Tree Brewing Co. Jumpin Jack India Pumpkin Ale Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 6.5% ABV (C$7.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Appearance: clear deep amber, one fat finger of rocky ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, pale and caramel malts, faint vegetal pumpkin and spices, nutty, grassy and earthy. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry building bitter finish. (4/5)
Much more of an IPA than a pumpkin beer – lots of citrus and piney hops, with only faint vegetal pumpkin and spices in the background. I probably like this more than a lot of pumpkin beers for that very reason, but if the point is a pumpkin beer, it’s kind of missing that boat. I’m going to split the difference there, and grade this as a fairly unremarkable IPA. (And seriously? Am I rating the same beer as everybody else on ratebeer? People are going on about the pumpkin and spices, but for me they’re way, way back in the cheap seats. And pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and all that jazz generally don’t fade as fast as hops do, so I’m confused. Oh, well – normal state of being for me, I guess.) (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
