color. It's slightly hazy and the white head left a ring around the top of the brew for a long while.

The scent is sweet and tart, and of course that Belgian yeast is making an appearance. There's some mild zest and a gentle flow of spice to this one.

The taste, just like the last beer and many other pumpkin beers, is peppery at first. This one has got a heavy taste to it though from that mash. It's also very fruity on the tongue... that orange peel really brings some nice citrusy tones to the brew, and there's almost like a lemon lime thing going on. The wheat and grey ghost pumpkins really blend well and I think adding coriander was a nice choice.

It's slightly watery, and goes down smooth. 

To me, most of these beers are more of an experiment in brewing rather than what's normally classified as a "Pumpkin Ale". These are like "Ale with Pumpkin in it" instead. Of course, I didn't try anything that I have already tasted before when I went to this event. They had Pumking, DFH Punkin, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumkin, Heavy Seas and a slew of others. I forgot to try Wormtown's offerings, but I'm not going to cry over it. What I really wanted to try was the Ultra-Rare Allagash Ghoulschip (a Barrel Aged Sour Pumpkin Ale brewed on Halloween night 2008 and aged in oak!), but they were tapping that at 8 PM and I wasn't going to stay that long. They tapped the Avery Rumpkin about forty-five minutes after I left as well, but I just drank that a few days ago.

I had a real mellow time at this extremely festive event. The overly large Pumpkin Ravioli was a really sweet and good tasting dish, though I should have saved some cash and ate a Sausage with Pumpkin Mustard outside. And it would have been a lot more comfortable it I wasn't rushed off of my table, but they've got time limits set up so I don't really give a fuck. Plus it was hot in there. It was just the hovering that bugged me. I also would have liked the Pint Glass to have the pumpkin design from their previous logo above. It looks a lot more sinister with that jagged mouth. Will I ever go to another one of these? Probably. Will I do reviews? Not sure. I would of loved to have drank tons of Pumking on tap and chased it with Rumpkin, but hey, I like trying the new shit. Maybe next time. Hopefully there will be more Totally Hot Babes for me to

Cambridge Brewing Tripel Threat and Sgt. Peper

Cambridge Brewing Tripel Threat - Belgian Style Tripel (2011)

Brewed and Bottled by Cambridge Brewing Co., in Cambridge, MA. USA.

Winter Seasonal - November (Limited Release) - Batch #1.

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 10.0% ABV

About: "...CBC was the first American brewery to create and produce a Belgian-style beer. Our tripel went on to win our first ever Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, in 1991, before there was even a category for 'Belgian Ales'. Tripel Threat is fermented with our proprietary Belgian yeast strain and brewed using imported Continental malts, hopped with Spalt and Goldings, and very lightly spiced with freshly toasted and ground coriander.


For the first time ever, Tripel Threat is also available in 22oz. bottles for takeaway at CBC and at better beer stores throughout the Commonwealth. Our label pays homage to CBC’s first Head Brewer, Darryl Goss, who developed Tripel Threat. Proceeds from bottle sales of Tripel Threat will benefit research for a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease."

Thoughts: Poured a very light straw yellow with shades of light auburn and a two finger seriously white fluffy head that took a few minutes to pop away. There's a ton of carbonation bubbles rising up. A Ton! Though a very light brew, there's no seeing through this one at all. It's hazy as a dusty motorcycle kick-up.

This spicy Belgian yeast is becoming more and more familiar with me over time. Smells a tad bit sour, with some almost tropical fruity tones. Papaya?

That spice is pretty damn amazing. It's like a zinging. Orange peel. Bananas. Not so flowery, and some fine tasting hops. It's hardly bitter at all, in fact, it's actually really sweet with a gentle sour flowing in and out. I'm very pleased that the normal funk associated with Belgian yeast is very low level here. This beer tastes absolutely beautiful. Yeah, I could drink this all day long. There's got to be some of that Belgian Candi Sugar in this... it's just too good.

This beer is a medium-thick, a little bit syrupy and very warming.

I was pretty psyched when I saw this on the shelf about a week or two ago. After the total ownage of their first bottled batch of the Great Pumpkin Ale, I've been waiting eagerly for more of the company's offerings. This very special candy / beer of theirs has finally been bottled in a 22oz Bomber with some kickin' artwork. What's next guys? I'll buy it you just bottle it.

