Zombie Zin

I discovered this bottle recently while browsing the wine section. Needless to say the label stood out from the other wines on the shelves. A quick read from the back of the bottle revealed this wine had notes of "Cedar Coffins"!!! What a mouth watering descriptor. 

Zombie Zin - 2010 California Zinfandel

Pours deep purple with strong aroma notes of grapes and spice. The flavor has some nice wooden stake notes, along with dark grapes and leather. Thin mouth feel makes for easy sipping.The finish is slightly spicy, with a slow burning warming effect, and is as dry as the autumn leaves that cover a cemetery. I like the earthiness of this wine, the elements of wood and spice really work together nice to make a bold flavor. The cedar coffin descriptor becomes noticeable about halfway into enjoyment and becomes the dominant spice enhancer during the finish. 

Overall I enjoyed this unique wine. I liked the earthiness of the flavor, like fresh turned soil on a moonless night. The spicy finish does get a bit sharp after a while, but I found that to be an enjoyable quality. Nice to have on hand for All Hallows' Eve, you never know when unexpected company may stop by - (Insert cheesy sinister laughter).

Cheers!!!

Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Pours clear amber in color with a nice frothy white head. This ale has a malty aroma with notes of pumpkin and fall baking spices. The flavor is malty with notes of pumpkin and nutmeg. This brew is nicely carbonated, and flares after every sip. The body is much lighter than other pumpkin ales i’ve tried. This actually works well with this style, and helps Post Road Pumpkin Ale from becoming too filling. The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the sweetness is on the mild side, and the pumpkin flavor seems to mellow on the pallet after a few sips. The finish is sticky, mildly sweet, with a hint of pumpkin. 

Overall I'm happy to announce I enjoyed this brew. The deciding factor for me was the light body. It really helped balance this style, and made for an easy drinking experience. Also, the sweetness of this ale wasn’t the dominant overpowering factor I’ve found so unappealing in other pumpkin brews I’ve tried. 

The Great Pumpkin raises his mug in tribute.

Cheers!!!

Arcadia Ale Jaw-Jacker Pumpkin Spiced Ale

Pours a chestnut brown color with one fingers worth of white head. The aroma is potent with a variety of fall cooking spices. The flavor has notes of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The spice flavor is not as dominant as I expected with the aroma being so vibrant. The carbonation is very mild and has a watery mouthfeel. Jaw Jacker ends with a bitter nutmeg orange finish. This ale went down easy, and had crisp quality to it, but there seemed to be something missing. PUMPKIN! A quick visit to arcadiaales.com confirmed my suspicion. Jaw-Jacker is a seasonally spiced brew, hence the name “Pumpkin Spiced” Ale. So despite the cool label with a wicked fang toothed Jack-O-Lantern, pumpkin is absent in the brewing process of this ale. What is this shenanigans!!! I feel mislead and cheated. Everything about this bottles promotes pumpkin, but apparently there is a huge difference between "Pumpkin Spice Ale" and "Pumpkin Spiced Ale". Ah Fiddle Sticks.     

The Great Pumpkin does not enjoy being mocked!

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale

Pours clear amber with a short lived off white head that leaves an oily looking film. This ale has an aroma of clove spice with a hint of pumpkin. 

The flavor is sweet with notes of nutmeg, allspice, and biscuits. The pumpkin flavor is unfortunately very mild, and is dominated by the clove sweetness and allspice flavor. The carbonation is nearly absent, giving this ale a flat body. The sweetness of this ale becomes overwhelming after a while, which produce a sticky syrupy sweet finish. 

Overall, I'm not a fan of this seasonal offering from Blue Moon. It lacks the advertised pumpkin and is overly sweet for my taste buds. The sweet stickiness of this brew also makes it feel very heavy and filling. Not terrible, but I couldn't see myself drinking more than one during a sitting. 

The Great Pumpkin Is Not Pleased. 

B. Nektar Zombie Killer

Mead - also know as honey wine - is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water.

B. Nektar Meadery opened in 2008, in Ferndale Michigan. It's an inspiring story that came to fruition after a group of friends fell victim to lay offs. They regrouped, formed a plan, and through hard work and passion for the craft, were soon producing award winning meads. 

Zombie Killer - clear red grapefruit color with an aroma of honey and cherries. Nice tart pie cherry flavor with notes of honey, and crisp apples. This mead has a light body with a mild carbonation. ZK has a pleasant sweet and sour finish with a silky dry ending. This mead is addictivly delicious. I really like how the tartness helps balance out the sweetness of the honey. I also like how all three flavors, cherry, apple, and honey, are easy to distinguish on the pallet. Being a dominate beer drinker, I found Zombie Killer very enjoyable. I've tried quite a few craft beers this year, and ZK easily rates high with some of my favorite brews (It is sitting pretty with at 99% on ratebeer.com). A very impressive offering from B. Nektar Meadery, definitely lives up to the high praises I've heard. 

Oh, yeah, and my wife thought it was awesome too, which is never a bad thing.

Cheers!!! 

www.bnektar.com

If Michonne Drank Mead, She'd Drink B. Nekter Zombie Killer