Monday, October 31, 2011

Shipyard Brewing Co Pugsley's Signature Series Smashed Pumpkin

The first of two last minute entries is another pumpkin ale from Shipyard. This ale is more of an imperial pumpkin ale though and comes in at 9.0% abv. Smashed Pumpkin is served in a 22oz bomber with a really cool label that features a light jack-o-lantern and bright orange label. Although its not as creative as the label on Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale, its a close second. The brew itself poured a burnt orange with a nice head. Smell was actually surprisingly light for an imperial, with some cinnamon and nutmeg coming through strongest. Taste started off as your typical pumpkin ale with spices, but then moved into some nodes of real pumpkin before finishing with some grassy/earthy hops. It is absolutely delicious. I also really love the mouth feel which is pretty thick and almost creamy. The finish is a bit alcoholy, but not as bad as other imperial pumpkin ales (Weyerbacher) and the slight hops at the end are a great touch. This is definitely a top contender! Will it be enough to take the crown and win Shipyard a free brewery tour of Gallagher's Pub? We will find out in a little over 90 minutes!

No comments:

Post a Comment