Video Blog: The Wall Street Journal does their own Pumpkin Beer review

The Wall Street Journal thought so highly of our pumpkin beer review they decided to do one of their own the next day.  However, their judges don't seem nearly as enthusiastic as ours.

The Great Pumpkin Tasting Results – And the winner is . . .

The Great Pumpkin Tasting ended Friday night right about the time the Cardinals took the World Series from the Texas Rangers.  And, like this Game 7, there were no surprises.  Just like everyone knew the Cardinals had the momentum to make them the favorite to win it all, I had a pretty good idea which beer would come out on top in our blind taste test before we even started. 

After tasting 19 brands of pumpkin ale, one brand stood out so much that 6 of the 8 judges chose it as their favorite without knowing what it was.  3 of the judges were even confident enough to name the beer in question. 

Side Note:  I would challenge any life-time Bud drinker to do this when Bud was put up against just 5 other bland macro lagers.  His beer would be lost in that small pool of mediocrity.

Here’s how the test went down:

After lining up the 19 different bottles so the judges could see what they were up against, my brother Brian and I took the beers out onto the porch to keep them at a cool 45 degrees and out of sight of the judges.  We poured each into 8 small cups and allowed the judges to take their time smelling and sipping each and recording their observations.  They were asked to describe the beer as best they could and give it a rating between 0-5, 5 being the best.  The brands of pumpkin beers they tasted, in order, were:

1.      Smuttynose

2.     Uinta

3.     South Hampton

4.     Lakefront

5.     River Horse

6.     Wolaver’s

7.     Dog Fish Head

8.     Shipyard Smashed

9.     Post Road

10.  Blue Moon

11.   Sam Adams

12.   Shock Top

13.  Elysian

14.  Hoppin’ Frog

15.  Landmark

16.  Southern Tier

17.  Weyerbacher

18.  St. Ambroise

19.  Fisherman’s

Some of the descriptors the judges used were unique to say the least:

“Smell – Bile,  Taste – More bile”

 “Smell – None, Taste – Some sort of cleanser”

“Smell – Clorox, Taste – Gourd”

“Smell – Dirty Diaper, Taste – Smokey Memphis BBQ”  (I don’t know if this says something about the beer, the baby or the BBQ – maybe all 3)

Three Judges were able to pick the mass produced macro beer out of the bunch naming #12 as the Shock Top.

The overall winner was described as: “inviting”, “buttery”, “delicious”, “hazelnut” and “fantastic”.  The average rating for the top pumpkin ale was a whopping 4.7 out of 5.

The average rating for each brand is as follows:

            Brand                                     Rating

 1.       Smuttynose                         1.7                 

2.        Uinta Punk                           1.8

3.        South Hampton                  3.0

4.        Lakefront                              2.5

5.        River Horse                          2.7

6.        Wolaver’s                             2.5

7.        Dog Fish Head                     2.6

8.        Shipyard Smashed             3.4

9.        Post Road                             3.1                 

10.      Blue Moon                          1.9

11.      Sam Adams                         3.3

12.      Shock Top                           2.3

13.      Elysian                                  3.0

14.      Hoppin’ Frog                      4.0

15.      Landmark                            1.5

16.      Southern Tier                     4.7

17.      Weyerbacher                     3.6

18.      St. Ambroise                       2.8

19.      Fisherman’s                        2.8

The Southern Tier Imperial Pumpking brewed in Lakewood, New York has always been my favorite and I was pleased to find out that I am not alone.  To my taste buds, it has a sweet, nutmeg flavor that tastes so good on my tongue I’m hesitant to let it go down my throat.  As an Imperial Ale, it’s brewed to carry a pretty high alcohol content.  But the 8.6% ABV is more than masked by the sweetness and flavor. The Pumpking, which I recently reviewed, gives you a good “bang for your buck” at $7.99 per 22oz. bottle.

Another standout was Frog’s Hollow from Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron, Ohio.  The judges described this Double Pumpkin Ale as “spicy”, “nutmeg” and “cinnamon” and gave it an average rating of 4.0. 

What are your favorite Pumpkin Ales?  Are there pumpkin ales we should be including in next year’s test?  We’d love to know.

