Happy Halloween!!!!

Greetings from the NorCal Beer Blog!

Halloween is my favorite time of year.

Best wishes to you and yours tonight.  Be safe and lift a pint to the Great Pumpkin.

I know I will!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey
check out my "other" blog here
for Halloween fun

Cigar City Brewing Oktoberfest

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Cigar City Brewing Oktoberfest - German-Style Festbier.

From the Cigar City Brewing website: “Orange in color with a rocky white head, this festive lager is our tribute to Duke Wilhelm IV’s marriage hundreds of years ago, which inspired the production of the first Oktoberfest. Our märzen is malty up front with notes of sweet toasted bread and a light floral bitterness that balances out the malt sweetness in the finish.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance:  Pours a light amber color with a nice off-white head and great lacing.

Aroma: Bready, caramel and biscuit malts with a touch of spice in the nose.

Taste: Sweet and malty, grainy, biscuit, caramel and bready malts balanced with a touch of floral hoppiness.

Overall: A solid Märzen, Cigar City Brewing Oktoberfest is delicious.  This 5.5% ABV offering is well worth sourcing if you can find some.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Shipyard Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel Aged Smashed Pumpkin

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Shipyard Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel Aged Smashed Pumpkin - Bottle No. 00449.

I can’t recall if I purchased this bottle at Santa Clara Liquors (here) or The Wine Club (here), but you can’t go wrong with either place so visit them BOTH and tell them that Mark Harvey from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

Commercial description: “The beer has been aged for 100 days in bourbon barrels prior to bottling.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours copper orange with a dense off-white head and slight lacing.

Aroma: Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, maple syrup, bourbon, pumpkin, vanilla, oak and sweet malts.

Taste: Cinnamon, ginger, all spice, clove, vanilla, pumpkin, bourbon, vanilla and oak.

Overall: As a fan of the non-barrel aged version I was fairly certain I’d enjoy the Shipyard Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel Aged Smashed Pumpkin.  This 12% ABV offering is a great Fall seasonal that will carry you into the Holiday season very nicely.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Central City Red Betty Spiced Pumpkin Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Today’s featured beer is Central City Red Betty Spiced Pumpkin Ale.

I picked this bottle up at Cask & Flask in San Jose (here).  They have a fantastic selection.  Tell them that Mark Harvey from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark orange with an off-white head and soapy lacing.

Aroma: Sweet malts, pumpkin, brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, clove, vanilla and molasses.

Taste: Flavor follows the nose with pumpkin pie spices, sweet malts, pumpkin and brown sugar with the flavor profile on the spicier end of the spectrum.

Overall: Smooth and drinkable, Central City Red Betty Spiced Pumpkin Ale is good.  This 5% ABV offering is worth a try for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Terrapin Beer Company Pumpkinfest

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Terrapin Beer Company Pumpkinfest - Malt Beverage Brewed With Pumpkins And Spices.

From the Terrapin Beer Company website: “It’s not fall at Terrapin until we can fill our steins with Pumpkinfest. This seasonal brew encompasses your Thanksgiving spread in one tasty sip. Perfectly balanced pumpkin (real pumpkin!) and spices are added to, without overwhelming, this German style brew. Expect a pumpkin pie nose followed by a strong malt backbone, low hop bitterness and authentic fall taste, all wrapped in a light bodied beer. Prost!”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark copper color with a large off-white head and lots of lacing.

Aroma: Pumpkin pie spices dominate with cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice and nutmeg followed by pumpkin, bready and caramel malts.

Taste: Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and clove give this one an upfront spicy flavor.  Pumpkin, toffee, caramel and bready malts round this one out.

Overall: A nice cross between a Marzen and Pumpkin Ale, Terrapin Beer Company Pumpkinfest is very enjoyable.  This 6.1% ABV offering is refreshing and worth picking up if you’re in the mood for a slightly different take on a Pumpkin beer.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Brouwerij Van Steenberge Vampire Pale Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Brouwerij Van Steenberge Vampire Pale Ale.

Commercial description: “With its 7.0% alcohol by volume, Vampire Pale Ale is somewhat higher in alcohol content than regular ales, but it’s not overpowering like the name might suggest. Instead its alluring color and aroma envelop the ever-present hops and fruity esters that leads you craving for more and more. Like all living ales, Vampire Pale Ale will continue to improve with age.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden color with a large white head and great lacing.

