Tommyknocker - Small Batch Pumpkin Harvest Ale

Tonight I'm bringing us squarely back into Autumn beer territory.  Tommyknocker Brewing has produced the epitome of the pumpkin seasonal brew.  Adding freshly picked pumpkin with a touch of molasses and spice, Tommyknocker positioned this beer as one that shouldn't knock your socks off with a heaping load of cinnamon and nutmeg.  The fact that they said "a touch of spice" on the bottle is actually what attracted me to this brew originally.  When it comes to spiced beers, I prefer the spice to be an accent as opposed to the primary flavors.  Much like Summit's Imperial Pumpkin Porter.  That stuff was delicious!

The last, and only, brew we have reviewed from Tommyknocker has been their Imperial Nut Brown Ale.  Unfortunately, Duns didn't come away too impressed.  He found it to be just a bit on the sweet side for his hop-loving taste buds.

It appears as though this is a brand new beer for Tommyknocker as well.  In fact, it may be so new that they don't even have it listed on their website yet!  I'm not sure if that means we got this beer early or their web developers are lazy.

Small Patch Pumpkin is a nice, woody deep brown color that produces very little foam.  The aromas are pleasantly spicy with hints of cinnamon, pumpkin and nutmeg backed up with a solid maltiness and sweet, but subtle molasses.  So far so good!  The flavors are a bit weak which is disappointing.  All of the aromas are still there in the flavor, just watered down.  The body of this brew is thin but the carbonation is at the right level to allow some flavor through.  At 5% ABV, the alcohol remains subdued through to the end.

Overall - The aromas and color grabbed my attention.  But the lack of head retention and the flavors left me wanting more.  It's another example of a beer that has good things going for it but couldn't quite cross the finish line at full speed.  If Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale had more body with a bolder base flavor I would have been hooked.  Actually, I wonder what would happen if we blended their nut brown with this.  I bet we would get the mouthfeel and body we are looking for with the subtle hint of spice I tend to like with this style.  If anyone is adventurous to give this experiment a shot let us know.  I think its worth trying it out.

Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale

Tommyknocker Brewery is located out in Idaho Springs, CO just west of Denver.  I don't have a lot of experience with their brews, but this one caught my eye when I saw that it was brewed with maple syrup.  Pancakes, sure.  Beer....not so sure, but definitely worth a try.  This one comes in at 9%ABV, and is brewed with chocolate, crystal malts and a blend of European/American hops. 

The 12oz bottle has a vintage look to it.  I'm pouring this into my snifter, aggressive pour brings up a light tan head a little under an inch, receeds fairly quickly.  The color is a blackish brown, and there are some particles floating around in there when held against the light.  The aroma is full of nutty malts, molasses, some coffee and just a hint of alcohol.  The drink starts with a sweet yet slightly tart nutty flavor, the tart is just a pinch of dark fruit.  Chocolate malts also show up and are a nice break from the initial sweetness, but not enough of a break.  The sweetness bomb continues in the middle with brown sugar, and then the alcohol warmth kicks in, ending it off with a warm buttery finish.  I'm not able to detect any hops at all.  The body is thick and syruppy (pun intended).

Overall Rating:  (2.7 out of 6.0)  I'm not a big fan of this description, but I'm sorry to say it....this beer is "cloyingly" sweet.  For those of you that enjoy sweet dessert-type beers, this is worth a try.  But this just doesn't sit well on my taste buds......I guess I'll have to save maple syrup for the pancakes.