I took my brother to a hockey game before Christmas and wandered around the arena trying to figure out what I wanted to drink. For a 24 oz cup, you can pay $9.00 for Coors Light, Bud Light, or any of that other crap, or you can pay $10.00 for a craft brew. Walking the concourse, I remembered that they have a cart that is dedicated to offering Red Hook beer (which is a little false, because Kona Brewing Longboard was at the cart too). Still, they had a seasonal offering of a pumpkin porter and that's about as creative a beer I'd find at a hockey arena. Time to give it a shot!
The beer was poured into a 24 oz plastic cup. There was a half finger of tan head to go with a very dark brown body. Aromas of pumpkin, nutmeg, clove, allspice, roasted malts, stale coffee. Most of the aroma is pleasing, the pumpkin very evident in it.
The roasted malts come through first, then the pumpkin and the pumpkin pie spices. I also taste some burnt sugar and molasses. It's sweet without being cloying. Since it is a porter, it seems a little watery, not as full bodied, but I'm okay with that. It makes the beer much easier to drink. Medium bodied, it helps give the pumpkin pie spice some added kick.
I also think it tastes better than Southern Tier's Warlock, which is the only other pumpkin porter-like beer I've had. That is a heavier beer and a stout to boot, and it did not work for me. This one tasted better, easier to drink, a solid brew. If you're a Southern Tier junkie and you think I got it wrong, let me know!
Grade: B
Price Paid: $10.00 (24 oz draught)
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