Howden's Field
River's Edge Brewing Co

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 8/7/2018. Pours fairly hazy deep reddish orange/copper color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with poor retention, that reduces to a minimal ring of lace. Minimal lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big pumpkin, wood/peat smoke, caramel, brown sugar, raisin, plum, fig, apricot, red apple, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, smoked pumpkin, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big pumpkin, wood/peat smoke, caramel, brown sugar, raisin, plum, fig, apricot, red apple, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of pumpkin, wood/peat smoke, caramel, brown sugar, raisin, plum, fig, apricot, red apple, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, brown bread, coconut, licorice, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, smoked pumpkin, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 10.4%, with minimal lingering barrel booziness after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged imperial pumpkin ale. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, smoked pumpkin, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Nicely soft feel for the ABV, not overly bitter/tannic. Awesome balance of rich malts, smoked pumpkin, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast flavors; with solid earthy hop presence/balance. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive style example as expected of the brewery. Not overwhelming on any aspect. Great fall flavor profile, despite lack of any spices.