Beer Wednesday – Cisco Pumple Drumkin

Happy Beer Wednesday!

For my last pumpkin ale, I’m elated to be bringing you a beer that is from a brewery close to my heart: Cisco Brewery, on Nantucket Island. Now I admit that I’m a little biased, because the Blonde and I went to Nantucket for our honeymoon lo so many years ago, and while we were there I did my first ever beer tasting at Cisco. I’ve had a hard time getting their beer since then (their tagline is “Nice beer if you can get it.” You do the math) but while in New Jersey for Thanksgiving, the Blonde and I stopped at a beer and wine store, and I picked up a 12 pack of this seasonal beer.

Now, in their own words, Cisco tells the story of Pumple Drumkin as “On Nantucket a Pumple named Drumkin, brewed up some great ale with his pumpkins. One and all came to savor the delicious flavor, then wobbled around like bumpkins. At Cisco they thought ‘This is De-Lish! This is the best ale that we can accomplish!'”

I’d like to point out that until the line “At Cisco they thought…” that this is a pretty mediocre limerick. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good dirty limerick, or a good clean limerick for that matter, but this pseudo-limerick is… well, lets just say that the beer is better than the limerick.

The beer pours a great color, rich brown and orange in the glass, with a full, foamy head. The nose is subtle, with hints of spice and pumpkin, but without the overpowering “pumpkin-ness” that tends to take over so many pumpkin brews.

The flavors stand up to the nose, as this ale hasn’t forgotten that it’s supposed to be an ale made with pumpkins, and not a pumpkin filled with beer. The first flavor you get is pumpkin, but subtle, with some spice and a clear hoppy note.

The finish is a little flat, but not incredibly boring, just a little thin. If that is my main complaint, I have to admit that I’m willing to accept it. If this is the last pumpkin beer that I drink this season, it’s a fine one. I really like this brewery, and I think I really like this beer. I’m quite pleased to give it a four out of six on my six-pack scale. Enjoy this nice beer, if you can get it.

~ by VegansHusband on January 15, 2014.