Buffalo Bill's Brewery Pumpkin Ale

October is a great month for beer drinkers--not only because of the release of all the delicious Oktoberfest brews, but also because it is the debut month of the pumpkin ales. Since we don't really have seasons or leaves changing color in either Florida or Southern California, seeing pumpkin ales on the shelves lets me know that autumn is officially here. My friend Melissa is an expert on all things pumpkin and put together a fabulous mini beer tasting showcasing five fall brews. With her love of pumpkin flavor and my beer expertise, we considered ourselves petite authorities on pumpkin ales. We decided we would try all five selections and then we would write a review based on our favorite pick, which was easily Buffalo Bill's Brewery's Pumpkin Ale. The first candidate was Kennebunkport's Pumpkin Ale which had a nice cinnamon flavor but was bit too light in feel for an autumnal brew in my opinion. Next was Samuel Adam's Oktoberfest, which is a great beer with nice notes of caramel and hops but I still prefer Karl Strauss' Oktoberfest. The fourth candidate was Indian Wells Brewing Company's Spicy Pumpkin Ale which had great clove and pumpkin flavor, and probably would have been our favorite had the Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale not been so wonderful. Rounding out the tasting the final brew was Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, which was tasty and had elements of cinnamon and pumpkin, but was not as remarkable as some of the other beers from the same brewery. It seemed as though the third time was a charm and Buffalo Bill's Brewery was the creator of the perfect pumpkin ale.

Buffalo Bill's Brewery Pumpkin Ale

Appearance: Carmelized amber color with an orange-ish glow and moderate amounts of white head

Aroma: Strong pumpkin nose with hints of nutmeg, hops and cinnamon

Taste: As their website states, it truly is "like pumpkin pie in a bottle". It had wonderful pumpkin flavor, great carbonation with a medium bodied mouthfeel and a sweet nutmeg finish.

Alcohol: 5.2%

I would absolutely recommend this beer to anyone who would like to experience a pumpkin ale and enjoys a seasonal twist to traditional ales. This ale is very affordable and available both by the single 12oz bottle and in 6packs at most liquor stores and even at some of the larger Ralph's and Trader Joe's. I think Buffalo Bill's Brewery did an excellent job of capturing the sweetness of pumpkin pie while providing a nice balance with clove spices and hints of hops. This ale is perfect for Halloween parties and a great way to get into the spirit of autumn without all the candy. You could pair this beer with gingerbread cookies or graham crackers or do as I do and skip the pumpkin pie and go for a liquid dessert (;

To Yuengling With Love

Growing up in Florida, drinking Yuengling was a common, frequent and delicious practice for everyone I knew between the ages of let's say 16 and 80. (Or 21 and 80 if you want to be that way about it.) It was just as much a part of my college experience as textbooks and football games. When you weren't sure what to drink, Yuengling was a tasty and affordable option for college students--a six pack ran you the same price as Subway's $5 footlong and it was always a crowd pleaser. I took its availability for granted though, and when I moved to California I found there was no Yuengling and no substitute. Thus, when it came time to visit my hometown of Tampa, I made a to-do list. Immediately after seeing my family, number 2 on the list was drink Yuengling.

Yuengling Traditional Lager

Appearance: Amber with a copper hue, clear and carbonated with a little cream colored head

Aroma: Slightly sweet with just a hint of hops

Taste: Delicious with a biscuity taste at the start, a suggestion of caramel in the middle and a slight hoppy bite at the end

Alcohol: 4.4%

I knew that Yuengling has been brewing delicious beers out of Pottsville, Pennsylvania since 1829 and was America's oldest brewery. However I was surprised and delighted to learn that they also had a brewery location in Tampa producing an impressive 10,000 kegs every week since 1999. They also had FREE tours--if it's free it's for me, so my family and I drove over to check it out. We had a delightful British tour guide named Elizabeth who gave us a humorous and informative tour of everything from the brew kettles, to the bottling facility to the hospitality room, where we were able to try any and all of Yuengling's brews, including the not-yet-released IPA. I learned a great deal more about the Yuengling brewery and the brewing process itself from the tour--did you know that the closest relative to the hop flower is cannabis? Would you ever guess that Yuengling uses seaweed to help pull all the sediment to the bottom during the wort separation part of the brewing process? It was like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory for adults, except instead of chocolate and a sugar rush we got terrific beers and a nice buzz. I highly recommend Yuengling Traditional Lager as a delicious session beer that pairs well with nearly any food, and is an ideal and affordable beer for any social event. If you live near Tampa, Florida or Pottsville, Pennsylvania I strongly urge you to take a tour. They're fun, informative and the best part is they're free! For more information check out http://www.yuengling.com or ask for Elizabeth at the Tampa location--she's wonderful!

