You may or may not have noticed that I have a thing for pumpkin beers. I have reviewed a couple here and there.
In particular, 2013 has been a big year for pumpkin beer and me. I have sought out, bought, and consumed every gourd, yam, squash, or pumpkin brew I could lay my hands on. I may have singlehandedly affected the market for these beers in the DFW, at least that is what @jmae82 tells me every time I am handing my credit card over to a very happy beer store proprietor. Seriously, I’ve put a couple of their kids through a very nice college or two.
Today, I am tasting Warlock, a pumpkin stout brought to us Southern Tier Brewing from Lakewood, New York. Southern Tier is pretty new to Texas distribution and I am really happy they are here. They make some super stuff, from Pumking, their Imperial Pumpkin Ale, to Creme Brulee, a super sweet dessert beer. I like a lot of their stuff and if you’re into adventurous, slightly “off” beers, I think you will too.
Warlock is advertised as an Imperial Pumpkin Stout. “Imperial”, when placed on beer, means that the beer is gonna be big. Originally, “Imperial” was placed on beers that were brewed in England and shipped to Russia for the imperial court of the Russian Czars. Over time that label evolved to just meant a luxurious, top of the line beer. For today’s brewers, especially us Americans, “Imperial” means that the beer is a bit heftier and bolder than a normal beer regardless of style. The malts and hops in an “Imperial” beer will be double or (ohmagosh!) triple the amount used in a normal beer. So buckle up, folks!
Warlock pours a dark brown, edging towards black. The head is about a finger thick, beige colored and leaves a small amount of lacing on the glass as it settles.
The aroma is definitely pumpkin pie. There is a note of burnt toast and chocolate along with a lot of pumpkin pie spice and some nice cinnamon rounding everything out. Based on smell – this beer is gonna be tasty.
The taste is exactly what you think! A big spice note that is very pumpkin pie-y with a finish of warm cocoa and burnt graham cracker crust. The beer is nice and warming. I wouldn’t recommend serving this beer cold, there are some flavors that just don’t come out until the beer begins to get near room temp. Take your time and let this guy warm up, you’ll thank me.
The carbonation is velvety and just the right amount to clear things out before the next sip.
Overall, this is a great beer. One of my favorites of the season. @jmae82 and I have stocked up on nearly every bottle we could get our hands on in the hope of aging some for a few months and seeing how these flavors develop. Time will tell if we can keep them in the cellar that long. It’s damned tasty.
Overall 4.5/5
Up and Adam 