Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
Beer: Pump[KY]n (Batch No. 1)
Style: Pumpkin Porter
ABV: 17.22%
Character: Brewed with pumpkin and spices, aged in bourbon barrels
Ratings at the time of Review: BA: 91 | RB: 98
Metal Connection: GREEN JELLÖ – Rock ‘n Roll Pumpkin

Rating: 4.25/5

Everybody loves a good strong barrel aged beer. These are all becoming the “whales” in the Craft Beer world. Avery Brewing Company is known for making small batch beers. Each one they release has such a unique characteristic to them. Pump[KY]n is no exception. Brewed as a Pumpkin Porter, then aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, which is why there is such a unique spelling of the beer name.

The labels of Avery’s small batch stuff usually has the same label design throughout them all. They feature a label that looks like an old wood barrel as the backdrop. This particular label has a drawing of a barrel and pumpkins that looks as if it was branded on the wood background. The name and description of this beer are written on what looks like the metal hoop of the barrel. I really like this bottle as it has the Batch number, ABV percentage, and bottled date in plain sight, written on the label. You don’t have to search all over the bottle for these.

Poured into a Strangeland Brewery small Brandy snifter style glass. The logo on the glass is dark, so it was hard to see, so I turned the glass to the blank side for the photo. Pump[KY]n’s appearance was thick, opaque, very dark brown, damn near black in color. Upon the pour the beer started with a small 1/4 of an inch dark tan foamy head, which quickly disappeared, leaving no lacing down the glass.

The aroma was strong on this beer. Right up front the pumpkin spices showed up with cinnamon, nutmeg, a little clove, black licorice, a whole bouquet of spices. Sweet brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, oak wood, earthiness, dark wheat bread make up the body of each sniff. There is a lingering combination of spices, and oak wood.

The taste was something I wasn’t expecting. After a year aged, I expected the bourbon and oak wood traces to be heavier. To be honest the pumpkin spices were still very dominant in this beer. Right up front there is a sticky sweetness of brown sugar that hits the lips, followed closely by the spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and black licorice. The bourbon and oak wood its the palate like a samurai sword, cutting right through all the other flavors. There is an overlaying sugary sweetness that stays throughout the entire swill from the very beginning, and lingers in the aftertaste. Besides the sweet sugar, the aftertaste is strong, boozy bourbon, and oak wood.

The body was pretty thick on this beer. The mouthfeel was syrupy, and mouth coating with a warming boozy burn that lingers a bit after each sip.

Overall, I am very happy to have gotten my hands on this beer. I know a lot of people who did not get to get one of these. I am also, very happy that I held on to this beer and aged it for about a year. At 17%, I am sure that this beer was even heavier, and hotter. The aging did a little mellowing to this beer, but not by much, I am sure.

Metal Connection: Well, why the Hell not put a party band for this Metal Connection. I mean, after all, this is a pretty strong beer, so after 1 glass of this beer, your mood will certainly change to a “Let’s Party, Bud!” attitude. Here is Green Jellö, making another appearance on this site. This is the second song from their Cereal Killer Soundtrack album, which was released in 1993. This particular song has made appearances on 3 of their first albums, Triple Live Möther Gööse at Budokan (1989), Cereal Killer (1992), and Cereal Killer Soundtrack (1993). The song, “Rock ‘n Roll Pumpkin” is a very simple tune, everything from the music itself to the lyrics.