Red Racer Barrel Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Central City Brewers + Distillers

 

Reddish orange with lots of carbonation, topped with 5 fingers of beige head. Lots of large bubbles dispersed evenly throughout the head.

Smells of pumpkin spices, nutmeg and ginger, and hints of fresh plastic.

Tastes of creme brulee and caramel, meets pumpkin pie. Lightly sweet, the wooden barrel, oak aged quality comes through.

Medium, somewhat sticky body, with soda like carbonation.

What an amazing find. I got this in Oakville while picking up the last cans of Flying Monkey's pumpkin ale. I'm drinking it up in Muskoka on American Thanksgiving, Nov 24th, 2017. So worth seeking out this brew!

 

From a 650ml bottle served almost straight from the fridge at 11 degrees Celsius into a white wine glass. Bottled in September 2017 if I deciphered that correctly.

Look: The beer pours a clear ruby brown with 4cm of dense, deep tan head that dissipates into a craggy cap in 2+ minutes. Poor lacing with mediocre retention. Effervescent. The colour and clarity are terrific while the lacing and head retention are lacking.

Smell: Moderate strength and leaning towards sweet. Complex, nuanced, and intriguing. Not much going on in terms of hops or yeast but the malt, spices, and barrel aging really shine. The oak and pumpkin compete for attention with fall spices, vanilla, and brown sugar remaining more elusive. I'd sum up the aroma by saying sweet-ish, woody pumpkin with subtle spices.

Taste: Wow, that's delicious. The flavour follows the aroma very well with moderate strength and good balance. Pumpkin and fall spices (cinnamon, cloves, and allspice) at the front followed by pronounced oak and sweet – almost caramelly – maltiness. The finish is quite lengthy and leans towards bitter with moderate intensity. The spices and oak linger in a pleasant fashion.

Feel: Medium-full body with medium-low carbonation. Creamy and slightly drying with mild astringency. Smooth and balanced alcohol warming. Not as viscous as I would have thought, great choice for increased drinkability.

Overall: Best pumpkin beer I've had to date. Very well executed. A class act from Central City. Complex with a lot of character, well-hidden alcohol, and great drinkability considering the style. Outstanding and well worth seeking for.

650 mL bottle from the LCBO; dated Aug 8 2017 and served slightly chilled. No idea what kind of barrel they aged this one in - neither the label nor the website seem to offer any further info.

Pours a deep, clear copper-amber colour, with nearly an inch of frothy, pale beige-tinted head situated atop. It dissipates within a matter of minutes, but not without leaving behind a narrow band of lacing, as well as a wide, creamy collar and a thin cap of soapy bubbles. Looks A-OK to me. Gourdy pumpkin purée and brown sugar sweetness are apparent on the nose, as are the usual fall spice suspects - ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and maybe a touch of allspice. Minor hints of flaky pie crust, oak wood and plum pudding.

Ooh, now this right here? This is pretty darn tasty - it's got a lot of disparate flavours, and they all blend together with remarkable cohesion. Toasted malts, bread and biscuit, and caramelized sweetness stand in one corner, with spicy notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in opposition. Pumpkin purée and graham cracker flavours are also hard to miss, while the back end is where the wood starts to assert itself in the form of charred oak wood, vanilla and whiskey, augmented by a lightly earthy hop bitterness. Vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar linger into the aftertaste. A full-bodied brew with unobtrusive carbonation, resulting in a smooth, fairly soft mouthfeel. Far more drinkable than an 8% barrel-aged spiced beer has any right to be, though I'd still recommend splitting this bottle with a bud.

Final Grade: 4.23, an A-. There was once a time when I simply couldn't get enough pumpkin beer, but those days are long past. Nowadays, it's pretty rare for me to be genuinely impressed by pumpkin ales - but Red Racer's BA Imperial Pumpkin Ale has managed to do so. Its flavours of pumpkin spice and actual pumpkin flesh, together with a rich malt backbone and (what I believe to be) added bourbon barrel complexity, are combined in painstakingly perfect proportions. The end result is an imperial pumpkin beer that I simply must recommend to all BAs - or at least, those without a seething disgust for the whole Cucurbita genus. Glad I nabbed a second bottle for the cellar while it was still available.

Nicely balanced with the spice present but not overpowering and the barrel aging coming through nicely on the finish. A solid brew, well crafted and incredibly drinkable.

650 ml bomber served cold into a pint glass. Purchased for about $8 CDN, a reasonable price for a barrel aged, high ABV pumpkin delight. Have not looked forward to a beer as much as this in quite some time.

Appearance - Pours a slightly murky, burnt orange color with some brown mingled in. A creamy finger plus of tan head sits on top and has some staying power. Creamy streaks of lacing line the glass. Ominous looking in it's own way, by being dark and subtle, belying the potent strength of the brew within.

Smell - Plenty of spice, pumpkin pie, nutmeg and some cinnamon. Buttery aromas to make me think of actual pumpkin pie. Some vanilla and whipped cream mixed in giving a sweet edge. Some oakiness from the bottle too. pumpkin intensifies as the beer warms.

Taste - Pumpkin certainly with lots of spices, cinnamon and nutmeg most apparent. Vanilla and oakiness mixed in subtly together. Two thirds of the way through there is a malty presence of treacle. Booze is quite apparent too with some bourbon flavor added. Not quite as much pumpkin nor the buttery pumpkin pie I was hoping for, but different and still very good.

Mouthfeel - Very smooth, dense mouthfeel packed with flavors. Sticky to a point on the lips and in the mouth. Carbonation isn't significant, but a little higher than most other pumpkin ales (which i find on the lower side in terms of carbonation).

Overall - A very well crafted, enjoyable barrel aged imperial pumpkin beer, with just the right amount of everything for an enjoyable experience. Highly recommended for any purveyor of beer.