The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)
The Brew: Pumking (Imperial Pumpkin Ale)
Availability: 22 oz. bottle & draft (seasonal)
ABV: 8.6%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
The Story? Southern Tier's Pumking always generates quite a bit of fanfair around this time of year, being only one of a handful of bottled pumpkin ales to carry the title of "Imperial". If you live anywhere close to the northeast, you've likely already heard of this one, so let's jump right in.
The Beer? Even with a firm pour, the head isn't particularly prominent and quickly fades. We're left with just the glowing, translucent copper liquid with a fine ring of head.
In the process of bringing the glass to my nose, this one is radiating straight-up nutmeg. Strong pumpkin pie aroma. Malty, sweet taste with lots of cinnamon. A strong departure from Ithaca's Country Pumpkin mild nature and Captain Lawrence's dry, all-spice and clove earthiness discussed earlier this week.
Lightly carbonated with a very long pumpkin pie finish. Almost too long. But, the carbonation keeps it light on its feet and the beer overall packs a great deal of flavor. Creamy notes of caramel begin to move in around the strong cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet pumpkin flavors. The 8.6% never really peaks through the plethora of spices. Big body and creamy, but never heavy or thick.
Pumking has become legend among fall seasonal lovers and is a must try for anyone looking for the extreme end of the Pumpkin Ale spectrum. So far, out of the three pumpkin ales reviewed so far this fall, I'll personally be picking up the Captain Lawrence on a more frequent basis, but for a fall gathering or tasting, Pumpkin is an easy choice to make a big impact with a crowd.
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