IT’S PUMPKIN ALE TIME

I guess I never made the connection between the availability of BUFFALO BILL’S PUMPKIN ALE and the holiday known to most as Halloween, but just when I’d been craving some I learned that the beer is a “seasonal”, one that only makes its way out around October and shortly thereafter. Which is interesting, because I couldn’t tell you a thing about this Hayward, CA-based brewer otherwise – only that they are the ones that make the awesome pumpkin beer and that’s it. Yet this spiced beer is so good that I’m going to make a point one of these days on getting a designated driver to take me to their brewpub for a sampling session that’ll last deep into the wee hours, because lightning doesn’t just strike once, right? Around Halloween time, their PUMPKIN ALE is available in 6-packs at just about every supermarket in the area, with a special “end cap” display at Trader Joe’s, where it’s stacked high to the heavens.

The beer itself is everything you want in a flavored, spiced beer, and is just right for getting one ready for the serious Christmas beer season. Gorgeous copper color, medium-to-light head, and an aroma of nutmeg-like spices that hint & then deliver. It’s very crisp and just sweet enough without being overwhelming, and though it might be something of a novelty, I could and will drink it anytime. This is a beer for stocking up on. What’s strange to me is how out-of-sync my view on it is with those of the Beer Advocate regulars. They don’t dig it. But you will! 8/10!