Ichabod's Head Winter Warmer
Ice Axe Grill / Mt. Hood Brewing Co.

Don’t be afraid. It’s just a beer with a scary name.

But what a treat -- a seasonal beer with a long history and an intriguing taste profile. This is considered a winter warmer though it is released in early autumn and is most certainly a pumpkin ale more than anything else. Mt. Hood uses over 3oo pounds of pumpkin and winter squash per batch of this beer. That’s more than 17 pounds per keg. The squash is selected by the brewers from farms on Sauvie Island, an agrarian enclave within Portland city limits at the mouth of the Willamette River. The squash is then roasted to caramelize its fruit sugars and is brewed with a judicious blend of molasses, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.

Pumpkin ales have a long history of being brewed in colonial America. Traditionally however, they were less vigorously spiced and by most accounts, less interesting. But the infusion of pie spices enhances the character of Ichabod’s Head and makes for a remarkable taste excursion. This beer smells and tastes like A-1 steak sauce, and though this may sound odd (and unappealing), it’s actually intriguing and palatable. A-1 is made with raisins and a host of herbs and spices. Ichabod’s head derives some of its raisin essence from vines of another sort.

Ichabod’s Head is UPS brown with some ruby flashes though in bright light it registers as clear with some orange spectrum. It is nearly flat and (ironically) headless from its low carbonated body. This is a fun beer with great appeal. Catch it while you can.

Sampled at the 2003 Holiday Ale Festival, Portland, OR. Over 300 pounds of local pumpkin and winter squash in this one. I was going to categorize it as fruit/vegetable beer but all the other pumpkin ales were under herbed/spiced which this one certainly has too. Pumpkin ale is really its own category and was a dominant US style in colonial times. What better way to celebrate the holidays, and this is the best pumpkin ale I've tasted. It's a dark brown ale with a slight orange tint; quite sweet with big caramel malts, but more than enough spices to balance it. Surprisingly, and successfully, hoppy too. A very good pumpkin beer and not annoyingly frothy like some other examples of the style. Not really like a dessert beer either. Full bodied but not sticky. Pumpkins must be a bitch to brew with and these guys have brought out the best elements of the pumpkin flavor. Really, really enjoyable.