Pecan Harvest Ale - Abita Brewing Co.

    Pecan Harvest Ale is a Brown Ale created by Abita Brewing Co. which is located in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Pecan Harvest Ale differs from other Browns in that Pecans are added to the brew for a subtle nutty flavor. This beer was donated to Amulets and Ale by Emily Hohman.

    Abita's Brown Ale pours a copper color with a substantial beige head. Some lacing can be seen on the glass as the beer level diminishes.

    The beer smells mildly of sweet malts and toffee. There is also a noticeable hint of nuttiness to the beer.

    Pecan Harvest Ale is a light bodied beer with very little carbonation. The body is so thin that you have swallowed the beer before you even realize that you had some in your mouth.

    The Brown Ale's flavor is quite mild. A base of sweet malts is the main flavor with the tiniest bit of hops coming in at the end. You really can taste the pecans in the beer, which I find quite nice. The light toffee sweetness and nutty flavors remind me of a pecan pie, though much more subtle in flavor.

More like a "light brown" ale.

    I'm not really a fan of pecan pie, though I do find this beer to be pleasant. I'm starting to think that Abita Brewing Co. got their name from the various things that they add to their beers. The last Abita beer that I reviewed, Purple Haze, has raspberries added to the mix. Abita's brewmaster must just run around the brewery putting "a-bit-a" this into one vat, and "a-bit-a" that into another. Well, I suppose if he goes around doing that long enough he's bound to come across some very good combinations, and Pecan Harvest Ale seems to be one of them.

    I am, however, disappointed in the body and flavor of this beer. Such a thin, water-like body is not very pleasant to me when I'm drinking beer. The lightness of the flavors make me think even more that Pecan Harvest Ale comes off as watery. Luckily, Abita found that Pecans really add something nice to their beer, changing an average beer to a slightly better than average beer.

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Purple Haze - Abita Brewing Co.

    Purple Haze is a Fruit Beer brewed by Abita Brewing Co. which is located in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Purple Haze starts out as a Wheat Beer but has raspberry puree added to the mix once the beer has been through the filtering stage. The beer has an alcohol content of 4.2% ABV, which tells me that the fruit was, indeed, added after fermentation. This beer was graciously donated to Amulets and Ale by Emily Hohman.

    The Fruit Beer pours a hazy red-orange color with a strange thin, bubbly head which quickly dissipates. It is obvious by the sheer number of bubbles which cling to the glass that this will be a highly carbonated beer.

    Shockingly, the raspberry wheat beer smells like raspberries! There is also a slight sour smell to the beer. The scent of wheat lies slightly hidden underneath the fruitiness.

    Purple Haze is light bodied with a high level of carbonation. The beer is very crisp and refreshing.

'Scuse me, while I drink this beer!

    Abita's Fruit Beer's flavor is majorly fruit forward. There is only a small amount of wheat flavor beneath the fruit, though it becomes more pronounced as the beer warms. No hops flavor is present. Surprisingly, Purple Haze is not a super-sweet beer, and instead has more of a dry finish than I would have expected.

    I'm pretty sure that Jimi Hendrix didn't write Purple Haze about this beer, though it very well fits into the song's lyrics. Have too many of these and I could totally see you saying "Purple Haze all in my brain" and "actin' funny but I don't know why"! Have WAY too many, and you might even say the misheard lyrics of "'scuse me, while I kiss this guy!"

    A lot of beer fans hate Fruit Beers. Personally, I really don't have a problem with them as long as they are well crafted. I feel as though Purple Haze is a bit too light on the hops and malt flavors to be an incredibly good Fruit Beer, but it is still surprisingly refreshing. I really think that the brew could be improved with the addition of more wheat flavor.

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