Our second to last pumpkin beer is Heavy Seas' The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale from its Mutiny Fleetseries purchased at Vintage Estates.
All of the beers in the Munity Fleet are bottle-conditioned, and many are vintage dated and designed for aging. This bottle boasts "Embrace your inner pyrate and join the mutiny! It's the great pumpkin... risen at last!" This is brewed with pumpkin and spices and is 8% ABV.
Overall average rating: 7.25/10
Due to it being bottle-conditioned, it is a cloudy orange color. The aroma gives scents of pumpkin, honey, nutmeg, molasses, and coriander. The taste is like that of pumpkin pie spice. It has a side tongue bite with a nutmeg finish and a slight metallic after taste. While we smelled coriander, there was no evidence of it in the taste.
Shawn- The taste doesn't live up to the aroma. It's a good pumpkin beer, very drinkable, but I don't enjoy the metallic after taste. I would have liked to try The Great'er Pumpkin, 7.25/10.
Angela- It is very drinkable, and you can taste the spices, which I enjoy in pumpkin beers. This is not my favorite, but it is very good, 7/10.
Chris- I enjoy the hop after taste. This is one of my "go to" pumpkin beers, and I will continue to go back to it, 7.5/10.
Our first week is Autumn/Harvest beers. With the cooler temperatures and the leaves beginning to change, it seems like a good place to start.
Our first beer for the week is Heavy Seas Hop Haarvest Ale from their Mutiny Fleet purchased from Vintage Estate Wine & Beer. Shawn really likes the dead pirate American Gothic image on the label, as well as the quote: "Sailors tell stories...Pyrates make legends!" This beer is designed to showcase flavors from locally grown Maryland "wet" hops. It is porter in style and 5% ABV.
Overall average rating: 5.2/10
The appearance is a dark caramelly amber, with a well-carbonated light beige head (similar to soda) that is quick to fade. The primary aroma is malt that builds to a citrusy hop smell. As for taste, it seems thin for a porter style. The hops hit the sides and back of the tongue, and while the hop flavor is not overwhelming, it is definitely there.
Shawn- I am a little disappointed because it seems too thin for a porter, and I don't think hops should overpower malt in a porter style, 4.5/10.
Angela- I am not a fan of hoppy beers, but I do enjoy the light hoppy flavor of this. I expected it to be somewhat thicker based on the color and style, but it is something I would drink again, 6/10.
Chris- It's something I could drink toward the end of summer because it is a lighter beer. I would classify this more as a dark IPA than porter-like in terms of flavor, 5/10.
