Yesterday was chilly but today's downright cold. Michelle and I are in our living room with a fire blazing in our buck stove, which is piping heat into our home (we also have a furnace that does this, but a fire's more atmospheric). For the first time in months, I'm not doing a review from my porch. This is from my couch, as I sit in a hoodie and sweats. I've got some Halloweeny dungeon synth pumping through my speakers. It's still, definitely, the witching season.

You may recall me drinking Warped Wing's Bourbon Barrel Aged Flying Heads for my penultimate spooky post last year. Well, this year we're turning that Flying Heads next-to-last Halloween post into a tradition with 2019's Rum Barrel Aged variant. Let's see how the last year's treated the ale.

It just feels like Halloween today, you know? Besides the grey overcast sky, the brilliant autumn colors alighting the trees, and the crisp breeze on the 50-something degree day, I mean. Tonight Michelle and I are carving our pumpkins while watching Hocus Pocus. Spooky.

So, to keep the Halloween convoy that is today's activities a-trucking, I figured I might as well do up my next post of the month. This is a beer I've had before (I bought it on a whim when it dropped the other month--late-August, I think). I haven't had it since but, if I'm remembering correctly, it's something pretty special. Today I'm cracking into Erie Brewing Company's Johnny Rails.

Has it really been three years since I've talked about Sam Adams on here? I guess so. There's a reason why that is and, by the end of this post, you might just guess what that reason is. 

Anyway, it's officially October now, so I can begin my month-long discussion of pumpkin beers/cider(s)/seltzer without getting grief for it. Because, whether you love all things pumpkins spice or hate it, it's in-season starting today.

I'm kicking off the festivities with a beer I've had before, one that I think'll set the bar for the rest of the month. That beer is Samuel Adams' pumpkin offering for 2020: Jack-O.

Today we reach the end of the blog's Oktoberfest season. We're going out with something special.

A few years ago I went to my first Cincinnati Oktoberfest. No, not Zinzinnati; the Germania Society's Oktoberfest! I was happy that they were serving authentic German beer: Warsteiner. I'd never had anything from the brewery before so I got in touch with a German buddy about it. Apart from asking me why I was drinking it and telling me it was awful, he also let me know that Warsteiner isn't served at Oktoberfest. The quick conversation ended with him telling me that I should go to Germany and try good German beer (I still have to make it over there).

I hope I'm not breaking his heart by wrapping up my Oktoberfest month with this. I happened across a twelve-pack for $10 and couldn't resist. So, without further ado: Warsteiner's Oktoberfest Special Edition.

It's sunny and breezy. I'm wearing a hoodie. I know it's not *technically* fall until later on this week, but whatever. It's fall now. And I'm excited to get into the first official beer of my newly proclaimed fall: West Sixth's Oktoberfest, DankeChain.

Why am I excited? Well, West Sixth has produced two of my favorite beers: Snake Eyes (a very good stout) and Belgian Blonde (which is my favorite example of the style and one that I could've sworn I'd discussed on the blog before. I'll have to remedy that soon). I can't wait to see the treatment they give an Oktoberfest lager.

Fun fact: I've never had a Sonder beer before. The brewery's based out of Mason, OH. This means it's local enough to me for it to be somewhat of an oddity that I've never before sampled their wares. I say "somewhat of an oddity" because, believe it or not, there's still a small smattering of local-ish breweries I've never tried. But, I digress.

When I saw that Sonder had an Oktoberfest, I knew that I had to add it to the beers I'd be drinking on the blog this season (being one of the first of the style to hit the Cincy market played into its being featured, too). I stuck a can of this in a sixer I built last month, and, until I put it in my fridge this morning, that's where it's been. But now it's cold and I'm thirty. Let's get to it.

We're finally nearing the end of summer. Weird as the season's been, and, man, it's been super weird, I'll be glad to see it gone.

What better way to spirit this awful, hot season away than to usher in Oktoberfest season on the blog? I can't think of one either! So, today we have the first Oktoberfest beer (of five!) that I'll be discussing:  Spoetzl's Shiner Oktoberfest. Let's get to it.

Lock your doors. Pull your curtains tight. Strike a match and light a candle. Grab your cat, or your dog, and hold it close. When the knocking comes at your door, pay it no mind. The trick-or-treaters were nestled in bed by their parents long ago. Whatever this is, it doesn't want candy.

