Elysian Brewing Company Night Owl Pumpkin Ale

I was standing in front of the seasonal beer selection at a local store when I saw the Elysian Brewing Night Owl Pumpkin Ale.  The Elysian Brewing Company was founded in 1995 by three individuals: Dick Cantwell, Joe Bisacca, and David Buhler.  The brewery opened in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The brewery has expanded over the years, establishing its own brewpub called TangleTown.  The brewery also opened Elysian Fields, a large brewpub near Qwest Field and Safeco Field.  At these locations, Elysian Brewing Company serves a total of almost twenty of its own beers, including the Night Owl.   

Elysian Brewing brewed the Night Owl using over seven pounds of pumpkin per barrel.  The brewer provided more information on its website. More specifically, roasted and raw pumpkin seeds were added to the mash.  Pumpkin was also added to the mash, kettle and fermenter.  The brewer spiced the beer during conditioning with nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.  In addition, the brewer used Pale, Crystal and Munich malts, along with Magnum hops in the brewing process. 

The Night Owl pours a dark orange/copper color, with a thin layer of foam that quickly recedes to the edges of the glass.  The aromatic elements of this beer include pumpkin, along with a darker cinnamon or sugar.  What sets the beer apart from others in this style is that, unlike other pumpkin ales that I have tried, the aromas of this beer feature pumpkin more than the spices.

The Night Owl has a lighter body than other pumpkin ales that I have tried.  The primary taste of this beer is also the pumpkin, with the nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and other spices complementing that flavor.  As the pumpkin and spices give way, the beer has a slightly dry finish.  

This beer has an ABV of 5.9% and an IBU of 18.  It is available at beer stores that have a large selection of craft beers, like Gilly's Craft Beer and Fine Wine in Rockville, Maryland.

ENJOY!

Uinta Brewing Company Punk'n Ale

There is a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah known as the Uinta Range.  The mountains are the highest range that runs from East to West in the continental United States. At a little lower altitude, there is Uinta Brewing Company, a craft brewer located in Salt Lake City.

Utah and Salt City are not known for craft beer; yet, Uinta has been brewing beer there since 1993.  The brewer has expanded over the year, growing not only its operations but the distribution of its beer. Recently, both Clare and I were visiting one of our local craft beer stores.  We came across a six pack of Uinta Brewing Company's Punk'n, an ale brewed with pumpkin and spices.  Ordinarily, this beer is available from October to December; however, we were fortunate enough to try the beer a little early. 

The Punk'n pours a light orange in color, with a little foam.  The brewer describes the beer as having hints of vanilla and cloves.  For me, the highlights of the aromatic elements feature more cinnamon than either vanilla or cloves (although there is definitely cloves in the aroma).  

The body of the beer is very light, a little more than I expected.  Cinnamon not only provides the primary aroma, but also the primary taste of the beer.  Cloves, nutmeg and allspice seem to follow the cinnamon, but they are more secondary.  

The brewer suggests that this beer is best paired with food that contains nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.  Suggested dishes include roasted turkey, squash or pumpkin ravioli, peach cobbler or pumpkin cheesecake.  I was a little more adventurous in the pairing, pitting it against the Mozambican dish of Matata.  The reason is that Matata is traditionally made with pumpkin leaves and, while I used spinach as a substitute, I thought the beer would work well with the dish.  As it turns out, the pairing was pretty good.  The spices in the beer provided a complement to the more earthy flavors of the clam and peanut stew.  

The Punk'n has an ABV of 4.0% and an IBU of 10.  The beers are available at beer stores that have a larger selection of craft beers.  

ENJOY!