Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Julia got me a pair of acrylic skull mugs, which I have used here for the purpose of pouring a Halloween themed beer. Some would say that the Scandinavian version of cheers (Skål!) is derived from the word for skull and thus represents drinking from the hollowed out bones of your enemy. The words are related but not that closely...

For a party this weekend I was told to bring regular Sam Adams lager. I did that, but also brought along a sixer of their Pumpkin Ale, looking for something seasonal and also an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of pumpkin beers. Our founding fathers often had to use strange ingredients in order to fill up the beer barrels.

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
5.7% abv
14 IBUs (not a bitter beer at all)

Sam Adams does a great job of documenting the production details online, which is how I know that the hops used in this beer are East Kent Goldings and English Fuggles, which sound like two rival primary school soccer teams. This one has a pronounced pumpkin aroma and flavor, with that little sour tang of cooked squash flesh.

The dominant flavors come from the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, which in addition to a pumpkin pie profile also provide a nice little bite to the beer. This is delicious and well worth checking out if you've never had a pumpkin ale before. We had it on a cold and rainy night with four or five different pizzas, and everyone enjoyed it.

Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection

Samuel Adams has a long history of putting out sampler packs, sometimes based around the season and sometimes a group of new styles they're promoting. The Christmas pack that comes out is pretty popular, including my favorite beer name: Old Fezziwig Ale. I'd heard great things about the Latitude 48, but decided to try it as part of a sampler sixer to see what else they're working on.

Samuel Adams Irish Red
Irish Red Ale
5.8% abv.
The ale is nutty and toasty with great malts and solid bitterness. Way better than Killian's, and a great all-purpose beer. I'm not sure how available any of these beers are, but this is one that I would love in a restaurant.

Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat
American Pale Wheat Ale
5.3% abv.
This is supposed to be a twist on Hefeweizen, and there's a lot of debate out there on putting lemon or orange in your wheat beer. I like it sometimes, but prefer to pick my citrus and the amount. Unfortunately, this one includes the lemon peel as part of the brewing process, and it doesn't have the crisp burst of acidity that you get from fresh lemon. Not bad, but disappointing.

Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA
American IPA
6% abv.
The idea behind this IPA is to blend six different hops from various points along 48° N latitude. Just like with wine, coffee, chocolate, and tobacco, there are various belts in the north and south hemispheres that are perfect for certain crops. In this case they combined: Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble from Germany, East Kent Goldings from England, and Zeus, Simcoe, and Ahtanum from the Yakima Valley of Washington. It's deep, dark, deliciously bitter, with a great balance of malts and hops. Little bits of chocolate and toast and citrus and herbs and all sorts of amazing aromas and flavors. Highly recommended.

This beer is also available in a limited "deconstructed" set, in which the beers are separated out by each of the five hops so you can see how each contributes to the flavor. I first heard about the set from my friend Thomas Rickert, and there might be a pack waiting for me in Nashville or Indianapolis... stay tuned!