Glaringly perfumed boozy esters give undetermined pumpkin ale its phenolic amber-grained Scotch edge, limiting autumnal cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger spicing, candied yam sweetness, squash earthiness and oaken vanilla musk.
SPELLBOUND ESTER’S PUMPKIN ALE
Tag Archives: SPELLBOUND BREWING
SPELLBOUND MAYAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Well integrated 3rd anniversary stout springs ancho chili peppering upon bittersweet dark chocolate and vanilla bean insistence. Alongside the moderate ancho heat, bitter Blackstrap molasses drapes wood-burnt hop char and mild pine tarring enveloping cinnamon-barked mocha stead. Distant Peppermint Patty candy, chocolate-covered cherry and molasses oatmeal cookie illusions waver.
SPELLBOUND BREWING
MOUNT HOLLY, NEW JERSEY
Inside a tan brick warehouse in the close-knit Philadelphia suburb of Mount Holly, SPELLBOUND BREWING opened its doors in 2014. One of Jersey's finest breweries, its owners are passionate homebrewing geeks crafting "everyday classics" and "extreme boundary pushing recipes."
An overhead door leads to the small cement bay where several stainless steel brew tanks and some gray benches exist. Reclaimed wood decorates the eight-seat lacquer-topped bar and a few tables fill out the pub. There are a dozen-plus draughts available.
My wife and I went in late April '23 to check out Spellbound's expansive beer lineup.SPELLBOUND MAJOR NELSON IPA
On tap at Kitchen & Beer Bar, briskly clean NEIPA mingles sweetly soured Nelson Sauvin-hopped gooseberry, mango, guava, passionfruit, pineapple and kiwi tropicalia with grassy Citra-hopped lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and earthy Mosaic-hopped floral pining over soft oats flaked base.
SPELLBOUND PUMPKIN ALE
On tap at Hoover's, weak pumpkin-spiced barleywine lacks descriptive stylistic diversity and becomes arid. Pumpkin pie sweetness and brown-sugared cinnamon toasting lost to sharp gin-licked orange rind bittering. Wispy ginger, nutmeg and allspice reminders need better resonance.
SPELLBOUND PEACH IPA
On tap at Taphouse 15, lacquered peach pasting gains boisterous citrus bittering as sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind spunk reigns over dank piney hop romp, nearly overwhelming initial peach tones and latent mango-nectarine snips.
SPELLBOUND OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE BROWN ALE
On tap at Hoover's, well-balanced oatmeal raisin cookie-defined full body lays on the nutty hop-charred resolve to deepen its cocoa-powdered black malt bittering against cookie dough-sugared oatmeal raisin persuasion. Vanilla-beaned Blackstrap molasses sinew adds to bitter edge, sacrificing some of the oatmeal raisin splendor.
SPELLBOUND PALO SANTO PORTER
Interesting year round mocha porter aged on incense-like palo santo wood loads mildly creamed dark chocolate syrup upon Madagascar vanilla bean bittering, toasted coconut sweetness, mild espresso milking and minty anise spicing. Slight burnt wood-toned chicory undercurrent laces robust mocha finish.
SPELLBOUND PORTER DAWG
On tap at Triton - Long Beach Island, milky dark chocolate syrup rides above cocoa nibs, vanilla and walnut illusions while mild hop char provides underscored bitterness. Crisply clean mineral water flow lightens the blackened mocha finish.
SPELLBOUND CHERRY BELGIAN TRIPEL
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead - Hoboken, sweet 'n sour red cherry juicing gains tart candied banana spicing and honeyed malt sugaring to contrast musky herbal peppering and musty green grape esters.
SPELLBOUND IPA
Fine flagship offering (in a can) will please avid hopheads with its oily hop bittering, resinous pine tarring and brisk juniper berry pungency. Sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind tang brightens all the musky bitterness. Wispy pineapple, peach, mango and mandarin orange tropicalia found in deep recess.
