Your Next Pint

Rumpkin Ale - unfortunately more rump than pumpkin

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.

New Belgium's Lips of Faith Kicks some juicy booty

My latest Whole Foods pint discovery, Kick, a "Lips of Faith" series from New Belgium Brewery is a genius collaboration with Elysian Brewing Company for the holiday season. Pumpkin meets Cranberry for some juicy fruity goodness that's got a kickin' tart flavor, but also borders on the legs of a sweet Lambic.

The Washdown:

- grapefruity nose, lightly carbonated, cinnamon & tangy taste with a frothy head that fizzles fast, Kick "Lips of Faith" (Fruity Ale by New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado) 8.5% ABV

This beer just might be the next best thing to get you through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Its high alcohol content & freaky Jackolantern design makes it fit for any poppin' party, and its seasonal pumpkin 'n cranberry flavors makes it fit for your next family gathering.

Pint Advice: Start stockin' up now!

A Pirate's Life for You and Brews at Newport Storm Brewery, RI

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Fresh out the bottle Newport Storm beers from Coastal Brewing Co. might be hard to miss on the outside, but that doesn't mean you should miss out on their 4 creative beer styles and Thomas Tew Rum too.

Since their recent soft open in late May for $7 Beer & $9 Rum Tastings, the brewery still lacks signage and is unfinished on the inside, but their flagship Hurricane Amber Ale can be found all over bars and liquor stores in Rhode Island. And in between construction, they've managed to find the time to tweet regularly @NewportStorm and throw events like fundraisers & Beer Dinners too.

The Washdown:

- barley citrus nose, wheaty tangy taste, red amber colored Hurricane Amber Ale, 5.2% ABV

- you can smell the strong blueberry way across the brewery, mildly fruity, golden-orange colored Rhode Island Blueberry Fruit Beer, 4.8% ABV

- citrus honey nose, tangy malty sweet, copper amber colored Regenschauer Oktoberfest, 5% ABV

- super hoppy nose, pine & citrus flavors with strong carbonation, cloudy orange-amber colored Summer IPA, 6.1% ABV

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As a beer blogger vacationing in Rhode Island a few weeks ago, you can imagine my excitement when I found out about the state's own brand new craft brewery.

I'd already tasted the oh-so popular Hurricane Amber Ale at several pubs, including the Brick Alley, before my visit. But when I was there I tasted more of the Ale's touch of caramel and almost burnt bite.

The Rhode Island Blueberry Fruit beer turned out to be one of the best – especially since the berry is my all time favorite. What I liked most is that the beer wasn't sweet, but actually very mild, making it an all-around great beer for the girls AND boys. The blueberries used to flavor the beer come from Sharton Farms in Exeter, then are pressed and pasteurized at Newport Vineyard.

The Oktoberfest had a citrusy caramel nose, a frothy head that quickly dissipated, and tasted malty, slightly bitter and grassy.

Finally the Summer IPA was big and bold with a nose as hoppy as Racer5 and tasted like grapefruit and pine.

Unfortunately, after 4 hefty beer tastings at $7 (you get to keep the glass for free too) I didn't have enough room for the dark Tew Rum. But I did learn that it's slowly made to replicate rums produced in Newport a swashbucklin' long time arrrrgo.

Stay tuned for a Newport Storm Beer Dinner at The Smokhouse, Saturday, Oct. 15th @ 6:30pm for $42pp.

Your Next Pint:

- the best of the bunch that should be bottled and sold, Windward Weiss exclusively on tap at the Castle Hill Inn & Resort