623. Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) - Punkin Ale

“A full-bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg & cinnamon. Enjoy smooth pumpkin & fall spices.”

Oddly light for its 7% ABV, but the flavors work well together. This and the previous two came from the same variety pack and were all just a tad too carbonated. It’s possible I have come to like seasonal pumpkin ales too much, and have therefore ratcheted my expectations up to an unrealistic degree. I’m not sure if this beer is disappointing or if it’s just not quite as good as the previous two. (But again, I have two more cans and will almost certainly revisit.)

622. Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) - Raison D’Etre

“First released in 1995 at our brewpub, Raison D’Etre is a deep mahogany, Belgian-style ale brewed with beet sugar, raisins & a sense of purpose. Enjoy the complex fruits & rich maltiness that make this beer so distinct.”

This is a spectacular combination of flavors that almost tastes like the oatmeal with raisins that my mom used to make for breakfast when I was a kid. It opens up beautifully as it warms, and the high ABV (8%) balances the sweetness from the raisins and the beet sugar very well. Not sure it needs the Belgian yeast with everything else that’s going on; but I’ve got two more cans from the variety pack, so maybe we’ll revisit.

621. Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) - Chicory Stout

“First released in 1995 at our brewpub, Chicory Stout is a rich, dark brew smoothed out with a touch of roasted chicory, licorice root, and coffee. Enjoy its bold flavor and notes of roasted coffee.”

I was oddly sort of hoping for a moderate hit of licorice up front, but I’m not getting it with this first one. I don’t get a lot of coffee flavor, either—but the bitterness from the chicory and the coffee give it a nice finish. The 5.2% ABV is a nice change of pace; I don’t necessarily think that a bold, flavorful stout also needs to be big and boozy every time.

620. Rogue Ales (Newport, OR) - Berry Blonde

“Among Oregon’s tangled vines and brambles thrive the sweet marionberries and juicy plums that burst forth in our Berry Blonde Ale. This berry blonde ale presents a refreshing blend of marionberry and plum flavors, balanced by a light biscuity malt backbone and subtle floral hops. With a clean finish, it offers a delightful harmony of fruity sweetness and crisp drinkability.”

It’s both sweet and dry, with a strong fruit flavor that suggests a perfect combination of the tart marionberry and the sweet plum. The blonde ale backbone lets the fruit steal the show while the beer is cold, and then makes its slightly malty voice heard once the beer starts to warm. Very well done.

Deep Thoughts #344

Keith Olbermann used to have a bit called “Worst Person in the World.” But with Adolfs Musk and Trump both alive, how can you pick just one?

Deep Thoughts #343

The sun will supernova before all you Trumpy sister-fuckers cotton to the fact that your rapist savior has been lying to you the whole time.

Deep Thoughts #342

And of course, by severe consequences, Tangerine Rapist means that he will be running for President in Russia after we kick his fat ass out.

Deep Thoughts #341

It is so not surprising that monkeys who would vote for Donald Trump also provide most of whatever it is that Large Language Models “learn.”

619. DuClaw Brewing Co. (Ewing, NJ) - Sweet Baby Pumpkin!

“Nothing says fall is here like pumpkin spice lattes [sic] taking over every coffee shop in America. Now it’s taking over your favorite brewery too! The new addition to the ‘Sweet Baby’ family combines pumpkin spice flavor and notes of coffee in a smooth and creamy porter.”

(I’m not sure if this counts as a New Jersey beer or a Maryland beer, and I’m not going to waste your time with semantic quibbles. DuClaw [Rosedale, MD] was apparently acquired by River Horse [Ewing, NJ], but I’m not finding much in the way of useful information on either of their websites. I’m going with New Jersey, which makes it my first New Jersey beer and gets me to 32 states. If I have misapprehended the beer’s provenance, I will be glad to update the entry.)

Okay, and now that we have that shit out of the way, were we talking about a beer? Yes, we were; and there is some very nice pumpkin aroma on the nose, but everything else they are shooting for gets a little bit lost on the palate. I don’t really get much of any particular flavor, and the whole thing feels a little thin—even after it warms up.

618. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - State Fair Cotton Candy

“State Fair Cotton Candy balances the sweet summer flavors of Blue Cotton Candy with a crisp character in celebration of the Indiana State Fair.”

There’s a flavor there that might be cotton candy, but I can’t remember the last time I had cotton candy, so I can’t be sure. If it’s not cotton candy, then it’s something close that pushes the same basic nostalgia button. The flavor was moderately strong up front but didn’t linger much for me on the back end, and the beer was not at all sweet. The sessionable 4% ABV was just right for a sultry day at the state fair, and the lurid teal color made me feel like I was drinking something exotic and rare at Quark’s bar on Deep Space Nine. Not bad, but not nearly as good as the caramel corn ale from 2022.

Deep Thoughts #340

I’m somewhat shocked that Roger Penske said no to Republicans. I hope he sues the racist fucks until they bleed from their assholes and die.

616. Kismetic Beer Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Oatmeal Stout

“Stout, although one of my favorite styles to drink, is rarely on my brewing schedule. That is about to change. Inspired by a conversation with the team [at Fort George Brewing], we decided to do a series of stout and really explore what the style has to offer. This first offering is brewed with 2-row barley, Caramunich, Carafa Special 1 and 3, Midnight wheat, and rye. Hopped with Magnum and Hersbrucker. Mashed hot with an extended 2 hour boil. Aromas of toffee and dark fruits, with notes of coffee and chocolate. Rich and full on the palate, with sweet caramel and cocoa covered raisin notes balanced by a dry and roasty finish.”

I had a hard time making up my mind about this one. It doesn’t have the smooth mouthfeel up front that I have come to associate with oatmeal stouts, and the overall body of the beer is not as rich as same. But it’s growing on me. There are roasty chocolate malt elements and hints of dried fruit; and it does react well to being able to warm up and breathe a little bit. The style is perhaps not Ryan’s strong suit, but he still makes a pretty good one.