October is arguably the best month of the year, and no not just because of the Walking Dead beginning once again... It could be the beautiful changing of the leaves, Halloween, the NHL season beginning, or MLB ending, all great attributes indeed, but for craft beer enthusiasts, October typically equates to pumpkin beer!! Just about every brewery out there will undoubtedly release a pumpkin influenced brew of some form during this month, and just about every microbrewery out there will also be depleted of those brews in quick fashion...
Pumpkin beers having never been a favorite of mine, well, pumpkin flavored anything for that matter, but last fall I definitely acquired a taste for them after indulging in quite a few of Upslope and Dry Dock's pumpkin offerings... This years first acquisition is Souther Tier's "Warlock," as it was recommended to me recently, and I just so happened to come across it... I've seen plenty of folks enjoying their "Pumking" on social media, but was unaware they brewed both beers until I saw the Warlock's label... I'd assume the Warlock is believed to be the better of the two offerings, as it's part of the "Blackwater Series..."
It poured seemingly lighter than I had expected, forming a hefty three and a half inch, sandy colored head that sat atop an extremely dark, yet not entirely opaque beer... While I held it up to the light to gauge it's opacity, pumpkin scents had already found their way to my nasal passage, and they were quite delightful!! When I went in for the deliberate sniff the pumpkin was easily in the forefront, but a subtle cinnamon or nutmeg also was floating around, with strong bread notes flaring up also... Basically, it's as if I just pulled a pumpkin pie out of the oven!! Once I got to tasting, the pumpkin was the first taste to grace my palate, but it was much subtler than the aromas had suggested, as was the spice presence that accompanied the pumpkin... Mid-palate there arises some sweetness, almost reminding me of a cinnamon sugar yam topped with toasted mini marshmallows!! The finish allows for more of those bready, pie crust flavors to develop, also allowing for more cinnamon/nutmeg to come through, all before the malty sweetness sneakily finds it's way back to being a prominent element once again... Mouthfeel on this beer was outstanding!! It was pretty light in comparison to many stouts I've encountered; very little carbonation, but the creaminess that coats your mouth makes it feel like it's much bigger than it is... Overall this was an outstanding representation of pumpkin stout!! Not too spicy, nor "pumpkin-y," with an extremely balanced body... My only critique is it being ever so slightly too sweet, which I can humbly assume with a decent amount of humility that it's strictly my palate and not any fault of the beer, I just simply prefer a more savory beer when enjoying a stout... That being disclosed, I can easily say that this is definitely a beer I could recommend to ANY beer drinker, not strictly a craft connoisseur... It's elements are simple and straightforward, but the brewing process created a depth of complexity that's admirable in any brew... Another great brew - Cheers!!
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