Monday, April 26, 2010

Dogfish Head - Pumpkin Ale

My first review will be one of my favorite seasonal local beers.  It is available between September and November in the Philly area.  The first time I had the beer was about five years ago.  I found a case at my local beer distributor and gave it a go.  I've been a big fan ever since.  I missed the 2008 batch because I was living in Libya at the time.  I came back in September 2009 for a short vacation and was able to get two cases which I stored in the basement.  Looking forward to having one when I move back home in August.  Dogfish list it as a Full-Bodied Brown Ale, I would call it a Harvest Ale, Spice Ale or more exact Pumpkin Ale.  If the alcohol content was a bit higher I would call this an Imperial Pumpkin Ale.  It is made with of course pumpkin, brown sugar and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

The ABV is 7.0 and the IBU rating is 28.    
The original release date was November of 1994.
Style - Pumpkin Ale
Glass to use - Pint Glass

Delivery 12 oz bottle.

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

The Pour - Amber in color and a bit cloudy.  Head dissipates after a minute.
Aroma - Pumpkin, clover, cinnamon and all spice.
Taste - Sweat, clover, nutmeg and pumpkin as a finish.
Mouth Feel - Crisp and refreshing.
Drinkable -Very drinkable, I can drink this all day but watch out for the alcohol.  The 7% is hidden in both the small and taste. 
This beer will go great at the Thanksgiving dinner table.  It pairs nicely with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.  Also good with other poultry like chicken and duck.  I like it with apple pie.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating = B+
Ratebeer Rating = 89
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