Hello, Mr. Cranberry Ale

First off, I want to say hello and introduce myself. I’m Matt, a pretty avid beer drinker and enthusiast, to whom Chris was nice enough to give a chance to get some stuff up here. I lived in Boston for college and for a number of years since, but recently moved out to Framingham. Thankfully I work in Cambridge, so, along with metro-west stuff, I should still have good number of Boston bits to write up. This is, obviously, my first post, and I’m hoping to make a habit of it. Anyways, enough of me, on to the beer!

Ah. Fall. Colder weather. Colorful leaves. A complete saturation of the market in pumpkin beers and octoberfests. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good pumpkin beer (Shipyard Smashed pumpkin, especially the bottle from last year I aged and just cracked!), and certainly like a good Octoberfest/Harvest beer (Note to self: write up how awesome the Mayflower Harvest Ale is). But, like anything, I can only take so much. Everyone has a fall seasonal now, and they are mostly pumpkin and/or spice laiden.

Enter the Harpoon Thankful Harvest Cranberry Ale. Not your (well, my) typical “fruit” beer. This isn’t very sweet. Not really at all, in fact, and certainly isn’t like any cranberry beer creations I’ve had before- I’m looking at you Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic. It pours clean and clear, with a pretty minimal head that clears off in a hurry. Clear and amber in color, with a hint or ruby red to it, it looks as malty as it tastes, but it doesn’t end there. There is just the right amount of tart-ness (thank you, wife, for the vocab help) to this ale. I can’t stress that enough. Its just the right amount of tart. Its there, and you noticed it pretty early in the taste and it holds on through the finish, but its not over-powering, or mouth puckering. It’s as if (and this sounds gross, but after this beer not so much), you took a nice, simple matley ale and splashed it with cranberry juice.

To top it off, $1 from each 6 pack sale goes to local food banks. Perfect for the Thanksgiving Season. I say go for it, give it a try. I’m sure glad I did. Its a limited brew, so who knows when you’ll see it again, if ever. And hell, its something different out of the normal crop of Pumpkin-Spice-Fest beers.

Wachusett Brewing Company – Winter Ale

Wachusett Brewing Company – Winter Ale

THE POUR: Wachusett Winter Ale pours a lightly clouded, red-amber.

THE AROMA: A mild sweet malt smell, with light spiced hops. This beer is labeled as a “Classic Scotch Ale” with little spices. As you would expect, the aroma is that of a classic ale.  Nothing out of the norm here.

THE TASTE: Smooth, and malty mouthfeel, with light spice and mild hops.  This is a classic ale – not too spiced up as in other Christmas/Holiday seasonals.

THE DECISION: Maybe a little too ordinary – yet highly enjoyable. This is a great holiday go-to, when you are in the mood for a mellow, yet full-bodied Winter Ale.

THE GRADE: B+

Shipyard Brewery – Smashed Pumpkin

Shipyard Brewery – Smashed Pumpkin

THE POUR:
Light copper color with a spicy nutty pumpkin aroma, not much head.

THE TASTE:
Spicy full bodied and fairly hoppy, a good pale ale. Alcoholic content is there but didn’t destroy the taste.

THE DECISION:
All in all this is a very different beer than pumpkinhead. Not as sweet and mild, much more hops are used here. A little bit of that bitter bite. Warning; at 9% abv it is a strong brew only available in 1pint 6 oz bombers. I was left with a great taste and a buzz. Pairs well with pumpkin pie.

THE GRADE: A-