Because Houston Beer Month occurs in August, there probably won’t be too many folks clamouring for Russian Imperial Stouts or similar heavy hitters due to the hot temperatures and high humidity. However, light, crushable beers are not the only types of beers that can be enjoyed in the summer. Malt-forward beers like Festbiers, which are starting to make their annual appearance, and Ambers can be just as refreshing to combat Houston’s heat, and I had just the beer over the weekend.

Last weekend, Baileson Brewing in Rice Village tapped their Renew By 6/21 Amber Ale. As to be expected with an Amber, it is very malty and roasty with a little bit of sweetness. I tasted a small amount of chocolate with an almost coffee bitterness. One aspect of malt-forward beers that I enjoy is the nuttiness and complexity to them, and Renew By has a fair amount of pecan and other nut flavors. 

If you have never had the pleasure of drinking at Baileson, I highly recommend it. It has one of the friendliest and coziest atmospheres of any brewery in the Houston area (and I am not just saying that because they sign my paychecks). Though they are known for their IPAs, you can’t go wrong with anything that is served. Taps rotate frequently due to their small brewing capacity, so you can expect Renew By 2021 to be on tap for another 3-5 weeks before going on a short break.

Come for the beer and stay for the atmosphere.

The post Baileson’s “Renew By 6/21” amber refreshing in hot summer months first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Baileson’s “Renew By 6/21” amber refreshing in hot summer months appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

HEEEYYY !!! 

I’m Dan Beck (BREWS WITH BECK on YouTube), and how the hell are ya??!!      

I grew up in Coors Town (Golden, CO), attended CU Boulder (party / craft beer school) and have lived in Los Angeles for 20 years now pursuing entertainment, sports glory, and stellar beers. Beer used to be something I wanted cheap and good for beer bonging; but now that I’m an older/wiser/better looking man (chuckle) I’ve discovered quality over quantity.

I discovered the Houston beer scene in 2014 thanks to my brother-in-law who is an attorney in Houston.  He started my Houston beer education by taking me to Karbach and Saint Arnold which I found to have a nice selections of brews.  I’ve really enjoyed the Bishop’s Barrel series from Saint Arnold over the years for sure! In the years since, he helped me discover 8th wonder, Ingenious, Spindletap, Astral, Great Heights, Back Pew and a few more.    I have to give it up to Spindletap as the brewery that REALLY got me into Houston beer.  I’ve been a huge fan of New England IPA’s for quite a bit now, and I found Spindletap when I was still just discovering all of the NEIPA’s out there.  They have such good dry-hopped beers, cool people and a great brewery site! Over the last 10 years my absolute favorite beers tend to be barrel-aged stouts and NEIPA’s, but I make it a point to try ANY beer in order to be more well versed in all types of brews.

I look forward to laying down the law on Houston beers and pointing you in the direction of stellar cold beverages!

Check out two beer reviews from Spindletap Brewery in Houston Texas!

Dripped Out – Spindletap Brewery- 7%

Draped Up – Spindletap Brewery – 7%

The post New Video Contributor Introduction: Dan Beck first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post New Video Contributor Introduction: Dan Beck appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

If you drink Back Pew beers, you already know that this brewery is focused on clean fermented German style ales but is no strange to the big beers in its “sinner” line up of beers.   Noticing the lack of oak wood fermented beers in the Houston area, Bobby set off to create beer that no other local brewery is currently experimenting with.  Rand is Belgian Golden Strong ale aged in a toasted virgin American oak barrels.  Traditional as it comes, the Belgian Golden Strong style is often marked as innocent due to its golden pale color but in reality, it’s known for its strong alcoholic punch.  But barrel aging isn’t anything new, so let’s start there… 

When you hear of wood fermented beers, it’s usually in the common form of big barrel aged stouts from bourbon, rum or other distilled liquor aged for months.  Sour or mixed fermented beers also use wood barrels to capture and release the wild flora that wine leaves behind. Avoiding the serious booze and the wild funky stuff, this beer doesn’t fit either one of these categories and is in a league all its own.  The lightly charred oak is full of many flavorful and aromatic compounds that create another layer of depth and complexity.  To some, wood is viewed by the fifth major ingredient in beer making.  Wood vessels are permeable to oxygen, and in that, is a crucial element that aides to the success of this beer.  For the first few days of active fermentation, this beer kicked off high kräusen in a stainless steel vessel and once completed was transferred into barrels.  During the short aging process of 3 months, oxygen was introduced through the wood naturally aiding to mellow out its strong profile.  Fresh yeast was pitched and the beer was finally transferred to 750ml sized bottles to bottle condition until ready to be enjoyed.  Hand bottled, topped with the familiar cork cage and labeled by hand – this beer screams brewing excellence and is truly fit for royalty.  Because of the toasted barrels, this beer has a rounded yet delicate Belgian character and achieved the perfect light marshmallowy sweetness, without any added adjuncts. 

