Welcome back to the Epic 2024 Pumpkin Beer Battle!!
You can see the contenders and results of Round 1, Here.
First, some backstory: Now that the weather has started to lean more toward the cooler temperatures (he says, after spending a week in the high 80’s) I think it’s time to throw open the arena doors and see what happens. To that end, I present to you Round 2 of the 2024 Epic Pumpkin Beer battle where I pit every offering from every brewery I can find…
Sidebar: “That I can Find” means what’s available in the stores in my area. Depending on where you are, you might have something that doesn’t appear here, and it’s really hard to get beer shipped into the state from outside, let alone over a national border.
…against each other until – If I’ve planned this right – we reach the quarter finals, semi finals, and Ultimately the Final round on October 27th (Which is a Sunday. Time wasn’t working with me on this one).
Another sidebar: I’m going to be rating these entries on a scale of 1 to 10 based on very exacting criteria, like, how well I enjoy it, and how close it approaches the pinnacle of achievement: Pumpkin Pie in a bottle or can.
Are you ready to Rumble???
Here – in no particular order – are the Round 2 Competitors!
New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin (6.4 APV, 10 IBU)
This is a new one on me. Pumpkin ale brewed with Habanero peppers. I guess that’s where the Atomic part comes into play. As it was, this was a pretty cinnamon forward beer that left a little bit of stang on the tongue after the fact. Unfortunately, that cinnamon and heat combo pretty much smothered any other notes that may or may not have been there.
Overall, it wasn’t bad, but not what I’d call a true Pumpkin Beer. Was worth it for the novelty alone, but doesn’t rank very high
Score: 5/10
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela Wild Pumpkin Ale (6.2 APV, 22 IBU)
This was a local entry, right up the road – as the crow flies – so I was both intrigued and (very un-judge-like of me) kind of rooting for it. This was a sour beer. Which, to be fair, is exactly what it says on the tin, so I shouldn’t have been disappointed, but I was. The sourness not only overtook every other note for me, but it left any hint of pumpkin, or pumpkin pie spices in the dust.
I don’t have much experience with Sour beers, so I can’t say how well, or poorly, this one performed as a sour. As a pumpkin beer, it wasn’t all that hot.
Score: 2/10
Southern Tier Brewing Pumpking (8.6% APV, 28 IBU)
This is where that International Bitterness Rating can be a little deceiving. Overall this was a nicely balanced Pumpkin Beer. There was a little bit of bitterness on the finish but it didn’t taste as bitter as some of the other beers in the competition. That’s because the things you add to the brew can offset the bitterness without reducing that IBU rating. For example: Everything else being equal, that 8.6% APV will offset some of the bitterness because there are more sugars in the increased alcohol content.
I thought this was a pretty strong contender this round. It had a nice Pumpkin Pie in a bottle taste to it, the flavors were balanced, like I said above.
Score: 8/10
And there you have it! Two rounds down, and two strong contenders have risen above the competition. Whose other offerings will join them as we (ok, I) progress toward the knock out stages to discover which Beer reigns over the Pumpkin patch?
Stay tuned for Round 3, coming up next week.
Thanks for reading. Be safe out there. Be Excellent to Each other – and yourself.
I’ll see you on Thursday.
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