Name: Pumking

Brewer: Southern Tier Brewing

Style: Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Vintage: 2008

Cellared On: September 25th. 2008

Original Tasting: October 1st, 2008

Hello everyone! Fall so far has been a busy time for me, but there’s no way I could let Halloween slip by without stashing another pumpkin brew down in the cellar. Last year it was Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale (unfortunately it’s had somewhat disappointing results so far). This year I decided to keep it in-state and try out Southern Tier’s Autumn Seasonal, Pumking.

Pumking pours a slightly hazy, very light orange. It looks like Fall in a glass. As you might expect, there’s a big pumpkin smell matched up with faint pie spices. The overall impression of the pumpkin reminds me of roasted pumpkin seeds (yummy!).

The beer was much lighter in taste then I thought it would be, but that wasn’t the biggest surprise. It was the flavor progression of the brew that shocked me. It was fast - very fast. There was a bright, slightly sweet pumpkin flavor; but it’s over in a flash. The spice flavors in the smell (nutmeg and cinnamon) were very prominent in the taste, and actually end up lingering for quite a while after the finish. Background pale malts added a light grainy touch to the brew, and really didn’t seem to contribute very much to the flavor overall.

Body-wise, Pumking was relatively light, but had a certain chewiness that seemed a bit out of place. Combine the body with the relative lack of flavor depth, and we have a beer that certainly isn’t one of Southern Tier’s best efforts. Maybe a year or so in the cellar will help shake things up.

Cellar Outlook: Despite the strength of the brew, I’m not holding high hopes for this one improving with age. I expect the pumpkin to start to fade out, and I don’t think there’s anything behind it to help the brew hold up.

Next Tasting: March 2009

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com

www.brewbasement.com