The World Series of Pumpkin Beers

Our "man in the field", Brian, was able to secure 2 last entries into the Pumpkin Beer Tasting.  He was traveling in upstate New York on business this week and was able to find two obscure pumpkin ales.  Landmark Harvest Pumpkin Ale is brewed  Syracuse, NY.  The furthest from home state award goes to Night Owl Pumpkin Ale brewed by Elysian Brewing Co. in Seattle, Washington.  We are approaching 20 different pumpkin beers for our taste test this weekend.  Things are getting interesting!  I can’t say that this competition is going to be as exciting as that Game 6 of the World Series last night between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Ranger, but in the end there will only be one winner. . .

Two More Pumpkin Beers from mainstream breweries

The pumpkin beers keep flowing in!  Against my better judgement, I accepted two more additions to the Pumpkin Beer Tasting I’m hosting this weekend.  These beers are from the bigger brewers:  Blue Moon Harvest which is produced by Coors and Sam Adams Pumpkin from Boston.  Though I like the Blue Moon wheat and even credit that beer with starting my interest in craft brews, I’ve been burned recently buying “micro” beers from macro brewers.  Sam Adams does have a wide selection of beer styles, some of which are exceptional.  In the end I know, I just can’t say no.

2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Tasting

This year we have doubled our selection of pumpkin beers to sample and rate.  Thanks to early arrivals and some connections in the family, we have been able to get our hands on 12 different pumpkin ales. There will be 8 thirsty, craft beer drinkers rating these beers and determining their favorites.  We have some perennial front runners like Dogfish Head and Imperial Pumking.  But don’t count out the new comers: Smashed Pumpkin and River Horse.   The big day is Friday and I will be reporting the results over the weekend.  So stay tuned for the results of our blind taste test.  I’m hoping that I didn’t over buy or my evaluators will be blind drunk!

Pumpking and Maple Meatballs

My turn to cook at home and I decided to cook spaghetti and meatballs for me and the boys.  I was in a pumpkin mood so I busted out a bottle of Imperial Pumpking from Southern Tier Brewing Company to see me through the process.   First the meal:

Ingredients:

MEATBALLS

 2 pounds lean ground beef

 2 cups fresh bread crumbs

 2 tablespoons dried parsley

 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

 1/2 teaspoon oregano

 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 2 eggs, beaten

 

 SAUCE

2 jars Ragu spaghetti sauce

 1 teaspoon garlic powder

 2 teaspoons salt

 1 teaspoon maple sugar

 1 bay leaf

 3/4 teaspoon dried basil

 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 350

2.     Combine all meatball ingredients into a large bowl.

3.     Mix with bare hands and get messy

4.     Roll into about 20 meatballs

5.     Put on baking tray

6.     Bake for 15 min until brown

7.     Add all sauce ingredients into large pot

8.     Bring to boil and simmer for 60 min

9.     Add meatballs to sauce while it simmers

10.  Serve over spaghetti

The sugar is added to the sauce to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.  I substituted maple sugar in order to better complement my beer which is brewed with caramel malts that give this beer a maple syrup flavor.  Maple meatballs sounds weird but, believe me, they taste great. 

Imperial Pumpking:

The Pumpking is simply the best pumpkin ale available in the New York area. I’ve tried many brands, but Southern Tier has the right recipe.  It has the sweet aroma of spiced pumpkin with a little bitter bite.  This one, two punch is enough to satisfy any craft beer fan. All this flavor covers the 8.6% ABV pretty well.

At the last minute we opted to go with the meatball hero instead of over pasta. First bite: hearty with just a touch of oregano coming through.  I can’t say that I taste the maple sugar but I feel better knowing it’s in there. 

Pumpkin Ales at Bailey's

Tis the season to enjoy the great tastes of pumpkin beers.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of early arrivals at one of my favorite local hangouts, Bailey’s in Blauvelt, NY.  Baileys is the perfect combination of local watering hole and great family restaurant.  It’s the kind of place where you are bound to run into an old friend or neighbor.  On this particular occasion, I caught up with a good friend’s younger brother and a local judge and his wife out for a quick bite.  My high school baseball coach was even in the house. 

Our group consisted of three generations and we felt right at home at a table near the bar.  It’s a mature bar crowd and there is never a worry about what the kids might hear from the bar. 

Bailey’s is known for their great pizza and BBQ.  The pizza is thin and crispy with just the right amount of cheese.  We didn’t opt for the BBQ but Bailey’s Smokehouse has some of the best ribs in Rockland County.  The pulled pork is also delicious. 

