Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Beer number 5 in my pumpkin ale taste test - I've read some pretty good things about this one so I'm really excited about trying it. Pour is from the bottle to a pint glass. Appearance: Pour is a deep, rich copper color with some very nice ruby highlights (very pretty); comes with a two finger head that is very creamy looking, slightly off-white and fades slowly to a full and bubbly skim on the surface; body is clear and shows slight carbonation bubbling up very slowly; oily rings of lacing try to hold but don't do too well and slide back down into the glass. Smell: Smell is just like pumpkin pie right out of the oven! The spices smell amazing - right now it's sitting two feet away from me and I can still smell it! Cinammon, nutmeg abound - smell is very present as well - no real effort to pull anything out of it so I'm very pleased with this. Taste: OK, I think this one just overtook the DFH in terms of the best pumpkin ale that I've tried now. While the spices are very present in the nose (and in the flavor as well - not taking anything away from it), the pumpkin flavor itself is very pronounced and compliments the spiciness well and doesn't allow them to overtake the beer as a whole; a slight bit of alcohol in the far back as well as a mild bitterness round off the sweetness and pie-like aspects of the initial flavors of the drink. Mouthfeel: Body is a bit creamy and smooth and the mild carbonation doesn't provide much liveliness, but the I feel that the higher ABV does provide some dynamic to the mouth as it warms the palate and makes the gums a bit tingly - also warms the belly once it gets there. Drinkability: Moderate... While this is the best tasting and smelling of the pumpkin ales, I'm definitely feeling a bit of the 8% ABV so I think if were to try to have more than one of these, it would really have to be spaced out over the course of an entire afternoon/evening. It's a great tasting beer though and perfect for the season, especially that warming aspect as that would be great for a nice cool and crisp autumn evening.