Elysian Brewing Company Night Owl Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer at 5.9% ABV ($8.49 at South Trail Co-Op)
Pours a clear pale to medium amber with a short, short-lived off-white head, minimal lacing. Nose is moderate to strong pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, caramel. Taste is initially moderate sweet pumpkin pie followed by mild to moderate bitter, building spice. Medium body, moderate sustained carbonation, with a dry, strongly bitter finish.
Wow! Another good pumpkin beer! That’s two this year! I think this one might be just slightly better than the Sam Adams – a little more pumpkin pie-ish – even though the sweetness might be a bit much if one were to have more than one. Nice balance of real pumpkin flavour and traditional pumpkin pie spices, with a decent underlying ale. I might not say yes to a second one, but I would say yes to another one, should the opportunity arise. Get it now while it’s fresh, because I can see this dimming significantly with age.
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
