*Beer of the Month* Shipyard Brewery’s Pumpkinhead

Welcome to Fall. Or more accurately the last leg of fall because this morning in Minneapolis it was 25 degrees, but I guess soon to warm up, to 50… nice. This time of year is my favorite. Football and hockey start, the weather cools off, the leaves turn and then fall, which I have to rake, so it is not all that great. But the best part is the coming of the pumpkin beers. When I first heard about these beers I was like most people, ugh. And when I had my first at Town Hall Brewery that is what I said and I did not go any further. But like with most ales that challenge your pallet it may take a glass or two to change your mind. So while at a store by my house, Bacchus in Shoreview which holds a great selection of beer, the clerk talked me into a 6 pack of a pumpkin beer, he said that not all are that great but he had one brand in mind that he thought would change my opinion. And it did. And that beer was Shipyard Brewery’s Pumpkinhead.

Shipyard is the biggest brewery in Maine. And oddly enough Pumpkinhead seems to be the only beer in their arsenal that hits Minnesota. The brewery started in 1992 as a brewpub called Federal Jack’s in Kennebunk, Maine. But demand grew so they started Shipyard brewery in 1994.

OK, the beer. So at first I was not really impressed, but I was starting to get intrigued. I could smell the pumpkin spice, the cinnamon and the nutmeg, and the taste was very light and easy to drink. It seemed rather simple. But after the third one I was starting to like it. It had a crisp flavor to it, like a lager, that was smooth and didn’t leave a lingering taste that can accompany beer like this. Now keep in mind this is the second pumpkin beer I have had at the time. Since then I have tried around 8 different brands, best being the Southern Tier Pumking worst being the Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale, which really isn’t that bad, in fact I have never really had a bad pumpkin ale. Just this last week Town Hall Brew Pub had this years Pumpkin Ale on tap and I would rank really close to being on top. Shipyard’s version is not the best, not the worst, but a nice balance. I see myself getting this more often because it is a really perfect beer for sitting on the back porch, with a fall coat on watching the leaves fall and grilling a steak. The best pumpkin beers are such a treat, and also more costly, this one is one that always hits the spot. So today, the first time for this blog, I am giving the honor of being my Beer of the Month. I hope it is not too late for you to get this.

Sierra Nevada’s 12th Release Harvest Ale

Stopping at one of my regular liquor stores on my way home, Sorella Wine and Spirits, I was delighted to find a bottle of Sierra Nevada’s Harvest Series ales the 12th release version. The Harvest series, a series of 3 ales, uses whole cone hops from all over the world to showcase the aroma and spice of vine to bottle brewing. This one, which was created in 1996, features Cascade and Centennial hops from the Yakima Valley in Eastern Washington. These hops are harvested and shipped as “wet” un-dried hops—the same day they are picked—to the brewery in Chico where their brewers get them into the kettle while their oils and resins are still at their peak.

Right away I noticed zero aroma. I shoved my nose deep into the glass and I couldn’t smell anything. I found that to be very odd for a beer that boasted about cherishing aroma. However that was about the only gripe I had about this one. Once I got over the lack of smell, which is odd because I seem to be the only one that has said this about this beer, I found this to be a very refreshing beer. IBU’s came in at 65 while the ABV was 6.7%, which made it to be an easy to drink beer with enough alcohol to satisfy. The flavor had a subtle pine taste to it, the head left little residue on the sides of the glass when done, which my dogs do not like because they love to lick that off, my dog Sarah is a hop head.

All in all this is a good one if you are not in the mood to test your hop resistance. I find it to be a good beer to have on a weekday night when you just want a “beer” and don’t want to explore the outer edges.

Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute I.P.A.

On the way back from Ale Asylum in Madison we stopped at a few stores to pick up some brew I cannot get my hands on in Minneapolis. I bought two different kinds of Dog Fish Head Brewery beers. The Pumpkin Ale and the 90 Minute IPA which is called that because they claim it is so hoppy it takes 90 minutes to drink, or it is because that is how long they boil the wort… I am going for the latter. But it is only 90 IBU and 9% ABV, nothing tame by all means but nothing to scream about. Bells Hop Slam is like 100 IBU and 10 ABV and that is easy to drink… or maybe I am that much of a hop head… I am going for the latter. The hops were very good though–a very fruity flavor which eased on the bitter for the first few moments. I tasted some orange peel and the smell was much more tame than the Hop Slam. Oh, and the pumpkin beer is really good as well. The pumpkin flavor is really prominent and with some brown sugar and caramel malts to boot, it made the flavor very rich. Wisconsin also had a good supply of Southern Tiers Pumking Ale which is probably the best pumpkin beer in the world. You will have to wait for a review from me on this one unless more comes this way.

Madison and the Ale Asylum

This past weekend my wife, child, and I went to Madison, Wisconsin to visit some friends of ours. John, the husband, happens to be a beer aficionado and also a home brewer; it was a great time to get some input from him, even though we did not have time to get into anything too deep. They are also new parents, so our hands were quite full.

When the kids went down for a nap we decided to take a trip to a brew pub by his house. Ale Asylum off of 51 hosts a pretty decent selection of brews. I had the Happy Ending which is a Belgian abbey, while John had the Diablo which is a Belgian Dubbel. He really wanted me to have the Triple Nova, which is a Triple, but they were all out; I guess that happens frequently for that style. We also both had Hopalicious which is a pretty good pale ale. Out of the three, I would have to say the Dubbel was the best, the caramel was not too sweet but fruity enough to make the flavor stand out.

Growing on the side of the building was a great hop vine. Plus, they had this picture of hop farmers in Wisconsin from the late 1800′s/early 1900′s.

Hops, I was told, was the second biggest crop at the time there, which is something we all wish for now due to the hops shortage bringing the price of beer up. The good folks at Ale Asylum give their 2 cents on it a shown here.

If you are ever in the Madison area, check out the Ale Asylum. I highly recommend it, and please tell me how the food is.

Darkness Has Arrived

First post here and I am still working on the site so this will be quick. Surly Darkness is not in stores. You can only get this at the brewery and you can only get it this Saturday. I will not be there but a friend of mine is saving me a bottle. For more information got to Surly’s website.