Beer Review of the Week: Michigan Brewing Company Screamin’ Pumpkin Spiced Ale

I was at the Michigan Renaissance Festival this past weekend and came across one of the seasonal beers from Michigan Brewing Company: Sreamin’ Pumpkin Spiced Ale. I have had several spiced ales and this one really surprised me, it was tasty pumpkin infused spiced ale that was very smooth and easy to drink. It didn’t make any pretense about what it was, the name of the beer tells you exactly what is what. The pumpkin flavor comes through but isn’t over powered by the Ennis, cardamom, cinnamon and other seasonal spices. I didn’t have the chance to get a good smell of the beer since this taste was from a sampling tent, but I did get the distinct smell of pumpkin and allspice from my shot, which gave me a really warm and homey feeling. I really enjoyed the balanced flavors of this ale, too many spiced ales are over powered by one or another spice and loses the infused flavors, Michigan Brewing Company did an excellent job crafting this ale. Screamin’ Pumpkin Spiced Ale is one of those seasonal brews that is like a comfort food, it connects memories through the various senses of taste and smell to remind you of those fun memories of Halloween.

• Drinkability – 5 out of 5
• Flavor – 4 out of 5
• Refreshness – 4 out of 5
• Smell – 4 out of 5
• Overall – 17 out of 20
• ABV –?
• Style – Pumpkin Ale

Monday Beer Review of The Week: Woodchuck Draft Cider

I must admit this week I was feeling a bit uninspired for beers this week, so I have deviated from our normal beer review and have opted for a hard cider this week. I chose one of the most common hard ciders, most people have heard of Woodchuck Draft Cider and from my experience not a lot of people have actually tried it. It often has the reputation of being a “foofoo” drink. But it does have some interesting flavors, since the primary ingredient is Granny Smith apples it has the bold refreshing taste of the apple. The sweetness of the apples helps to mask the alcohol flavor, now for some this may be but I do like that distinctive base flavor that the alcohol gives to the drink. I did enjoy drinking this cider, but I do not think that I will be returning to it as I have some of the other beers that I have reviewed on this site.

Rating:

• Drinkability – 4 out of 5
• Flavor – 4 out of 5
• Refreshness – 3 out of 5
• Smell – 3 out of 5
• Overall – 14 out of 20
• Price – $7.99 per six-pack
• ABV – 5,0%
• Style – Hard Cider

Monday Beer Review Of The Week: Wacko

Wacko beet beer is definitely an interesting brew by Magic Hat Brewing Company. I am pretty open minded to new and weird beers, but this one pushes the boundary too far. While Wacko pours clear, it does have a slightly pink color, however the background beet flavor does something strange to the overall flavor of the beer. The beet flavor was enhanced with malt undertones, but this left Wacko with a confused flavor overall.  I am really wasn’t a fan of this beer, so I am going to keep this post short and sweet.

Rating:
• Drinkability - 1 out of 5
• Flavor - 1 out of 5
• Refreshness - 1 out of 5
• Overall – 3 out of 15