Double pumpkin ale

[youngraven]

I'd meant to make a post about this, but then time got away from me. This past November, I had cause to be up in Kansas City (my husband had training in Overland Park). Since we were in the neighbourhood, we did the Boulevard Brewery tour. It's a fantastic place to visit if you ever get the chance. I fell in love with the floor; I wanted to roll round on it. Seriously. It was lush. 

We sampled their wares, but as it usually goes when I'm in that part of the country, Schlafly's seasonal was the one to write home about. I've heard that people run hot and cold on Schlafly, but I've yet to sample anything on tap that wasn't spectacular.

As it so happened, one of my husband's favourite singer/songwriters, Jeffrey Gaines, was in town the same time we were. So we bought tickets and hied us hence to the Riot Room for the highlight of the week. I knew I wanted something from Schlafly, but my husband was feeling adventurous - so he asked for a flight of Southern Tier's Creme Brulee, and... well, it was strange. It did taste exactly of creme brulee, but we bought decided that this was a flavour that beer simply shouldn't have. XD

Schlafly's Double Pumpkin, on the other hand, was heavenly from start to finish. I think I made a Schlafly convert of him. I'm trying to sort out a jaunt up to St Louis in April, and the Schlafly Tap Room is where I plan to spend a goodly lot of my time. 

Comments

[feuervogel]

Aw, man, I love the creme brulee stout. It's a very fine dessert :D

[youngraven]

It's strange - we'd no quarrel with the taste of it, really. It's that it was *so* like creme brulee that we couldn't wrap our minds round it - it threw us into a mental tailspin. Now, were I presented with it again (knowing how it is), I'd be tempted to give it another go. Down here in the crotch of Amerikay, however...I'm thinking it'll be a long time before I'm given the chance. Is it a seasonal? I suppose I could go find out where I'm likely to cross paths with Southern Tier...

Jesus. 'Bought' should be 'both'. I'll learn someday that I can't write two sentences at once.

[feuervogel]

It's a seasonal, I think fall/winter. We bought a bunch of it, so there's one last bottle in my fridge awaiting the right moment. I'm pretty thrilled Southern Tier (out of north central NY) has expanded their distribution in North Carolina. Their Moka is pretty good (and less OMGWTF than the creme brulee one, being a chocolate-coffee stout).

The first one we bought, we poured it into glasses and smelled it. It smelled really good. Then we tasted it, and we were like, man, is this beer? So the next time we were at the store, we bought another :D I think the dominant flavor ingredient is vanilla beans.

[youngraven]

Hrm...I've got people in NC. Methinks a visit is on order. I mean...come to that, I've got people in NY as well - why shouldn't I go to the source, right? XD

[h4hahn]

I can’t imagine anyone running cold on Schlafly. I haven’t had the double pumpkin, but I can’t say I’ve gotten anything I was really turned off by (except for that Oud Bruin / sour ale, one time). Don’t know how familiar you are with STL. But, as pilgrimage-worthy as I find the Tap Room, I would also highly recommend Urban Chestnut and Bridge too. Bridge doesn’t brew their own, but they have approx 50+ taps, and always wonderful local and national brews. Honestly, there are so many new breweries opening up there, it’s hard to keep track. Civil Life, Perennial, Six Row, and on and on….Let us know how your trip turns out.

[youngraven]

The double pumpkin was lush. I don't know whether they'll ever do it again. I seem to recall reading it was a once only thing - which is a shame, really. It was grand.

I've only been to STL the once, but part of me going was to find out how fast I could learn an entirely new town on my own, like (long story). I surely would have passed by Urban Chestnut on my way to the Tap Room. I'm killer fond of local breweries, so if I can make it back in April, I'll find some people to haul along with me to sample their wares. :D

[evilawyer]

It did taste exactly of creme brulee, but we bought decided that this was a flavour that beer simply shouldn't have. XD

I hate it when that sort of thing happens.