Cambridge Brewing Sgt. Pepper (2012)

Limited Release - First Batch (May 2012)

22 fl. oz. / $6.59 USD / 6% ABV

About: "Saison-style ale with Peppercorns. It was twenty years ago today… Well, almost twenty years ago today, as we present to you the first of three special Anniversary Beers in celebration of our upcoming Twentieth Anniversary! It was April Fool’s Day, 1989, when Phil “Brewdaddy” Bannatyne first opened the doors to what would become one of the preeminent breweries in the country. Of course, true to the spirit of the day, it would be another month before the first house-made beers would be available on draft.Sgt. Pepper has been brewed with Pilsner, CaraVienne, and Rye malts, plus Magnum and Spalter hops. But the driving force behind this beer is the contribution from whole peppercorns! Black, Green, White, and Pink Peppercorns were added to the brewkettle, and they provide a noticeable fresh, herbal spiciness to the nose and through the palate. Pink pepper provides a high, floral character mostly as an aromatic, and Green pepper offers an herbal freshness with slight heat. White pepper contributes a subtle earthiness, and Black pepper engages the palate in a lingering, tingling warmth. All combine to accentuate the complexities of our Belgian yeast, and are balanced by crisp malt character with a hint of sweetness."

Thoughts: I'm lovin' the Beatles ref and the Psychedelic Record logo. Very nice work. This beer looks of a dark amber, hints of orange, with a robust stark-white head.

Well, the scent certainly lives up to the name. I'm getting nothing here but Belgian yeast and Pepper! Tons of it. It actually smells pretty damn good, considering that I love pepper and have recently become accustomed to the strange beast that is Belgian yeast. It smells fun and interesting in a funky sort of way.

Belgian yeast is heavy on the nose but light on the tongue even though it's a major part of the flavor here, but man, the pepper in this brew is fucking amazing! Not only does it have a decent kick at the swallow, but it's permeating throughout the overall flavor and then afterwards there's a spiciness of that dust on the tongue and back of the throat that just sizzles a little bit. It's done to perfection and never reaches any extreme point where it becomes undrinkable in any way. Fuckin' loved it. My mouth is filled with a peppery coating and that's they way I like my foods. And beer, is my foods.

Mouth feel is a little light and fluttery, but I think that matches well with the lingering affects of that burning spice that creeps up on you with each gulp!

Well, Cambridge Brewing have done it again. There's not one single beer of theirs that I've tried that I haven't enjoyed tremendously. I guess that would have to place them now as my second favorite brewery, after Southern Tier of course. I cannot wait for their next release! Every time I hit that bottle shop and see one of their striped labels on the New Beers rack, I go a little nuts.

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet Yule Tide

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet Yule Tide Belgian Style Tripel Ale (2010)

Brewed and Bottled by The Clipper City Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland. USA.
Winter Seasonal (Limited Release) - RETIRED

22 fl. oz. / $6.49 USD / 10.0% ABV

About: "Slightly sweet with a complex malty flavor. The spicy flavor comes from our unique blend of Trappist yeast and Belgian Candi Sugar, making it both aromatic and flavorful. It will benefit with aging up to two years. Vintage Dated." This version of the brew has been discontinued. The Yule Tide name will live on, just not in the form of a Tripel.

Thoughts: Poured a super light straw yellow with a huge fluffy white head that grew and grew... and continued to grow! Lot of carbonation bubbles rising all over the place.

Smells like Pineapple Juice! Little bit of sour hops. Yeasty. Very fruity. Really, this smells absurdly like Dole Pineapple Slices, especially after you finish a small can and down the remaining juice.

Starts off with a taste like the smell, then a malty slowly but heavily flows in, upon swallowing there's a real spicy kick that scratched at my throat. Let's try that again: Loads of sweet spicy hops, caramel like malts soothe things out and afterwards there's a gentle, semi-sweet bitterness. One great thing I'm finding about the taste of this is that's it's in no way sour at all like I had feared from the scent. More of a sweeter, sweet and sour sauce. Not even really bitter either. Just tropical and sweet. I can still taste of bit of that Belgian yeast which always makes itself apparent, but the main thing I'm getting here is just a pure enjoyment from this brew.

Smooth flowing. No bite at all. Pretty syrupy. A little bit spicy on the tongue, but very mild overall.

I've never had a beer like this I don't think. I like it. I mean, I love pineapple and all that. I don't know if I'm dumbfounded or confused by it or what, but I'm very glad that I had no previous knowledge on what to expect from this. I'm left wondering how the hell is this beer so damn good and what kind of power does Heavy Seas have over me!? It's damn smooth! I'm halfway though and I could seriously just chug the rest of it. Overall an enjoyable, strange and interesting experience. Therefore, recommended. Not really sure how this is Christmas-y, but uh, after tasting this and all the rest from the bunch I don't know what a fuckin' Christmas Beer is supposed to be! Except for Frosted Frog. The only true Christmas-y brew.