Kristen Fields Chocolate Pumpkin Stout
Bullfrog Brewery

 

 

On nitro-tap at Bullfrog on 11/29/10... the way God (aka Terry) intended it!

A - Deep brown umbra reminiscent of burnt autumn leaves with deep garnet and royal purple hues around the edges and a finger's worth of creamy tan head that deposited a screen of thin lacing around the glass.

S - Spicy and sweet nose with pumpkin spices and Belgian chocolate, giving this stout an almost exotic aroma.

T - Wow! Lots going on here. You can definitely get a sense of the roasted pumpkin flesh, which works nicely with the semi-sweet chocolate character of the stout. However, KFC also boasts a spicy flair with cinnamon, allspice and a hint of clove. Finishes with a bready, grainy malt character with more roasted pumpkin and chocolate bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with a smooth nitro mouthfeel and a finish that combines bittersweet and spiciness on the palate.

D - This stout really grew on me. While the spices were prominent at first, the essence of the bitter chocolate and roasted pumpkin all blended extremely well, resulting in a unique and very tasty stout for the autumn months.

On nitro-tap @ the Bullfrog Brewing Company (Williamsport, PA) on 10/30/10. Served in a pint glass.

This initially pours black but holding it up to the light actually reveals a clear dark ruby body that is topped with a finger of smooth and creamy light mocha colored head. Solid nitro look here, with about a slid ½ finger of retention slathering the sides of the glass with lacing that hangs in frothy swathes down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of chocolate, pumpkin, roast, zesty spices, and some green hop character, which all blend together here just effortlessly. Quite robust, flavor wise, but still smooth in the nose, this just smells delicious.

The taste starts with chocolate, which is silky sweet across the tongue, as roast on the edges give this some crunch. Pumpkin spices add a festive layer of flavor but aren't overdone in the least. A mix of pumpkin meat and hops give this refreshing green quality that really helps ramp the drinkibility of this up. Cocoa, spice, and trailing dry roast linger here in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and is just so smooth and creamy here on nitro, that it is ridiculous. Just a bit of underlying sharpness lends this some crispness that matches up well with that hop presence. Just a very easy, drinkable, and all around awesome feel that kept those flavors silky smooth in the mouth.

This was very nice. Probably thee best pumpkin beer effort that I've had lately. This just had a perfect balance of flavors here, with those spices in particular being evened nicely throughout. Being served on nitro was just the icing on the cake, smoothing the flavors out and keeping this extremely easy drinking. I put down two glasses easily and could have kept on going. Kudos to Kristen for coming up with a great beer idea and to Terry for perfectly executing it. Well done!

a: served in a branded shaker pint, dark mahogany in color, served with the typically impressive, cream colored nitro head, thick and frothy with great retention and clinging lace

s: moderately roasty stout base, smooth with something of a watery coffee trait, subtle nutmeg spice, the chocolate is more dry, roasty, and bittersweet, and the pumpkin adding more of a fullness to the aroma rather than a distinct squash character - like this, but it could use a little more meat

m: body medium, creamy, with a light, smooth carbonation

t: a roasty, basic stout base carries dry, bittersweet chocolate and just a brief flash of nutmeg before the finish, pumpkin flavors are mild but present, the drying finish brings lingering cocoa, roasted barley, and coffee, tasty but just a tad thin in flavor towards the second half

d: a really nice pumpkin stout, the restraint shown in the spicing is appreciated, and the dry character paired with a low-ish abv make for great drinkability

pint at the brewpub

A- Pours a dark chocolate look with a tan head with a nice lace.Thank you nitro.

S- Smell of chocolate and Pumpkin and spices and dark malts.

T-Taste of Pumpkin and spices like cinnamon and hint of nutmeg and chocolate.

M-Smooth and creamy (nitro) with pumpkin and chocolate flavors linger through out the sip.

D- Awesome combo of pumpkin and chocolate. Full of flavor and the nitro was a perfect topper. All Hail Terry.

Cheers..

On tap at the brewpub today (10/30/10) served in a pint glass. This brew appears what seems to be almost black in color with some light brown around the edges. However, when held to the light it displays deep ruby red with decent clarity. The head appears more than a finger strong, creamy smooth and lightly tanned in color. It leaves thick patches of lace on the glass with every sip.

The aroma is a pleasant blend of pumpkin flesh and faint spices like cinnamon and the other obligatory pump pie style spices. There is some significant chocolate character and a light fruity touch of hops. Overall the nose is a sweet smelling enjoyable mixture.

The taste upfront is a pleasant welcoming of bittersweet chocolate,. The alcohol produces some fruity esters that mix with a mild taste of citrus hops. The pumpkin taste is an afterthought with an earthy flavor left in the mouth mixed well with chocolate. This is very enjoyable. The typical pumpkin pie spices are faint in the taste, which I really enjoy them taking a backseat in this style. The spiced aspect comes through more in the aroma from what I perceive but it is done well to deepen the complexity of this brew.

It is a medium bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. The nitro presentation gives this a super silky smooth feel and it is very enjoyable. This beer is "poundable" but why would you with some much flavor to enjoy with every sip.

On tap at the brewpub on 10.30.2010.

Pours a dark brown that is nearly opaque. A pretty good light tan head and a bit of lacing. The nose is quite nice with chocolate notes mixing well with some light pumpkin spice and a bit of pumpkin. The taste really integrates the flavors well, with some sweet chocolate mixing with touches of cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Mouthfeel is really quite creamy and delicious; really smooth. Overall, great balance and a really well-designed pumpkin stout.