Unlike most Belgian beers, it’s very delicate and still carries those pronounced esters, clove spice on the nose and phenols true to the Belgian style.  What I loved most about this beer is that the hard Belgian edge and candy sugar sweetness is toned down, leaving behind a complex drinkable beer.  It gives a certain degree of mild spiciness with highly attenuated, dry clean finish.  At 9% ABV, there is a noticeable oaky flavor and has beautiful pops of vanillin from the barrel.  

This beer is currently at its peak for prime time so if you have one, crack it open. Like most special barrel releases, you might want to snag a few extra bottles to age.  Remember to always store this beer upright and chill before serving in a tulip glass when you are ready to enjoy.  By the way, limited edition Rand tulips also available at the brewery, ask about the beer/glass bundle for the best deal.  Be careful to watch your pour and avoid shaking up the bottles as there are still live cells present at the base of the bottle.  When pairing with food, Rand can be matched with anything from light salty appetizers and vegetables, or try it out with your favorite spicy dish!

Take home your bottle of Rand for $15 – available only at the Back Pew Sanctuary taproom through web pre-order or walk up sales during normal business hours.   

Stay tuned Houston……this project is nowhere near complete.  Word on the street is that this wood fermenting project will continue on with a classic English Barleywine real soon. Hold your horse though; we might have to wait a bit longer for that one.  

Follow Back Pew Brewing on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to know about it!

The post Beer Spotlight: Rand, Belgian Golden Strong from Back Pew Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Beer Spotlight: Rand, Belgian Golden Strong from Back Pew Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Wholistic Hazy IPA is a Hazy IPA (obviously)  that runs 6.66% abv and features Citra and Enigma hops. It was much hazier and lighter in color than the DL I reviewed a couple months ago, with a bright white head that had great retention. As soon as I opened the can I was hit in the face with bright pineapple that only intensified as I poured it. There was also some mango and a slight grapefruit tartness to support that pineapple. 

On my first sip, I got a lot of mango with hints of strawberry all riding on a slight cracker note from the malt that was very much the supporting character to the hops. As it warmed up, the strawberry became more prominent along with a slight creamy coconut that was reminiscent of a pina colada. It did have a slight hop burn that I think will be gone by the next can I open, as it was about a day old when I reviewed it. There was also a slight bitterness that paired well with the fruity juice flavors, making me want to keep drinking. The mouthfeel was right on point, a creamy velvet that flowed over my tongue without coating. 

A new point of excitement is, unlike the DL double, these cans are dated which is a huge must for this style of beer. Overall, this is a great first new recipe from Whole Foods Brewing, making me looking forward to more from them. These are currently available at the Post Oak location and will be seen around town within the next couple weeks. 

The post A Whole (Foods) New Brew first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post A Whole (Foods) New Brew appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

With their official grand opening February 28th last year, Local Group Brewing has had a difficult first year in business. I fortunately got to check them out then and was looking forward to trying more of their beers and food. Then the pandemic and ensuing shut down went into effect, and ended all plans. I have been waiting with anticipation to try them again, and finally got to try them out and let you know how great they are. 

I started with a flight of four of their beers, Gravity Dancer, Magic Flip, Hop School 1, and Loud FX. These are styles that I feel a brewery should have on tap and knock out of the park, and Local Group didn’t disappoint.

Gravity Dancer is a 4.9% ABV oatmeal stout that was roasty with a great mouthfeel, and just enough bitterness to go with the food.

The Magic Flip is a 5.2% ABV dry hopped lager that was a perfect warm afternoon beer. Light and refreshing with a hint of hop character to make it interesting.

Loud FX is a pleasantly bitter amber that was made delightful by being served on nitro, giving it a little more mouthfeel than you typically get with an amber.

