With Thanksgiving Day nearing, what better pint would there be to review than a Rum-spiced Pumpkin Ale? Unfortuantley, it's not exactly the beer treasure you'd expect for a Rum fan.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on the very difficult to find, Rum Barrel Aged Rumpkin from Avery Brewing Company – and like most treasure hunts, this one ended up short on delivery. Like Avery's previously reviewed Beast Grand Cru, Rumpkin's balance between sweet and citrus leaned like a peg leg pirate far too much on the sweet side.
The Washdown:
- dark colored, mild head, more like medicine that's nothing like the grown up kind, Rumpkin Pumpkin Ale (Avery Brewing Co. in Boulder, CO) 15.90% ABV
This pint has lots of fruity notes with Caramel Rum and a mild Sugar tongue. Where Rumpkin goes wrong is in its super high alcohol content, bordering the likes of Triaminic.
Treasure hunts tend to be more about the journey than the result, and in the case of this Pumpkin Ale that fact holds to be true – just like the sailing winds from the west and the star to the north.
Would I buy this beer again? No. Should you get one? Only if you're interested in the hunt.
Happy soon-to-be Harvest Day.
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