Big Boss has an incredible nose - perhaps the best I've ever smelled in the pumpkin ale category. It stands out in an entirely different direction from every other pumpkin ale I've tasted or reviewed. It's the first time where the nutmeg, the cinnamon, the spices, and everything, all stand out over the pumpkin. Somehow the nose is amplified when you take a sip, even as the taste just seems to fall short of the nose. The taste doesn't impact you nearly as much as the nose. The aftertaste is light - it's a characteristic I'm used to from Big Boss beers in general; a very slightly bitter but fairly pleasant sensation at the back of your tongue as you take a sip.
Pumpkin is understated in Harvest time, but it is understated in a good way. It's not that you don't know this is a pumpkin ale; you can't miss all the spices. It's just that it doesn't hit you in the face with it, and for once I don't mean that as a complaint.
Big Boss Brewery is located right in my hometown of Raleigh, NC, and I’m very excited to be featuring the craft brewers closest to me in the tourney. They have a quartet of regularly available beers and a handful of seasonals (Harvest time is a seasonal), all of which are pretty highly regarded. I’m a fan of Aces & Ates (a coffee stout) and Hell’s Belle, a Belgian-style blond ale. They also do a bitchin’ tour on the second Saturday of every month that nets you lots of free tastes. (Blogger likes this)
Harvest Time has what it takes to make a splash in the tournament, but unfortunately their first round matchup is with Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale, which I see as the favorite to win it all. I’m sticking with my prediction of a first round out, but I think Harvest Time will put up a valiant fight. Bad luck in the draw, old boy.
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