For my last choice in this battle I have chosen Kicking and Screaming which is a Pumpkin IPA from Champion Brewing Company in Charlottesville.
According to Champion this beer is made from "fresh pumpkins from Nelson County, American Hops, Vietnamese Cinnamon, loads of floral hop aroma, complimented by spicy notes and roasted gourd flavor". When I opened the bottle the nose was of a definite pumpkin spice beer. When I drank it though, it was a whole other experience. The flavor of cinnamon and pumpkin flooded my mouth and with the bitterness of the hops it was perfect on the chilly night sitting in the garage, the 8.0% ABV with a moderate 50 IBU's didn't hurt either. It was nothing like I have had before. I had brought it over to a friends to share, but found myself hoarding the bottle and I think they each got a small swig before I finished it off. I have had a lot of pumpkin beers this season and this one shot to the top five on my list. I'm not sure if this even still available. If you can get a hold of this please do.
I will be doing a final recap of my favorite pumpkin beers next and then I will start moving into the winter variants that are becoming available. I am extremely excited for Hardywood's Gingerbread Stout and Blue Mountain's Blitzen among others, but I will talk about those later.
Be sure to drink up and eat well, oh and stay warm too!
