This week, I'm reviewing a beer that was near the top of my pumpkin beer want list. Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins is a once-a-year limited release, so finding it required more than just simply going to the local grocery store and plucking it off the shelf. Luckily, I was able to find the highly-coveted 4-pack at a local liquor agency.
After giving it a day to chill in my refrigerator, I greedily grabbed a bottle and scampered off to my office to sample my little treasure. I didn't realize that it is recommended to be served in a chalice as opposed to a standard pint glass, so I had to get fancy with a Great Lakes Christmas Ale chalice (although in hindsight, seems a little bit sacrilegious with THAT holiday's title emblazoned on the glass...). I untwisted the wire cap, popped the cork from the 12.7 ounce bottle and poured away...
I was expecting big things from this beer, and Master of Pumpkins did not disappoint. It poured a velvety rich, dark red/amber color with a nice thick head. It gave off a unique, slightly earthy, nutty note with a hint of wood.
Upon first taste, a slight tangy sweetness quickly gave way to a bold, dry malty flavor at the back of the tongue. Something much different to the sea of other pumpkin beers out there.
The only ding was a slight, lingering sour tartness throughout that I didn't care for.
But as I let the beer breathe a bit, the taste actually opened up with a nice sweetness, pushing that sour flavor back a bit. And I was eventually rewarded with a nice clean, dry, semi-sweet pumpkin flavor aftertaste, which was unexpected and pleasant.
Overall, I was really impressed with the complexity of this beer. The flavors changed as it breathed, improving the overall experience. I would give this at least a 4.5 on the scale, but that little bit of sourness brought it back just a bit for me. I'm not sure if it was the clove or the French Saison yeast, but pulling back on it during brewing might make this one of the best pumpkin beers out there.
Still, I really like this beer and how unique it was versus most other "pumpkin pie cinnamon sweet" pumpkin beers out there, so Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins still gets a 4 out of 5 on the Drunken Jackos scale.
I really recommend this one, if you can find it. Just be patient and let it breathe. Give it time to mellow and you will be rewarded.
And yes, I can't end this review without stating the obvious. Every time I type "Master of Pumpkins," I smile because I can only thing of one thing. Cheers to you, Troegs!!
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