Heavy Seas - The Great'er Pumpkin - Heavy Seas Beer

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- The look of this one is pretty scary. Its a muddy looking, trashy colored orange with a dirty haze to it. Not much of a head unless you pour it pugnaciously.

S- Very strong on the bourbon. But also very strong on pumpkin. This is one of the very most pumpkiny pumpkin ales out there. At first the aroma was a bit brash and hard to get used to. Its very boozy smelling, that combined with the spices give this a very formidable aroma. Lots of pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar, oak and bourbon.

T- Again, it took a little while to acclimate to this beer, and it gets much more enjoyable as it warms. Once everything sinks in and falls into place it is very good. Very sweet vanilla, pumpkin puree, cinnamon sugar, and oak. Big waves of bourbon rock you if you arent ready. The finish is very very strong on bourbon.

M- Silky smooth with lots of warmth.

D- Im going to buy more of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 22:40:17 | More by MbpBugeye

yesyouam

New York

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Heavy Seas The Great'er Pumpkin is a cloudy orange/amber beer with an off white head that fades quickly and leaves nice lacing. There's lots of oak in the nose. That's pretty much the aroma: bourbon barrel. It's full bodied and bubbly. It leaves the tongue a little silty. Charred oak dominates the taste. There is possible nutmeg detected, but no pumpkin. This is a bourbon flavored beer. Fortunately, I like bourbon. This is some heavy stuff, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 18:45:59 | More by yesyouam

david131

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- A hazy, bright orange liquid with a thin but creamy bone white head.

S- Very aromatic with loads of bourbon, vanilla, mint, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Very nice.

T- Bourbon and pumpkin pie. A bit heavier on the spices than the aroma lead on. There is some definite alcohol presence.

M- A creamy body with subtle carbonation. The finish is pretty warm from the alcohol.

D- A bit of a sipper, but very memorable and enjoyable. Worth seeking out for something different.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 04:26:34 | More by david131

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22-ounce bottle into a Saranac pint glass.

A: Rich, copper orange color with a fluffy, beige head of foam which dissipated slowly and left some clingy lacing. Dense chilled haze with some suspended yeast floating about.

S: Boozy oak, vanilla and harvest spices with a classic bourbon aroma. Smells warm, inviting, and dangerous, actually.

T: Sweet rush of roasted malts and pumpkin with accompanying spices, but more mellow, warm and booze-spicy because of the bourbon-barrel aging. Imparts flavors of wet tobacco leaf, earthy and herbal malt as well as a good amount of spicy pumpkin-driven hop bitterness. Washes down mellow, smooth and rather boozy.

M: Heavy, rich and full-bodied mouthfeel with mellow vanilla-oaky smoothness and a bourbon sting in the finish. A nice sipper.

O: Very interesting twist on an imperial pumpkin, leave it to Heavy Seas to make one feel even more jacked up with the additional bourbon-aging. Sit around the fire and sip in the 9% ABV Great'er Pumpkin with ease. Or in a sincere pumpkin patch.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 16:02:13 | More by Gambrinus1184

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice bourbon barrellization of the Great Pumpkin… This is truly greater.

Presentation: 22 oz brown capped bottle. Perfunctory pirate skull and bones design: here the Great Pumpkin logo gets the barrel treatment. Pirate narrative describing the general style of the brew without going into much detail. Shows 9% Alc. by Vol. Poured into a tulip glass.

A - Medium amber-orange with an short frothy head, moderate to faint retention, small surface ring, and faint lacing.

S - Softly spice bourbon whiff, oaken sweet caramel riding the e pumpkin layer.

T - The tastes amplifies the sweet and spice pumpkin sense with a nice bourbon barrel identity, nice sync of spices woven with the oak vanilla. Underflow of the expected all spice, cinnamon, and clove come together in a subtle way dancing with the fleshy pumpkiness.

M - Medium carbonation and body. Prickly with a rather smooth finish and a soft lingering warmth.

O - Surprised by the flow of this offering. Nice sipper…

Notes: I many need to revisit the Great after having had the Greater Pumpkin… This works pretty well. Now, it´s only the second barrel aged bourbon pumpkin ale I try, and both, but this one in particular, were quite surprising… I may need to pick up another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 18:30:19 | More by Daniellobo

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into my large brandy snifter.

