Southern Tier Brewing Co. - Imperial Pumking ale

For Halloween, I thought I would review a beer that is appropriate for the season. This is one of my most favorite beers on the planet, and I don't say that lightly. And today is the perfect day to review it.

I'm talking about Southern Tier's Imperial Pumpkin pumpkin ale. It's a rare, limited-release 8.6% ABV imperial pumpkin ale made with 2-row pale malt, caramel malt, 19-degree plato hops, and pureed pumpkin.

I am always on the lookout and will buy every bottle I find. For example:

As you can imagine, I've traversed the beer universe (and the country) and have had many, many pints along the way. I've encountered delicious beers like Orval Trappise, okay beers like Yuengling, and awful beers like Hooker Watermelon or Corsendonk. But nothing quite strikes my fancy, nothing quite says "unique," nothing quite delivers the peculiar, amazing, delicious taste as Southern Tier's imperial pumpkin seasonal, the Pumking.

I am not the only one who feels this way. Let me describe to you the level of desirability this beer has. The first year I encountered it was 2009. I bought one bottle, on a whim, and drank it. Wow! So I went back to the store and couldn't find it again. I didn't think too much of it until next year when I saw Whole Foods was carrying it. So I grabbed a bottle, remembering I liked it. Since then, I've only been able to find a handful of bottles here and there. Most places admit they sell out within days. That fact, coupled with the fact that Southern Tier only makes a limited run of cases per year, makes this a rare find indeed.

A few months ago, I happened to be perusing the beer aisle at Whole Foods on P Street when I find one bottle, hanging out in the back next to the weird mead bottles. I grab it immediately. I look behind all the others, and don't see any other bottles. I've scored the only one they had!

But then a thought occurred to me. What if it WASN'T the only one they had?

Sometimes, when you're looking for a rare beer or wine, it pays to simply ask around. I find an employee, whose name tag read "Howie." I asked Howie if they had any other bottles. He didn't know, but he says he's going to look in "the back room." The "back room" is probably not as expansive as I imagine it to be, but I hold hope.

What I imagine "the back room" to look like. Matte painting courtesy of Lucasfilm, Ltd.

About five minutes later, here comes my man Howie. And Howie is clearly a baller because Howie is carrying in his hands, Edward Scissorhands-style, six bottles of this precious nectar. Six! How the deities of orange gourd beer have smiled upon me, their worshipful son. I ask if they're all for me, to which he gives me The Nod.

From several feet away, a hipster couple was watching this exchange. These two beacons of hipsterdom, these Princes of U Street, looked impressed at the bottles I had in my basket.

"That's an awesome beer," the guy quipped. Damn right.

And so I took pity on them, for I had scored all that was to be had. So I offered to give them a bottle to buy. They smiled and declined, instead saying that they "weren't there to buy anything." They actually left the store immediately after without purchasing an item. I'm not even making this story up.

But let's get to the beer.

The pour is smooth and fast, the color of the beer a very light and clear orange. There are no bubbles to the beer, and when poured, it produces a thin white head that dissipates quickly.

The nose: this beer has a VERY strong pumpkin and spice smell. It's one of the most aromatic beers I've ever had, and I really like that. I let it sit for 5 minutes, just enjoying the smells.

The taste is excellent. It's bright, full of pumpkin flavors. Very deep. There are strong, full, forward flavors of spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger, all taking a backseat to straight pumpkin flavor.

The finish is warm and strong, with lots of pumpkin tastes and a slight alcohol taste. There's a very bright pumpkin and spice aftertaste that's very pleasant.

Let's discuss why this beer is set apart from all the others:

1. Unlike most other pumpkin beers,  this beer has full, total pumpkin flavors from start to finish. No other pumpkin beer I have tried comes close to the consistency and depth of flavor that Southern Tier has.
2. The alcohol content. Unlike some beers (i.e. Shipyard), this beer has a stronger ABV, which in my opinion translates the stronger spice flavors better.
3. The ingredients. This beer is made with pureed pumpkins, which I believe some others are simply flavored as such.
4. Moderation. This beer is well-balanced and has delicious, moderate flavors throughout. It's not super heavy on the body or the aftertaste.

So yes, it's really the whole package, and delivers it in such a way that leaves me only wanting more. Out of all the pumpkin beers I have tried, I feel that this is the most faithful delivery of pumpkin tastes in a beer. There are a lot of good beers out there, but this one I feel really hits a grand slam. As I mentioned, this is one of my favorite beers, and I highly recommend you seek it out and purchase it at any opportunity.

Unless I get to it first.