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.
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