A- Body is a uniformly translucent pumpkin hue-its pretty cloudy. Pours with a 2 finger or so smooth, creamy white head. This slowly, eventually fades to a nice thick collar. Little lacing is left behind in the glass.

S- Pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar stand out the most initially. Behind this is a distinct boozy astrigency. A slight bourbon sweetness can also be detected.

T-There is a very good balance initially of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet bourbon, and dry oak. Its quite complex. The finish is more astrigent-with some alcohol bitterness coming through-but the spices and pumpkin have almost equal strength. What lingers is a good bit of nutmeg and cinnamon, a hint of pumpkin-and a big alcohol warmth.

M- Medium to low carbonation with a slightly dry, spicy body with medium weight.

D- This is a very good, different pumpkin ale. The bourbon barrels add a different character-and certainly a big kick. This is clearly a strong pumkin ale that doesn't hide its booziness. Job well done by Clipper City here- one of my favorites from them.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 03:23:06 | More by PittBeerGirl

jsh420

Illinois

1.75/5  rDev -54.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

pours cloudy amber orange with a 1 finger head that left some spotted lacing

smell - almost none but i get some watered down bourbon

taste - sweet bourbon smacks your tastes buds right off the bat - this beer has more bourbon flavor then lots of stouts aged in bourbon barrels and no pumpkin to back it up - i think i might and coke zero so i can drink this booze monster

mouthfeel - kind of sticky medium body with low carbonation

drinkability is awful - 3/4 of this bottle went down the drain

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 03:10:53 | More by jsh420

nlmartin

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was served chilled in a pint glass.

Appearance: The body of the beer is a reddish orange coloration. The head was white and quickly resolved into a ring of foam.

Smell: The aroma of the beer has suprise vanilla bourbon, pumpkin, nutmeg, honey and cinnamon. Pretty much exactly what I was expecting.

Taste: The taste is a mixed bag for me. The bourbon vanilla barrel flavor peaks its head out of the jack - o - lantern. Meaning a fairly well balanced interplay between flavors. Was hoping for a bit more bourbon. The spice part of the beer is really well done. I have had pumpkin beers that are a giant mess due to spices. The cinnamon, nutmeg and perhaps cardamon are fairly subdued.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability: Smooth even slick full bodied beer low carbonated but works well with the beers character. No sign of the alcohol in the mouth. The more of this I drink the more I am digging the beer. The beer would be a sipper for a more restrained beer drinker. Nicely played!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 11:08:16 | More by nlmartin

JayS2629

Alabama

3.03/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

There are some bitter, lemony hop characteristics on the finish of this beer that seem out of place with the rest of the taste.

It pours a bright orange, pumpkin copper with a thin white ring of foam. Creamy swirls of white float on a thin film on top. Leave some thin creamy laces.

The smell is of pumpkin, hints of vanilla, allspice, and a touch cinnamon. Strong note of good bourbon.

Nice toasted malt hold its all up with hints of bourbon and oak peeking through. Follows the nose with the pumpkin and spices. Nice sweet front with a bitter, lemony hop in the breath of the finish that just didn't seem to fit. This could have been done better. The bourbon burns and fights the spice for domination. Bourbon wins. Out of balance.

The body was medium with some creamy qualities.

Its an easy drink, sweet but not cloying, and not overly spiced. The balance was done nicely, its just not my favoirte pumpkin beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 22:00:37 | More by JayS2629

Dope

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep orange pour with a nice billowy tan head. Retention is good and lacing is excellent.

S: Tons of pumpkin along with some milder pumpkin spices. Nutmeg and cinnamon in particular. A bit of bourbon, surprisingly not much. Bourbon comes out as it warms. A touch of vanilla?

T: Much like the nose. Lots of bourbon soaked pumpkin with nutmeg and cinnamon in the background. A light touch of vanilla everywhere. A little bit of oak too, especially in the aftertaste.

M: Medium body, a little tingle from the bourbon.