The last beer was Hop School 1, a hazy pale ale. Usually I am not a fan of hazy pale ales, as I feel they are just watered down hazy ipas without the mouthfeel you want in that style. This beer showed me how they should be done. It had a creamy mouthfeel with great tropical fruit and citrus.

I finished with their 6.3% hazy/juicy IPA Cloudy Eyes. While it wasn’t as hazy as you would expect with the style, it tasted great, like what I think of as a central coast beer – a great juicy hop character with just a hint of bitterness to clean that palate and make it great with food.

My brother had their collaboration with Holler Beer, Diamond Hands. It is an American brown ale and made me remember how much I love that style, a hint of bitterness with the roasty and chocolatey malt was amazing. If I wasn’t there for lunch, I would probably have had another flight as there are that many more beers I can’t wait to try, including a west coast IPA and a fruited sour.

As for food, we each got the March burger of the month, the Hot Mess Express. I implore you sometime this month to have this burger. It is their in-house made bun with a 6oz 44 farms patty topped with the chili they make in house, crushed fritos, buttermilk ranch, fresno peppers, and spicy mayo. With the name, I ordered this burger expecting a mess and it to fall apart. To my happiness it held together. There was the perfect amount of chili that played alongside the peppers perfectly with the patty and sauces, my stomach is rumbling just thinking about it. The other stand out on the menu are their poutines. They have three versions, one with duck confit gravy and cheese curds, one with the chili and queso and curds, and one vegetarian one with goat cheese, black truffle butter sauce, and a fried egg. My brother and I split the duck confit version and it was amazing, easily enough food for a meal in itself. 

The atmosphere was amazing as well, with great homages to space exploration, which is where they get their name, coupled with a great view of downtown. My only real complaint of the whole thing was how few people were there. The great food and wide variety of styles makes this a great option for lunch or dinner.

If you find yourself inside the loop looking for a beer and food, look no further. With a wide range of beer options and a great food menu, Local Group has touched down in the Houston beer scene as a brewpub worth visiting.

Cheers, and happy drinking!

The post Great Beers and Food Make Local Group Out of This World first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Great Beers and Food Make Local Group Out of This World appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Which I think in the minds of most people over 24 years old is a good start. Especially considering first of all that this is a stout, and if it had been green something has gone terribly awry. Nevertheless, as we approach that most sacred of day drinking holidays and I work out which of my inappropriate St. Patrick’s Day themed t-shirts will be least offensive when seen on a work Zoom call, I also begin to think about what beer to enjoy while celebrating the occasion. 

Enter Tipsy Clover, a dry Irish stout from Eureka Heights. This beer is a traditional stout in the vein of Guinness, that is brewed simply with Irish malt and plenty of roasted barley. This style is known for its coffee-like finish and moderate hoppiness. When I am critiquing a beer, my first order of business is to assess how it stands up to the style. This was an important realization for me personally, because in the past I found myself giving a low rating to a beer strictly because it wasn’t a preferred style of mine. I realized at some point which is unfair to the beer. It may be great for what it is, it just isn’t my bag. That said, I am a fan of stouts and had no reservations about giving this one a taste.

When poured, the head of the Tipsy Clover is a creamy, fluffy tan. The beer itself is appropriately dark, absorbing light like a dingy Dublin pub. Not too thin but not as viscous as some of the heavier barrel-aged stouts you’ll come across. The flavor is on style. Coffee is present immediately and the hop bitterness is minimal. There is nothing particularly noteworthy or memorable about this beer, but in many ways that is what I’m looking for in a stout. The last thing I want to get when trying this style is that astringent, borderline infected tasting character that sometimes occurs. In all ways, this is just a solid, enjoyable stout. And at only 4.2% ABV, you can enjoy a number of them without wishing St. Paddy’s Day was on a Friday this year so you’d have two days to recover.

Overall, I’ve given this beer 3.75 bottle caps on Untappd. It’s a nice offering and one that I would welcome back for the season next year. If you’re a fan of traditional stouts, or if you’re new to craft beer and are looking to branch out, I would recommend this beer as a good representation of the style. Feel free to reach out and let me know what you think.

Until next time, CHEERS!

The post Eureka Heights’ Tipsy Clover Beer Review first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Eureka Heights’ Tipsy Clover Beer Review appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

DECA has a quaint but comfortable tap room, which can easily sit 40. The brewery also has an outdoor space with picnic tables. There are plans to add a permanent enclosure to make the outdoor space more practical during warmer weather.

