Refined Ghoul
Refined Fool Brewing Co.

750 mL bottle picked up fresh from the brewery, bottled within the last week or so. Served slightly chilled.

Pours a hazy amber-orange with some ruby highlights, and topped with one finger of loose, bubbly off-white head that recedes quickly, leaving only a slight collar behind. Their house yeast is detectable in the aroma, along with graham cracker, biscuity malts, toffee and pumpkin pie. Smaller hints of nutmeg and cinnamon provide an additional dimension, with a slight earthiness. This is a fresh bottle of beer, and it sure smells that way.

Bready malts, caramel and toffee candy sweetness are the flavours I pick up initially, with some dark fruit and gourdy pumpkin notes in the background. The nutmeg, cinnamon and clove take over the tail end of the profile, providing an earthy spiciness that nicely complements the tasty malt profile. Mild cinnamon and clove spice that lingers on the back of your palate for a while in the aftertaste. Rather light-bodied, with very low levels of carbonation that make this brew seem a little watery on the palate. But that's where my complaining ends; otherwise this is a well-balanced, highly quaffable pumpkin ale.

Final Grade: 3.62, a solid B. Refined Ghoul is a pretty tasty amber that most pumpkin beer fans will probably appreciate, reminding me a little of the Black Creek Pumpkin Ale of past years - except with the malt bill and spices kicked up a few notches. That being said, the mouthfeel is still kind of flat and limp - not necessarily a deal-breaker for me in this style, but not really ideal. Worth a shot if you enjoy the style and happen to live in (or are passing through) the area. I've had my fill of pumpkin beers for the year, but I'd certainly get this one again next year.