Ok, so technically it isn’t October until tomorrow.  But with that whole time zone turn-of-the-Earth thing considered, it’s already October in the some places of the world.  And October means beer.

Oktoberfest, Märzen, pumpkin, cool weather, college football, the glorious return to Chili, the changing of the leaves.  I love October, and October makes me want to return to beer.

It’s been a long break from the regular routine here at Brewlimination – far too long.  It turns out that running two consecutive 64-beer brackets, tasting two beers a day, day in and day out for the better part of a year is quite exhaustive, and was somewhat responsible for our hiatus.

But, the hiatus is coming to an end.  We’ve thought long and hard about the future of Brewlimination, and we have some great things in store for the future.  You’ll see some changes coming to the site in the coming weeks, as we resume our Quest for the Ultimate Beer!

So, I’ll kick things off with an impromtu review of the brew I’m currently enjoying – the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.  I’m not overly experienced with a multitude of pumpkin beers under my belt, but I’m setting out to change that.  Having had a number of Dogfish brews in the past, and almost universely enjoying them all, I figured the Punkin Ale was a great place to start.

The Punkin Ale pours an intriguing off-copper color, with a combination of tinted orange and burnt red.  In the center of the glass, a tiny stream of almost microscopic carbonation bubbles rise to the surface.  The head isn’t overly large, maybe about a quarter inch is all, with a light brown to off-white coloring.  It settles at a comfortable pace, leaving a thin layer of froth behind on the surface, almost compelling a taste.

I was almost tricked by the appearance to dive straight into tasting this brew, but was able to pause long enough to take in the aroma.  The aroma packs a punch, with malty, spicy notes – nutmeg for certain and perhaps some allspice as well – and you can’t forget the mandatory pumpkin (although it is much more subdued than the more-overpowering spices).  The taste is similarly spicy up front, yet sweet and almost savory at the same time – a combination of mostly nutmeg and brown sugar.  A stronger hint of pumpkin comes through toward the finish, which is light on the tongue with a near-perfect length.

The Punkin Ale is a wonderful beer for relaxing, kicking off the fall season, and ending this unexpectedly long hiatus.  Cheers!