Telegraph Brewing Company White Ale

The Telegraph Brewing Company is an amazing microbrewery based out of Santa Barbara, California that I would never have heard of had the Hoegaarden keg not kicked. I was at 7 Grand in downtown Los Angeles when my familiar and beloved Hoegaarden suddenly tapped out. Luckily the very astute and knowledgeable bartender recommended Telegraph White Ale--another favorite beer was born and another night out was saved!

Telegraph White Ale

Appearance: pale gold, unfiltered and hazy with a healthy amount of foamy white head

Aroma: inviting and spicy with hints of orange and apple

Taste: fantastically carbonated with a strong presence of orange and coriander flavor. It had a bit more zest and apple essence to it than traditional white ales

Alcohol: 4.5%

I became an instant fan of the Telegraph Brewing Company, mainly because I thought they put a unique but tasty spin on the traditional white ale style. I was also excited to support a local microbrewery that gives back to their community. According to Brian Thompson, head of Telegraph Brewing Company, "We handcraft unique American ales that embrace the heritage of California's early brewing pioneers, using as many locally grown ingredients as we can. We think that our beers embody our philosophy that a local brewery should reflect the traditions of its region."

I recommend Telegraph's White Ale to anyone who enjoys white ales or hefeweizens and wants to support a California microbrewery that has just as much taste for community as it does for their brews. You can find Telegraph White Ale for about $7 for a pint and a half sized bottle at most California liquor stores or ask for it on draft--and not just when the Hoegaarden is out. (;

Karlfest 2009

October 3, 2009 marked the 2nd annual Karlfest, an homage to Germany's Oktoberfest, at the Karl Strauss Brewery in Costa Mesa, California. It was an awesome celebration of beer that boasted over 35 different brews on tap with nearly one-third of them produced on location from Karl Strauss--they even had four specialty casks that were tapped every hour throughout the festival. I even got the first commercial pour from the cask of "Red Tide" ale-- a tasty first for me.

Karlfest stayed true to its tagline-- "Local Beer and Local Music"--with three local bands jamming out and nine other microbreweries from Southern California participating, with the proceeds donated to the Surfrider Foundation.

I was already familiar with Karl Strauss since their Endless Summer Light, Amber Lager, Red Trolley Ale and Windansea Hefeweizen are on tap at the Lab, but Karlfest was an excellent and fun introduction to their brewery and what their passion for beer is really all about. It was a fun and open environment for beer enthusiasts and brewers alike. Volunteers like Desmond and Amanda were very knowledgeable and friendly in explaining the beers they were pouring, and I even learned about the SRM scale with respect to beer. (SRM stands for Standard Reference Method, and refers to a beer's color. The higher the SRM, the darker the beer's color.) A very special thank you goes out to Steve and Matt (pictured above) for all of their help and enthusiasm in making Karlfest 2009 a delicious success.

The standout highlight of Karlfest 2009 for me was definitely the Karl Strauss Oktoberfest, which displaced the Red Trolley Ale as my favorite Karl Strauss beer.

Karl Strauss Brewing Company's Oktoberfest

I consider myself very lucky to be able to try this legendary seasonal brew just yards away from the vats it was brewed in. Oktoberfest lagers are beers steeped in centuries of tradition, so I was more than excited to try an interpretation from one of my favorite local microbreweries' backyards.

Appearance: rich, clear amber color with a slightly reddish hue and a nice thick head

Aroma: malty and inviting with hints of caramel

Taste: very approachable toasted malt flavor with hints of smokiness and sweet caramel

Alcohol: 5%

This beer was a clear favorite for me out of nearly 30 that I tasted at Karlfest. It is a smooth and rich lager that goes down easy and would pair well with hearty meats, especially bratwurst and other German sausages. I think the Karl Strauss Brewery stayed true to the tradition and ceremony of Oktoberfest and did its German ancestry proud with their Oktoberfest brew. I recommend Karl Strauss' Oktoberfest to anyone who enjoys smoky sweet lagers--but act quickly as it is only available September through October. I highly recommend Karlfest to anyone who enjoys beer festivals or wants to support an amazing local microbrewery in Southern California. I can't wait til Karlfest 2010!

For more information check out the Karl Strauss website at www.karlstrauss.com