Pete's Bell and Grebus Pumpkin Ale Homebrew

I'm making an exception today and using a home brewed beer (not mine) as the beer of the day.  Pete Grebus, brew buddy extraordinaire, gave me a bottle of his first brew (now aged almost five years) in a recent beer exchange... Pete's Bell and Grebus Pumpkin Ale.

Pete's Bell and Grebus Pumpkin Ale poured a murky chestnut color in the glass, mild in carbonation but not too thick in body, with little to no head.  The nose was strong and dominated by pumpkin bread and mulling spices.

Pete's Bell and Grebus Pumpkin Ale met my mouth crisp and carbonated like a pale ale but quickly changed to a  pumpkin pie, nutmeg, and cinnamon-centric ale as the carbonation subsided.  The ale had a long fade, semi-sweet and semi-dry, ending on notes of pumpkin spice and a negligible bitterness.

From my somewhat limited pumpkin ale drinking experiences, Pete's Bell and Grebus Pumpkin Ale is the most naturally integrated... the pumpkin and spices taste like a part of the ale, not an addition.  For almost five years in the bottle (and a first time brew), the ale still tasted remarkably fresh and complex, if a little too heavy on the sweetness for those who avoid flavored and fruit beers.