Wasatch Black O' Lantern Pumpkin Stout

If you name your beer the Black O' Lantern, odds are i'm going to try it.  Wasatch Brewery out of Utah has a perfect Halloween companion to all that candy you're probably going to eat.  The Black O' Lantern is a pumpkin stout, pours dark with a tan head, and smells like pumpkin, spices, roasted malts, and some hints of cocoa.  The taste is similar to the aroma, but with some notes of vanilla and molasses, and the pumpkin spice never overpowers the rest of the brew.  The beer is creamy and delicious, and at 6.5% ABV, i recommend having two or three of these.  Happy Halloween.

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Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale

Say what you will about pumpkin spiced beers, but the Pumpkin Ale from Buffalo Bill's Brewery out of California is what started it all for me, leading me down the path of trying out different kinds of beers (particularly of the pumpkin variety), and i've never looked back.  Sure, i've had way better brews, but sometimes it's nice to go back to the original.  The beer pours auburn with a nice creamy head and gives off aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, cloves, and molasses.  The taste is relatively the same, but with some added yeast to its medium body.  This has been an old standby for me for the last seven or eight years, and has become a marker for the fall season.

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Port City Optimal Wit

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my friend over on the east coast who was in town for ACL Fest this last weekend and brought me a care package, a variety of beers from Port City Brewing in Alexandria, Virginia.  Last night, after some furniture assembly, i broke into the Optimal Wit, a Belgian white brewed with coriander and orange peel.  The beer pours a light and hazy yellow with a white and sudsy head.  Aromas of citrus, the aforementioned coriander, wheat, and some light notes of pepper are most prevalent, while the taste smooth with predominant flavors of citrus and wheat.  It's a very refreshing brew, and it hit the spot.  A very good witbier.

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Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

I always love when breweries work with and tweak IPA's coming up with awesome and tasty combinations.  Deschutes Brewery offer up their Chainbreaker White IPA, a nice mix of Belgian white and IPA.  The beer pours a hazy light yellow, with a nice and foamy white head.  The aroma consists of Belgian yeast and malts, lemon, and hints of banana and grass.  The taste is malty, with the lemon coming in front and center, followed by notes of coriander and grass.  The hoppiness is slight, especially for an IPA, but still noticeable with hints of grapefruit coming on the back end.  A great anytime beer.

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