Autum Seasonal Tasting

Appearance: Billowing, slightly tan head with good retention. Dark amber body, moderate haze.

Aroma: Cinnamon and nutmeg dominate, with ginger in the background. Not really sure what cardamom and allspice smell like, so hard to judge their impact. Spice is intense and unlike anything one would normally find in beer. A bit of crystal malt aroma too. Not sure is smells exactly like pumpkin pie, but pretty close.

Taste: Again the spice dominates. Hard to taste any actual pumpkin though. Malt sweetness and a bit of crystal character come through as well. Maybe a hint of molasses note. Alcohol is noticeable but not biting - slightly warming. Bitterness is low, but the cinnamon flavor gives it a kind of drying, spicy effect at the end.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to high body, despite the sugar and molasses additions. Carbonation is medium.

Overall: Not my favorite style and I would probably not have more than one at a time, but this one is spicy without being overwhelming with spice. Pumpkin taste doesn't really come through, and for me it's hard to distinguish this from a Festivus-style winter beer.

NEIPA #1 Review

Appearance: Golden-orange body, with haze that is not much more than normal for my ales, moderate off-white head with decent persistence and lacing.

Aroma: I get a decent hoppy aroma, kind of berry fruity. Maybe passion fruit or strawberry. Aroma improves a bit as the beer warms. Intensity of the aroma is not the kind that you could smell from across the room, but good.

Taste: Hoppy, bitter. Less fruity than the aroma, more of a dank and piney note. Slight maltiness but fortunately no crystal sweetness to distract from the hops.

Mouthfeel: Soft but not juicy. Pretty well balanced between soft mouthfeel and dank hoppiness.

Overall: OK, wish the hop aroma were more intense. Not as fruity in taste or "soft" in mouthfeel as I was hoping.