The beer was absolutely delightful. The four owners all have different beer preferences and that reflects the beer selection. The beer selection is easily the most robust I have seen from a brand-new brewery. There were ten options available ranging from the light Lite Brite to the heavier Stout and Knox Road Porter and the very impressive 9.2% Mon Ami Saison. Cody Evans, chief brewer, credits the brewery’s smaller five-barrel system for giving DECA the flexibility to brew a lot of different types of beer. 

A couple of my favorite beers were the SMASH Mosaic IPA and the ESB. The IPA was clean and smooth with the right amount of hops. The ESB was a little sweet, a little malty, plus it’s a style that only a couple breweries in Houston brew.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to DECA beer company. The atmosphere was friendly and inviting plus the beer was top notch. The mainstay food truck is Uncle Tony’s selling beer-drinking classics like hamburgers, fried pickles and other sandwiches. 

With the addition of DECA, the northeast part of Houston has become a premier destination for beer. Back Pew and Megaton are just a couple miles down the road from DECA; Ingenious is a little further over in Humble while City Acre and Spindletap round out this premier beer area. 

The post DECA Beer Company is Serving Up Something for Everyone first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post DECA Beer Company is Serving Up Something for Everyone appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

BB18 is an “Oat Wine” aged in WhistlePig Rye Whiskey barrels for nine months. The base beer is similar to an English style barleywine, with oats making up 20 percent of the grain bill. In general, English style barleywines tend to be less hop forward than American style barleywines, leaning instead on the complexities found in the malt; flavors such as biscuity, nutty, caramel, and toffee are typical. The addition of the oats gives this beer a silky texture.

Since Saint Arnold was kind enough to share a pre-release bottle with me, I decided to extend the kindness and share this with two craft beer and rye whiskey loving friends of mine. The bottle only said “rye whiskey” barrels, but they immediately picked out the toasted marshmallow flavor characteristic of WhistlePig.

The malt complexities of the English barleywine base presented as golden raisins – not too dark, but sweet and dense. The cinnamon from the barrel was slight, but it added to the “oatmeal cookie” theme.

I didn’t grow up eating oatmeal cookies. I was always excited to see them, until I realized they weren’t chocolate chip. To me, BB18 is more like a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie – cinnamon, vanilla, and marshmallow. Either way, this is definitely a dessert beer.

BB18 is making its way to bars, restaurants, and stores today. I would expect many bars to save it for events later this week and next week to celebrate Saint Arnold’s 23rd anniversary. On social media you can search #BB18, watch Saint Arnold’s twitter page, and of course watch the social media accounts of your favorite spots to see where it will be available.

Details:

Date Brewed: June 13, 2016
Date Barreled: June 30, 2016
Date Bottled: May 15, 2017
Type of Barrel: WhistlePig rye whiskey barrel
Original Gravity: 1.113
Final Gravity: 1.018
Alcohol: 10.5% ABV (pre-barrel) 12.8% ABV (post-barrel)
Bitterness: 25 IBU

The following events are planned for the release of Bishop’s Barrel No. 18:

BB18 Release at Guru Burgers, Sugar Land, Thursday, June 8 at 6:00PM
BB18 Release at Lakewood Growler, Dallas, Wednesday, June 14 at 5:00PM
BB18 Release at Pizza Lounge Express, Houston, Sunday, June 18 at 6:30PM
Whiskey + Beer + Tacos at Eight Row Flint, Houston, Sunday, June 25 – 12:00 – 3:00 PM (Get tickets here)

The post Saint Arnold Releases Bishop’s Barrel #18 (BB18) first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Saint Arnold Releases Bishop’s Barrel #18 (BB18) appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

A couple years ago, you needed a spreadsheet and a hashtag to track down a single bottle of each Bishop’s Barrel release. You also had to go to a bar or restaurant within days of the release, because Saint Arnold didn’t distribute them to stores, and they sold out very quickly.

More recent BB releases have barely registered on the hype meter, despite being good-to-very-good beers. You can find bottles in stores now, and they seem to last for weeks, if not longer, at many places.

I’ve got some theories for why things have changed, but that’s a discussion for another time. For now I want to focus on today’s release, Bishop’s Barrel No. 17, a bourbon-barrel-aged Adambier.

First, Adambier: it’s a relatively obscure, top-fermenting dark German style. It tends to be malty, smoky, strong (~10% abv), and occasionally sour and/or hoppy. Saint Arnold’s first foray into Adambier was with Divine Reserve 16, released this time last year, and my fellow HBG writer Chris White wrote about it at the time. BB17 is that beer, aged for about a year in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels.

Like most people, I’ve got minimal experience with Adambier, let alone BBA Adambier. That makes it impossible to rate/review BB17 to style. No matter — it’s a delicious beer. I quite liked DR16, and the original seemed like a match for bourbon barrels, so I expected to like this. It delivers.

Caramel, Smoke & Leather

Here’s what to expect: caramel, smoke, vanilla, leather, chocolate, and bourbon. None of those dominates, with each sip highlighting one or the other. There’s great balance here, but no shortage of flavor or depth. BB17 begs to be savored over a couple of hours. It warms beautifully, with chocolate and bourbon coming to the fore, and the body feels fuller and smoother as it reaches room temperature.

Watch out for the booze. The base beer was 10% abv, but this is a hefty 13.2%. It tastes nowhere near that big, so take your time. A couple of hours may seem like a long time to spend on 12oz of a style nobody’s every heard of, but trust me: it’s worth it.

BB17 starts to hit stores, bars and restaurants today. The spreadsheet probably won’t help you track it down, but keep an eye on #BB17 on Twitter, along with social-media posts from Saint Arnold and Houston’s finer beer establishments to help your search. Happy hunting!

Beer Nerd details:

Date Brewed: February 4, 2016
Date Barreled: March 10, 2016
Date Bottled: February 16, 2017
Type of Barrel: Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel
Original Gravity: 1.100
Final Gravity: 1.023
Alcohol: 10% ABV (pre-barrel) 13.2% ABV (post-barrel)
Bitterness: 30 IBU

The following events are planned for the release of Bishop’s Barrel No. 17:

• Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 17 Release and Divine Reserve No. 16 at Hop Scholar, Spring, Monday, March 27 at 3PM
• Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 17, Raspberry AF, Icon Green – El Dorado IPA and Pub Crawl Pale Ale Tap Takeover at Valhalla, Monday, March 27 at 4PM
• Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 17 Release and Movie Night featuring Life of Pi at Axelrad, Houston, Monday, March 27 at 7PM.
• Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 17 at Beer Market Co., Wednesday, March 29 at 5PM
• Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 17 and Divine Reserve No. 16 side-by-side with Brewery Wood Cellar Manager Aaron Inkrott at Spec’s Smith St., Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30PM
• Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 17 and Divine Reserve No. 16 side-by-side at Hops Meet Barley, Thursday, March 30 at 7PM

The post Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel 17 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel 17 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Pumpkin has a distinct place in American beer history. I’ll bore you with a very brief history lesson. Pumpkin was often used in colonial times in lieu of malt, which could be scarce, as shipments from Europe were expensive and more difficult to come by. Pumpkin contains fermentable sugars, which are obviously necessary to brew, so it was used for its alcohol making abilities, not its taste. Today, most pumpkin beers are more akin to liquid pumpkin pie than to those early gourd-based beverages.

While most pumpkin beers today contain a well-pronounced spice profile that tends to dominate the nose and palate, there is a wide-range of varying base styles available. Here in Houston, we are lucky to have an assortment of these options accessible to us, and not just from breweries outside our borders. The following are four bottled selections you are likely to find on the shelves around town, made by local breweries, and each unique and tasty in its own way. (This is not a ranking. Order is in no way an endorsement of one option over another. Try them all!)

Karbach Krunkin Pumpkin

Available in four-pack, 12 oz. cans

7.9-8.5% ABV (depending on vintage)

Karbach Brewing’s Krunkin Pumpkin has been an annual fall release since 2012. Though there has been some variation from year to year, the recipe has been honed-in and is quite delicious. Coming in under 9% ABV makes this one of the more “casually drinkable” options of the four I will cover in this article. Of course I am being a bit facetious. But I do find this to be a great late-afternoon porch option, rather than a dessert beer, which most pumpkin beers tend to be.

