To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn...

To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn...



There is a season… and that season is Fall! My favorite.

Why, you ask? Lots of reasons… the leaves on the aspens turn yellow, it’s cool enough for a sweatshirt, but not so cold you need a coat, the sounds of football echo from house to house… but best of all, the breweries release their fall seasonal ales! Sure, there’s other seasonal releases throughout the year, but none seem to have the heartiness and depth of the fall seasonals… it’s like fall was made for beer. (Was it?)

To commemorate the turning of the seasons, Biggie’s has replaced the “Camp Door” with the “Fall Seasonal Door” in the far corner of the beer coolers. Inside you’ll find several selections that are worth your attention… but don’t delay! With the breweries seemingly releasing their fall seasonals earlier and earlier every year, it’s in your best interest to pick some up today.

I’ve conferred with our “beer guy” Skylar, and together we bring you a brief guide to some of the seasonals we have available at the store… happy hunting.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale – The first of 3 pumpkin beers mentioned here. Is it first because it’s the best? Depends on what you want out of your pumpkin ale… This one is brewed with pumpkin, organic brown sugar, and spices (which might sound more like pie than ale) but the flavors are subtle and smooth. Unlike some other flavored ales, you could easily drink this one all night… not that we recommend that you do.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale – While on par with Dogfish in quality, the flavor experience here is rather different. This one is a wheat ale that is described by the brewer as having “hints of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg”… Obviously he would know best, but I’m going to go ahead and disagree with him. Hints aren’t in your face; the pumpkin pie notes here are. Which can be a great thing when you are craving a serious pumpkin ale, as I usually am come this glorious time of year.

Saranac Pumpkin Ale – Now maybe this is a bias brought on by my summers spent camping in the Adirondacks as a youth speaking… but this is a darn tasty pumpkin ale. A pleasantly smooth, medium-bodied ale, with the traditional pumpkin and spice flavors complimented by a hint of vanilla as a bonus. Even if you think pumpkin ales aren’t your thing, I’d still recommend giving this one a try.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler – This one surprised me. I am not normally a Sierra Nevada drinker (sorry, guys) but just like the arrival off fall, this brew does not disappoint. Richly brown in color, and smooth all the way down; look for the subtle notes of chocolately and smoky malt. I recommend you take the brewer’s advice and enjoy your Tumbler while sitting by the window and watching the turning leaves come tumbling down from their branches.

Great Divide Rumble IPA – Skylar characterizes this one as a nontraditional IPA, which is a good way to describe an IPA that is surprisingly delicate in its… um, IPA-ness (Merriam-Webster will undoubtedly add this one next year). The real focus here is the combination of American and French Oak used during the aging process. The result is a unique balance of bitterness and sweetness that might leave you wondering, ‘is this really an IPA?’… Yes, it is.

New Belgium Hoptober – Last, but not in any way least… one many of you are probably familiar with. Five hops and four malts make up this surprisingly light (for a fall seasonal) golden ale. This is a great beer to ease you into the transition from summer to fall, which is probably why they start releasing it in August.

Enjoy the fall seasonals while you can… they’ll be gone before you know it! (This is not a time to refrain from embracing...)

Jennifer

(Jennifer is a New York transplant who works part time at Biggie Liquor, full time in an office, and wishes it were the other way around)

Biggie Wine and Liquors
303.816.9013
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Jon Guelzow is the owner of Biggie Liquors the largest provider of wine, beer and spirits along the 285 corridor. Pete has 25 years experience in liquor and Jon has 15 years. Best prices, best selection and knowledgeable staff. Come on by and see us!

Any questions about wine, beer or spirits for Jon, email .

Somehow pumpkin beer doesn't sound good to me. Has anybody ever tried it?

Well, JMC... Certainly it's a matter of personal taste, but I still recommend giving pumpkin beer a try. You might be worried that the pumpkin flavor will be overwhelming, like other flavored beers can be... but more often than not, that's not the case. Brewers use various methods to work the pumpkin into their beer, but the goal is usually "subtle notes" rather than dominance.

The idea of pumpkin beer might sound crazy to those who haven't tried it, but to many, pumpkin (and pumpkin pie) just says "Fall is Here!"... and working that into fall seasonals just seems logical. Each year, more and more pumpkin beers enter the market... so there's got to be something good there, right?

Here's an article from Beer Advocate for some more insight...

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/72

~Biggie

Ok I'll try some when I stop in tomorrow

I like the pumpkin brews, I didn't expect to but nice flavor a little different, try one. Women seem to like it more than men.

Tried a pumpkin brew today and it was pretty good. Still an IPA drinker though.

I love em