The highlight of this dinner however, was the beer.  Bailey’s has been growing their beer list to the point where they now have about a dozen taps and another 15 -20 in bottles including Keegan’s Mother’s Milk, Ithaca Apricot Wheat and even Gluten-free Red Bridge.  I chose a Post Road Pumpkin to start off.  It has a nice aroma and a smooth delivery.  The bitter finish lets you know it’s an ale.  I was very happy with my selection until I tried the Dogfish Head Punkin on tap. 

DFH does so many things well and this beer is no exception.  From the first whiff, it’s clear that this beer is going to be a treat.  The sweet spiciness delights the nose before the liquid hits your mouth.  The taste is hard to describe other than to say it’s all the good things you want in a pumpkin ale: nutmeg, brown sugar, slight hoppiness.  All together they make for one of the best beers of any style I’ve tried.

I ordered a second, took a bite of my slice and sat back taking in all the sights and sounds.  Family, friends and great food and beer; what else could a man ask for?

Hurricane Irene

It’s eerily quite.  The calm before the storm.  I’m looking out the window watching the sky darken.  Suddenly a Snap!  I open my second beer of the night.  This time it is a Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.  The crème de la crème of pumpkin ales. 

I have been watching the news all day long hearing about what a huge storm this is going to be.  New York City’s subway system is closed in fear of the tunnels filling up with water from the ocean’s surge. There are mandatory evacuations from the beaches in the metro area. 

I step out on my porch to flip the steaks I have put on for dinner. Sirloin – nice.  There is a light rain falling now.

I walk inside to check on the potatoes in the oven.  Crash!                 My wife throws the empty bottle into the recycle bin.  We are all walking on egg shells, literally, from the hard boiled eggs my son made earlier in the day.  It’s amazing how quickly teenagers can turn a clean house into a garbage dump. 

I don’t know what is scarier, a category 2 hurricane bearing down on New York or three teenagers stuck inside for a day.  God help us if the power goes out and there’s no internet service . . . .

IPA Lovers Flock to Lazy Boy Saloon; Dogfish 120 Minute on Tap

by Kelly

It's Friday, August 19th, 2011. Not a very significant day in history as far as notable world events are concerned. But the definition of "notable" depends, as always, on who you're talking to. Are you a member of the beer loving community, reside in either Rockland or Westchester County and have a burning passion for IPAs? If you answered a resounding "YES!" to all three of those questions, man oh MAN! Was last Friday night YOUR night!

Oh, what's that you say? You weren't aware of the one-night arrival of Dogfish's 120 Minute IPA at Lazy Boy Saloon last Friday?! Well, let me just be clear here: I don't pity you, fool. If you were truly passionate and truly dedicated to seeking out the rare and limited IPA releases in your surrounding area, you WOULD have been there. After all, I was. And I'm not really much of an IPA consumer myself. Yeah...take that!


Okay, so I didn't write this post to hurt your feelings. Instead, I wanted to share a discovery I had made while slowly sipping on my very own glass of DFH 120 IPA last weekend. (Just a reminder: the previous letter-number combination is not some bizarre form of an algebraic equation I just made up. It's an abbreviation of the beer mentioned in the title above. Pay attention!) So, what was this discovery of mine that was so enlightening, you ask?! Without further ado, I present to you: the stronger the IPA, the sweeter the taste!

As many of you know, the fundamental ingredient in all IPAs is hops. These female flower clusters, as hops are more commonly known, cause this particular style of beer to taste very bitter. The 120 indicates the time over which the hops were added during boiling.  Dogfish head also makes 60, 75 and 90 minute IPAs. The more hopping, the more bitter the taste.

The bitterness can make IPAs unpalatable for certain people. (Ahem.) But after three sips into my first glass of DFH 120 IPA, I actually found myself enjoying the drink. The hops, for once, were not staged front and center; what I was tasting most of all was the sweet maltiness. And this was not an accident. Apparently, the stronger the IPA means more hops, which means more malt. This was certainly an unexpected, but thoroughly enjoyed, surprise.

I'll be honest with you: I only drank one glass of the 120 that night. But it was a damn good glass. Sitting at around 18% ABV, you can't really expect to drink more than a couple of these bad boys and make wise, coherent decisions by night's end. I opted for a pint (or two) of Weyerbacher's Pumpkin Ale instead, which were both garnished with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Ahhh, fall is certainly descending upon us!