Kern says: "This fall seasonal ale is brewed with real pumpkin and a hint of
allspice. It pours slightly orange in color with a light sweetness and
spicy finish. This beer is no trick and all treat."
Kern's pumpkin ale has very limited distribution to southern California during the fall (October, this year), and I happened to be in the right place at the right time at one of my regular stores in order to grab this bottle. It's 6% ABV.
Appearance: Clear orange, with a modest head that recedes to nothing and leaves only the faintest lacing at the very top of the glass.
Smell: The pumpkin spice elements jump out -- allspice, nutmeg, and clove. There is a faint hint of grain, but not a lot of malt-based sweetness or hop character.
Taste: Interestingly, the grain character is much more predominant on the palate, and the pumpkin spices almost take a backseat. There is also a strong vegetal character, which one could easily contribute to the pumpkin; however, the interesting thing about pumpkin itself is that it doesn't really have that distinctive (or even that tasty) of a flavor. People tend to associate all of the other spices with what they think the flavor of pumpkin actually is. What seems to have happened in this beer is that the pumpkin/squash character, as well as the flavor of the grain, overshadow the spice.
Mouthfeel: It's mildly carbonated and medium bodied, somewhat oily on the palate, and it sticks around a bit on the finish.
Overall: This is probably my least favorite beer I've had from Kern, which is a brewery that I otherwise love and respect. It's pretty bland, with an unremarkable mouthfeel. The smell is inviting and creates expectations which the taste doesn't live up to. It's pretty disappointing, and I'm hoping to try some better pumpkin beers this season after this rough start!
2.5/5
Kern's pumpkin ale has very limited distribution to southern California during the fall (October, this year), and I happened to be in the right place at the right time at one of my regular stores in order to grab this bottle. It's 6% ABV.
Appearance: Clear orange, with a modest head that recedes to nothing and leaves only the faintest lacing at the very top of the glass.
Smell: The pumpkin spice elements jump out -- allspice, nutmeg, and clove. There is a faint hint of grain, but not a lot of malt-based sweetness or hop character.
Taste: Interestingly, the grain character is much more predominant on the palate, and the pumpkin spices almost take a backseat. There is also a strong vegetal character, which one could easily contribute to the pumpkin; however, the interesting thing about pumpkin itself is that it doesn't really have that distinctive (or even that tasty) of a flavor. People tend to associate all of the other spices with what they think the flavor of pumpkin actually is. What seems to have happened in this beer is that the pumpkin/squash character, as well as the flavor of the grain, overshadow the spice.
Mouthfeel: It's mildly carbonated and medium bodied, somewhat oily on the palate, and it sticks around a bit on the finish.
Overall: This is probably my least favorite beer I've had from Kern, which is a brewery that I otherwise love and respect. It's pretty bland, with an unremarkable mouthfeel. The smell is inviting and creates expectations which the taste doesn't live up to. It's pretty disappointing, and I'm hoping to try some better pumpkin beers this season after this rough start!
2.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment