REVIEW: Heavy Seas The Great'ER Pumpkin

More pumpkin beer! For whatever reason I find myself particularly excited about trying new pumpkin ales this year. Fall Hornin' last week, Heavy Seas' The Great'ER Pumpkin today, and hopefully some more in the coming weeks. Today's is special in that it's bourbon barrel aged. Sounds terrific right? Also, I'm always a fan of a good Peanuts reference. To the beer!

As you can see this is one pretty beer. Underneath a layer of creamy, finely bubbled, resilient head sits a beautifully clear, effervescent, caramel colored elixir.

On the nose spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg are accompanied by a very hearty, sweet, bready graham cracker-like malt. Bourbon and rum like booziness lends hints of caramel and vanilla and a marshmallow candied sugar sweetness.

The Great'ER Pumkin is full, hearty, and very rich, Spicy notes of cinnamon are evident right off the bat. The spice is followed immediately by a chewy, hearty pumpkin center and then livened right back up by a pronounced ginger and allspice character. The bready, sweet malty flavors are balanced very well by an earthy spicy bitterness. The bourbon barrel flavors are understated, but they sort of seem to tie everything together with an underlying caramel/ vanilla sweetness. A bit of booziness lingers on the sweet finish.

This beer is phenomenal. Delicious, complex, and hearty. The Great'ER Pumpkin ranks up with my favorite pumpkin Ales. A robust sipper perfect for the autumn months. Go buy a few bottles of this one.

HD