Southern Tier Imperial Pumking Review

Imperial Pumking

Southern Tier Brewing Co, Lakewood NY

ABV: 8.6%

Smell: Pumpkin pie!

Taste : Hops, crisp pumpkin bits, cinnamon

Style: Imperial Pumpkin Ale

BUCTDIOS# : 4

Every white girl I know loves pumpkin flavored ANYTHING. That’s just science. I think breweries caught wind of this in the past couple of years and now every single one of them makes a pumpkin beer.  And those white girls love every single one of them. I’ve never seen a white girl turn away a pumpkin beer, especially when you can put a cinnamon sugar brim on it (which I do not blame them for… I would drink gutter oil with a cinnamon sugar ring.)  Luckily for us not white girls, this pumpkin trend has given us a true King (I’ve got Dad puns on lock) in the pumpkin beer market; Southern Tier Imperial Pumpking.

If I was blindfolded and this beer was put in front of my nose, I would absolutely believe it was a cold pumpkin pie ready to be slid into the oven.  It is not even discernible as a beer, which is awesome!  It does, however, taste like beer.  After expecting pumpkin flavor to overwhelm your body and permeate your brain upon the first sip, a hoppy ale flavor is the most present taste.  In the mid mouth, pumpkin takes over, followed by a cinnamon-hop aftertaste.  It is an excellent combination.  I might start baking hops sprinkled with cinnamon as a snack for parties.

I suppose balance is the key here.  If it literally tasted like it smelled, that would be pretty off-putting and really affect the BUCTDIOS.  It’s 8.6% ABV! How is that even possible? Now go buy a six pack with your buddy, split it and get stupid drunk raking leaves or something fall related. The cinnamon finish really drives this home.  Just have fun when you get to the store and discover that this shit is priced equivalent to pumpkin crack.  Well worth it.