5th Annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival - Elysian Brewing Oct. 10th - 11th 2009

30 PUMPKIN THEMED BEERS FROM 15 BREWERIES.
1) 8472 Dark Sour Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.): Wheat, oats, rye, corn and pumpkin in the mash and kettle. 6.6%. Notes: If Jolly Rancher made a Halloween candy.

2) Dark O' The Moon Pumpkin Stout (Elysian Brewing Co.): Brewed with Great Western Pale, Crisp 77° Crystal, Cara-Vienne, roasted chocolate and special B malts with roasted pumpkin seeds in the mash. Pumpkin in the mash, kettle, and fermentor. Bittered with Magnum and finished with Saaz and crushed cinnamon. 6.5%. Notes: Reminded me of the Abyss both in flavor and appearance. Not as much pumpkin in the taste as I had hoped.

3) Ichabod Imperial Belgian Pumpkin Ale (Iron Hill Brewery): Over 6 pounds of pumpkin per barrel. Clove, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice. 9.5%. Notes: Delicious aromas. Great color and strong on pumpkin flavor.

4) Jackobite Barrel-Aged Scottish Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.): Brewed with Pale, 77° Crystal, Munich, and Cara-Hell malts. Bittered with Glacier hops. Pumpkin in mash, kettle, and fermentor. Aged in Jack Daniels and wine barrels for 6 weeks. 6.4%. Notes: First beer I tried this was rich in toffee pumpkin tastes and both grape and scotch finish.

5) Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.): Brewed with Pale, Munich, Cara-Hell and 150° Crystal malts and malted and unmalted wheat. Lightly hopped with UK Fuggles and aged in fermentation for 10 months with second generation sour Belgian yeast blend (culture kept alive for seven years). Pumpkin in mash and kettle. 5.1%. Notes: Lighter take on the 8472.

6) Pie Hole Pumpkin Ale (Ram Northgate): Brewed with Munich, wheat, light crystal, brown, and Kiln Amber malts. Classic pumpkin spices and 150 pounds of sugar pumpkin. 6.5%. Notes: Poured from a pumpkin this was one the richest and most pronounced pumpkin tasting beers I have had.

7) La Parcela No.1 2008 (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales): Brewed with Pilsner, Munich, Vienna, wheat, and crystal malts. Hopped with Aurora and Mt. Rainier and spiced with cocoa, nutmeg, and ginger. Keg conditioned and aged in oak. 6.1%. Notes: Nice spices and underlying hops. Woody toasted pumpkin undertones.

8) Bruce Camp-Ale (Iron Hill Brewery): Ichabod Imperial Belgian Pumpkin Ale aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. 9.5%. Notes: Best of the day. Subtle spiced bourbon undertones with vanilla and pumpkin complimenting.

9) Organic Mashing Pumpkin (Elliott Bay Brewing): Brewed with organic pumpkin in mash. Bittered with Magnum and finished with organic cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Served from cask with toasted oak soaked in Maker's Mark bourbon. 7.6%. Notes: Second best of the day. Light appearance with massive pumpkin tastes. The smoothness of the cask conditioning with the bourbon flavor made this truly unique.

10) Ich Bin Ein Pumpkiner (Nodding Head Brewery): Berliner sour wheat served with Elysian made pumpkin syrup. 3.75%. Notes: Last beer of the day and my least favorite. I was probably soured out at this point but I did like how they coated the glass with the syrup before

11) The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.)
12) Hansel & Gretel Ginger Pumpkin Pilsner (Elysian Brewing Co.)
13) Pumking (Southern Tier)
14) Punkin (Dogfish Head Brewing)
15) Night Owl Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.)
16) Abbey Squashington (Stewart's Brewing)
17) Bete N' Owl Dark Belgian Spiced Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.)
18) Biere de Gourde (Cambridge Brewing)
19) Boom Sticke Pumpkin Ale (Iron Hill Brewery)
20) Cerveza Calabaza (Rock Bottom)
21) Ghouleschip (Allagash Brewing)
22) Great Pumpkin Ale (Cambridge Brewing)
23) Hop Goblin (Big Time Brewery)
24) Kaiser Kurbis Pumpkin Hefeweizen (Elysian Brewing Co.)
25) Mischief Night Pumpkin Ale (Stewart's Brewing)
26) Olde Pumpkin Porter (Cambridge Brewing)
27) Punk Rauchin' Smoked Pumpkin Lager (Silver City Brewing)
28) Punktoberfest (Iron Hill Brewery)
29) Sasquatch (Big Time Brewery)
30) Snoqualmie Extra Special Butternut (Snoqualmie Brewing)