A few months ago, my dad and I were talking about the Reinheitsgebot. If you don’t speak German, then you wouldn’t know the translation means ‘purity order’. Out of context, ‘purity order’ can mean many things, but in this case the Bavarians were talking about beer. In 1516, the Bavarian people drafted a law to say that only 3 ingredients could be used when brewing beer: water, barley, and hops. It was created to protect against brewers cutting their beers with poor quality adjuncts or harmful flavor additives. It’s a law that shaped the way the Germans have brewed for centuries; ensuring quality at the expense of some creativity.
I don’t remember what exactly we were talking about, but I do remember he was in defense of the Reinheitsgebot, and I was taking against the opposite stance. He didn’t feel that you needed anything other than water, barley, and hops to make good beer (other than yeast of course). While you obviously don’t need anything but those ingredients, I feel that you can make great beer with other ingredients too. A great chef could make fantastic food out of just 3 ingredients, but why would they ever limit themselves to it?
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| I'm not impressed |
Since today is Halloween, and the pumpkin culinary season is in full swing, I figured it would be a perfect day to comment on one of the most Reinheitsgebot defying beers: the pumpkin ale. Some people claim the pumpkin ale to be a gimmick, and it might be to some extent, but one thing it definitely is not is a modern day invention. Brewing beer with pumpkin has been done since American colonial times. While I can’t comment about the colonial beers, today’s selection is outstanding.
In the last few weeks, I’ve done my best to try as many pumpkin beers as possible. Some have been great, some have been not so great. These aren’t going to be the most informative reviews I’ve done, just quick summaries; I’m also not going to grade them. The beers are listed in the order I tried them:
Dogfish Head Punkin’ Ale (7% abv) – Reminiscent of a light brown ale. Pumpkin bread and sweet malt smells. Caramel malt, butter, molasses, and a hint of spice flavors. Very drinkable. Coming from Dogfish Head, I expected to be really impressed with this brew, was a little underwhelmed.
Harpoon UFO Pumpkin (5.9% abv) – Hazy golden brown with an orange tinted head. Pumpkin, clove, and yeast smells. Pumpkin, nutmeg, more yeast and possibly banana flavors. A good looking brew drinks well on the warmer of the October days. I think I’ve come to love unfiltered beers.
Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale (5.7% abv) – Light brown, thin looking, light carbonation. Soft wheat and nearly undetectable pumpkin rind smells. Not much flavor besides the malt, hints of allspice and clove flavors. Watered down. Possibly a good gateway beer into other pumpkin beers but seemed so taste censored. Served ice cold it’s extremely bland, if you want to enjoy it you need to let it warm, but I don’t see many American bars serving anything above 40 degrees.
Saint Arnold Pumpkinator Imperial Pumpkin Stout (10% abv) – Thick bodied, such a dark brown it looked black. Pumpkin, nutmeg, and chocolate malt smells. Strong pumpkin pie taste: mashed pumpkin pie filling, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Luscious roasted malt, also a bit of a creamy eggnog taste. Heavy carbonation. As it warms alcohol and spice note become even stronger. A delicious beer, wouldn’t recommend to a casual beer drinker though, it may dominate their palate.
Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale (5% abv) – Light brown, or dark amber. Slight pumpkin, clove, and coriander smells. Not much pumpkin in the taste. Caramel malt, coriander, and bittering hops flavors. In comparison to the other beers, it seemed the most common. It makes for a very good choice to bring to a Halloween party: not too expensive, not too wacky, and easily sessionable.
These are the pumpkin ales I’ve had to date. Sorry the list isn’t longer, but specialty beers can be hard to find in College Station, and my budget prevents me from buying too many at one time. In the spirit of trick or treating, I think I'll award my self with a treat: the last of the pumpkin ales in my fridge. Honestly, I really just need to make room in my fridge because Christmas is coming soon...
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| And with it comes Christmas ales! |
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