Beer Review: Rivertowne Pumpkin Spice (2012)

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: Rivertowne's Pumpkin Spice pours a vivid shade of orange with some fogginess throughout the body. Yes, it's foggy/hazy, but not in that bad way that resembles one of our rivers. If the beer was a bit darker, we are venturing into that territory. It's head is extremely thick with awesome retention, but doesn't leave a lot of lacing inside the glass at all. I couldn't find out for sure, but if I had to wager anything I'd say this was definitely a nitro draft.

Smell: The three big ingredients you like to see in pumpkin-related desserts this time of the year are all in the aroma of this brew. I got plenty of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Although it was a little tough to discern the brown sugar on the rim of the glass, this beer gives off a few hints of sweetness.

Taste: This is where this beer hits home. It tasted fantastic. There's a ton of pumpkin on the front of the tongue and the spiciness of the beer is perfect. They're not weak nor are they sizzling on your tongue. But the cinnamon is the most noticeable of the three. The thick, white head adds a subtle creaminess that tops this fantastic beverage off.

Overall Rating: 

I'm not quite ready to put this beer above Southern Tier's Pumking, but it's definitely up there. I absolutely loved the combination of sweetness, spice and pumpkin. I'm saddened by the fact I couldn't make it out to Rivertowne's Pourhouse more often to try this a few more times.

Lost Beers: Rivertowne Apricot Cream Ale

A magical beer ingredient. For eccentrics only.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is the first post of yet another experimental post here on this blog. There are quite a few beers that I had once or twice and ended up being really enthralled with them. It just so happens that the few times I had to savor said beers were the only times

I had a chance to drink them at all. So, for future reference, if a beer is among one of these "Lost Beer" posts I'm still currently looking for it. I'm hoping that writing these every once in a while will help me to get more chances to try these beers.

The first "Lost Beer" is one of the first fruit beers I became fascinated with about two years ago. I had just turned 21-years-old and visited Rivertowne Pour House in Monroeville for the first time. I saw its Apricot Cream Ale on the beer list.

I must admit that the beer was fantastic. It wasn't too fruit, but had a strong vanilla backbone to it. It was very creamy. The beer's head wasn't too overbearing nor was it too flat. It was just right. The color was a pretty blond, too. Very appetizing. Excellent as a desert beer or for a hot day on the back porch.

I've been back to Rivertowne Pour House twice since and wasn't lucky enough to come across Apricot Cream on the tap list either time. I've periodically checked the Pour House's tap list online and still haven't seen any sign of it. Does Rivertowne even still brew this? I'm curious to know. Any information pertaining to the drinking of this beer is surely appreciated.