Over the last 15 years or so pumpkin beers have been as much a part of the fall season as, say, pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks and Christmas displays at Home Depot. Pumpkin beer is a fun idea, but in general the execution never lives up to the hype. Beer is supposed to be malty and hoppy (in varying degrees), so the addition of pumpkin imparts an unusual flavor. I’ve tried a number of pumpkin beers over the years, and none has really lit my candle, as it were. One of the problems is that these beers typically start with a lager base, and I think we can all agree that lagers are the scourge of the beer world. They’re light and watery and have almost no alcohol and even less flavor, and the smell reminds me of high school keggers. Not that I’ve ever been to one.
So imagine my glee when I came across a bottle of 10 Barrel Brewing Company’s entry into this genre, “Jamaican Me Pumpkin.” (As for the name: I confess that I don’t quite get the Jamaican reference. I mean, I get the “You’re Makin'” semi-pun, but “You’re makin’ me pumpkin” makes no sense. There’s no particular Jamaican influence about pumpkins, is there? And 10 Barrels Brewing Co. is just a place up in Bend, Oregon founded by 3 bro’s. Maybe there’s some Jamaican double entendre I’m not aware of?
Anyway, it gets better. The label clearly distinguishes this beer from the usual pumpkin beers. First, it’s aged in rum barrels, for three years. That’s something you don’t run into with most beers. Second, it’s an imperial pumpkin beer, meaning it’s high alcohol (in this case, 10 percent alcohol). Nothing like those wussy pumpkin beers they sell at the grocery store. So, this shows promise. Let’s get down to the tasting!
- Packaging. Even though there is no overt Halloween theme, they’ve packaged this pumpkin beer well. The label prominently features pumpkin-orange writing, complete with an indecipherable Jamaican pun. The mouth of the bottle is dipped in matching orange wax, much in the style of Maker’s Mark. This is classy packaging. I’m giving it 3 points.
- Appearance of the Treat. This beer has a lovely copper color…not quite pumpkin orange (which wouldn’t be appetizing in a beer), but unusual enough to signify that we’ve got something special here. The beer pours with a very subtle, creamy head that leaves a nice lacing on the side of the glass. (Note that the barware I selected for this beer is the Edgar Allen Poe glass given to me by my friend Chris.) The beer doesn’t have much of a nose, which is something that could never be said about me. But as it looks back at you from the glass, it’s both inviting and attractive. I’ll give it 2 points. (It would have been three, if it had a thicker head or a more prominent nose.)
3. Taste. I raised the glass to my lips, drew in the almost absent nose, and took a small sip. I was underwhelmed. There was no real pumpkin taste to speak of, and very little spice, and I don’t think those rum barrels imparted any of their flavor. This beer mainly tasted like sour beer (a style that confusingly was very popular about 10 years ago.) I took another sip. And another. And it really didn’t ever get much better. Jamaican me frustrated. No points.
4. Value. So, this 22 ounce bottle cost $17. That’s way more than I’m normally willing to pay for even a six pack. (If you talk to my wife, please don’t mention the price. I’ve allowed her to assume it’s the the same $5-8 bucks that I’d normally pay for a bomber.) I think I’d classify this as a ripoff. No points.
Steve’s Sweetoberfest Score: 5 out of 12 points, which makes it a modest TRICK. Save your money!
Chasing Phantoms 