365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
Beer # 672 UFO Pumpkin / Harpoon Brewing Company, Boston, MA
Previously from this brewery: Leviathan, Cranberry Ale
Tailgate day. Yay.
Recognizing fall with a pumpkin beer, the UFO Pumpkin from Harpoon. Secret fact about me: I really don't enjoy many pumpkin beers. I can drink a few at the start of fall, but they just don't speak to me. By the time I get around to thinking a pumpkin beer might be delicious (looking at you, Thanksgiving), they're gone from the shelves. And too many have what I consider to be pumpkin pie filling as their main flavor; somewhat artificial, and way too sweet.
This one pours a hazy light amber color with a lingering white head. Aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg (shocking), and flavors of.... pumpkin and nutmeg (still shocking). It's light and drinkable, and to their credit this beer has a authentic flavor instead of that over the top fake sweetness thing I abhor. Top pumpkin beer ever? Not sure, because I've sampled about 4% of the beers out there, but I'm guessing there are others that might be more my style.
Pumpkin
UFO stands for "UnFiltered Object", and is part of their UFO series of beers.
Thing to Think About Today:
Yes, I've shared this song before. But not the live version, with Ylvis backed up by The Roots! Seriously, watch this. Please. Please?
Beer #52 Leviathan Barleywine / Harpoon Brewing Company, Boston, MA
Dear people who say there is no global warming,
I drove home from work today, January 31, with the windows open. On a day in the middle of winter that felt like the middle of spring, the only thing I could do was get some fresh air going and absolutely crank The Rolling Stones on the drive home (went for the first half of the Exile on Main Street album - guaranteed to get the blood pumping). When winter punches us in the face and dumps 36" of snow in one day come late March, I'll remember this day.
Thanks,
Gary
Today's beer from Harpoon was built for a colder day. Drank it regardless, as I was interested in this beer for two reasons. One, my version of a "winter" beer is a barleywine, rather than some of the other traditional seasonal offerings (recall: I don't like stouts and porters). Go here for a quick primer on what a barleywine is, and for those too lazy to click, rest assured it's a beer, not wine. Two, I was interested in this beer strictly due to the name. Leviathan is one of those fun, underused words that I should probably weave into conversation more. "Did you see that basketball game last night? He was a freaking leviathan on the boards!" Feel free to join me here. Plus, Moby Dick is one of my all time favorite books, for whatever that's worth.
So the beer: the Leviathan series is Harpoon's take on big, unique beers. The Barleywine pours a rich garnet color, and gives off a strong malt scent. The flavor is dry and full of sweet malt taste, with strong notes of raisin and peppery spice. This checks in at 10% ABV, and definitely tastes like it, too. You can tell this beer packs a punch. If Captain Ahab had this beer aboard the Pequod, he wouldn't give a damn about finding the white whale.
The picture makes it look more purple than it really is. Sorry.
Things to Think about Today:
The Rolling Stones occupy a warm spot in my heart, as I grew up listening to them non-stop. It was sort of a ritual: someone brought a radio to the basketball courts, and we'd run and listen to the Stones all day. The Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the World will probably pop up again somewhere on the list of things to think about, but for now, think about rocking out tomorrow with the windows down on your way home. Spring will be here soon, right?
After spending 95% of the past two weeks out of the office, I knew today was going to be a challenge. Sitting behind a desk all day with my To Do List leering at me was exhausting and I am spent. I figured I'd look to my Q&A a Day journal for some inspiration for the day and today's question made me even more tired: What are you reading right now?
I'm currently attempting to read Life, the Keith Richards' biography and the Walter Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs. Could I have selected two bigger books to attempt? I would be more productive using them as free weights during my pilates/cardio workouts. But as you may be surmising, I like to go big or go home.
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Today's beer is Harpoon's Grateful Harvest Cranberry Ale. I'm not sure how this beer even got in my fridge. Typically I'm surprised by something acquired during the summer stockpiling beers for the blog. But with a name that includes harvest and cranberry, I'm betting this is a more recent acquisition. And I'll admit it's been a pleasant one so far.
Grateful Harvest is best described as a typical amber ale with a slightly darker color and, of course, the addition of a tart cranberry flavor. I think it's better straight out of the bottle versus the pint glass I used. There's something about the scent I don't like. The cranberry flavor is not overpowering -- in fact, I could use a bit more cranberry. Malts and cranberries -- now that's a Thanksgiving tradition I can support!
Sidebar: Is anyone getting bounced out of these brewery websites for not entering a birthday that makes them 21 years or older? I've found writing this blog and doing my research quite enjoyable minus the constant entering of my birthday. What a silly, tedious task!
