In this fall beer blog, we are going to sample a brewery new to Michigan.  It is Alaskan Pumpkin Porter.   If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Northwest craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this pumpkin porter.

It has a jet black color with a nice tan head on this porter.  The aroma has hints of cinnamon and nutmeg notes.  The taste has a light chocolate to cinnamon and nutmeg with a smokey malty aftertaste.  It is drinkable beer for a porter.

Here is a desecration from their website (www.alaskanbeer.com):

Style:

A native plant of North America, pumpkins were first used in beer in colonial America as a substitute for hard-to-find malt, and none other than the father of our country George Washington had a highly touted recipe. This imperial porter pumpkin beer combines the robust, full-bodied style of a porter with a, frankly, crazy amount of pumpkin.

Taste Style:

With over 11 pounds of pumpkin added to every barrel of this imperial porter, this beer has a smooth, velvety rich texture. Brown sugar, holiday spices and a scoche of Alaskan’s famous alder-smoked malt are added to create an aroma and flavor reminiscent of grandma’s Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

History:

This is the first bottling of our Alaskan Pumpkin Porter, after a highly sought-after holiday Rough Draft release in Alaska. This Alaskan Brewing take on a colonial American tradition is perfect for autumn and Thanksgiving, as here in Alaska we see the nights get longer and colder and can find comfort in the richness of this brew.

Ingredients:

Alaskan Pumpkin Porter is made from our glacier-fed water and a blend of Magnum and Goldings hops, 6 different malts including Alaskan alder-smoked malt, brown sugar, and a spice blend including cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Plus, of course, Red Hubbard variety pumpkin.

Story Behind The Label:

Alaska is home to some of the world’s largest cultivated vegetables, squashes, gourds and pumpkins. The long daylight hours in the summer promote fast growth, and also prompt fierce competition amongst the farmers of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, who converge on the Alaska State Fair with their gigantic prize produce in the quest to be crowned State Fair champion. It is a common sight at the fairgrounds in Palmer to see a pickup truck barely able to contain the huge pumpkins they haul to the competition, which can weigh in at more than 1,200 pounds.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.alaskanbeer.com

Twitter:  @alaskanbeer

Closing, Yay!  This is my first Pumpkin Porter of the season.  I am glad it is coming from one of my favorite breweries out west.  There is a nice balance between from the porter and pumpkin.  To me, I found this beer taste like a chocolate cover pumpkin with some cinnamon and nutmeg notes.  It is a sipping beer but perfect for the fall and winter seasonal.  I can see many beer drinkers drink this beer after fall is over.  This is a great and well designed beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13