Pumking - Southern Tier Brewing Company

    The Fall season is upon us, and you know what that means! It won't be too long until we start seeing pumpkin flavored everything. Every year adding pumpkin flavoring to things seems to get more and more out of control, and for the most part, it's not even real pumpkin. To me, that's the worst part of the pumpkin craze; that so much of it is just adding chemicals which taste similar to pumpkin pie spice, not like the fruit itself! Beer also suffers from the "pumpkin season", but it's not always a bad thing!

    Pumking is, as you may have guessed, a pumpkin ale. This festive brew is created by the Southern Tier Brewing Company that is located in Lakewood, New York. While I lump Pumking in with the myriad of other pumpkin flavored items, it's actually released in mid-August and is usually out of stock by the time November, and a lot of the other pumpkin items come around. Honestly though, I can't think of a better way to kick off the season!

    Pumking pours a light amber color with an orange tint. A small one-inch head forms at pouring but quickly subsides into nothing.

    Right away the smell of sweet pumpkin pie hits your nose, and I mean real pumpkin pie, not that artificial chemically smelling/tasting stuff used in other seasonal items. The ale also gives off scents of vanilla and toasted sugars.

    The beer is pleasant on the tongue with a medium body and a low carbonation level. There is a nice creaminess to this ale that makes it a pleasure to drink. I really don't get any alcohol warmth, which is surprising to me as the beer has an alcohol content of 8.6%!

Bow before your king!

    Pumking features flavors such as caramel malts, nutmeg, a hint of vanilla, and, oh yeah, PUMPKIN! I cannot express how happy I am that Southern Tier uses actual pureed pumpkin in this beer, rather than something artificial. And, honestly, this choice is what makes Pumking one of the absolute best pumpkin ales I have ever tried! Southern Tier manages to blend that pumpkin pie flavor perfectly with ale flavors so that you don't just feel like you're drinking a dessert, but rather enjoying something completely different while still reminding you of comfort food.

    The only bad thing I can say about Pumking is that, in both scent and flavor, the ale has a slight...candle-ness to it. By that I mean that the beer smells and tastes kind of how a Fall-themed, super-expensive jar candle would smell, the idea of which isn't exactly pleasant. This is easily overcome thanks to the balance of flavors in the brew. Plus, if you let this beer age for a few months, the unpleasant flavor diminishes and the nice, sweet flavors become more intense.

    Obviously if you're not a fan of pumpkin flavor, you most likely won't enjoy this beer. Pumpkin pie happens to be my favorite pie, so I love pumpkin flavor when it is done well. Pumking blew me away the first time I tried it and I had to track down another bottle to review. Definitely seek this one out, especially since it's one of the earliest (and best) pumpkin flavored foods of the season!

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Follow Amulets and Ale on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AmuletsAndAle!

Old Man Winter Ale - Southern Tier Brewing Company

    Old Man Winter Ale is an Old Ale brewed by the Southern Tier Brewing Company which is located in Lakewood, New York. Old Ales get their name from the sometimes long-term storage seen by the beer in much older times. The modern Winter Warmer style of beer is extremely similar to the Old Ale style.

    This beer was donated to Amulets and Ale by Emily Hohman as a part of a New York beer selection. I saw the beer in the back of the refrigerator and figured that since winter is quickly leaving, and that today is a cold, rainy day, that Old Man Winter Ale would be the perfect beer to review.

    The Old Ale pours a deep amber color with a nice foamy head on top which leaves some spotty lacing on the glass as it fades. This is really a pretty colored ale to look at.

    The beer smells sweetly of toffee and roasted malts. There is only a slight floral scent of hops to the ale. There is a somewhat boozy smell to the ale as well.

Best served in a cup made of pure ice.

    Old Man Winter Ale is medium bodied with a low level of carbonation which makes for a creamy beer. There is a slight alcohol warmth to the ale which comes in at 7% ABV.

    Southern Tier's Old Ale's flavor starts out sweet and ends bitter. Roasty malt flavors are briefly featured before the surprising bitterness takes over. There is an unpleasant, almost astringent, boozyness to the beer which detracts from the overall experience.

    Old Man Winter Ale is definitely a hoppier Old Ale than I have had before. I don't mind the bitterness to the beer, but I would prefer that the malt side of things be a little more robust. Not only would it play better into the balance of bitter and sweet, but it would also do a better job of masking the boozy smell and taste of alcohol in the beer.

    Overall, Old Man Winter Ale is a pretty cool beer.  Honestly, icy why people make such a big deal about this beer and plow through in a flurry to pick it up. Snow no matter what you're looking for in a winter beer, Old Man Ale's got you covered. Don't be a flake and try this beer before you're overcome by an avalanche of its fans!

Amulets and Ale Rating: