Beer Tasting: A Fall of Beers

I love fall.  I love beer. It goes without saying, I love fall beers.  The beer style I most readily associate with fall is the German, Märzen.  Dating back to the 16th century, Märzens were a strong lager, brewed in March, and made to last through the hot German summer.  

These "March" beers were later consumed at the Octoberfest celebrations in Munich.  Subsequently, over time, Märzens became known as Octoberfest beers.  Here in the US, fall isn't just for Octoberfest.  Shelves this time of year are filled with big, flavorful, and malty beers taking in every flavor from pumpkin to pecans to maple syrup.  It's a veritable holiday smorgasbord.

So, how does one get a handle on all of these fall beer offerings?  Easy, have a beer tasting, which is exactly what I did with my good friend and neighbor, Bryan.

Note: a beer tasting does not have to be an official event at your local pub.  In fact, I think tastings are more fun with just a friend or two.  

Over the last six weeks, I collected a number of different fall beers.  Some we've had.  Others we have not.  All of them I walked over to Bryans.

I suppose what I like about tasting beer with friends is the ability to bounce off flavors and impressions.

It is one thing to identify predominant flavors.  It is another to bounce those interpretations off of someone else.  Even further, I find it interesting to contrast similar beer styles to one another.  This isn't a matter of simply saying, "I like THAT one better".  It is more like, "wow, there is so much more pumpkin here" or "man, that's lot of nutmeg".  

In true judging, much like in BBQ, you judge the beer against the style guidelines, not against another beer.  This, however, is not judging.  It's fun.

Before getting to the first sip, it is always interesting to compare colors.  

Straw, maroon, red, and amber.  The smallest amounts of dark and crystal malts can create subtle differences.  

Tastings

So, armed with 14 glasses, 7 bottles, 1 piece of paper, and 1 pen, we were off.

Here is what we had and here is what we discovered:

Pecan Harvest Ale - Abita - My first note "quite nutty".  I like pecans, but wow, this was just not for me.  My final note, "nuts turn me off".  Bryan was nowhere near as harsh as me.  He liked it.

Punk - Dogfish Head Ale - All pumpkin, right from the start.  A little bit of spice and nutmeg followed by some cinnamon on the finish.  Quite good and well rounded.

Pumpkinhead Ale - Shipyard Brewing Co. - For a beer with pumpkin in the title, there sure wasn't a lot of pumpkin.  I can't remember if I've had this before.  If I had, I'm not sure why I selected it again.  It was really disappointing.  Bryan was also stumped.  There was an odd taste, not like an off-taste, but a taste we simply couldn't identify.  In the end, this one was deemed "not right".

Festbier - Victor Brewing Co. - I described this as "Märzen".  It seemed true to form.  Not overly malty with a slight spicy finish.  A solid entry.

Harvest Pumpkin - Samuel Adams - Bryan aptly described this as "the smell of fall…in your nose".  A nice bit of pumpkin, with a woody, oak finish.  Actually I never really realized just how pronounced the oak was.  I love wood flavors in beer.

Pumking - Southern Tier - Spoiler alert.  I love Pumking.  This is one of my favorite fall beers.  It is also a big beer.  A thick mouthfeel, with pumpkin, nutmeg, and spice.  Even more pumpkin comes out as the beer warms.  Bryan also liked its bold flavors.  Although I would be hard pressed to drink these all night, I would have no problem substituting this for a piece of pumpkin pie, even if it ment drinking it out of a pie pan.

Fat Jack - Samuel Adams - I think Fat Jack is mostly an amped up version of Harvest Pumpkin.  Everything is bigger, the smokey wood, the pumpkin, and the spicy finish that just lingered.  Absolutely excellent.

In the end, Pumking and Fat Jack were identified as dessert beers.  Both solid, both excellent, but seeing they are so bold, they are best saved for the end of a meal.

For everyday fall drinking, we liked the Festbier & Punk.  Bryan included the Pecan Harvest, too.  He liked the nuts a lot more than me.  Punk is a pumpkin beer that although has a slightly high ABV, is smooth and balanced.  Very nice and very approachable.

To wrap up the night, Bryan made dinner.

After a hard evening of "beer tasting", a mix of sautéed onion and zucchini went along great with his perfectly grilled soy marinated pork chops.

Next time the seasons change, experiment and learn about a beer style, by holding a tasting with a friend.  It's a great way of exploring new beers and a fun way of re-evaluating beers you already know.  Then, If you are as lucky as I was, your beer tasting partner will throw a great meal to cap it all off.  Thanks, Bryan…and cheers!