Sam Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin

Spotted this yesterday and felt compelled to pick up a 22 ouncer. It pours a deep orange, as befits a pumpkin ale, with a hefty beige head. It's pretty heavy with spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla, as well as hints of dark fruits such as figs, raisins and plums. A very solid autumn brew, kind of like a pumpkin flavored Oktoberfest. The heat from the 8% ABV is very evident, but not distracting. This may be right up there with Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin. Good stuff - I believe that I'll have another.

Goose Island Oktoberfest

Not sure if Goose Island has produced an Oktoberfest before, although they have a great Harvest Ale, but this one is a winner. Their Oktoberfest pours a mapley brown, with an off-white one-finger head. Caramel-sweet malty, but sweeter than a lot of American Oktoberfests. The Hallertau hops impart an earthy aroma, and their are also strong tastes of apricots, figs and even a little cranberry, more often found in Belgian doubles, triples and quads. This is really an exceptional, unique Oktoberfest.

Anchor Big Leaf Maple

"Life is like a variety 12 pack of beer...you never know what you're gonna get."
Hophead Gump

You always know when you're drinking something from Anchor, whether it's their signature steam beer, Christmas Ale or porter, it always has that certain something that says "San Francisco". This newest seasonal offering is a red ale brewed with maple syrup. Now, one might think that such a beer would be ultra sweet, but one would be wrong. There's some maple flavor, but it's subtle, you have to really pay attention to catch it, but once you perceive it, it suffuses the whole drinking experience. There's some IPA-like hoppiness of the piney variety balanced by some caramel maltiness. It pours a copper red, with a healthy three finger head. After about half a glass I notice some breadiness, like drinking a loaf of 12 grain. Good stuff....goooooood stuff

http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beer/bigleaf_maple_red

Sierra Nevada: Flipside Red IPA

Just spotted Flipside yesterday afternoon and picked up one bottle to sample. It pours the color of a well-worn penny, with a light tan head that starts toweringly tall and quickly recedes to a two finger cap. Hops evident right off the bat, with grapefruit and black pepper being the most obvious tastes. Floral and pine notes flit in and out as well. Supposedly 60 IBU's, but coming across hoppier than that. No malty sweetness like you'd expect from a red. Pretty decent IPA.

Guinness Red Harvest Stout

I love how a nitro brew's head fills up the whole glass and then slowly dissipates. Red Harvest Stout's got that little nitro ball that gives it a creamy smooth consistency - the color is a dark coppery red, with the head a dark eggshell hue. Lots of sweet caramel malts, not a lot of hoppiness, some nuttiness on the back end. Not what I'd call a Stout, more like a heavy Irish Red crossed with  Scottish Ale - but who cares? It's a great Autumn Ale. At 4.1% ABV, it's definitely session material: not very heavy, but full flavored.

Odell India Pale Ale

Pours an orangey-amber hue with a minimal head, aroma and taste of grapefruit and pine, very strong hop profile. Pretty sweet for an IPA, with some malty overtones suggestive of caramel hiding under all the hoppiness. Not much else to say...time for another.

Odell's Loose Leaf American Session Ale

In keeping with the extended summer season, I'm temporarily staying of the Fall brews and sticking with some summer ales and IPA's. Loose Leaf is an American Session Ale, sometimes called a Blonde Ale. It's light and refreshing and perfect for the hot, hot, hot, HOT weather. It pours a bright golden color with a three finger snowy white head. There's some subtle hoppiness, and a subdued taste of chamomile and lemongrass, and even a biscuity foundation to all the rest. The ABV is low, so it's, as advertised, a session beer. Cheers!