Headless Heron
Central Waters Brewing Co.

I'm getting some nice, bready brown ale notes to go along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. The ginger and cloves are far more faint, spicing proportions that suit me fine. The barrel notes are a perfect compliment adding plenty of boozy vanilla. Glad I got try this!

Pours dark chocolate brown, with no head. Aroma is heavy on pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bourbon comes out in the taste, along with a caramel end. Carbonation is low to non-existent. ABV is noticeable and not for the faint of heart. This is easily one of the better pumpkin brews on the market and well worth your time.

 

First 2 reviews from Oct 2016 about how much I love this beer, especially for not being a pumpkin beer guy. Bought a bottle and then sat on it for 7 years. Cracked bottle w my buddy in 2023. Surprisingly great all things considered. Still retained a lot of the spices.

2023 release, 12oz can 12.0% ABV canned on 09/14/23
Look: Brown body with a little murk. Not much of a head but it does leave some lacing for a while.
Smell Is strong spice, hint of sweet & bourbon
Taste is some caramel/dark fruit and chocolate. I'm getting very little pumpkin flavor in the beer. Pumpkin seems to be more in the lingering after taste. Plenty of spice with cinnamon and clove being the strongest. The barrel is mild but comes thru more later on.
Feel is ok not really thin or thick.
4.14/5 overall.

vintage 2016 bottle aged to damn near perfection. get a little bit of wet cardboard oxidation on the nose but other than that it’s pure pumpkin fall spices with a hint of whiskey. taste is similar but the whiskey has been smoothed out from when i has this bottle fresh. mouthfeel is full, perfectly carbonated. it’s smooth and very easy drinking for the style. overall, this was an aging experiment i went into thinking i had sat too long on. i stand corrected. this beer was incredible. a nice melding of fall pumpkin spices and bourbon. wish i’d saved another.

 

2016 vintage; drank 10/11/16 @ the Yarchives.

Opaque brown appearance.

A rough pour yielded a huge tan head; strong, frothy lace.

Pumpkin pie, cream, oak & faint bourbon notes in the nose.

Creamy, medium mouthfeel.

Pumpkin pie, cream & mild bourbon flavors up front; oak notes on the finish.

An interesting imperial pumpkin beer; perhaps the oak looms too large but at the very least it was drinkable & enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

Dark, jammy body with a ruby orange hue. Minimal head settles, as quickly as it rises, into a bubbly, thin, wispy cap. The slightly sticky lace slides down the glass not unlike the legs of bourbon.
The Aroma is woody and spicy, with a waft of prunes and dark currents, mingling together to give the impression of toasted prune skins. The bourbon and barrel are obvious throughout.
The taste mirrors the aroma, more hot with alcohol and with the piquant flavor of dried fruit. Finishes with a slightly woodiness and sour end of the fruit.
The body is medium which makes this dangerous. It's heavy and complex aroma and flavor go down easy. On the palate it is smooth until the bourbon influence gives it some bite. It is warm, comforting and should be treated as a sipper.

Overall this is a 4.25 but I took points off because it was given to me by Joe.

Look: Pours dark solid brown with a finger of head that lingered for a bit.

Smell: Bourbon, Barrell, a bit of pumpkin and spices

Taste: Chocolate up front, followed by pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bourbon. Very complex and tastes great.

Feel: Medium mouth feel.

Overall an awesome barrel aged pumpkin ale. Really enjoying this one. I can't find a date on the bottom but I think it is from 2016.

 

A - Pours dark brown with a one finger tan head. Good amount soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and bourbon.

T - The taste is pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla and bourbon.

M - Medium bodied with low carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft dry finish.

O - A very solid barrel aged pumpkin beer. The bourbon is light and adds a nice depth to the flavor.

 

Appearance - The beer porn a dark brown brown murky color.

Smell - The nose was boozy but far from hot or astringent. It seemed well balanced.

Taste - At the front was t at the front was bourbon which was accompanied by sweet pumpkin spice. Unlike some pumpkin ales, this was not a cinnamon mom. The spices did not overwhelm the pumpkin or bourbon.

Mouthfeel - Though perhaps it was a hair thin, but still had a fairly thick feel.

Overall - I would suggest that this belongs in the upper echelon of pumpkin beers.