Terrapin: Pumkinfest Ale
Today I'm going to be reviewing Terrapin's Pumpkinfest Ale. This brewery based out of Athens, GA.
Terrapin's Pumpkinfest Ale is a
seasonal beer and comes out of Athens, GA. This is a very nice
example of the style (Pumpkin Beer). I highly recommend this to
anyone who enjoys Pumpkin beers, as well as to anyone who has not
tried one yet. Make this your first.
Website
says: 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.
On
the website, there wasn't really any style guideline. I'm just going
to call this a Seasonal Pumpkin Beer, for that reason.
STYLE: Seasonal Pumpkin Ale
COLOR: Medium-Light Amber
ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 14.5
HOPS: Vangaurd, Hallertaur, Hershrucker
MALT: Munich, Vienna, Munich II,
Catamunich II, Melanoiden
ADDITIONS: Cinnamon, Ginger, All Spice,
Cloves, & Pumpkin
BOTTLE CODE: Written on the Label.
Typically the date code on Terrapin beer is marked clearly on the
label. But I guess it's different with the Seasonal beers. However
there is something laser-etched on to the bottom of the bottle. But
this is not the bottle code.
- Only says, “Seasonal 2012”
COST:
- $2.49 - Single 12oz bottle
-
$11.00 - for a 4pk
WHAT IS MELANOIDEN?
The helps give German beers such as
Bocks and Oktoberfests that rich malty flavor without using many, if
any, crystal malts.
They
are
formed when sugars and amino acids combine at high temperatures and low water activity. Melanoiden is
commonly present in foods that have undergone some form of
non-enzymatic browning, such as barley malts, bread crust, bakery
products and coffee.
So
hopefully this gives you an idea of what they mean when they say, “We
used melanoiden in our beer.”
POUR:
On
the pour, there was not a whole lot of head. This seems to be a
constant theme with these pumpkin beers; with all the ones I've ever
had. They all just seem to be lacking in the head.
LOOK:
This
beer is a hazy beer. It's not cloudy. Just hazy. I can see light
through the beer and I can see my fingers going up and down the
glass, however I can't see detail through the glass.
There
are small streams of bubbles rising from the bottom, so it is
definitely carbonated well. But it's not effervescent.
AROMA:
The
first thing that I notice is the nutmeg aroma. The cinimmon and the
all spice as well as the other spices come through in order.
The
spice aroma is not astringent. It's not overpowering. It is not a
potpouri bomb like many other pumpkin beers. It smells like a sweet,
spiced, buttery-crust filled beer. Just like you would expect a
pumpkin beer to smell like. It seems to be all encompassing. All of
the aromas from what you would expect from a pumpkin pie are coming
through in this beer.
It
seems to be a very well balanced aroma.
TASTE:
Once
again, the nutmeg is the first thing that comes through. Then the
cinnamon comes next, then all the other spices in order, just like in
the aroma.
But
what you'll notice is the pleasant buttery, pumpkin pie crust flavor
that lingers on the back of the tongue. It's just like when you eat
pumpkin pie. First you taste the sweet. Then you taste the spices.
And then the crust coats your tongue and slowly fades away.
This
is a very delightful beer. Everything kind of blends together. No
one flavor is out of control and unbalanced. It's a very very nice
beer.
VERDICT:
This
is a nice, well balanced, pumpkin beer. I've had some that were
litterally just potpouri bombs. I've had some that say they're
pumpkin beers, but that really are not. They're just the same color.
You
can taste everything that you would expect to taste in pumpkin pie,
in this beer. It's very good.
It's
difficult to pick out one this that I like the most. But I'm going
to say that it's probably the absence of any overpowering elements.
Nothing is more powerful than anything else. It is very well
balanced.
There
is just a bit of that residual sweetness. All of the sugar has not
been fermented out of the beer. So it is not extremely dry. It's
sweet like a pumpkin pie would be. However it's not over the top.
And I think this put it just a step above most of the other pumpkin
beers on the market.
IS
IT WORTH THE MONEY?
Once
again, they sell this in 4-packs. My feeling on 4-packs... “I
DON'T LIKE THEM.”
They
don't sell it in 6 packs or above. I've never seen this in a growler
fill.
At
$2.50 per bottle, that's okay if you just want to try it. And it's a
very good try. I HIGHLY recommend that you try this. For a 4-pack
you're look at between $9, $10, possibly $11 depending on where you
buy it.
I'm
conflicted a little bit because this is a very good beer. To try it
for $2.50, I say “Go for it.“ But to buy a 4-pack for upwards
of $11, I feel that's way to steep.
SOAP
BOX TIME:
4-packs,
for some reason, are just outrageously priced. And there is no need
for the prices that they charge. I'm sorry. I know that sounds
cheap, but there is no reason for it. It should be either 6-packs,
or by the bottle. Or heck, sell it in a 22oz or 24oz bomber.
Because I just feel like I'm getting ripped off.
With that said, "Drink what you like and enjoy what you drink."