Aroma: Fruity, banana, grainy malts and Belgian yeast.

Taste: Straw and grainy malts, Belgian yeast, fruity, coriander, citrus and honey.

Overall: Light and smooth, Brouwerij Van Steenberge Vampire Pale Ale was very delicious.  This 7% ABV offering is refreshing and worth picking up again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Halloween Party Beverages of choice

Greetings,

Here's a list of all of the excellent beers I've reviewed that would be appropriate for a Fall/Halloween party.

Halloween is my favorite holiday!

I've got links below to my Halloween tunes as well so crack open a cold one and click "play" and enjoy this wonderful holiday!



Be safe - have fun - drink responsibly!

Here goes:

Southern Tier Brewing Company Imperial Pumking Ale - review here

Almanac Beer Company Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine- review here

Midnight Sun Brewing Company Trickster Belgian Style Ale - review here

Midnight Sun Brewing Company T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter - review here

Elysian Brewing Co. Night Owl Pumpkin Ale - review here

Hermitage Brewing Company Fruit Crate Pumpkin Ale - review here

Uinta Brewing Co. Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Ale - review here

Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale - review here

Buffalo Bill's Brewery Pumpkin Ale - review here

The Bruery / Elysian / Stone La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado - review here

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Punkin Ale - review here

Pumpkin Beer...taste tests (includes Shipyard Brewing Co. Pumpkinhead Ale and Wasatch Pumpkin
Seasonal Ale) - review here

Uinta Brewing Company Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale - review here

Shipyard Brewing Company Smashed Pumpkin Ale - review here

New Belgium Brewing Pumpkick Ale - review here

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale - review here

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat - review here

Heretic Brewing Co. Gramarye Rye Pale Ale - review here

Heretic Brewing Company Evil Twin Blood Red West Coast Amber - review here

Heretic Brewing Company Evil Cousin Imperial IPA - review here

Heretic Brewing Company Shallow Grave Porter - review here

Knee Deep Brewing Company Midnight Hoppyness Imperial Black IPA - review here

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Dark English Ale - review here

Rogue Ales Dead Guy Ale - review here

Newcastle Werewolf Blood Red Ale - review here

Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur - review here

B. Nektar Meadery Black Fang Mead- review here

B. Nektar Meadery Zombie Killer Cherry Cyser- review here

B. Nektar Meadery Evil Genius IPA-Style Mead- review here

B. Nektar Meadery Necromangocon Mead- review here

The Willow’s Market Dark Matter Imperial Stout - brewed by Strike Brewing Company- review here

The Lost Abbey Witch’s Wit Summer Wit Ale- review here

The Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout- review here

The Lost Abbey Inferno Ale- review here

Unibroue Maudite Belgian Strong Dark Ale - review here

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Robert Johnson's Hellhound on my Ale - review here

Clown Shoes Second Anniversary Ale Vampire Slayer Imperial American Stout - review here

Jester King Craft Brewery Farmhouse Black Metal English Imperial Stout - review here

Jester King Craft Brewery Wytchmaker Rye IPA - review here

Heretic Brewing Company Torment Dark Belgian-Style Ale - review here

Drake's Brewing Company Jolly Rodger American Barleywine-Style Ale - review here

Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company Black Widow Oatmeal Stout - review here

Anchor Brewing Company BigLeaf Maple Autumn Red Ale - review here

Almanac Beer Company Dark Pumpkin Sour - review here

Avery Brewing Company The Beast Grand Cru Ale - review here

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Pinchy Jeek Barl Bourbon Barrel Pumpkin Ale - review here

Grand Teton Brewing Company Howling Wolf Weisse Bier - review here

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Fall Hornin' Pumpkin Ale - review here

10 Barrel Brewing Company S1nist0r Black Ale - review here

AleSmith Brewing Company Evil Dead Red - review here

The Bruery Autumn Maple Belgian-Style Brown Ale - review here

Brasserie Dieu du ciel! Péché Mortel Imperial Coffee Stout - review here

21st Amendment Brewery and Elysian Brewing He Said Belgian-Style Tripel - review here

21st Amendment Brewery and Elysian Brewing Company He Said Baltic-Style Porter - review here

