Infused with Red Hot/Fireball-whiskeyed hot cinnamon as well as vanilla extract and brown-sugared nutmeg, clove and cardamom sugaring, wintry pumpkin pie variant also receives slight cayenne pepper heat. At the plentiful finish, creamy vanilla richness underlines spicy hot pumpkin confection.
Despite new label, ’22 version lacks creamy coffee richness and distinctiveness of earlier winter-released predecessors. French roast coffee tones and nutty espresso splurge pile on a tad too much acidity for sharp walnut-cola sear. 2025 re-tasting gained dark roast Starbuck’s coffee boldness.
Dry semi-sharp clear golden German-styled zwickelbier puts lemony orange zest on the surface above French breaded carapils-wheat malting as perfumed floral spicing and raw-honeyed herbal musk reach the leathery straw hay finish.
On tap at Hoover’s, candied raspberry-blueberry-blackberry tartness gains lemon meringue twist and wispy vanilla-creamed sweetness trying to dupe the essence of a Christmastime French pastry. Staying soft on the tongue, its thinnish finish needs more penetrative berry rasp.
Mimicking a lime-juiced Kentucky mule cocktail from its sweet bourbon serenity to its ginger-leafed vodka smear and agave-teased tequila whim. Fresh-squeezed lime juicing stays pertinent while cologne-perfumed bourbon aging fades. An exquisite golden ale-based elixir from one of America’s best experimental brewers.
Less interesting bottled version (2017) suffers as desolate “wheat ale” aged on lightly toasted coconut flakes stays watery and thin. Mild coconut pureeing pushed aside by airy carbolic spritz. Distant coconut-sugared lemon wedging and pineapple juicing provide wavering Pina Colada spurt.
On tap at Cloverleaf, curious coconut puree-fermented cream ale may be a bit unassuming, but not unpleasant. Though aged in lightly toasted coconut, its brisk carbolic thrust and lemony orange-pineapple zestiness nearly supersede the delicate vanilla-daubed flaked coconut sweetness.
Alluring gold-hazed ‘blonde ale’ with tantalizing Tanzanian French roast coffee and Ghanian cocoa nibs placed over fizzy citric spritz. Capacious creamed coffee continuance dominates dark-roast chocolate subtlety over subtle hop-oiled cola nuttiness. Like a coffee spritzer!
Stylishly complex American pale ale retains brisk mineral-grained water crisping that smooths out lemony dry-hopped bittering, glutenous wheat-rye-whey conflux and herb-tinged earthiness.