O: Interesting take on a pumpkin beer, never had a bourbon barrel one. Definitely adds a decent bit of complexity that complements the beer. Base beer isn't really all that hot unfortunately, needs more spices.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 04:33:59 | More by Dope

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz brown bottle. No freshness date.
Served in a Sam Adams lager glass.
It pours an orange-hued copper color with little specks of suspended floaties and a thin beige head which fades in a matter of seconds. No lacing whatsoever.
The first smell is that of a spiced pumpkin bourbon cake (not a bad idea!), followed by some citrus zest and a whiff of dry barn.
The flavors are fairy intense with pumpkin, bready malt, spices, lemony citrus, grapefruit and bourbon.
The alcoholic profile grows as you get halfway through the glass, and I think to myself yourself, "I've had 2 Wolaver Pumpkin Ales,
and a Sierra Nevada Tumbler before this and now I have to consider how many hours I've been drinking, what I ate and how much I weigh, because I'm feeling this brew in each breath I take and there is a noticeable pleasant buzz in the works. Fear not! I'm sitting in my home office just drinking and a typing...and staring at the pumpkin I just bought.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 01:35:13 | More by BeerResearcher

vfgccp

New York

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A – Opaque ice tea apricot body. Creamy, white head has ok retention and lace.

S – Green olives dominate the nose. Bright oak and molasses play backup, but can’t stand up to the overwhelming brine.

T – Strangely, but thankfully, none of the brine makes it into the profile. Soft bourbon is restrained, sweet, and paired with a vanilla and rolling oak. Chardonay-like twang in the center. Honey and light-grade molasses balance the alcohol and oak in the finish.

M – Medium-full body. Well carbonated.

O – Outstanding flavor profile, but almost no pumpkin flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 02:02:44 | More by vfgccp

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from a 1 year old cellared bottle. Great'er Pumpkin pours a hazy orange amber with a small creamy white head. The foam dissolves quickly leaving behind a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is malty with a touch of tartness. Caramel, bubblegum. oak, vanilla and bourbon are blended with green apple and some medicinal alcohol.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is syrupy with mild carbonation. The flavor is rich and sweet with a touch of tartness. Caramel malt followed by oak, vanilla, bourbon and dark fruit are followed by some green apple tartness. It finishes with a taste of cinnamon with lingering oak and tart flavors.

This is a very tasty beer that's easy to drink for 9% abv.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 22:30:45 | More by WanderingFool

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz into Newport Storm pint glass. 2010 bottling.

A- A orangey amber beer that kind of looks like oil and water mixed. Is that the saturated bourbon or the pumpkin remnants? Hmm... White head that fizzes out quickly.

S- Bourbon! Pumpkin spices mix with the vanilla oaky peppery bourbon notes.

T- Bourbon-dominated. The pumpkin flavors mesh well and almost fade into the background of the flavor profile. The spices are integrated with the bourbon notes.. if you like bourbon you will love this beer. People who don't like bourbon might find this beer to be too much. I personally love it.

M- A bit hot, good carbonation keeps it from being too heavy.

D- High. I really like this beer, it won't be for everyone but I think the bourbon barrels work really well with the pumpkin ale base. I've bought a half-case of this already and will buy more if I see it. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 13:49:24 | More by ShogoKawada

russwbeck

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Yellow orange pour with a surprisingly large white head. The retention is very good. I was expecting this to be much, much darker.

S: The smell is pretty boozy. Bourbon and whiskey mostly. The pumpkin and spices have mostly become subdued. Vanilla and a bit of oakiness remain.

T: The taste really surprises me. The bourbon really overpowers it. The pumpkin, spices, and cinnamon show up on the back...and it doesn't taste good. Very strange taste. Never had a beer this light with bourbon flavors. Sort of confuses my palate.

MF: Light and carbonated well. Alcohol is certainly noticeable.

O: Not terribly drinkable. It tasted really strange. It was balanced, but the aftertaste was just so weird. Certainly glad I tasted it, but I wouldn't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 18:56:10 | More by russwbeck

jampics2

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into a snifter. Sampled alongside the regular Great Pumpkin, which I believe I actually prefer to this.

The pour produces an off white head on top of the dirty pumpkin orangeish brown body. Not a great looking beer, the head quickly recedes and doesn't leave good lace. Just a bit above average here, but mostly the same look as the Great Pumpkin.

The smell is where the two beers start to differ. This has some spices, namely cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, but also features some well-integrated bourbon. There's not a lot of malt, and the bourbon is just barely there - enough to notice but not a huge dominant component. There's also some notes of vanilla and butterscotch, and maybe even some brown sugar, but they're not very expressive. This was a step back from the very expressive and pleasant nose of the Great Pumpkin. Also, some really heavy booze emerges. This gained a single percent but apparently that was all raw booze.