Left Coast Brewing Company Voo Doo American Stout - review here

Almanac Beer Company Dark Pumpkin Sour - review here

Avery Brewing Company Samael's Oak Aged Ale - review here

Cigar City Brewing Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale - review here

Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale - review here

B. Nektar Meadery The Zombies Take Manhattan Imperial Zombie Killer - review here

Avery Brewing Company Mephistopheles Stout - review here

Weyerbacher Brewing Company Imperial Pumpkin Ale - review here

The Bruery Ignis Fatuus - review here

Alaskan Brewing Company Pumpkin Porter - review here

Saranac Pumpkin Ale (Matt Brewing Company) - review here

Coronado Brewing Company Punk'In Drublic Imperial Pumpkin Ale - review here

Howe Sound Brewing Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale - review here

Avery Brewing Company Pump[KY]n - review here

Southern Tier Brewing Company Warlock - review here

Avery Brewing Company Rumpkin - review here

Enjoy your Halloween festivities and be sure to check out my Halloween music...

Happy drinking and haunting!

Mark Harvey
(P.s.. read my other blog here)

Avery Brewing Company Rumpkin

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Avery Brewing Company Rumpkin - Ale Brewed with Pumpkin and Spices - Aged in Rum Barrels - Batch No. 4 - Bottled Sept. 22, 2014. I picked up this bottle at The Willow’s Market (here). If you haven’t yet been to Willow’s Market in Menlo Park, CA you really should. With well over 1,000 craft beers you’d be hard pressed to find a better selection.

From the Avery Brewing Company website: “We wondered what would happen if a monstrous pumpkin ale, plump full of spicy gourdiness, were aged in fine fresh rum barrels to add suggestions of delicate oak and candied molasses. Rumpkin is what happened! This first member of the Annual Barrel-Aged Series was brewed with roasted pumpkins from a local Boulder County farm, and spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours orangish amber with a nice off-white head and light lacing.

Aroma: Cinnamon, nutmeg, oak, molasses, caramel, ginger, pumpkin, rum and a touch of toffee.

Taste: Rum is way up front, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, toffee, oak, ginger and dark fruits.

Overall: Complex and a bit hot, Avery Brewing Company Rumpkin is boozy and good.  This 16.73% ABV beast packs a serious punch. I plan to source more (maybe a bottle or two) to cellar.  I’m sure with a little more time the heat will subside.  The flavors are incredible and I completely enjoyed it.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Southern Tier Brewing Company Warlock

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Southern Tier Brewing Company Warlock - Imperial Stout Brewed With Pumpkins and Natural Flavor.

From the Southern Tier Brewing Company website: “Warlock is brewed to enchant your palate on its own and also to counterpoint our Imperial Ale, Pumking. Make your own black magic by carefully pouring this Imperial Stout into a goblet.

Dark and mysterious, the Blackwater Series is serious about high gravity. Reanimate your senses with Warlock’s huge roasted malt character, moderate carbonation and spicy pumpkin pie aroma.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark reddish brown with a small tan head and very light lacing.

Aroma: Pumpkin, cinnamon, chocolate, ginger, nutmeg, roasted malt and molasses.

Taste: Roasted and chocolate malts, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, molasses, nutmeg and light espresso notes.

Overall: Lightly sweet and extremely drinkable, Southern Tier Brewing Company Warlock is fantastic! This 8.6% ABV offering is well worth seeking out.  Delicious!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Avery Brewing Company Pump[KY]n

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Avery Brewing Company Pump[KY]n - Porter brewed with Pumpkin & Spices - Aged in Bourbon Barrels - Batch No. 1 - Bottled Sept. 12, 2014. I picked this bottle up at The Willow’s Market (here). If you haven’t yet been to Willow’s Market in Menlo Park, CA you really should. 

Commercial description: “Bourbon barrel-aged pumpkin porter, spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, and aged in fresh Bourbon barrels for 6 months.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with a nice tan head and light lacing.

Aroma: Bourbon is huge followed by pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, oak, roasted and caramel malts.

Taste: Boozy bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and other pumpkin spices, brown sugar, caramel, dark fruits, roasted malts and pumpkin.

Overall: Sweet and delicious, Avery Brewing Company Pump[KY]n lives up to the hype.  This 17.22% ABV offering is boozy and I plan to try and source another bottle or two to cellar to see how it ages.  It was a little hot in my opinion, but enjoyable.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)