Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

 

Pours a lovely autumnal copper with golden edges and a thin layer of head. Sweet bourbon notes dominate the nose. The bourbon notes also come through in the flavor profile complimented by the modest but definite presence of honey. The spices, particularly the cinnamon, kick in on the finish.

I think that rum barrels go better with pumpkin ales. However, at this point, it appears that my two favorites - Avery Rumpkin and ST Rumking - are permanently retired. So, this offering will certainly do as a replacement for those lost gems.

 

 

 

 

12 oz bottle, gold foil, into GITM teku.
11.99% ABV (why? is it trying to gain entry into some markets?)
Fall 2021 edition.

Dirty iced tea color with hints of orange when held to the light. A foamy off-white sliver of head is formed, remains, and leaves connecting bubbles up the sides of the glass.

Aroma is your typical pumpkin ale - beer-soaked gourd with some stale spices, and I don't get much bourbon barrel here, perhaps just some extra heat in the nose.

Flavor, once again, somewhat absent of the barrel until the finish when the heat sets in and a little nip of whiskey bites the back palate. In between it's simply a textbook pumpkin ale - beer-soaked gourd and stale spices. You know the kind. Cinnamon may be the most prominent, adding to it the heat which gives it a slight "Hot Tamales" vibe.

If I were going to give this flavor any credit at all, I'd say it's a pumpkin ale "plus", due to the barrel lifting up the flavors a bit with its minor addition of hot sweetness.

Feel is slick and wet with some heat building towards the finish. It's firmly medium bodied. Carbonation is appropriately busy.

Overall, a disappointment, and an expensive one at that. Glad I purchased a single and not a 4 pack. It's going to get finished, but there really could have been more complexity in what is ultimately just a heated-up pumpkin ale.

$7.00 / single / Kit's Trackside

 

 

 

 

Poured from fridge temp. Pours a golden brown with tan head. Nose is amazing. Honey, cinnamon, bourbon, toffee, and brown sugar. I would say the cinnamon spice dominates the nose. Taste is really good. This is where the pumpkin kicks in. It's like chewing on pumpkin soaked in bourbon. A good amount of caramel, brown sugar, and a nice dark fruit taste. Raisin bread is dominant on the aftertaste, which is very nice. The bourbon is there, along with a slight bitterness upfront. Honey is also present. This is nicely balanced, and the mouthfeel is robust and thick. Overall, I am really happy with this one. I don't often love pumpkin beers, but this is near the top of my list.

 

 

Pours a nice medium copper color, a little cloudy, nice head. Great pumpkin spice aroma, a touch of bourbon barrel. Pretty light for a big beer, great pumpkin spice flavors, barrel presence, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar. Thick and syrupy, delicious. I aged this beer for 18 months.

3/1/18
750ml bottle
4.25 rating

 

This brew sure is an experience. I'm not sure I'm fully appreciating it, but it is an experience.

This thing pours kinda thick. It has a syrupy look in the glass, and the maltiness carries through at all levels. It smells like boozy danger, and there is plenty of that. The mix includes a bunch of competing flavors, all mixing into a sweet symphony.

Highly recommended. Ante up and sip it!

32oz growler filled at Heinen's in Bainbridge, Ohio.

Growler poured into a tulip. Pours amber with a mild haze; fluffy light khaki head that falls leaving very nice retention and sticky lacing. The aromas have a vegetable vibe going on. Pumpkin, squash and sweet potatoes are there. Clove and allspice is there. Subtle hints of cinnamon. Caramel and vanilla is there. The bourbon aromas are balanced. The flavors follow the nose for the most part. It's on the sweeter side, but it's not cloying or over the top. The bourbon blends well and really accents all of the adjuncts. It finishes with a mild warmth, but the alcohol is well hidden. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's not too thick and not too thin. Sticky. It's very smooth and dangerously drinkable.

This is a great pumpkin ale. The bourbon really works with this one. The craftsmanship is impressive. Once again, it's dangerously drinkable. Highly enjoyable stuff.

9/13/17 draft @ BLU Jazz