Pumpkin colored; spice flavored
For 21A we chose an autumn appropriate pumpkin beer. I have mixed feelings about the style as I think the pumpkin part is mostly a gimmick. I don’t think it contributes much flavor at all. Skipping the pumpkin and calling it a harvest spice ale seems more accurate. All that said, nomenclature disputes needn’t diminish a tasty brew. The nicely orange beer has a great spicy aroma with plenty of ginger and nutmeg. As predicted the taste does not include pumpkin but the spices are delicious. There’s not much sweetness or what is there gets overpowered by the initial burst of spice (but not in a bad way). The finish has a touch of bitter the cuts through the lingering ginger for a mild aftertaste. This would be an outstanding session beer. Medium body, middling ABV, and flavorful without being big, bold, and palate-battering.
Our wort started with nine pounds of Maris Otter, a half pound each of caramel 40 and aromatic malts, and a quarter pound of special roast. Plus, of course, the requisite pumpkin: five pounds of the canned, pureed variety. After a ninety minute mash and a sixty minute boil with 1.2 ounces of East Kent Goldings it reached an OG of 1.046. Right before flameout we added the spice blend: half a teaspoon of cinnamon, a quarter teaspoon of ginger, and an eight a teaspoon of both nutmeg and all spice. We fermented with WLP002 English Ale yeast to fit the overall UK ingredients theme. The finish was drier than anticipated at 1.010 but the guidelines for this style are wide open. It’s more or less impossible to miss.