Whereas the Great Pumpkin has a nice sweetness to the taste, that quality is taken away by the bourbon in this version, and I can't say it's for the best. The caramel is replaced with dry bourbon and wood, but the notes I would have liked - oak tannins, coconut, vanilla - aren't prominent or, in some cases, even present. Some spice and bourbon sting don't work that well together, and, while it has bready tastes and isn't a bourbon bomb, the beer just looses so much sweetness and replaces it with bourbon and booze.

The mouthfeel is OK, medium body and medium carbonation, with some lingering booze and spice. Overall, this was just not working for me, and I was very excited by the idea. The execution, however, was just not great, but an admirable attempt. I'd love if someone made a bourbon barrel aged pumpkin beer with lots of vanilla from the barrel, maybe a barrel aged imperial chocolate pumpkin stout. That's the ticket. Until that get's released, stick to the regular Great Pumpkin or pour a bit of Makers Mark into a Southern Tier Pumking (don't try that at home, I'm kidding).

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 16:43:35 | More by jampics2

Bendurgin

Maine

1.88/5  rDev -51.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Poured this into a pint glass. The body is hazy orange with about a finger of off white head that looks thick and creamy. The body actually really looks like sweet apple cider. Maybe because it's Autumn. The head doesn't retain very well and leaves just a little spotty lacing. I can definitely smell the pumpkin in this one, a bit of oak and certainly the bourbon. The bourbon is actually a bit aggressive, it makes it a bit to intense. Ugh. Pumpkin and bourbon don't go well together at all. This reminds me of cough syrup. I can taste the pumpkin, bourbon and Autumn spices but the bourbon is too much. I remember having the regular version last year and it wasn't bad. But these flavors just don't go well together. The mouthfeel isn't bad. Not really good though because the feeling in my mouth is just the really bad taste of cough syrup. Not at all drinkable. I'm really pissed at Shane from Tully's for pointing this one out to me and convincing me I should try it. That's strike two Shane.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 01:19:52 | More by Bendurgin

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 vintage
A - pours a rich brownish orange with very little foam with no lacing, just a ring of soapy bubbles making a ring around the glass
S - aroma is mostly pumpkin with hints of the bourbon and some pumpkin spices. It actually smells really nice.
T - nice pumpkin base with a nice mix of spices to round this one out. The bourbon is faint yet still very present. Its mellow but tastes very nice. I guess I'm saing that there is no alcohol burn.
M - medium bodied with some nice carbonation. a bit tingly.
D - a very nice pumpkin ale, all of the flavors seem to meld together nicely, including the bourbon. Nothing overpowers and makes this one very easy to drink. Not sure if this is due to a year of aging.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 05:33:48 | More by mikereaser

biggred1

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dense, deep pumpkin-orange with a creamy eggshell head that leaves pretty lace on the glass. The aroma is pumpkin spice and bourbon barrel, toasted oak notes. A creamy, custard-like pumpkin pie and whiskey barrel quality..who wouldn't like that? A toasty, oaky whisky barrel version of a pumpkin beer. Good stuff. Full bodied,oaky and sticky.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 03:16:29 | More by biggred1

bum732

Maryland

2.83/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

S: Some pumpkin spices with a moderate bourbon note, slight squash tartness.

L: Hazy, bright burnt orange with a white head that dissipates.

T: Bourbon up front with a pumpkin spice background. Low bitterness yields to sweet pumpkin pie with some additional bourbon notes. Finishes semi-dry with a touch of oak.

M: Medium full body, medium low carbonation, slick.

Big beer, big bourbon as well, not a whole lot of pumpkin, pretty messy. Drain pour normally, but i wanted to get drunk.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 02:10:19 | More by bum732

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle, fall 2010 vintage.

Pours hazy amber/copper with a one finger off-white head that leaves good spotty lacing and holds a good cap.

Aroma is pumpkin, spices: clove, ginger, cinnamon, clove, not much bourbon on the nose although good overall strength.

Flavor is pumpkin, spices such as ginger, clove, nutmeg, a little cinnamon, fair bourbon whiskey, light vanilla, malty, light hop presence, alcohol makes an appearance, long spiced finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, medium carbonation, creamy.

Good pumpkin beer, less bourbon than expected. A big beer that needs sharing as 22oz would be too much for one person.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2010 21:51:36 | More by elgiacomo

n2185

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark orange with a finger of off-white head that recedes into a thin layer with little lacing.

