I was pretty sure I struck on the proverbial gold with my first review of the Fall seasonal with Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Could there be something else out there to top it?
When my twitter friend Rachael made the comment that perhaps Night Owl was better than IPA, I was intrigued to say the least. Plus this year it was out in 12 oz six packs as well as 22oz bombers. I ended up picking up a six-pack at a fantastic deal, not a bad way to start things off at all.
The Pour: pouring out a very clear dark amber. A full bubbly white head that faded down to about a finger width. Lacing was pretty light, and not all the much carbonation to speak of.
Tasting: Right off the bat the nose was of spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of malt. Tasting, I found it to be lighter bodied than I expected. Very balanced – not sweet at all, and very, very light. Delicate almost. The nose was far stronger than the mouth feel on this.
Only towards the bottom of the glass did I pick up on any traces of alcohol warmth. Given the lower 5.9% ABV that makes sense. Again I found myself wanting to gulp it down, and have another. It was that enjoyable.
So what do we have here? A lighted bodied, wonderfully nosed pumpkin ale. Not a dessert beer, but something you would want more than one of.
Is it fair to compare the two? Not really, I mean they are similar in that they are incredibly balanced, but this is lighter – the standard version of Weyerbacher’s Imperial take.
Both have their place and both are excellent, and I would be happy to have either one on a night like this.