New Autumn Flavors

I have not been here in months, but there are plenty of stockpiled reviews to fill up random posts. But I'll start with two fresh takes on beers new to me.

I wish I had a report from the 2013 Montana Brewers Association Festival in Missoula, but I was 2,100 miles away. I hope to deliver a 2014 report. After all, there's always hope. 

New Belgium Pumpkick
Sampled: Sept. 29, 2013
Finally, those fall seasonals that have languished on the shelf since mid-August have temperatures suited to their best qualities. First up is New Belgium's latest fall season, which partially resurrects an old favorite.

I will miss Red Hoptober, New Belgium’s 2011 fall ale. Dropping Red Hoptober for a variation on my all-time favorite from the Lips of Faith lineup did not make me miss it too deeply. Pumpkick loses the high-alcohol of Kick, but retains the blend of ale brewed with pumpkin and cranberry juice, plus an ample amount of allspice (which is an actually berry, not a blend of spices). Kick was easily my favorite fall beer of 2011, and Pumpkick is in the running for the same honor this year.

Most drinkers seem lukewarm on Pumpkick. But you can’t make a $9/six-pack with the sour feistiness of Kick. Harvest beers should encompass flavors of the season, and Pumpkick fits from the equinox to Thanksgiving.

This brew combines two of my favorite attributes, complexity and light, crisp drinkability. Hops never really enter the picture, but the mild bite of the cranberry more than replaces them. They include lemongrass, which contributes to a dry, herbal finish.  It's simple, but the fruit juices add complexity that some fall seasonals try to mask with an overdose of holiday spices (cough, cough, clove). Pumpkick and I will run into each other again this fall.

Dr. Krunkles White Farmhouse IPA
Sampled: Oct. 2, 2013

Terrapin continues to push envelopers with its Side Project series of one-off brews (many of which have found their way into its seasonal lineup).

I could not skip Side Project Vol. 20, an amalgam of three beloved styles - Belgian wit, IPA and saison. The addition of wheat malt keeps this ale on the lighter side, while the combination of Belgian saison yeast and strong hops (El Dorado, Centennial and a dry hopping with the fickle Sorachi Ace). White IPAs have crept into the market in the past four to five years, but only a handful fulfill the promise of hoppy Belgian white. Dr. Krunkles goes well beyond that simple goal.

An array of spices, including coriander, several types of orange peel and white peppercorns, play nicely with the yeast and hops. ; Aged on White Ash staves, the ale has a tiny bit of wood-grain roughness that also fits with the rough textures imparted by the hops and the yeast.

Hop leaf and vegetative herbs dominate the nose. Hop cones, tea leaves bump up against lemon zest, the orange peels and coriander that influence the dirty orange body. Plus, there's just something about the presence of hop resin and Belgian yeast esters in one brew that feels so right. The saison yeast pushes into different directions than a standard issue white IPA.

The ingredients might prove too much to make Dr. Krunkles White Farmhouse IPA a Terrapin seasonal, but once again the Athens brewery shows off its ingenuity.