Beer # 91 Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Howe Sound Brewing

Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Imperial Flavoured Ale 8.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 1000 ml.
$11.35 (Canadian) At LCBO

Twitter: @howesoundbeer



Okay the first thing you notice about this beer is the bottle... IT'S HUGE. It is a 1 Litre bottle or as it also says... 1 Quart 1.8 oz. Also it has two closures. First, is a standard pry-off crown cap; second, the beer has been fitted with a ceramic swing-top sealer presumably to store (hopefully for only a short period) any unfinished beer. (N.B. Keep in mind... this beer is 8% and there is 1 Litre. In layman's terms drinking one of these beers is EQUIVALENT to a SIX PACK of Coors Light... trust me... I did the math. Please share or consume responsibly, or avail yourself of the swing-top.) 

Howe Sound Brewing is located in Squamish B.C. just 45 minutes north of Vancouver on the staggeringly beautiful Sea to Sky Highway. Highway 99 Stretches from North Vancouver to Squamish skirting the coast before heading inland to Whistler and points beyond... almost to Kamloops. Squamish is named for the local Indigenous peoples descendants of the Coast Salish people who settled in the area to utilise it's long protected inlet for fishing  and transportation. Howe Sound, as it is now known, is a vast ocean inlet that features two large islands and several small ones. Squamish was founded as a lumber town and terminus of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (Now part of Canadian National). In recent years as the major lumber and pulp mills have closed Squamish has found new life as a bedroom community for the many commuters from Vancouver, and the tourist industry owing to the incredible natural resources in the area. In fact Squamish is literally ringed with Provincial Parks. Garibaldi being the largest just to the East, Tantalus to the North (Tantalus means Hell in Geek) and My favourite, Tetrahedron Park to the West, which, ironically, is nowhere near the shape of a tetrahedron.

Howe Sound Brewing was founded in 1996 assisted by modern B.C. brewing pioneer John Mitchell, as a boutique hotel and brew pub. They have a strong eco mission to reduce their environmental impact, and strive to give back as much to the community as possible. and on top of this... they make fantastic beers... 

Let's Taste one...

Dusty dark orange and chestnut in colour, slightly cloudy like an unfiltered cider. Frothy off white to tan head made up of medium sized bubbles. Aroma is all pumpkin pie... cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, licorice, and of course roasted pumpkin. The alcohol is there, the beer makes no mistake and lets you know right away that it is 8% ABV. First sip and the beer asserts itself, a good quality strong ale that has been gently scented with pumpkin and spice. Typically dry of a strong ale, and not cloyingly sweet from the addition of the pumpkin, which often mars lower quality pumpkin beer. Balance is excellent and proceeds nicely from attack to finish through toasty malt notes and herbaceous hop notes. Hanging over the taste is the aroma of the pumpkin and spice like a lingering perfume in a room when the person has already left. The finish is dry and herbal. Aeration is an explosion of black tea and spices, reminiscent of homemade Chai.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional   

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

Simply brilliant, and honestly the best pumpkin beer I has tasted thus far. The key difference is brewing this beer in the imperial style. The higher alcohol content leaves less residual sugar, and also balances the sweetness of the pumpkin. The beer is very well crafted with a careful hand and was a joy to drink. I am looking forward to having more Howe Sound beers here in Ontario and if not I will certainly be making my way to Squamish as soon as possible.

P.S. I did consume the entire bottle, but I was safely parked on the couch here at Pint Jockey Headquarters. The Cat took away my keys and put me to bed... Please drink responsibly as we still have so much to talk about...

Cheers
CJT


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