A delectable balance of sweet malt, pumpkin, spices, and hops, all dancing in aromatic unison. This year’s rendition was the freshest I’ve had, being lucky enough to find cans only a few days old. This allowed me to enjoy the play of the well-pronounced hops as they worked in harmony with the other wonderful aromas, rather than being masked by the spices. Taking a sip you first notice the caramel sweetness of the malt, followed by hints of pumpkin, a solid amount of clove and allspice, and finish with a sweet almond extract-like flavor new to me in this beer, which added greatly to the already complex yet balanced flavor profile. And while this beer has all the key elements you expect in a pumpkin pie flavored beverage, it never takes you so far away that you forget it is beer. The hops and malt provide the foundation of this delightfully spiced amber.

No Label Nightmare On 1^st Street

Available in 22 oz. Bombers

9.3% ABV

A true hit and part of the Off Label specialty series, No Label’s Nightmare On 1^st Street was one of the best beers (period) to come from the Houston area last year. Well-received and highly sought after, this one did not sit on shelves for very long last year. (You should have no trouble finding it this year, as it is plentiful.)

Incredibly complex, yet superbly balanced, this beer presents you with many great flavors. A malty, sweet background with pumpkin and the standard spices present; allspice, clove, nutmeg. And though I did not pick up as much cinnamon and ginger as others have, they are both assuredly present. But to me, no particular spice stands out much above any other; they have found a possibly perfect, harmonious combination.

Another element that makes this beer great is that it creates a nostalgic and tangible homage to Halloween. The aroma is like a candle, but without the artificial presence that other, lesser pumpkin beers sometimes impart. Along with the spices and pumpkin, I taste sugary sweet caramel corn and candy. Whimsical memories of fall carnivals and trick-or-treating walk along with me as I enjoy this great concoction.

I was lucky enough to find a couple of extra bottles last year to age. Recently I opened one to see how a year had treated it. All the key flavors were there, and still in balance. However, some overall fading had occurred, and I can’t say it was improved by aging. A little shouldn’t hurt, too much, but I suggest drinking it now to fully appreciate the spices. Like most brews, Nightmare is intended to be enjoyed fresh.

Buffalo Bayou Pumpkin Spice Latte

Available in 22 oz. Bombers

9% ABV

Like Nightmare On 1^st Street, this is the second year for this fall selection. And while Nightmare is my Halloween beer, Buffalo Bayou’s Pumpkin Spice Latte is now my Thanksgiving (and probably Christmas) beer. Taking one of my favorite holiday beers, Gingerbread Stout, Buffalo Bayou mashes in pumpkin and then ages it on coffee beans.

The aroma and taste are in unison: pumpkin, spice, sweet cream, toasted notes, and a touch of coffee. These flavors all work together delightfully to give you the closest experience to actually eating a piece of pumpkin pie topped with Cool Whip, while drinking a cup of coffee, after a big Thanksgiving meal. I adore this beer for being able to put me in that moment, and for its great execution of flavors working wonderfully together. Buffalo Bayou has a knack for creating complex experiences with many of their beers. This is another great example.

Saint Arnold Pumpkinator

Available in 22 oz. Bombers

10% ABV

Certainly the most sought-after and highly coveted of the Houston pumpkin beers, Saint Arnold Pumpkinator is an imperial pumpkin stout that has built a large following, creating an almost mad fervor that drives people into stores every October, sometimes to buy cases at a time. (Important note: Pumpkinator will be released Monday, October 19^th. It does not stay on shelves for very long, so grab a bottle or six while you can.)

Released originally as number 9 in Saint Arnold’s Divine Reserve series, this beer has captivated beer drinkers of all types since 2009. Both pumpkin beer haters and lovers have found common ground with this one, as it tends to have a relatively small pumpkin presence (compared to others), and is dominated mostly by spices over a fantastic imperial stout base. Loads of cinnamon and other pumpkin pie spices almost overwhelm both your nose and tongue. Graham cracker sits underneath, giving this one a cinnamon cereal quality. Pumpkin, toasted notes, molasses, and dark fruit flavors come out as it warms. A complex and wonderful beverage, perfect for cooler weather and holiday gatherings.

For those that wish to seek out more pumpkin flavor, a more prominent stout presence, or maybe just a little less spice, aging this one can do all of these things. But the prominent flavors are strong and will remain mostly intact for years, allowing this one to be enjoyed for many years to come.

Love them or hate them, pumpkin beers are here to stay. Go out and find one you like. Cheers!

The post 2015 Pumpkin Beer Roundup first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post 2015 Pumpkin Beer Roundup appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.