New B(r)oo(ew): O’so Jack’s Lantern

 

Not your daddy's punkin' ale

A quick jaunt across the street to Barriques to pick up a six pack of Ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown for my roommate netted me an additional sixer of Plover, Wisconsin’s own O’so Brewing Jack’s Lantern, their take on a pumpkin ale with more than one twist.  For such a small upstart brewery, O’so has quite a diverse catalog and consistently puts together some interesting iterations of familiar and not-so-familiar styles.  Smoked beers always pique my interest so the second word of the big description on the bottle hooked me immediately.  I’m such a pushover.

 

Beer: O’so Jack’s Lantern

Style: Pumpkin Ale/Smoked Ale

Description: “Cherry smoke, rye, pumpkin and exotic yeast conjure up the autumn experience in an obscure marriage of flavors.  Enjoy this truly unique offering!!” (from the bottle label)

Vitals: none to be found

My take: I was informed by the woman who checked me out that this beer was a smoke-forward pumpkin beer.  That is most certainly the case.  Jack’s pours a dark, slightly hazy amber color with ample creamy foam.  Smoked malt and faint pumpkin spice dominate the nose with a slight rye twinge.  Smoke coats the tongue while the pumpkin pie spices and tangy rye malt battle with estery Belgian-style yeast characters.  The pumpkin is quite subtle here, though it does round out the body with some needed sweetness.  There’s a lot going on here, and frankly, this beer is smokier than some beers with “smoked” in their title (*cough* New Glarus Smoke on the Porter *cough*).  The smoke and quirky yeast are the stars here with any pumpkin ale character relegated to supporting status.  I love this as a smoked beer and appreciate the creativity on the part of O’so.  Try it while you can still find it.