[A Beer a Day] Rumpkin Rum Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale | Avery Brewing | Boulder, CO

So little is less romantic than having to conform to a day devoted to not insulting your wife -- or having a meal out on the town because you wanted her to think that the idea of doing such a thing just came to you out of the blue, and not because you are an obedient donkey.

Proclamations of love, in my opinion, might actually be worth LESS on such a day for no other reason than everyone else is doing it, even those who you suspect insult the whole idea of being bewitched by another.  Get the fuck out of here.  What does all this have to do with a day in the middle of February, anyway?

Found love in a bottle of Rumpkin

The romantic answer is that someone as enchanting as my wife realizes the intentions of the 14th of February beyond the solitary day -- and actualizes it in ordinary day-to-day events that make me a happy boy.  Similarly minded couples recognize these acts as "the little things"; the little things that construct the entire perspective of love.  In this case, love manifested into a bottle of beer presented to me with her perfect smile.  Melissa knows that I would never, ever dip my toes into the prospect of purchasing something fermented for myself that costs more than $1 an ounce.  I'm just inwardly cheap to myself like that.

But because she loves me, and it makes her happy to see me excited about something, she performed one of those little deeds that the best women we all know, do.  Probably not a big deal to most -- not even to her -- but a universe of thoughtfulness to me.

This is Avery's Rumpkin Ale.  I've had a small sip of it once before -- coincidentally in the presence of my wife -- and I sent out an unintentional beacon of love for this beer.  There were only 512 cases of this made and the very first year it was bottled, so, basically, its a pain in the arse to find.

This pumpkin ale was aged for 6 months in Gosling's Rum barrels, coincidentally, my favorite dark rum thanks to a fine introduction to the product by 1/2 of the gang's resident spiritologist, Mike Sanders.

Now, here is my situation with Pumpkin Ales.  Frankly, I really can't stand them.  I find them too spiced and sweetened beyond palatal preference.  Most brewers intentions with their pumpkin seasonals, it seems, is to replicate a pumpkin PIE beer -- which, is no treat of mine either.  True pumpkin-tasting beer, therefore, is actually difficult to find.  Seriously, next year, try it.  You will taste a mouthful of post-turkey dessert instead of the natural, dense, earthy deliciousness of the fruit itself.

With Rumpkin, Avery actually hammers down the raw flavors of pumpkin, then 4lokos you with HUGE, overt finishes of dark rum.  "Holy fucking cow", you will think -- because it is a beer experience you will have never had (despite being relatively late in the beer season to be drinking a pumpkin ale -- either that or very, very early).

At nearly 16%, this beer is not obnoxiously powerful.  Its quite smooth, but dense; easily drinkable, but most certainly a sipper.  I have one last bottle saved from Series One, and I'm heavily anticipating what the stamping on the label indicated from this bottle -- that this will be brewed and re-shelved for Series Two at or around October 5th, 2012.  Thank-you Melissa.  Hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day too.  So sorry that the insults and general malaise will re-start after your solitary day in middle-February.

ABV: 15.9%
Acquired: Hyde Park Market
★★★★★★★★★★