by Shawn Connelly

Created on: November 11, 2008

I have often been observed proclaiming my love for the fall season. I love the hint of a chill in the air, the turning of the leaves, the promised bounty that the harvest brings and myriad other wonders of the autumnal equinox. But most of all, I love the beer. The light and fruity wheat beers and crisp lagers of summer begin to give way in my mind and heart to the rich, dark luxury of oktoberfests, pumpkin ales, spiced winter warmers, barley wines and various and sundry imperial IPAs, porters and stouts brewed by skilled and creative craft brewers all over the land. Fall is a season of celebration for me; a season of rest and feasting in the most romantic of senses.

Beer, for me, encapsulates so much of what I love about the fall season. Pumpkin beers, specifically, bring me in liquid form so much of the sensory delights of the season I've come to cherish. Many of these pleasantries have been heightened, for me, by childhood memories I've held onto like precious treasures all my life and are no more muted in middle-aged adulthood. The dark glow of the ale when held in the dimming autumn light, the scent of holiday spices taking my thoughts to far-off times and places in Rockwellain fashion, the rich, full mouth feel and ample alcohol reminding me of the blessings of the harvest and the feast.

All in a glass. Now that's impressive.

One particular pumpkin ale I look forward to every year with intense anticipation comes from a brewery I consider my "local" craft brewery, though they're located 100+ miles away from me in St. Louis, MO. The St. Louis Brewery, Inc's Pumpkin Ale is a big beer in every respect. Marvelously fragrant, generously spiced and surprisingly high in gravity, this beer is a wonder to behold, to hold, and most of all to imbibe. To mark the approaching autumnal season, I give you my review of the first fruits of the '08 harvest - Schlafly Pumpkin Ale:

The beer pours a rather intense burnt orange color with reddish highlights in the glass. The thick collar of foam rises well above the rim and is colored a pale off-white with the slightest orange hue. Active carbonation can be seen rising from the bottom of the glassware, feeding the massive head of foam.

The nose is heavily spiced - cinnamon abounds, followed by cloves, allspice, nutmeg and a pleasant, caramel malty sweetness taking up the rear. This beer is the liquid summation of the word "festive."

The palate doesn't disappoint in this regard either. Bursting forth with aggressive spices and warm,

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