First off, let's talk about pumpkin beer. As many of us know, pumpkin beer is a seasonal offering made by commercial & craft breweries. Most beer connoisseurs have very strong opinions about pumpkin beer, many being negative. I am a sucker for the autumn season, especially since moving to Northern California. I am now deprived of a proper New Jersey/Pennsylvania season, with beautiful colors, farm visits and pumpkin-flavored everything. Although an avid foodie, I am the person that will purchase Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Spice coffee, knowing that it's commercially produced using nature-identical flavorings and god knows what else. Despite my love for garish pumpkin flavor, I want to say that the pumpkin beer festival I recently attended was quality-driven vs. grotesquely pumpkin associated!!
Jupiter, the famous beer garden located in Downtown Berkeley last Sunday hosted their annual Pumpkin Beer Festival despite the cloudy, wet weather. It was awesome to say the least! I purchased a ticket online for $25, which included 6 - 8oz pours of various pumpkin beers with a souvenir Jupiter beer snifter. They featured 21 beers, all varying in style and ingredients. One way or another, all of the beer was flavored and/or brewed with pumpkin and spices.
The staff was nice enough to serve small tastings before deciding on a full 8oz pour (redeemable with small red tickets). I had no idea that $25 would get me so much beer. I tasted almost everything, but didn't finish the full pours, mostly to maintain a sober state. Later on in the event, I met a new friend and proceeded to finish off the last 4 - 8oz pours which led me straight to Drunksville. My notes were cryptic at best, but became worse as the event continued. I have included Jupiter's reviews on each beer in italics and my opinions are in bold:
Drake's - Orbiting Gourd: 4.4% abv - "Made with a variety of winter squash, this beer is a simple blend of Mild ale malt, with a touch of caramelized malted oats. The gourds are roasted in-house, charred and caramelized for extra flavor. A cuvee of spices is added to the brew with a light hand. This was the 2nd beer I tried. This beer and the Jupiter "Goodbye Pumpkin Pie" were the most reminiscent of pumpkin pie and autumn flavors. Make sense that Drake's and Jupiter's beers were similar since the two are sister companies.
Drake's - Pungent Pumpkin: 4.9% abv - "Aged in Cabernet barrels with a house sour culture for one year, this beer drinks dry and fairly tart with the sour notes playing off of the slight malty flavors. The aroma showcases spicy floral and citrus notes with a hint of pumpkin. This beer was super sour and almost vinegar like. I assume the vinegar notes come from aging the sour in cabernet barrels. This was a great brew for a sour/acidic beer lover.
Midnight Sun - T.R.E.A.T.: 7.8% abv 30 IBU "This mesmerizing potion of a beer won Gold at GABF in 2007! T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter is loaded with cinnamon, cocoa bibs, cloves and nutmeg." If I had tried this beer blind, I would never have realized it was brewed with pumpkin. It tasted more like a dry chocolate stout. I liked it, but it wasn't pumpkin-y.
Midnight Sun - Trickster: 7.0% abv 28 IBU "Trickster is a frivolous concoction of earthy pumpkin, comforting malt and lively spices. The "magic" is actually mischievous Belgian yeast at play with cardamom, nutmeg and coriander." I don't remember having an opinion on this one after briefly tasting it. I assume I didn't find it that appealing.
Half Moon Bay - Pumpkin Harvest: 5.1% abv "The pale ale has pumpkin in both the mash and boil. The pumpkin flavor is noticeable but subdued, so the beer remains balanced. Normal hop aromas and flavors have been reduced in order to allow the pumpkin character to shine." This one had very subtle pumpkin notes. This brew didn't stick out to me.
Jupiter - Goodbye Pumpkin Pie: 5.84% abv 25 IBU "Made with 100% pure pumpkin, this brew truly captures old-fashioned pumpkin pie flavor. There are no additional spices to speak of! The backbone comes from 2-row and Vienna malts, with subtle spice notes from flaked rye and Weyermann special W malt." This was the first beer I tried at the fest. I thought it had a nice malty lager base with a decent amount of spices and sweetness. I felt this was the most pumpkin pie like of all of the beer at the fest and it was a really great example! I loved it.
Jolly Pumpkin - Los Vivos y Los Muertos: 4.7% abv 22 IBU "The Quick and The Dead" This autumnal sour ale is brewed with pumpkin and lime. The beauty of contrasts, of opposites and the shores on which they clash, is the inspiration behind this beer."
Jolly Pumpkin - La Parcela: 5.8% 22 IBU "Packed with real pumpkins, hints of spice and a gentle kiss of cocoa to liven the soul. An everyday easy way to fill your squashy quotient." I have to admit, I was afraid to try the Jolly Pumpkin brews. This brewery makes some mouth watering sours.. ones that my tastebuds really can't handle. That being said, I enjoyed this one due to distinct apple notes. I didn't get any spice or cocoa like the review advertises.
Almanac - Pumpkin Pie de Brettaville: 7.0% abv "This beer is a magical mix of barrel-aging and rich flavors of autumn. Heirloom pumpkins from Bodega Bay are roasted whole to create deep, sugary caramelization. This is added to a Brett-fermented base in oak casks with a selection of pumpkin pie spices." This one was incredibly interesting. I didn't pick up on any pumpkin flavor, but it had a lot of complexity.
