The Great Pumpkin Shake Vol. 2
450 North Brewing Company

The body is pale orange-tan with off-white chunks of sediment floating throughout, coming in all varieties of shapes and sizes. The short khaki head dies to a thin lumpy ring leaving fuzzy lace on the glass. The sediment relatively quickly accumulates and falls to the bottom half of the glass, essentially creating two layers of beer, with a brighter orange top and a light sandy bottom.

This CHONKY BOI actually tastes like drinking an IPA while eating pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. There's a little hop bite on the swallow which plays right along with the touch of cinnamon spice. In the middle are flavors of soft soggy pie crust, vanilla whip, and even some pumpkin latte. As you get closer to the thick layer of sediment, it becomes more sharp and acidic, suggesting this is not just pumpkin pie gunk or hop residue, but also a potent accumulation of yeast worth dumping down the drain.

At first this has a smooth, creamy medium body, with a light but soft carbonation, where the hops help it come to a semi-dry, balanced finish. But unfortunately, not too long into it, the hop burn and yeast overload detract significantly.

I really wanted to like this more, but there was just too much working against it.

 

Volume 2. Sounds like an interesting brew. Let's dive in.
L: cloudy yellow, looks like oat water. About a finger of head with very minimal lacing.
S: Smells great, even more so as it looses the chill. The pumpkin and spice aromas really shine, with nutmeg and cinnamon standing out and being the dominant aromas. Pumpkin is very minimal but is a bit noticeable. Sweeter smelling as it warms.
T: At first, I wasn't quite sure about it. But man, as it warmed I really started to enjoy it. As it warmed, it starts to slowly fade away from the hoppy character of the ipa (even though it was minimal to begin with). With the hop profile at a minimal, the vanilla and spices really shined. After taste is nutmeg and hints of pumpkin and cinnamon. Spice flavor dominates but it does resemble a pumpkin pie of sorts.
F: Soft, medium in body and weight. Moderate carbonation with no booze.
O: the more i had, the more I enjoyed. The wife, a non-ipa drinker, said she liked it. For what it is, it's a novelty brew at its best. I am not surprised that 450 North could make something so outlandish seemingly work. Wish I had another can for Thanksgiving! Anyways, I am very glad to try. Cheers!