A bright flower vine lies still
A golden orb of light grows
Until the leaves fall silent on the ground
Beckoning us closer
The frost will soon show with a dewy smile
Our pumpkin must be ready!
Golden orb, orange yellow,
A silent sentry to Autumn

Autumn. October. The fall begins with a burst of color and falling leaves. The chill is upon us in the early morning commute. Football. The World Series. Tailgates and beer. Plenty of beer.

But what kind? In the fall, my beer tastes change a bit and my beer fridge takes on meaning: Autumn ales, Harvest ales, Oktoberfest beers, and, of course, the Pumpkin Ale. No ale intrigues me more (pumpkin ale dates back to America's earliest brewing history). I try new ones every year and old favorites return.

This year I found a new one (to me anyway) and a welcome addition to my beer fridge, a pumpkin ale I'm not keen on sharing. It's that good.

[Wolaver's Brewing Company is more of what it used to be (it started as a contract-brewed organic brand for Otter Creek Brewing and later wound up buying Otter Creek in 2002). It now exists as a niche organic brand of Otter Creek, still brewed in Middlebury, Vermont. The Wolaver's side of the business offers 3 year-round offerings and 3 specialty seasonals, and a few one-offs; all made from organic ingredients. The Otter Creek side offers 5 year-round, 4 seasonals, and a number of a specialty releases.]

Wolaver's Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale is a certified organic ale, made with pumpkins from a local farmer (Will Stevens and his wife Judy) at their Golden Russet Farm in Shoreham, Vermont, which is nearby to Otter Creek/Wolaver's in Middlebury.

Brewed with pumpkins and spices, the ale pours to a wonderful golden amber color with a nice head of beer lace. It has an immediate fragrance of spice to the nose. The taste is unusual: a tangy blend with a spicy bottom. The flavors of allspice, clove, and ginger abound, but outside of the spiciness, the ale is wrapped with a tangy foundation.

This is slightly different pumpkin ale from the usual suspects. Many brewers over spice their pumpkin ale offerings and some use no pumpkin at all. Some are a sweet/spice concoction that barely registers as a Fall treat.

Here, Wolaver's has gone for a fuller bodied ale with some other flavors at work. The pumpkin adds a nice body and there are enough hops within the mix to add a flavorful accent. I like the marriage of flavors here (spice/tangy citrus and malt sweetness).

The spice quotient is not over done. It announces itself and lingers; yet it does not overwhelm. This is an especially well done Pumpkin Ale; perhaps the best one I've tried so far (five stars, $8.99 per six-pack).

Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale passes the biggest beer-drinking test as well. It is a very drinkable pumpkin ale; certainly session worthy; and hard to have just one. This is one pumpkin ale that could be drunk out of season — it has a bit of the Harvest ale fullness that I enjoy in the crispness of Fall and the spice citrus accent should appeal to fans of the IPA/Pale Ale variety.

This is well worth seeking out and offering at your Autumn table. It would be a nice accent to Thanksgiving dinner, bread pudding, pumpkin pie or those leftovers to come. I could see this paired nicely with bratwurst at a tailgate.

I'm tempted to add whip cream to my glass. I will not share; you'll have to get your own.

2011 Update
In 2011, it was renamed Wolaver's Pumpkin Ale. The pumpkins still come from Stevens' farm, and he is now in the Vermont statehouse as a representative.

Sources
www.wolavers.com

Recommended: Yes