GABF 2013. Pours a burnt orange appearance with a tan head. Big toasted pumpkin, just a touch spicy, lightly fruity, caramel aroma. Slightly spicy/boozy flavor with a ton of roasted pumpkins and herbal notes. Kind of thin. One of my favorite beers of the fest and one that I would love to try again.

Bottle - Sweet pumpkin, orange, booze and spices. Dark clear orange with a thin head. This doesn't work, too much booze, cloying and the pumpkin tastes more like burnt orange. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Aroma is fairly dominated by pumpkin pie spice with some nice allspice, clove and cinnamon notes. Moderate roasted squash note with hints of caramel and a hint of brandy. Pours a slightly murky, copper amber with a fairly thin light tan head that recedes very quickly to the edges where it lingers slightly. Flavor starts moderately sweet with a nice caramel character. As the caramel fades you get more squash character which recedes as the spices and moderate bitterness becomes apparent. The brandy notes and alcohol wash away some of the spice notes. The finish is hints of brandy, a light roasted squash note and some allspice. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Low astringency, likely attributed to the spice, and medium light alcohol warmth. Overall an interesting beer with complex character. I’m not sure that I enjoy everything about the beer but its a clean, nicely made beer. Lots of complexity, but the spice might be a bit on the strong side. An interesting take on the traditional seasonal pumpkin beer.

Bottle. Copper beer with a dark cream head. Spice and brandy aroma. Brandy and rich malt flavor with spice and light vegetal notes. Medium-plus bodied. Brandy and caramel lingers with spice, rich malt, and light vegetal notes.

Bottle from The Davis Beer Shoppe. Pours translucent dark copper with a creamy beige head. Aroma is spice. With a nasal bite! Almost tobacco. Full bodied. Flavor is a swirl of burnt veg, brown sugar, strong but subtle pie spice. In the end the spice wins, but it’s quite an experience. There’s not a hint of heat. Not even in the gullet. An amazing gustatory experience.

Bottle. Pours with a clear, deep bronze hued body with a foamy, off white head with some lace, and okay retention. Aromas are of grass, vinous, chewy, raisins, brandy, rich pie spices (mainly cinnamon, lighter hints of nutmeg and clove), treacle, caramelization, fusel alcohol. Caramelized pumpkin/yam character is somewhat strong. Flavors are caramelized, molasses, flan, mild cinnamon and pie spices, definitely warming on the palate, light fusel, strong vinous brandy, quite tannic in the finish. Brown sugar, medium bitter. Very boozy, fuller bodied with low carbonation. Quite tasty, although I wish this was released in late September. You feel the full effect of the barrel despite it only being 50%.