Now if you follow my twitter at all you know that one of my favorite things about craft beer are seasonal offerings. My favorite beer season just so happens to be fall. I really dig fall beers especially those of the pumpkin/spiced ale variety. This week’s #fridaytryday beer is Ichabod Pumpkin Ale by New Holland Brewing. Now, this is my first official beer review and second official post on my newly christened blog page. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. If you don’t, be nice and keep the criticisms to yourself… Jerks.
Beer: Ichabod Pumpkin Ale
Style: Pumpkin/spiced ale
Alcohol by volume: 5.2
This pumpkin ale is brewed with real pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. when pouring into a glass it yielded about an inch of decent head, and that was with a pretty aggressive pour. The head dissipated pretty quickly once I started enjoying the brew. Very little lacing in the glass, what lacing did occur ran down as I continued to drink. This brew also has a fine amber color that any beer lover would salivate over.
One of the absolute best things this brew has going for it is its aroma. The cinnamon really stands out, it has a truly delightful sweet malty aroma set off by the addition of nutmeg. The alcohol doesn’t really stand out much in the aroma which makes sense as this brew is only 5.2%.
Taste is a completely different monster with this brew. While the cinnamon and nutmeg really shine in its aroma, the malty character of this beer really comes out when tasted. The finish is even more satisfying when all the spices really blend together to make a truly great fall style beer. There isn’t much of a hop character to the beer which, is fine. I think that too much hops really takes away from what pumpkin beers are brewed for. That spicy almost pumpkin pie type of flavor. Too much hops added to a pumpkin beer can really break that characteristc. Now dont get me wrong, I LOVE me a hoppy beer. Hoppy makes me happy. However, in this instance with this style a big addition of hops can really ruin it.
New Holland’s Ichabod is a GREAT example of this particular style. I’ve been a big fan of this brew since I randomly found it on draft 2 or 3 years ago at one of my favorite haunts. Each fall since then it has become a major player in my fall rotation. Its a great beer for anyone who might be new to trying pumpkin beers. it really shines in the aroma department and absolutely does not disappoint in the taste arena either.
Go grab a 6 pack or fill up a growler. This brew is perfect for porch sitting as the nights cool off and the leaves start to fall.
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