Written by Brandon Marcus, Christopher Birtch, Julian Dalh, and guest Chase Howell
This Week’s Brewery:
As a follow up to Hop Ed’s last edition, the fall seasonal special continues. We specifically looked at Pumpkin-themed beers this week. Hope you enjoy some spice in your life because these beers feature those delicious fall flavors: cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin, and even coffee. We have a special guest reviewer this week, Chase Howell, who is the Co-Chair of the Homebrew Club with Julian.
Fun Facts:
Pumpkin-style beers are very popular in the U.S. Many different styles exist today including ales, wheat beers, porters, and stouts, to name a few. Pumpkin flavors have been used in beer for a long time, pre-dating the founding of the U.S. The reasoning here is that pumpkins are a native plant to this continent and were unknown to Europeans before the settling of North America. It was an easy sugar to ferment that could replace common grains or malts, and was easily accessible to settlers. The current craze is a modern reemergence and can be compared to other pumpkin-flavored products such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte. This new wave of pumpkin beers resemble pumpkin pie in a glass rather than true pumpkin flavor. Now knowing the history of the style, check out our picks for the week.
This Week’s Pumpkin Beer Picks:
Topher’s Pick: Eddyline Brewing Pumpkin Patch Ale
The first pick of the week is the Eddyline Brewing Pumpkin Patch Ale coming in at a 5.5 percent alcohol by volume and ranking a 20 on the IBU scale. Eddyline is based in Buena Vista, Colo., and has existed since 1999 under another name, Socorro Springs Brewing Company. With the move to Buena Vista in 2008, the business originally operated as a small restaurant and brewery. In 2011 they opened their current production brewery, and they have been growing ever since. This beer has a sweet and spiced aroma with a hazy orange color. While not too carbonated, there are hints of spice with some sweet flavors to grace the palate. It is definitely pumpkin-esque and characteristic of an ale, but pretty nice in the mouth and very refreshing. A good introductory pumpkin beer if you have not experimented with them before. Other Eddyline beers we recommend checking out are the Crank Yanker IPA, the River Runner’s Pale Ale, and the Jolly Roger Black Lager.
Julian’s Pick: Boulevard Brewing Company Funky Pumpkin Spiced Sour
While this beer is not from Colorado, it fit into our theme too well to pass up. We tried to pick a variety of pumpkin-style beers this week. There has been an ale, and the other a stout, but this beer is a sour which creates a nice diverse flavor. The Funky Pumpkin Spiced Sour is 5.8 percent alcohol by volume and a 26 on the IBU scale, and it is made by Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, MO. They were founded in 1989 and have grown to be the largest specialty brewery in the Midwest. In 2006 they expanded from their original facility where they were producing 6,000 barrels a year to a new brewery with the capability of producing 600,000 barrels a year. While this brewery was previously not known to us, it clearly produces high quality delicious beers. This beer has a bit of a head upon the pour and a golden yellow, crystal clear color. The aromas include hints of pumpkin, spice, and sour. While the initial taste is sour, the pumpkin balances the sour, and both are apparent on the palette. The finish did not have the distinct strong tang and aftertaste characteristic of a sour. Not too tasteful of pumpkin, more so as an afterthought. One of our favorite beers of the selection, this is an interesting blend of two styles. While we have not sampled other beers of Boulevard Brewing Company, it is clear they know what they are doing so keep your eyes peeled for more of their beers.
Chase’s Pick: Breckenridge Brewing Company Pumpkin Spice Latte
Our special guest reviewer chose the Breckenridge Brewing Company’s Pumpkin Spice Latte, a beer out of their Nitro Series. This brewery was founded in 1990, making it the third oldest craft brewery in the state. They quickly discovered demand was higher than supply and opened a second production line in Denver in 1992. They have subsequently moved twice more to larger production facilities and produce around 60,000 barrels a year. This pumpkin spice beer is 5.5 percent alcohol by volume and an 11 on the IBU scale. It has a very weak head for a nitro, which are typically highly carbonated compared to carbon dioxide beers. It has a dark ruby color and smells of coffee with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg aromas. There is a good mouth feel, but no true telling of pumpkin or spices in the taste. Drink at a warmer temperature because this elevates the flavor profile of most beers. Other Breckenridge beers to check out are the Vanilla Porter and the Avalanche Ale. Next time you are up at the slopes you may want to check out the original taproom and have a drink in downtown Breck.
Where to Buy:
This week’s selections came from Weber Street Liquor. If you are a fan of pumpkin flavors, this is the time of year to get out there and try seasonal releases produced by different breweries across the country.
Next week we will return to our local theme featuring another small brewery based in Colorado Springs.