Kickin' Knowledge (Pumpkin)
Barrier Brewing Company

 

 

 

16oz can poured into a snifter

A- pours a murky orange color with a two-finger foamy white head that has long retention and leaves plenty of lacing behind

S- an odd combination of hops and pumpkin spices; herbaceous and tropical mosaic along with some zesty citrus, cinnamon, nutmeg & coriander all present. Light undertones of fresh coconut and vanilla

T- Juicy citrus hop notes of tangerine and zesty grapefruit, along with some tropical notes of mango and passionfruit. Mid-palate brings out some coconut sweetness with a hint of vanilla. The finish gives some juicy citrus hops, before giving way to spice notes of cinnamon & nutmeg. Lingers of citrus hops and nutmeg

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy into the finish

O- pumpkin hazy IPA is an interesting concept and worked quite well together.

 

Poured tall can into shaker pint. Yellowish cream head that lingers. Murky yellow body like some kind of gourd.

Nose is an oranges creamsicle with a slice of coconut cream.

Taste follows: citrus hops, bit of pumpkin puree. Def an IPA + pumpkin and not a pumpkin ale.

Incredible mouthful. Smooth and almost creamy, chewy.

The bubble on IPA w/ lactose and everything but the kitchen sink will inevitably burst, but there's interesting drinking to be done along the way. This one has a great feel, and the flavor is good even if it doesn't distinguish itself too much from the competition.

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $4.49. Canned on 8/27/2021, so this is 6 1/2 weeks old.

Look: Pours a very creamy, very hazy nearly opaque bright yellowish-orange color (go figure, it is like a butternut squash or pumpkin-colored). Had a tall, two-finger rocky white fluffy head that has slowly reduced to a half-finger and left behind lots of lacing on the glass.

Smell: Has nice aromas of pumpkin spice (nutmeg, clove, ginger, and allspice on the finish). There is also a surprisiningly nice complement to those aromas with the citrusy hop aromas. There's also a big green, earthy compononent on the back end. The vanilla and coconut aromas are there, but definitely more subtle.

Taste: Not unlike the nose, it's surprisingly good. Not that it's surprising that these flavors work together, but to me it is a bit surprising that these flavors work so well with the New England Style IPA and the dry-hopping. There is a nice tanginess here that works pretty well to cut through the spiciness. Up front, it has effervescent carbonation and tangy citrus notes. There's a bit of sweetness, and then the finish is earthy, spicy, and moderately bitter with lots of grapefruit and orange rind and pith. Overall, it is interesting and well-balanced.

Feel: Soft and nicely carbonated. One of the best aspects of the beer is the mouthfeel.

Overall: This is my second Barrier Brewing Company review. I almost didn't buy this because I don't like to buy into the milkshake IPA fad and I fear being disappointed, but after reading positive reviews of this beer I changed my mind and decided to give it a shot. This almost tastes like a "pumpkin-spiced cream soda" (I just invented that) in beer form, and I won't deny that it's tasty. It's a nice novelty beer to try once in a blue moon and I'm glad that I tried it, but I won't be rushing out to get more because I am happy with just one for a while.

 

 

 

Appearance: Smack dab in the middle of what New England IPAs are meant to look like. Perfectly pale yellow, and thouroughly hazy but not so opaque that you wouldn't be able to see through it in a container more slender than a beer glass. A perfect white head that sticks around to top it off.

Aroma: Focus on the fact that it's a NEIPA and you smell citrus, mango and guava coming to the fore. Focus on it's being a pumpkin beer and it's subtle pumpkin pie. Neither interferes with the other and they blend together seamlessly if you're just sipping along not being fussy about isolating tasting notes.

Flavor:
Ideal bitterness to sweetness. So drinkable... no, crushable. Perfect blend of everything in the aroma. The spices really bring forward that ideal soft clean bready malt profile so sought-after in NEIPA. Shockingly a great NEIPA and a great pumpkin beer. Everything sensed in the nose is represented here as well.

Mouthfeel: Exactly what NEIPA should be. Niether were they too heavy handed with the lactose to the point of making the beer heavy nor did they pump it up with CO2 to make it bracing and thin. Ideally balanced. (Call Barrier up if you want to know how to nail NEIPA mouthfeel.)

A: Lighter in color than I expected...a thickish lemon meringue with glimmers of goldenrod. Head is a bright white, very frothy, and looks quite sticky.

S: Layered Autumnal tones. Pumpkin is accentuated by floral, citrus, and slight fruit notes. Orange creamsicle, cardamom whipped cream.

M: On the thick and creamy side with good balance provided by the carbonation.

T: Interesting contrast between the savory baking spices, earthinesss of the pumpkin, and tropical brashness of the hops. It all combines in an elevated sweet potato casserole in sort of a way, which makes sense since the sweet potato is indigenous to Central America. Less pumpkin pie dessert, more of a sweet & savory side dish. It actually emphasizes everything I like to add to my sweet potatoes--vanilla, toasted coconut, and orange zest; there's even a little wintermint and melon. I'd say there's a little of a marshmallow like sweetness to it as well along with more than a dash of nutmeg, which I'm not the hugest fan of. Not outrageously delicious, but outstanding how they make it taste inoffensive, which honestly is all you're ever aiming for with a sweet potato casserole.

 

 

This one is quite unique. Pours hazy orange. Big foam. Juicy hop aroma. Very creamy with bold pumpkin and vanilla and also bold tropical hop flavors. They don't really go together but the contrast isn't bad at all. It's almost like drinking two different beers at once.

My first impression was that a pumpkin ale and an IPA would not meld well together. After sampling this offering, I confirmed that my presumption was correct.

The pumpkin flavor is there but the body is not hearty enough to balance out the creaminess and gourd-like qualities.

 

 

Pours a clear, bright orange yellow with a tremendous, four finger head. Nose is floral with notes of white pepper and grassy hops. subtle undertones of roasted pumpkin, brown sugar and cinnamon. The flavor is excellent. The pumpkin and spice does not overpower the hops. Citra hops come in first with a clean, tangerine and grapefruit juicy bitterness that is complemented soon after by blueberry and sweet orange flower, a distinctive characteristic of mosaic hops. Only at the end do warming notes of sweet vanilla, savory toasted coconut and pumpkin/thanksgiving spices come into play. . . maybe even some banana and bubblegum? The finish is protracted and elegant, constantly evolving. Excellent stuff.

Wow, what an amazing seasonal ipa, the color is gorgeous and the foam is also beautiful , color is of course a nice warm orange and the smell is of pumpkin and vanilla. The taste is incredible it’s like a vanilla pumpkin pie. I’m not really a fan of barrier but this ipa is delicious !!! Absolutely nailed it