New Holland Brewing- Ichabod Pumpkin Ale

Where are all my pumpkin lovers? With fall upon us, I am going to be cranking out some beer reviews of a bunch of new fall beers. I am a huge pumpkin fan myself, so when I recently walked through N Street Liquor with my wife, I was on a mission to try some new pumpkin beers. Instantly the cool name and label of New Holland Brewery stood out; their great pumpkin beer is Ichabod Pumpkin Ale after the famous story of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane. This beer is something worth talking about. Those of you not familiar with New Holland Brewing, here is a little history. Founded in 1996 in the small town of Holland, MI, this microbrewery originally planned on only serving Western Michigan, but it quickly outgrew those intentions due to the popularity and taste of their great beer. Currently they brew about 10,000 US beer barrels a year.

The first few sips of this beer will instantly leave you wanting more. The initial taste of pumpkins, followed up by a warm cinnamon and nutmeg taste make this one of the better pumpkin beers I have had. What I love about this brewery and this brew, is that they are made with all natural pumpkins, nutmeg, and cinnamon and no artificial flavoring. I have been drinking pumpkin beers since I was legally able to drink, and this one is close to the top of my list. If you are looking for a great beer to drink after a nice warm, roasted chicken dinner and hot apple or pumpkin pie, this is it.

I have had a few pumpkin beers that don’t use real pumpkins but instead use pumpkin flavoring, and there is clearly a huge difference. Trust me when I tell you, it is worth the three extra dollars for a six pack if it’s a choice between being made with real pumpkins or pumpkin flavoring. I highly recommended this beer to all of you pumpkin lovers out there, and if you have not had the joy to try a pumpkin beer, this should be your first! Until next time, happy drinking!

Pair with these foods:

-Roasted poultry

-Root vegetables

-Bowl of peanuts

Beer Info:

Style of Beer: Pumpkin Ale

ABC (Alcohol by Volume): 5.2%

Color: Orangish Brown

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-Hy Vee Liquor

Goose Island- Oktoberfest

After a long spring and summer at work, I finally have some time to work on my blog! Over the summer, I had the joy of drinking different beers from many different breweries. With my favorite month of the year coming up, as well as my favorite season for beer, I am going to review a beer that is one of the best fall beers I have had.

Before I tried this brew, Sam Adams Octoberfest and Summit Brewery Octoberfest were my two favorite fall beers. Never did I think these two could be outdone, but they have been by the Goose Island Oktoberfest. I had this beer for the first time last week at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Lincoln. As I looked over the beer menu, our waiter informed me that he liked this beer even better than the famous Sam Adams. I thought in my head, ‘there is no way that this is true.’ Boy was I wrong!!

This beer is simply amazing. When you first bring this heavenly nectar to your lips. The smell of toffee instantly hits your nose. As you take the first drink, the taste of apricots and sugar instantly fill your mouth. The great mixture of dried fruits and bitterness make this one of the best beers I have had the joy of drinking.

To get the amazing dried fruit flavors in this beer, Goose Island uses a famous German hop, called Hallertau. These are hops that have a very mild aroma, along with a fruity and spicy flavor.  Overall, this beer is one of the best I have reviewed and clearly one of the best beers I ever have drunk. Make sure you pick it up quickly, as it will be off of the shelves in late September.  Until next time, happy drinking!

Pair with these foods:

-Calzone

-Pizza

-Brats off the Grill

Beer info:

Style of Beer: Imperial Stout

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 6.4%

Color: Copper

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-Hy Vee

-Mellow Mushroom- Rail Yard, Lincoln, NE