Alaskan Pumpkin Porter is a Deliciously Dark Fall Seasonal

I held out as long as I could, but I finally gave in this week. The temptation was just too great! Yes, I'm talking about the onslaught of fall seasonal beers that have been hitting the market since early August. Don't get me wrong - I love all varieties of fall beers, but I like to keep seasonal beers in their proper season. Now that we're in the second week of September and it's starting to feel a bit like fall in Colorado, I decided to crack open a bottle of Pumpkin Porter from Alaskan Brewing Company.

Pumpkin beers have evolved over the years, and range from lighter and very sweet to robust, strong and quite complex. Regardless of where it falls in this regard, a pumpkin beer should very pleasantly unify the base beer style with fresh pumpkin and usually a mixture of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The Alaskan Pumpkin Porter is a fine example of letting the base beer, in this case a porter, speak for itself while adding another layer of depth and drinkability with a huge addition of pumpkin and other ingredients in the brewing process. August marked the first time Alaskan released Pumpkin Porter, which is a rotating seasonal beer for the brewery. Alaskan Brewing, located in the capital city of Juneau, was founded in 1986. Pumpkin Porter is just the latest great beer released by this iconic brewery.

Pumpkin Porter has the kind of medium body and moderate carbonation that's consistent with the porter style. In the aroma, appetizing smells of sweet and dark malts, a slight roasty character, and pumpkin pie spices prepare you for what's to come. The taste is filled with flavors of chocolate, spices, raisins, plums, pumpkin, and a hint of smoke. This is a delicious, multi-layered pumpkin beer that's unlike most, and makes an excellent dessert-like treat to sip on during a fall evening.

Fall is just beginning, much to my pleasure as a craft beer lover. Fall seasonal beers take on many different forms, from traditional offerings like Marzen Oktoberfest to pumpkin beers, black IPAs, and more. If there's a fall beer you'd like me to feature, drop me a line!