REVIEW 71: WEYERBACHER IMPERIAL PUMPKIN ALE

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Weyerbacher Brewing Company

STYLE:  Pumpkin Ale

ABV:  8.0%

PURCHASE:  Draught (12-oz.), $7.50

SERVING:  Chimay branded chalice. From the tap, about a half- to three-quarter-inch head. Rather quick dissipation for a craft beer.

APPEARANCE:  What you'd expect a pumpkin ale to look like. Color of pumpkin pie bordering upon dark caramel. Cream-beige head. Absolutely zero lacing. A fast-disappearing head will have that effect.

BOUQUET:  Subtle pumpkin spice blend, with nutmeg as the star attraction. Cinnamon is notable, as are traces of brown sugar and cinnamon. Not as gingery as other pumpkin ales. Features a fairly conspicuous dark fruit undercurrent, namely plum and/or fig, and possibly raisin. Sniffing this, I entertain visions of pumpkin pie, but I also dream of Fig Newtons.

PALATE:  Somewhat heavy body, but light on the carbonation. A bit nondescript early on, but asserts itself mid-palate, especially if you let it linger. Sweet finish that bolsters the fruit factor. Nutmeg figures into the picture, but the overall "pumpkin spice" factor is subdued. My nose was right about the plum and fig: They both play major roles in the aftertaste, which is also a bit yeasty. This may be the yeastiest pumpkin ale I've had to date, in fact. Not saying that matters much.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Three of these will hit you if you don't eat dinner beforehand. (It was filet mignon for your humble narrator tonight, my little droogs.)

This packs more than just pumpkin; like the Punkless Dunkel from Neshaminy Creek, it posits dark fruit on an even keel with it. Unlike that beer, however, this one doesn't come off quite as expertly refined. But it's a player in the now seemingly oversaturated world of pumpkin ales--or should I say "pumpkin" ales? 




GRADE:  B