Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale

I spotted this a week or so ago while walking through a Publix. I’m not a big fruit-in-beer kind of guy, and their Honey Moon Summer Ale was a disappointment, but I love Blue Moon so much I thought I’d give this a shot. I wasn’t disappointed. First, here is what Coors had to say about their Pumpkin Ale:

From the 6 pack packaging:

A unique amber ale handcrafted with the flavors of fall, including vine-ripened pumpkin, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.

From the bottle neck:

This amber-colored, naturally flavored ale is brewed only in autumn and combines the flavor of vine-ripened pumpkin and spices with traditional crystal malt.

And now on to the tasting…

The Pour
This pours with a nice ruby-tinged amber color. I gave it a vigorous pour to see what kind of head it produced, and it gave me a high fluffy head with loose bubbles. It didn’t really lace the glass….the head seemed to slide around on the glass as one unit, as opposed to falling apart and lacing as it slid down the glass.

The Nose
On first sniff this smells like a typical amber ale. Nice hops, though the malt definitely takes center stage. Deeper sniffs, however, brought out subtle hints of the cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Quite pleasant.

The Taste
The first sip was interesting. It took another couple of swallows to get a feel for the brew. The pumpkin flavor is evident more as a sweetness than a definitive pumpkin taste. There’s just a tinge of spices, lurking in the finish. It is easy to go overboard spicing a brew like this, so the understatement was appreciated. By the 4th or fifth swallow I was really enjoying this beer. It seemed to have a smooth, round mouthfeel and a clean finish.

Overall
This is a tasty fall seasonal ale. It’s sweeter than a regular amber ale, thanks to the pumpkin. Nicely crafted. Enjoy this if you’re looking for a slightly different way to usher in the cool, crisp days of autumn.

Recommended: Yes, it’s a nice way to get in the spirit of fall.
Price: $7.49 for a 6-pack
ABV: 5.6%
Visit the Blue Moon Web site

Schlafly Summer Kolsch Ale

Schlafly beers are made by Tom Schlafly through The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. (Visit the Schlafly Web site.)  They’ve been incorporated since 1989 and had their grand opening in 1991.

First, here is what they say about their own beer:

Schlafly Summer Kolsch is a golden-colored, medium-bodied crisp and refreshing ale. This style, which originated in Cologne, is well balanced, mild mannered, and a perfect companion for the lazy days of summer/

Here’s what I thought:

The Pour
This poured a nice golden color, almost copper actually. The head was high and loose and somewhat long lasting. It left a decent amount of lacing on the side of the glass.

The Nose
The nose is hoppy and crisp. There are slight caramel and biscuit notes in the nose, and fruit appears as the beer warms a bit.

The Taste
They were right about this being a medium-bodied brew. It’s very smooth and very well balanced. Not too hoppy or malty…it really sits in the middle of that spectrum and just edges over to the hoppy side now and then. I didn’t taste a lot of complex and diverse flavors here, which isn’t necessarily bad. It tasted of nice hops, malt and yeast. It’s a nice beer. As it warms, caramel appears and the hops intensify just a bit, becoming a bit more aggressive on the finish (a very little bit more aggressive).

Overall
Overall this is a very well balanced beer, though as it warms it does give you a slight nudge towards hops, which is nice. Eminently drinkable and refreshing. Crisp and clean and just a good Kolsch ale.

Recommended: Yes….this is just a good solid beer that will grow on you
Price: Can’t remember exactly, somewhere around $8-$9 for a six-pack
ABV: 4.8%

Flying Dog’s Woody Creek White Belgian Style Wit Beer

This is a recently released Summer seasonal offering from Flying Dog, based out of Denver, CO. They sent me a sample bottle to try and review, so that is what I am doing.

Here is what they say on their Web site about this beer:

Woody Creek White is a traditional Belgian-style Wit Beer, brewed with unique ingredients like orange peel and coriander, resulting in a refreshing and slightly citrus flavor…

I cracked the bottle open and poured it into one of my pint glasses. It was a nice golden yellow color and was quite cloudy, showing off its unfiltered goodness. One whiff and you know you’re drinking a Belgian-style white. The wheat, citrus and spice notes in the nose bring to mind Blue Moon, just a bit.

Taking the first taste, you know you’re drinking a solid white. The citrus and spice notes are present in the mouth as well as the nose, and it’s got a good wheatiness. This brew is medium to full bodied and is almost like drinking a glass of wheat bread, but it still manages to stay crisp and clean on the finish, not thick and heavy.

That finish makes it a good Summer seasonal indeed. Overall this is a good solid witbier. I still prefer my Blue Moon, though!

Recommended: I’m not a huge witbier guy but if you like wheat in your glass, this is a good example of a Belgian style wit beer
Price: Unknown, it was a free sample
ABV: 4.7%