My Life In The Family Liquor Business
The Great Pumpkin Debate 2011
by Edward Mulvihill on 10/11/11
There is a chill in the air and everyone is looking for something to drink to compliment the weather. It's the time of year when the pumpkin beer reigns supreme! These beers may be the most allusive of the year. They roll into the shop in late summer and are usually long gone before mid October. A common question we get at the shop is simply "which pumpkin beer is best?". That question is getting harder and harder to answer, not only because the number of quality pumpkin brews have exploded in the last few seasons but also because of the wide spectrum of pumpkin styles that are available. Our staff is divided about which is the king of the pumpkin beers, and in an effort to put an end to the great pumpkin debate we decided to blind taste all 10 of the pumpkin beers we carry. Before we tasted the beer we primed our pallets and noses by smelling and tasting pureed pumpkin, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon (common spices found in most pumpkin ales). There were 6 of us total all with differing options on pumpkin beers. Below are the results of the blind tasting in (our humble opinions) as well as an average score for each beer on a 1-10 scale. (1 being the worst 10 being the best)
Brooklyn Post Road - Medium bodied with lots of pumpkin flavor. Other spices are present but nutmeg dominates the aroma and after taste of this beer. Packaging-6 pack bottles. Score-6
Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin- Dark copper color, great pumpkin aroma complimented with lots pumpkin spice. Medium bodied little pumpkin / pumpkin spice taste. Packaging 6 pack bottles. Score -5
Saranac Pumpkin Ale- Light and creamy body, little to no pumpkin / spice aroma. Crisp pumpkin taste complimented with pumpkin spice especially nutmeg. . Long lingering pumpkin finish very nice. Packaging 6 pack bottles. Score -7.5
Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin- very light in body and in color. Light pumpkin aroma with an odd unidentified smell . No hop character, brown sugar is the biggest spice flavor. Packaging- 6 pack bottles.Score- 5
Wolaver's Pumpkin Ale -Medium -full bodied nice copper color. Spicy nose with lots of nutmeg and cinnamon. Lots and lots of pumpkin flavor balanced hop finish. Packaging- 6 pack bottles. Score- 8
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale- Medium -full bodied. Dark copper color, tons of different flavors, brown sugar, vanilla, and a mocha / coffee. Bitter hop finish. Little to no pumpkin aroma or flavor. Packaging 4 pack bottles. Score- 4 ( we were shocked when we found out this was Dogfish Head)
Blue Point Pumpkin Ale- Smooth creamy body cinnamon and pumpkin flavors with a strong cinnamon finish. Packaging 6 pack bottles. Score-6.5
Elysian Night Owl- This beer was loaded with pumpkin, aroma and flavor medium bodied with light spice notes. This beer may have been the most true to real pumpkin taste. Packaging 22 oz bottles. Score-8
Southern Tier Pumking- This can only be described as drinking fermented pumpkin pie. It is simply amazing. Loaded with pumpkin spice and pumpkin flavor with a buttery smooth finish. One of the most unique pumpkin beers around. Packaging 22 oz bottles. 9.5
Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin- initially a lot of pumpkin flavor complimented nicely by nutmeg and brown sugar. Full bodied with a amazing dark color, with a creamy smooth finish. Packaging 22oz bottles. 9
The short answer to the question "which one is best?" is an empathetic "it depends". It's clear that pumpkin beer gives us all access to a unique style beer that goes with the season. A lot of which one you think is best will (like most things) depend on your own tastes. You can use our guide and opinions to try one you think you would like, or you can stop by the store Friday night (10/14) from 4-6 pm and try all our pumpkin beers and decide which one you think is best!
Cheers!
Ed
What makes us American?
by Edward Mulvihill on 09/11/11Ten years ago today we all experienced something we will never forget. Today we can all reflect on who we are as Americans. What makes us American though? Is it people like my great grandparents who came to this wonderful country in search of the American dream, is it the pioneering spirit of the craft beer movement, or the sunny hills of California's wine country, or is it the bourbon distilleries that dot the Kentucky landscape? What about drinking an ice cold beer while watching the ball game or at a summer barbecue? No, none of these things are what make us American. While all of these things are distinctly American they do not make us so. It is our spirit that makes us American. Never was that spirit more evident then on 9/11/2001. While we mourn for all the heroes we lost that day we also thank them. We thank them for reminding us of that American spirit. On that day we all stood as one. We all said in one voice "you will not win. You will never defeat our spirit". Here we are 10 years later and our American spirit is still as strong as ever. God bless America.
Baying Hound Brewery
by Edward Mulvihill on 06/14/11
It was a beautiful day for a drive down I-95. That is exactly what Sean Cole, and I decided to do last Friday. Our destination was Rockville Maryland home to Baying Hound Ale Works. Approaching its first full year in operation Baying Hound is adding to the successful trend of rising "nano breweries". Baying Hound and other successful nano brewers were recently featured in an article in the beverage magazine "Market Watch". But what is a nano brewery? While there is no official definition I will give you my working definition. A brewery producing beer on a much smaller scale then a traditional craft or micro brewer, usually one batch at a time , and usually with batch sizes under 55 gallons. There is so much more to a nano brewer then this though. Their small size gives them the ability to be more creative, more experimental, and more passionate about their beers.
