The Bar Towel

HelloLCBO passed on my suggestion to release a list of Ontario beers for each quarter or season.

I told them it grinds my gears when I know Muskoka Winterbeard Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout and Flying Monkeys Chocolate Manifesto are in store but not on any Christmas Gift Pack list.

I don't mind pumpkin beers. Having a couple a year around October is fine. Just like some of the winter beers in December and January.

My favourite though is Southern Tier Pumking. I'm going to try to brew a clone this year though with less ABV.

JaseWescott wrote:HelloLCBO passed on my suggestion to release a list of Ontario beers for each quarter or season.

I told them it grinds my gears when I know Muskoka Winterbeard Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout and Flying Monkeys Chocolate Manifesto are in store but not on any Christmas Gift Pack list.

lister wrote:I don't mind pumpkin beers. Having a couple a year around October is fine. Just like some of the winter beers in December and January.

My favourite though is Southern Tier Pumking. I'm going to try to brew a clone this year though with less ABV.

Completely agree with liking a little pumpkin beer in the fall and winter beer in the cold weather. But, ironically, my memory of Southern Tier Pumking is that I didn't care for that one. Recall it being too heavily spiced for my liking.

Yeah I agree. I like pumpkin beers that go light on the spices. GR Highballer has always been my favourite. Will have to see if it is still up to scratch. Also generally like GLB's rendition.

The only pumpkin beers I’ve ever liked are Nickel Brook Pissed Off Pete Pumpkin Porter and one from J Wakefield, the name of which I forget.

I don’t hate the others, I just find getting through a serving a bit of a chore. Likewise chilli pepper beers.

Coronaeus wrote:... I don’t hate the others, I just find getting through a serving a bit of a chore. Likewise chilli pepper beers.

OK, now I sympathize with people who hate Pumpkin Ales. Why ruin an otherwise good ale with hot peppers? Or any food with formerly detectable flavor?

Nearly all Pumpkin ales taste OK to me, but some are dull. You really only taste the spice whether or not they add the squashes at all. I think it ferments out.

Belgian wrote:

Coronaeus wrote:... I don’t hate the others, I just find getting through a serving a bit of a chore. Likewise chilli pepper beers.

OK, now I sympathize with people who hate Pumpkin Ales. Why ruin an otherwise good ale with hot peppers? Or any food with formerly detectable flavor?

Nearly all Pumpkin ales taste OK to me, but some are dull. You really only taste the spice whether or not they add the squashes at all. I think it ferments out.

I dunno, personally I've had some pumpkin ales that give off that vegetal cooked squash note. Sometimes if it's balanced I don't mind, but I definitely find a difference between pumpkin ales and Christmas ales that use similar spice profiles.

seangm wrote:

Belgian wrote:... Nearly all Pumpkin ales taste OK to me, but some are dull. You really only taste the spice whether or not they add the squashes at all. I think it ferments out.

I dunno, personally I've had some pumpkin ales that give off that vegetal cooked squash note. Sometimes if it's balanced I don't mind, but I definitely find a difference between pumpkin ales and Christmas ales that use similar spice profiles.

I'm sure it's true in cases. Although many claim they taste pumpkin in St. Ambroise Citrouille though it has none. Taste buds of the beholder.

Speak of Xmas beers, the best of a lifetime? Figgy Puddin' at KBC. I happened by the KBC pub at exactly the right time, and they handed me a free PINT of this massive, spicy-dark-black-dried-fruits ale. None of these stupid little glasses, a full pint of Figgy goodness. Hard to beat that one.

Belgian wrote:Speak of Xmas beers, the best of a lifetime? Figgy Puddin' at KBC. I happened by the KBC pub at exactly the right time, and they handed me a free PINT of this massive, spicy-dark-black-dried-fruits ale. None of these stupid little glasses, a full pint of Figgy goodness. Hard to beat that one.

I hear you! Had that one years ago and it tasted great. Best I ever had though was a Christmas Pudding Porter from Scotch Irish. Must've been totally unfiltered, or if it had been done, it was done so through a pudding itself.

Christmas Pudding Porter from Scotch Irish. Must've been totally unfiltered, or if it had been done, it was done so through a pudding itself.

Haha. 'Pudding filtered' or not I do wish I had tried that. Perry could make some truly spectacular beers from across the spectrum, Ordinary Bitters to RIS. And Christmas Pudding beers seem to have zero profit consideration. Making them awesome.

Belgian wrote:I'm sure it's true in cases. Although many claim they taste pumpkin in St. Ambroise Citrouille though it has none.

This may have been true in the past, but I am (quite coincidentally) drinking a can of St. Ambroise Citrouille at this very moment which seems to disagree. Ingredients: Water, malted barley, wheat, hops, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin.

Whether they mean actual pumpkin or just Dickinson squash is another matter entirely.

don't want to derail but has anybody tried Autumn Ale by Royal City? potato beer! taste more pumpkin than pumpkin beers.

https://untappd.com/b/royal-city-brewin ... le/1273477

JaseWescott wrote:don't want to derail but has anybody tried Autumn Ale by Royal City? potato beer! taste more pumpkin than pumpkin beers.

https://untappd.com/b/royal-city-brewin ... le/1273477

Yep, I picked that one up at the brewery in Guelph probably 2 years ago now. Brewed with sweet potato, squash and 'harvest spices'. Not bad, but the batch that I tried was too spice-forward for my tastes. Still had more pumpkin/squash flavour than most pumpkin beers I've tried.

darmokandjalad wrote:

JaseWescott wrote:don't want to derail but has anybody tried Autumn Ale by Royal City? potato beer! taste more pumpkin than pumpkin beers.

https://untappd.com/b/royal-city-brewin ... le/1273477

Yep, I picked that one up at the brewery in Guelph probably 2 years ago now. Brewed with sweet potato, squash and 'harvest spices'. Not bad, but the batch that I tried was too spice-forward for my tastes. Still had more pumpkin/squash flavour than most pumpkin beers I've tried.

Yeah I had it a couple years ago myself, agreed, too spice forward. Not bad, but not worth having again as far as I’m
Concerned. Their October fest beer, in the other hand is really good....drank a lot of it last year. I think they’ve just released it this year over the past couple days. Probably in top 3 beers I’ve had from royal city.