10/10/2013
I just transferred the pumpkin brew from primary to secondary fermentation (and had myself a little taste test).
The gravity today was 1.007, giving it an estimated ABV of 6.3% at this point. I'll take another reading next week, when I rack the brew again after a little clarification.
Now, on to the important bits!
The aroma from the beer is absolutely mind-blowing. It smells like pumpkin pie, but with malt and hops. It also has a slight smell of alcohol, which I find rather pleasant. I know that sounds weird, but trust me on how amazing it is.
The coloration is very orange, but looks a little more yellow in the light. The clarity is decent at this point, but given another week or two it should be very nice!
Most important of all, it tastes amazing. It has a strong spicy front (meaning the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves hit your tongue first). Then comes the maltiness from the crystal 40. Then, the pumpkin really hits and drives all the flavors home.
It feels very smooth in your mouth, possibly even a bit slick. I suspect this comes from the insane amount of pumpkin (10 pounds!) that went into the wort. I think the slickness should dissipate a bit as it ages, but I guess we'll see.
Stay tuned for more updates!
