It's the last weekend in September and it's hard to believe for me, but it's officially fall. That means it's time for Oktoberfest brews and pumpkin ales. When I lived up north in Pennsylvania, fall was easily my favorite time of year. I hated the heat of summer and loved the warm days and cold nights that the fall brought in. My initial thought process was to not try any new fall brews at all because living in South Florida, it never feels like fall. But I have to say I am very glad that I re-thought that premises and even here where it never gets cold I have eyed up a number of fall seasonal beers to try.
In general the shift from Southeastern PA to Southeastern Florida has been great. I get to go to the beach every weekend and wear nothing but t-shirts and shorts when I'm not in the office. The only problem is keeping my feet presentable all year long since my shoe rack consists of one pair each of brown and black work shoes and then nothing but flip flops. But as much as the weather and wardrobe are a plus, the non-change of seasons can be a drag. The fall in the north is cloudy sky's, football watching, crock pot weather which usually would turn into about ten pounds and maybe one additional pant size. Needless to say as I am sure you can tell from these first two paragraphs, I really miss the season.
My first fall brew is Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale. I spotted it at my local beer stop and if marketing is your thing, an orange colored label for a fall beer is a must! When I poured it into my glass I was happy to see how dark the beer is and I immediately got a whiff of pumpkin and spices. The beer is very deep brown in color with a minimal eggshell colored head. Overall initial appearance and smells were very inviting and I was extremely excited to try it.
The problem with some fall beers and especially pumpkin ales is that sometimes the flavors and smells are just too much. You don't want to drink a Yankee Candle or feel like your taking a bite straight out of a pumpkin. The trick with any "flavored" beer is to give the drinker a touch or hint of the flavor without overwhelming them. This beer does just that, perfectly. The taste is excellent with the pumpkin and the spices blending together with the molasses they added to the brew. It just tastes like a fall day. This is the most enjoyable beer I've had in a very long time.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? For the first time, yes. It's not because I miss the fall season that much, this is just a great all around beer. Was it worth the price? I paid $8.86 for the six pack only because I got the last five remaining in the store (which looking back makes me wish the sixth brew was intact). That should have tipped me off right then and there. The usual price is $9.99 for the six pack and yes this is easily worth that price.
My rating is a 5 out of 5. Tommyknocker Brewery delivered a perfect beer for the season and this has now cracked the top ten. My former favorite pumpkin ale was Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, but this has now taken over that title as well as number 6 on my top ten list, making it my new favorite fall beer. I can't put it in the top five only because it's a seasonal brew that you can really only drink during the season, but I will be sure to stock up before the fall season is over. For more information check out www.tommyknocker.com.
Until the next brew!
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