Elysian Punkuccino
In my beer drinking history, I’ve had plenty of coffee porters and plenty of pumpkin porters, but I believe this may be a first for me. Elysian Punkuccino is an example of the style brewed with coffee and pumpkin. And as with most other seasonal, pumpkin-based recipes, the 6% ABV porter features a healthy does of spices which ultimately are the beer’s downfall.
One sniff of the pleasant scents wafting from the glass lead you to believe that the pumpkin and coffee will ultimately co-mingle with cinnamon, clove, a hint of ginger and allspice. The graham cracker like notes and touch of chocolate do their part to sway you as well. The problem, however, is that once the porter hits the tastebuds things have become a bit jumbled.
The flavors just get mushed together. Nothing really seems to balance with one another or accentuate an elements over others. Things just sort of collide in a mess as the beer glides smoothly over the palate. Punkucinno just doesn’t present itself as a cohesive experience. Now, this porter isn’t a bad beer and I’m sure it certainly has its following, but for my palate, it just doesn’t feel unified.