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Halloween Day by Day: Howe Sound Pumpkineater


Every year at this time, people start going crazy for pumpkin spice lattes.  Me?  I get the urge to investigate the idea of what it would be like to combine the autumn flavor of pumpkins with the boozy goodness of beer.

And thus, I found "Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale" by Howe Sound Brewing.

I enjoy seeing the various labels that craft beers have on them.  Some of them are really creative and artistic, while others are really polished and profession, while other still are just messy and idiotic.

The label for Pumpkineater is a nice, simple label that is quite appealing to me.  I like the use of the overlapping trees in the background creating a nice texture for the focus of the label- the pumpkin.  Presumably the pumpkin you're "eating" in this ale.  I love how the pumpkin is done in a woodcut style: raw and imperfect, while still  having a great atmospheric feel to it.  A great label.

The bottle is pretty large (1 litre)- holding multiple glasses (up to 3).  Fortunately, there's a cool ceramic cork if you don't want to work through it all at once.

The ale itself is a nice colour with very little sediment to it.  It forms a great head of foam as well that contrasts  nicely with the dark amber of the beer.

As the label says, it's a "strong ale".  That first sip can be a bit of a surprising kick in the tastebuds- especially if you're not a fan of pumpkin.  You can really taste the pumpkin.  Fortunately, after about four sips, you start to get used to the taste, and can enjoy a more stable experience with it.

I did enjoy drinking Howe Sound Brewing's Pumpkineater after the initial overpowering sips.  Is it one that I would be my first choice for a craft beer?  Not really- but I would certainly enjoy it once a year.  I'm going to put in "The Bad" since it's not one I'd pull off the shelve at any other time of the year to enjoy.

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