Iron Smoke Stout - Whiskey Barrel Aged with Coffee & Pumpkin
Ellicottville Brewing Co.

Iron Smoke from Ellicottville Brewing. Purchased at Franklin Beer (Franklin, PA) 11/03/25. 16 fl oz can, $ 4.00 (Including tax)/ $ 0.25 fl oz. Reviewed 11/04/25 (Review 3500). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “7/12/23.” Stored in reefer at distributor and at 39 degrees F at home: served at 45.3 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 60.9 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Gold (SRM 5), hazy.
Body – Deep Gold (SRM 6), opaque. Under direct light, same but marked evidence of flocculation. When rear-lite, glowing gold and hazy.
Head – Average (Maximum 2.5 cm, aggressive center pour), cream, high density and fizzy, short retention. Drops to a 0.5 cm crown and a rocky, complete cap.
Lacing – Poor. Weak band of near-microscopic bubbles
Aroma – 3 – Virtually none. No hops, no roasted malt, no pumpkin or spices, no yeast, no alcohol. Especially neither whiskey nor barrels.
Flavor – 4.5 – Begins slightly bittersweet. No yeast, no hops. Distinctly no roasted malt. No alcohol (6.5 % ABV, according to the label). Pumpkin! Weak coffee! No strong pumpkin pie spices, just a mellow blend adding to the complexity of flavor; the coffee is well-blended too, accentuating the mild whiskey flavors. Unfortunately, there is next to no oakiness. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warming. Ends slightly sweet.
Palate – 4 – Medium: creamy: soft but lively carbonation
Style: Sort of follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA, but fortunately lacking the overwhelming spiciness of all too many pumpkin brews.

Final impression and summation: 4 Despite (or maybe because of) the age of this can, the flavors are well-balanced with the pumpkin shining through. The sweetness of the whiskey balances the potential bitterness added by the coffee, with the mellow spices accentuating the pumpkin muskiness, rather than masking it. Overall, an excellent pumpkin brew.

 

 

Pours dark. Thin foam. Light pumpkin spice aroma. Pumpkin spice at first followed by whiskey and chocolate. Bitter coffee finish. A lot of complexity but it all comes together perfectly. Easier drinking than anticipated. This is a must try.