Has it really been three years since I did a Southern Tier Spooky Season post? I thought I tackled Maple Warlock last year, but I guess that was some kind of fever dream (which means I need to it ASAP).

The brewery's pumpkin beers (Pumking, Warlock, and all their variants) are a staple of many folks' Octobers and, although they aren't my favorites on the fall market, I do generally enjoy them. This year, I saw something new, something that fits into Southern Tier's pumpkin umbrella but is distinct from their other brews. This evening, I'll be drinking Pumqeen, an imperial pumpkin cider.

Phin DeMink, Sara Demink, and Allen "Skip" Yahn started Southern Tier in the woods surrounding Lakewood, NY back in 2002. Over the years, the brewery's grown and grown in renown. Today, they have a wide distribution footprint, a taproom as far from Lakewood as Cleveland, OH, and make the kind of experimental and innovative beers that got them started nearly twenty-five years ago. Here's their "Our Story" page if you want more info on them.

Pumqueen's page on Southern Tier's website is kind of a mess, as it's heading calls it a "Dark and Mischievous Pumpkin Stout," which it assuredly isn't. It's writeup is a little more sensible, calling it an imperial cider that's "Rich, aromatic, and indulgently smooth...," an apparent collaboration between the brewery and Bold Rock Hard Cider featuring "...a blend of noble spices...."

Honestly, I'm not finding anything in the bouquet that wows me. Sure, it's clean and crisp apple with a touch of pumpkin spice, but I wouldn't call it aromatic. Hell, I'm not even finding a note of that imperial ABV. It's good and fits the style of the cider overall, but its nothing special. This smells like any other pumpkin cider I've had. Big ol' tomcat Háma, for his part, seems to really like Pumqueen's nose; he gave my can fourteen whiffs.

The flavor profile is also "pumpkin cider." It's not too complex--appley and pumpkiny. There may be a touch more vanilla and brown sugar in the fore than other Halloween-themed ciders, but that's about it. I will say full-chested that the finish is what sets Pumqueen apart from her competition. It's long and flavorful, apple and cinnamon, pumpkin and vanilla. It lingers and lingers, pleasant to the last. Again, though, there's no boozy quality here.

Mouthfeel also makes the cider's peers pale in comparison; Southern Tier's Halloween offering is crisp, but full and robust. It feels bigger than any other cider I've had. I really enjoy what they and Bold Rock have managed together.

I know it's probably cliché to say, but this cider reminds me of apple-picking. My family and I go every October, usually to an orchard that's (now that we've moved) fifteen minutes down the road from us. The day we pick's overcast, drizzly, and chilly. Perfect weather fall, in my opinion. A can of this after getting home and taking a warm shower would be fantastic.

My views on Southern Tier's Imperial Pumqueen have changed since I started this post. At first, I though the cider was mediocre. Then, that finish settled in with the mouthfeel and something clicked. It's not perfect, but it's damn fine. I'm giving it a 9.0/10. Try some if you can find it!