Warlock is the first seasonal that I did at DBC just over a year ago and I couldn't help but have another go at it this year. In fact its hard to come up with another beer that could potentially take its place at Halloween. Amber going on orange in colour; with a floral, grassy aroma and a sweet malty flavour; this 4% best bitter is brewed as an easy quaffing session ale.
The problem with doing a pumpkin beer is that trying to source pumpkins outside of October is actually quite difficult and being a monthly special the beer has obviously got to be ready for delivery prior to the month commencing. In fact the first time round there was a countrywide pumpkin shortage which led to some frantic phone calls and price negotiations after I confidently promised to deliver a bona fide pumpkin ale.
No such difficulties this year as I was much more organised, even to the point where I prepared my pumpkins by carefully dicing them the day before rather than nearly resorting to frantically bashing them with a mallet whilst mashing in on the day! The pumpkin mash, all Styrian hops in the kettle and post-fermentation dry hopping in tank with Lubelski whole hops gives this ale a little tweak at every turn. I really enjoy making this one and it's likely I'll be doing it again next year.
The problem with doing a pumpkin beer is that trying to source pumpkins outside of October is actually quite difficult and being a monthly special the beer has obviously got to be ready for delivery prior to the month commencing. In fact the first time round there was a countrywide pumpkin shortage which led to some frantic phone calls and price negotiations after I confidently promised to deliver a bona fide pumpkin ale.
No such difficulties this year as I was much more organised, even to the point where I prepared my pumpkins by carefully dicing them the day before rather than nearly resorting to frantically bashing them with a mallet whilst mashing in on the day! The pumpkin mash, all Styrian hops in the kettle and post-fermentation dry hopping in tank with Lubelski whole hops gives this ale a little tweak at every turn. I really enjoy making this one and it's likely I'll be doing it again next year.
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