Pumking (Southern Tier Brewing Company - Lakewood, NY)

Nestled in the middle of nowhere, the Southern Tier Brewing Company is slowly and methodically putting Lakewood, NY on the map as a beer lover’s paradise.

As a seasonal offering for the rapidly declining temperatures and moods that accompany autumn, the brewery lifts your spirits with Pumking - its obligatory pumpkin ale.

However, this is no ordinary brew. Check the label and you’ll find the word “Imperial” which can only mean one thing: copious amounts of alcohol.

It’s true, the 9.0% APV packs quite a bit of wallop, especially when you compare this pumpkin ale to tamer offerings by Blue Moon and Saranac. The Imperial Pumpkin Ale, though, doesn’t allow you to taste every bit of the alcohol because the pumpkin ale’s alluring sweetness and spicy devils cut the taste of burning fire that generally accompanies the imperial-ness. The entire brew goes down deceptively smooth.

We wouldn’t recommend that you enjoy this glass after glass (at least, not if driving or a board meeting is in your near future) but we do admit it’s going to be quite hard for you to avoid it.

This is an outstanding nectar filled with complexity and sweetness, and will no doubt make you wonder what’s in the lake at Lakewood that produces such fine results.

If you can find it on a map, that is.

Rating: 4.5 pints