pumpkins

On the twelfth day of Beermas I went and got for me
Twelve pumpkins smashing
A scene ripe for peeping
Ten space lords leaping
A third of nine dancers carefree
Eight spice rack maidens
A taste of one of seven seas
Six alarms a-ringing
A high-powered ring of fire
Four silent moths
Three frisky parrots
A bottle but not two cans
And more than half a liter of perry

Another Beermas at an end, and what do I have? A beer I probably should have had at Halloween! Well, better late than never, and things keep pretty well in cans. It’s Oso Brew’s Smashing Pumpkin Ale, with a decidedly autumnal look. How do we get from drumming to pumpkins? The smashing, obviously. Whatever connection you want to make for it, it’s a celebratory beer, one that has a little something special, something you just aren’t going to see every day. Or even every Beermas, probably.

It’s a cidery color with a not quite pumpkin pie aroma. Head is nice at first, but vanishes within a minute of pouring. It does smell more like natural pumpkin than pumpkin spice, although there is a tiny bit of clove or maybe allspice. It tastes like a märzen with a little pumpkin infused in it, something like Fabrica Maravillas’ märzen a few years ago. It’s a little dusty in texture, makes you think it just came in from the pumpkin patch. Is this the most appropriate beer to finish Beermas? Who knows? The fact is that this year it’s the grand finale, and it might not be Christmas-y or even New Year’s-y, but it has a definite holiday feel. My favorite holiday no less. Twelfth day down, Beermas complete!