S: Some pumpkin spices up front followed by vanilla, oak, and a surprising tart aroma that is reminiscent of tart cherries. Smooth bourbon aromas bring up the finish with some slight yam notes. Quite nice.

T: Spices up front again followed by a fairly strong kick of bread and bourbon. Vanilla and oak are mixed in as well with a slightly bitter finish and pumpkin showing up on the aftertaste. Light alcohol burn.

M: Medium body with lowish carbonation, this beer could benefit from a creamier body to compliment the bourbon aspects.

O: A pretty good pumpkin ale. While the bourbon does tend to dominate the pumpkin flavors, it does not completely mask them.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 02:31:16 | More by n2185

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours a tarnished copper color with a quickly fading almost white head that leaves some decent lacing.

aroma first is of bourbon, then spices, then some sweetening from the pumpkin, plenty of vanilla, brown sugar, though not a very strong aroma and a bit bourbon dominant.

bourbon again out of the gate with the spices up next and a bit of squash-like pumpkin flavor with a vanilla and boozy finish.

medium bodied with a heavier level of carbonation than I'd expect in a bourbon-barrel aged beer.

not my favorite pumpkin ale, not my favorite imperial pumpkin ale (fishermans imperial pumpkin stout!), not my favorite bourbon barrel aged beer (allagash curieux), but an enjoyable beer that I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 02:25:07 | More by silentjay

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a very deep orange color with no carbonation and an off-white creamy foam head with rocky billowing bubbles in the middle.

S - Heavy spiced pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, some boozy bourbon, and perhaps some light vanilla aroma.

T - WOW! This beer strikes a perfect balance between pumpkin, spices, vanilla, and bourbon. There's some light woodiness in the flavor as well and the combination of everything together makes for a very interesting beer, it all plays very well together with no one fighting for the front seat. Halfway through the sip, the bourbon and oak flavors are more pronounced. After all the sweetness, this beer does finish with a nice touch of hop bitterness. I'm not a huge fan of cask beers but it really does bring out the nuances in a beer, although I much prefer CO2. The booze creates a very noticeable warming in the back of the throat on the way down.

M - Thick and full bodied that's total velvet on the tongue.

D - Can't have too many of these, they're very potent. Of the pumpkin beers I've had, I'd have to stamp this one as my favorite.

Pumpkin and bourbon barrels, now here's something very different...and I like it!

Serving type: cask

10-09-2010 01:59:31 | More by jzeilinger

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours viscous with a short ecru head. The foam that's there is bubbly and active and leaves minuscule spots of lace behind. Not surprising considering the abv and the spices. Body is an auburn color with bright orange highlights and relatively clear, but this is the first half of the bottle.

S- still cold, it smells of heavy nutmeg. I like that. Cinnamon, brown sugar and loads of whiskey barrel aromas follow up with an alluring vanilla and punkin pie profile. Tartness comes into play as well, and makes for a very well rounded nose thanks to the bourbon and charred wood. This one is earthy sweet, with a great balance of spice to counteract the sugars. Notes of buttered rum come through easily as it warms with date and fig and over-ripened berries.

T- pumpkin pie WITH the pie crust. I've never had a pumpkin beer that strikes a balance between sweet/salty/sour/bitter but this does it. Malty sweetness with an earthy sweetness and tannins from the oak paired with a hint of bitterness from the spices does the trick. Cinnamon, clove, maaaad nutmeg, mace, vanilla, tobacco, cured wood and sour wood. Soil and mushroom, all backed up by the buttery sweet aroma with a fruity kick. Alcohol is there in a spiced rum sort of way adds to the flavor. Finishes like speyside scotch with burn and lingering fruity and peppercorn notes.

MF- the combination of alcohol and tight, zippy carbonation stings the palate, opening craters for the flavor to sink into. Barrel aging has definitely benefitted here as the tannins provide a spark to lift the sugary feeling. Idk if it is bottle conditioned but knowing clipper city and feeling the sandpaper, it probably is. Much love to em.

D- being a "big beer" and considering my notions of pumpkin ale, this shit is off the chain. Barrel aging sells it to me but even without that I believe this would be a stellar spiced ale. I'm not kickin it here all cinnamon faced either. Nutmeg and brown sugar are up front, although the brown sugar could be elements of the vanilla flavors from the wood. Either way, it's a banger.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 05:56:32 | More by hustlesworth