I do not think that I have had an actual pumpkin IPA as opposed to a pie spice version so let’s dive into the Pumpkin Haze of 21st Amendment Brewery.
Gourd claims fully backed up. The first flavor to appear is pie filling followed quickly by hops and then nutmeg to round it out. The malt bill is pitch perfect as a base for those three major players to do their thing. The other noticeable trait is that this is pretty bright. Some fruited IPAs have a rounded off feeling to them but Pumpkin Haze does not.
This month we are staying in California for our beer shopping list but we will travel far when it comes to different styles so buckle up.
Enegren13th Anniversary Czech-Style Amber Lager – 4.8% – This lager features a perfect blend of malt sweetness and mild bitterness, offering flavors of caramel, toasted bread, and a hint of spice. Crafted to honor our legacy, it boasts a clean, crisp finish that leaves you wanting more.”
21st AmendmentHell or High Twilight – 5.6% – “a citrus wheat ale brewed with sweet orange peel and natural flavor.” The latest in the Hell or series.
Ambitious Ales / Riip BeerAll in the HIIPS – West Coast IPA – 7.2% – “Making a WCIPA that was truly a balance of both our house brewing styles. Starting with a super pale malt base to showcase the massive punch of Mosaic and Riwaka we threw in both the kettle and dry hop, then just a kiss of Hop Kief to round it out! Booming with big notes of dankness, pink grapefruit, melon, and fruit from the tropics!”
Time for my first beer shopping list for 2024. It is doubly toasted and very serious and all California brewed.
Highland Park BreweryToast Points Czech Style Lager – 5.9% – “brewed with our pals Moonlight Brewing. The crew at Moonlight are one of our favorite American lager producers & we couldn’t be more stoked to create a lager with them. This is also the first time we’ve done a decoction mash on our system in Chinatown. Decoction is a process that involves taking part of the mash, boiling it separately, then mixing it back into the main mash to raise its overall temp. It can darken a beer’s color, impart richer malt flavors, give it a smoother mouthfeel, & even result in more stable foam.”
Paperback BrewingSiri-ous Problems Hazy IPA – 6.8% – “anything but a problem to your taste buds, with an overload of juicy hop aroma snd flavor. Zamba, Citra, and Azzaca hops lend themselves to creating juicy tropical fruit notes, such as pineapple, mango, stone fruits, candy, and orange tangerine.”
21st AmendmentFind Your Fortune – 7.5% – “our newest Imperial Toasted Golden Ale is embellished with a QR code directly on the can so drinkers nationwide can scan the code and open their own virtual fortune cookie! Who needs horoscopes when you have a beer like this?!
With toasted sesame, vanilla, and lactose, Find Your Fortune is a complex beer that offers a delightful blend of flavors and aromas. The toasted sesame adds a nutty and slightly savory note, balanced perfectly with a sweet aroma and flavor of vanilla, followed by a silky smooth, creamy finish.”
I gotta say that I much preferred the old label for 21st Amendment’s Fireside Chat. Roosevelt and a fire just seemed right for the season, now reindeer are drinking with their hooves. The bow label on cans and some of the packaging is just boring as well.
“We begin with a rich, deep, toffee-colored winter warmer ale and then we hand-select spices and cocoa nibs until we know we have a beer worth sharing.”
21st Amendment Brewing is always near hops especially with their new, Close Encounters of a Hop Kind.
The Bay Area brewery describes it as an “8.5% ABV Double IPA transports beer drinkers far beyond typical Double IPAs with CLS Farms’ extraterrestrial proprietary hop varieties: El Dorado®, Zappa®, and the brand new, never before used CLS X-14. Handcrafted out of a love for experimental hops.”
There are anniversaries that people look forward to. Milestones like 10 and 20 but when your brewery is named after the amendment repealing prohibition, then that number has to be 21. And since 21st Amendment is a California brewery, it had to be an IPA.
There are not a lot of strawberry beets out there and I can’t imagine that there are many strawberry IPA’s out there that are actually IPA but come April you will have Moon Boots IPA.
With this spring release, the brewery will be sponsoring 4 Pink Boots scholarships:
(1) Women in Leadership Certificate scholarship with eCornell University at $3,800 (3) Level Two Cicerone Course + Exam scholarships for Pink Boots members at $400 per recipient.
Happy birthday to 21st Amendment who are breaking out the hop piñata for a West Coast IPA to mark the occasion. Not in 21oz cans though, 12 ounce instead.
I might have named it Palate Fatigue but Blah, Blah, Blah also gets the point across about the ubiquity of IPA’s on the market as well. And since the trend seems to have long, long legs, it makes sense that 21st Amendment would call their new (variety pack only) Imperial IPA that. I also like that they are poking at the IBU and Wetness measurements on the can as well.
All kidding aside, Blah, Blah, Blah features malts that 21A has not used before, plus late additions of Mosaic, Citra, and Idaho 7 hops.
