Frosty Goodness

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  Frosty 9:29 pm on October 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Dogfish Head Punkin Ale – Notice they didnt use the word “pumpkin” 

  Whew its been a while. Sorry for the long delay, but big changes are on the way to the site that will make it more fun for more than just me. Plus, it’ll be easier to access from your smart phone. If you aren’t following the twitter feed (@Frostygoodness), make sure you do that too. When I’m feeling lazy, I sometimes post speed reviews on twitter. But enough about all that. Review time!

  I have a dream. The dream, is that someday I will be able to pour a “pumpkin beer” that actually tastes like pumpkin. In the good “pie” way, not the “some kid kicked in my jack-o-lantern and now its rotting on my porch” variety. Sure, plenty of breweries release fall ales claiming to be pumpkin-y. Without having tried them, you would think that they would be so funky and flavorful that no honest beer drinker could take it. But you’d be wrong. You see, the problem is that no one seems to be able to brew a pumpkin beer that actually tastes ENOUGH like pumpkin. An ale is an ale, but when it claims to be themed, and it tastes like … well, an ale … it just sort of leaves you wanting. Like getting raisins when you trick or treat.

  Dogfish Head makes some funky and flavorful stuff, so I had real hopes here.  Unfortunately they fell prey to the same old song. Or rather, I should say a similar song. Its not completely ale-boring, tasting nicely of nutmeg & spice. And overall, I found it to be quite a tasty beer. But they seemed to miss the one ingredient that made the theme worthwhile. The pumpkin. Like with so many brewers before it, the elusive flavor just didn’t make it in the mash. Again. Sigh. Perhaps there is a reason they called in “punkin”. As in, “everyone we sell this to, we’re punkin”.

   

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  Frosty 10:00 pm on October 27, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

  Elysian Pumpkin Ale – Elysian by another name. 

  Fresh off my 2 week Salmonella rollercoaster, I’ve decided to post something again. I know, our 3 adoring readers have been waiting with baited breath. Wait no longer! For it’s Halloween time. And that can only mean the continued onslaught of that favorite FG pastime, drinking pumpkin beer.

  This weeks entry comes from Elysian brewing. I had never heard of Elysian, but the local beer pusher pointed it out as I stared at The Wall, and said to me “It’s the best pumpkin beer ever made”. Really? Ok then. So I bought it, and hoping for something better than the sorry entry by Blue Moon, I chugged it down.

  Sure enough, this one tasted pumpkin-y. A bit of nutmeg and coriander. All the hallmarks of the standard “pumpkin ale”. I’m not sure if I would call it “the best ever”, but it was drinkable and didn’t feel like a pumpkin to the face.

  Now wait you say, why is this tagged “New Belgium”? Let’s just says that my impressions are perhaps tainted by a bit of cheating I noticed while reading the bottle label!

  

  (For those of you who can’t decipher my phone’s sucko camera, it says “Brewed for Elysian … by New Belgium Brewing”.)

  Frosty, and Swill Jockey are discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Swill Jockey 2:46 pm on October 28, 2008 Permalink

    Face it Frosty, you’re New Belgium’s bitch. Pay the pimp now please. =P

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    Frosty 8:24 pm on October 29, 2008 Permalink

    I found myself wanting a Mothership Wit today. Dammit. Like a battered spouse.