Jolly Pumpkin - Black Parcela: 7.5% abv "La Parcela may have been Jolly Pumpkin's first gourd-infused ale, but Black Parcela is their most creative! Also packed with real pumpkins and hints of spice, this dark sour is bold yet subdued." This beer reminded me of a black IPA, but a sour version. It was as sour as some of the others in this lineup, but seemed richer and more bitter. It's possible I associated the color to "bitterness." If this beer was pale gold in color, I wonder if I would still perceive those flavors. Who knows!
Uinta - Funk'n Patch: 8.0% 35 IBU "Part of Uinta's wild ale program, this spiced pumpkin brew is fermented with Brettanomyces for great barnyard funkiness. The combination of sweet malts and pumpkin spices makes this beer go well with anything."
Shipyard - Smashed Pumpkin: 9.0% abv 26 IBU "A big bodied beer with a light coppery-orange color and pleasing aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg. Pale Ale, Wheat and Light Munich malts combine with the natural tannin in pumpkin and the delicate spiciness of Saphir and Hallertau Hops to balance the sweetness."
Anderson Valley - Fall Hornin': 6.0% 20 IBU "The deep copper brew has inviting aromas of caramelized malt and baking bread with highlights of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and seasonal spices. The pleasantly creamy mouthfeel embraces sweet caramel flavors, with hints of spice that end in a smooth finish." I loved this one! Super yummy, dark in color with spices and ginger notes. One of my favorites.
Anderson Valley - Pinchy Jeek Barl: 8.5% abv 20 IBU "Aged for 6 months in Wild Turkey barrels, this bourbon barrel-aged pumpkin ale is pleasantly creamy with a silky body and sweet caramel flavor. The aging process imparts notes of coconut, vanilla and oak to complement the tang of spices and hint of hops." The best beer in the entire lineup!!! When this beer was poured, it had 3 layers of flavors. The head was frothy and tasted just like fluffy vanilla icing! The next layer of flavor was rich in coconut notes and the last was spicy & dark. This beer was aged in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels, which explains the coconut and vanilla notes. The best thing about this beer is that when it's first poured, frothy and cold, the layers of flavor are distinct. Once the brew warmed up, the essence of previously used bourbon barrels was much more obvious. This beer was amazing!!!
The Breury - Autumn Maple: 10% abv 15 IBU "Brewed with 15lbs. of yams per barrel, this is a different take on the "pumpkin" beer style. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, maple syrup and traditional Belgian yeast strain, make this bold and spicy beer perfect for a cold autumn evening." This beer is rich and sweet-esque. It is quite malty and almost one-dimensional. It's interesting, but expensive. I bought a bottle of this beer last year and wasn't crazy about it. We ended up baking maple beer bread out of it! (The beer was much tastier that way!)
Sours:
Almanac - Dark Pumpkin Sour 2014: 7.0% abv "A rich and toasty dark sour ale brewed with organic heirloom pumpkins and spices and aged in used red wine barrels for a year." A dark sour... I wasn't into it. No noticeable pumpkin flavor. Great for sour lovers.
Cascade - Pumpkin Smash 2014: 11% abv "A blend of select Quad ales aged in bourbon and brandy barrels for up to 22 months. Made with house-roasted pumpkins, this NW-style sour ales features robust pumpkin and spice flavors, ending with rich, warming finish." This one tasted like spiced vinegar. It was interesting, but again I am not a sour lover. I think sour lovers would be into it.
Tried & True:
Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale: 7.0% abv 28 IBU "A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. This beer is brewed with pumpkin meat, brown sugar and spices. As the season cools, this is the perfect beer to warm up with." Dogfish Punkin always disappoints! Every year I try it, it just tastes grainy with the tiniest hint of some unidentifiable spice. Boring! (Sorry Dogfish, I usually love you).
Uinta - Organic Punk'n: 5.0% "This sessional pumpkin ale is brewed with real pumpkin and a medley of nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice."
Boulevard - Funky Pumpkin: 5.8% 28 IBU "This brew is an eccentric one, with pumpkin flavor scarcely present, upstaged by cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger. Brewhouse souring lends a subtle, pleasant tartness putting the "unk" in "funky." This one was great. It was sour, but in a smooth, subtle way. I liked the apple notes and I did notice some pumpkin in there.
Coronado - Punk'in Drublic: 8.0% 35 IBU "Taste autumn in the land of eternal sunshine with this Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Brewed with brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and plenty of would-be jack-o-lanterns, this beer delivers Fall's trademark flavors along with West Coast character. The first thing I tasted was something chalky and acidic... I first thought "Tootsie Roll," but then my reference got more distinct. This beer reeks of Flintstone vitamins! My friend Megan figured it out when I said it tasted like something medicinal from our childhood. The girl pouring the beer also agreed. If you used to loved chewing on vitamins as a kid, this brew is for you.
Overall, this event was awesome. Despite going alone and braving the wet weather, I enjoyed it completely. The selection was way bigger than I imagined and the amount of beer served for $25 was insane! It averaged to $4 per 8oz beer with a free etched glass to take home. The crew working the event mentioned they host a cider festival yearly, which I'm really looking forward to! Here is a great article about how pumpkin beer usually sucks, but is on the up and up. My last bit of advice is, don't drink all 6 glasses of 8oz beer and don't forget your souvenir glass! Guess who did? -_-