Try?
Wouldn’t you
know it. Anheuser-Busch finally makes a beer I really like, and the only way
to get is in an eighteen pack. Which wouldn’t be all that bad, except that
only three of the bottles included are Michelob Pumpkin Spice (also
known as Jack's Pumpkin Spice).
And that’s the beer I’m really after. You can’t buy it in six-packs (it is sold on draft, however). It’s part of a specialty line of beers AB is rolling out, mostly draft only. They made an exception in this case and bottled some for the Specialty Ales and Lagers Sampler.
The sampler is a collection of Michelob brews clearly intended for Christmas gift-giving purposes. For about $18, it’s a great bargain and a sure to please gift for the beer lover on your list. The sampler includes three bottles each of:
Michelob Lager
Michelob Amber Bock
Michelob Honey Lager
Michelob Marzen
Michelob Pale Ale
Michelob Pumpkin Spice Ale
You also get two logo footed pilsner beer glasses and a pack of recipe cards, each of which uses a Michelob brews as an ingredient. The whole package is wrapped up in an attractive gift box.
Anheuser Busch says Michelob Pumpkin Spice Ale is created using a special pumpkin variety known as “Golden Delicious” from the Stahlbush Farm in Oregon, with a distinctive blend of harvest spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
They argue that the beer is not overly spicy or too pumpkin-heavy – but rather a beer that’s well-blended, balanced and enjoyable to the finish.. I disagree just a bit with this, though I really like the beer. We’ll see why below.
Michelob Pumpkin Spice pours to a bright orange color that brings to mind a freshly-harvested pumpkin. A very light head forms on a gentle pour. The nose is quite spicy with a hint of malt and a very appetizing aroma.
The palate is a little lighter than I would like, but there is some body to the beer. It’s not as thin as a Bud or Michelob by any means. The spices are very evident, and you’ll immediately pick up the ginger, the nutmeg, the cinnamon. The use of pumpkin is apparent too (some pumpkin ales have no pumpkin at all).
The spices call to memory mince pie more than pumpkin. They intensify in the finish and leave a gentle buzz on the tongue, much as bitter hops can do. But there really isn’t much bitterness to speak of here.
I chilled a bottle gently directly after buying for the purposes of this review. I think that this is definitely a brew that should be served cool, not cold, as it allows the spices and gentle, slightly chewy caramel malt flavors to emerge more completely.
Overall, I am very impressed with this beer. With a little more body it would truly be a five star beer; as it is, it’s still very delicious and very drinkable. I simply love the spice and pumpkin flavor here. It’s worth trying, and worth buying the eighteen-pack for all by itself.
And that’s the beer I’m really after. You can’t buy it in six-packs (it is sold on draft, however). It’s part of a specialty line of beers AB is rolling out, mostly draft only. They made an exception in this case and bottled some for the Specialty Ales and Lagers Sampler.
The sampler is a collection of Michelob brews clearly intended for Christmas gift-giving purposes. For about $18, it’s a great bargain and a sure to please gift for the beer lover on your list. The sampler includes three bottles each of:
Michelob Lager
Michelob Amber Bock
Michelob Honey Lager
Michelob Marzen
Michelob Pale Ale
Michelob Pumpkin Spice Ale
You also get two logo footed pilsner beer glasses and a pack of recipe cards, each of which uses a Michelob brews as an ingredient. The whole package is wrapped up in an attractive gift box.
Anheuser Busch says Michelob Pumpkin Spice Ale is created using a special pumpkin variety known as “Golden Delicious” from the Stahlbush Farm in Oregon, with a distinctive blend of harvest spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
They argue that the beer is not overly spicy or too pumpkin-heavy – but rather a beer that’s well-blended, balanced and enjoyable to the finish.. I disagree just a bit with this, though I really like the beer. We’ll see why below.
Michelob Pumpkin Spice pours to a bright orange color that brings to mind a freshly-harvested pumpkin. A very light head forms on a gentle pour. The nose is quite spicy with a hint of malt and a very appetizing aroma.
The palate is a little lighter than I would like, but there is some body to the beer. It’s not as thin as a Bud or Michelob by any means. The spices are very evident, and you’ll immediately pick up the ginger, the nutmeg, the cinnamon. The use of pumpkin is apparent too (some pumpkin ales have no pumpkin at all).
The spices call to memory mince pie more than pumpkin. They intensify in the finish and leave a gentle buzz on the tongue, much as bitter hops can do. But there really isn’t much bitterness to speak of here.
I chilled a bottle gently directly after buying for the purposes of this review. I think that this is definitely a brew that should be served cool, not cold, as it allows the spices and gentle, slightly chewy caramel malt flavors to emerge more completely.
Overall, I am very impressed with this beer. With a little more body it would truly be a five star beer; as it is, it’s still very delicious and very drinkable. I simply love the spice and pumpkin flavor here. It’s worth trying, and worth buying the eighteen-pack for all by itself.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
