Avery Brewing Rumpkin
I had planned on boycotting pumpkin beers this year. Ever since bottles of the gourd-based brews started showing up on shelves as early as late July, I new this would be the year to take off. And everything was going great… that is until I had the opportunity to pick up a couple of bottles of Avery Brewing Rumpkin and Pumpkyn.
The Rumpkin was a beer that I has wanted to sample ever since first hearing of it a couple of years ago. How could I pass up this opportunity? Needless to say, I couldn’t.
Rumpkin (batch #4) is, to say the least, a big beer. At 16.73% ABV, the brew hits with not just a potency, but also a richly layered array of flavors — resting for six months in rum barrels will do that to a beer. Oh, and also completely derail a personal boycott.
Appearance
Rumpkin pours a deep garnet in color with a fleeting cap of tan foam.
Aroma
Distant pumpkin, light spices (nutmeg and cinnamon), caramel, rum, light woody notes and booze fill the nose with a decadent array of scents.
Taste
Wow. This is a big beer with bigger flavors. Rum, pumpkin, a solid amount of sweetness, molasses, raisin, cinnamon, nutmeg and booze slide viscously over the palate. Not only is the beer large in alcohol, but its flavor combination is no joke, as well. It’s full bodied and a beer that should keep you toasty on a cold October evening.
Overall
Both this bottle of Rumpkin and one of Pumpkyn were the only two pumpkin-based beers that I had this season, so while I didn’t completely forgo the style, I did a pretty damn good job. This big, boozy brew was just too much to ignore. And I’m glad I broke the picket line for it. Now, if only I can be more patient with the bottles still in the cellar.
Rating: 4.5/5
