Being ever vigilant in my search for new ways to consume alcohol, I discovered Wolaver’s Organic Pumpkin Ale ($9.99/six pack) at Wegman’s today. You may remember one of my early posts on another of Wolaver’s brews, but this one is way better and more importantly, brewed with Vermont pumpkins! Not only that, but the pumpkins are organically grown less than twenty miles from the Vermont brewery. That means no shipping and also reinvestment in the local Vermont agricultural community, two things we can all agree upon. As all of Wolaver’s products go, the packaging and bottle artwork is top notch. Sporting a warm, bright orange label it is clearly a fall beer meant to compliment your October pumpkin pie. Luckily we still have enough days left in October to finish a six pack, if not more. And now the important part–the drinking!
Crack the first bottle of Pumpkin Ale and you immediately smell cinnamon, ginger, allspice and a light note of hops. I find the amount of hops in Wolaver’s stuff to be perfect, even if it can be a bit strong. But then again we are here to drink REAL beer, not that yellowish byproduct everybody confused as being drinkable. Pour some Pumpkin Ale and you get a deep amber tone with a surprisingly minimal head. It tends to be a thinner beer. I’m not complaining because it is incredibly smooth to drink. Once it settles in the glass it becomes very fragrant (think Blue Moon) and its pumpkin pie-like aroma really begins to shine. It is quite impressive, since so many beers tend to lack any identifiable aromas. With this beer anyone can pick out 3 or 4 distinct spices on first smell, which gives it a unique character.
Taste is along the same line. You get a deep, spicy initial bite and a hops snap minus the astringent bitterness. As I said, it is a thin beer so while it has the great, earthy taste it has a pleasant mouth-feel and it is easy to drink (several). If you’re looking for a food pairing I’d suggest it as a good companion to various poultry and pork. Other than that I’d say it goes with most fall staples such as apple sauce, cheeses and of course, pumpkin pie. So get out to Wegman’s (no guarantees) soon and grab yourself a six pack. I know $10.00 probably seems a bit high but it’s worth the extra cash, believe me.
Remember, this is a limited run, seasonal brew and it often proves difficult to find any Wolaver’s product in ‘Cuse (c’mon Brilbecks, help us out!). It’s really a shame that it is so hard to come by, so get it while ya can!
© 2011 – 2012, Michael Rotella. All rights reserved.
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