Southern Tier Imperial Pumking Ale

As the last entry in the Great Pumpkin-Off 2011, this beer is a more than proper way to end. Southern Tier Brewing Co. already impressed me with their Hop Sun over the summer so when a fan of the blog recommended this beer I was happy to oblige his request. 

Related, perhaps, to Jack Skellington?

Now I hate to continuously point out the importance of naming a beer and the subsequent way that beer is perceived, but this beer's name is Pumpking Ale. As it can be seen in the picture above, the pumpkin is a crowned and regal looking jack o'lantern. Now unlike other beers that have given themselves important names (see Raison d'Etre), this beer truly is the king of pumpkin beers this year and is my personal favorite of the five I've tried so far.

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The beer poured a nice shade of orange with just a little bit of haze to it. The head was bright white and had good retention to it. The nose of the beer was just like fresh scooped pumpkin. It was sweet and a little nutty but distinctly pumpkin. The flavor matched it perfectly. It was smooth and well balanced in spite of the high ABV of the beer. The finish of the beer left you wanting more and I have never been so sad to have finished a bottle of beer and not have another one to drink. I bought this beer in a 22 oz. bottle and paid around $8 for it. So while it was a little pricey, this beer undoubtedly did not disappoint and certainly had a lot of bang for the buck.