With all this in mind we knew we had to drive down and check out what Paul Rinehart, head brewer, and owner was up to. When we arrived Paul and his wife were there to greet us. My first impression was just how small the brew house was. The whole operation is housed in a small warehouse. Walking through the opened bay door you first enter the tasting area, beyond that is the bottling and fermenting equipment and all the way in the back is where the magic happens, the brew kettle, mashtun, and hot liquor tank. Paul showed us around and gave us a rundown of his equipment and process. You don't need to talk to Paul long to see how passionate and knowledgeable he is about brewing. After the tour the fun began, Paul served us samples of his brew. While his operation is small Paul's beers are anything but. Every beer Sean and I had we really enjoyed there were two however that stood out above the rest. The first was Angel's Nectar Chamomile Wheat. This is one of Baying Hound's seasonal brews, it is also one of the most unique beers I have had the pleasure of tasting. A wheat beer brewed with chamomile and honey. At first taste the chamomile comes through strong with nice floral notes. On the finish the honey dominates your pallet giving the beer an amazing balance. The second standout beer was the Breakfast Stout. All I can say is WOW. This beer had an amazing persistent head on it, it is super dark in appearance, and it has amazing coffee notes throughout. Sean and I were blown away. While Paul's beers aren't available in Delaware just yet we will be working on bringing them in a soon as possible. It was a great afternoon at the brewery and it is well worth the trip down I-95, Paul does a great happy hour on Friday, and tours on Saturdays so be sure to check out Baying Hound Ale Works! Also a big thank you to our host Paul for his hospitality!
The Brewing Equipment.
Bottling and Fermenting
Head Brewer and Owner Paul Rinehart
Cheers!
Ed Mulvihill
The Best of Both Worlds
by Edward Mulvihill on 05/27/11
Sorry I have been neglecting my blog again. This has been a very busy month for me. I just graduated from Saint Joseph's University on May 14th. In the weeks leading up to gradation, as you can imagine, I was swamped with work. But that is over now, and my educational career has come to an end, starting June 1st I will go to work full time at Peco's. This is a dream come true to me, and I cannot wait to get started! My family urged me to take some time off before starting work so I am writing from the beautiful Jersey Shore. But as always my heart is at the Peco's, so I had to write a quick update about a great scotch I have been enjoying all week long.
It's not a secret to those who know me that my two loves in the world of liquor are good scotch and bourbon. If its bourbon it's got to be Makers Mark, until recently however I didn't have a loyal go to scotch. That just changed. I have fallen in love with The Balvenie Signature 12 year old.
I have
been a fan of The Balvenie for a while now.
It is the oldest family owned and operated distillery in Scotland, being
involved with my family's business I can certainly understand, and appreciate
the challenges this presents. Up and
down their product line you will find outstanding scotch. The Signature 12 year old steals the show for
me. This scotch has all the positive
features of the other Balvenie's. Its smooth and graceful. Here is the selling point for me: it's aged
not in one but two! That's right two different bourbon barrels!! It's a little slice of heaven in a
bottle. The bourbon barrels give the
scotch beautiful notes of vanilla and spice, which is balanced nicely with the
smokiness of the scotch. There is a long lasting warming finish to The Signature 12 year old. This scotch is
simply wonderful, give it a try and I promise you will not be disappointed. Check out The Signature 12 Year Old's site. See you all on June 1st!
My view for the week.
Cheers!
Ed Mulvihill
99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall...
by Edward Mulvihill on 04/12/11
Two weekends ago I got
the chance to attend the 6th Annual Atlantic City beer
Festival. I had heard a lot about the
event and was excited to finally get the chance to go. About 60 different brewers were at the event
pouring their delicious beers. While
this sounds like heaven on earth the event left a lot to be desired. While I had a good time, I probably will not attend
the event in the future. My first
complaint was that the event was way over sold.
The line to get in wrapped around the interior of the Atlantic City
Convention center. Once you did get
into the event, the lines at each breweries station were fairly long as
well. On average you had to wait about 5
minutes for each 2 ounce sample of beer.
Most of the breweries offered a
wide variety of different beers. Which
was great, however it was difficult to get any information on the beers
themselves. The lines were so long that
the brewers were pouring samples without giving out any information; the whole
thing seemed very rushed. You're in line
waiting once you get to the head of the line you have to make a split second
shot in the dark choice as to which beer you actually want to try. I guess I was hoping to be able to take my
time at each different brewery ask some questions, and enjoy the beers. Another disappointment was that many of the
beers that I did enjoy were not available in Delaware, bummer! All that being said I am glad I went and got
to try a few brews I haven't had before.
Below is a list of some of the more memorable beers and some pictures too! Thanks for reading.
Lancaster Brewing Company -Milk Stout
(strong notes of coco and coffee)
Dogfish head Raison d'etre- Filtered
through Dogfish heads "Randall
the Enamel Animal". This device allows draft
beer to be filtered through a series of chambers that can be filled with
anything from fresh hops to fruit. Gives the beer an amazingly complex taste.
Weyerbacher Brewing Company- Merry Monks- Belgian style
Abby Tripel, nice brew with some really Smokey notes.
New Holland Brewing- Golden Cap
Saison Ale- an adaptation of classic farm house ale.
Boaks Brewing Company- Wooden Beanie - ale aged in used Jack Daniels casks...need I say more? A marriage of all things great ale and whiskey, you can really taste the Jack Daniels!
The first of many lines...
How long until AB shuts this down for copy right violations?
Ed "Peco" Mulvihill