What's that?! A shadow at the window, behind the curtain? No, don't get up! What are you doing?! Keep the curtains shut, no matter what! Why are you pulling them open? No, shut your eyes! NOW!!


It's too late. You've met your doom. You cannot unsee it now and it will haunt you until there's nothing left. It is: Avery Brewing Company's Rumpkin!

It's the week of Halloween! This means, very unfortunately, that Spooky Finger Puppet Ghost Month 2019 is on its lonely way to the gallows. But, fear! October 2020 will be here before we know it, gnashing its teeth and ready to avenge its horrible comrade.


Before this year's legs stop kicking, however, there are still two beers to get through. Today's is one that I wasn't expecting to include when I first started gathering brews for the blowout. But, luck was on my side and my local bottleshop got a few bottles in. Today's pumpkiny, Halloweeny beer is Warped Wing's Bourbon Barrel Aged Flying Heads.

It's a rainy night here in east-of-Cincinnati, middle-of-nowhere Ohio. I'm sitting inside (my posts over the last few months have all been typed on my front porch, meaning that this post is the first to actually mark how the changing seasons are affecting my habits) while good, spooky music pours out of my speakers.


The beer open and on the coffee table before me is the biggest yet for the season: Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale. It's tantalizing, and I cannot wait to tear into the brew. So, let's have it.

Casual observation has shown that Southern Tier, who has graced the blog before, is mostly known for their Halloweeny brews. Of the two they make one, Pumpking (and its variants [coffee and rum barrel-aged]) appears to get the majority of the press. The other one is spoken about in hushed tones and is far less lauded than its royal sibling.


Given that, I think it's only fair that we discuss this seemingly less-loved brew first--I've always rooted for underdogs. So, here we have today's beer: Southern Tier's Warlock.

We're officially into my favorite time of the Halloween season: It's getting dark earlier and dawn's coming later; the cold's moved in (Michelle and I had a fire in our fireplace this morning and I'll be starting another one as soon as this post goes live); and, most importantly, the beers are getting bigger and bolder.


Case in point: Tonight's ale is the second 8% ABV beer I've had in two consecutive evenings. Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale should stave off the cold until I get the fire stoked up. But let's see how it fares as a Halloween brew.

If you said to me: "Hey, John. I'm getting tired of all the pumpkin beers!" I wouldn't blame you. I know I've been doing a ton of pumpkin posts lately. While I wouldn't say I agree with you, I definitely wouldn't fault you.


I still have plenty of pumpkin brews to get to over the next few weeks, but I figure now might be a good time to take a break from the gourdy goodness. Tonight, we have an ale that's decidedly Halloweeny, but not spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, or anything else that's graced most of this month's posts. No, tonight I'm going for something else. Tonight, I'm taking a look at Great Lakes' Nosferatu.

This is a beer I've had before. In fact, this is a yearly purchase for me. Because of the brewery producing it, as well as the company that owns it, it's pretty damn easy to find. Given this (I know that not every brew I'm touching upon this month is readily available to each of you, dear readers), I thought it prudent to devote a post to it.


So, here we go: Elysian's Night Owl.

The subject of today's post is special to me. You see, it's been that personal white whale I've been chasing for years. I can now say I've finally caught it.


Woodchuck's Private Reserve Pumpkin was a beverage that was strange to me. I stumbled upon those stark orange and black bottles soon after I started drinking. I had only recently had the cidery's Fall Harvest (which has since been renamed to Spiced Apple) and fallen in love with it. While I was still hesitant to try beers with pumpkin in them, I figured a pumpkin cider might be up my alley. So, I took the plunge and bought the expensive sixer of the stuff at my local Kroger.

That sixer was a catalyst for me. I hated the cider. But, I figured there had to be something to it. Surely, they wouldn't take such care to make it and sell it at such an high price if it was bad! That cider is what got me to work on improving my taste when it came to cider and beer, an effort which led directly into the creation of this blog. A year later, when I was ready to try Private Reserve Pumpkin again, it was gone. After that initial year, I never saw the stuff again. I was heartbroken.

Fast-forward eight years. I was walking around one of my local bottleshops and had to suppress a squeal when I saw a stack of Woodchuck Pumpkin sixers. Sure the packaging was different (and it was a few bucks cheaper), but that didn't matter. I knew it had to be the triumphant return of that cider I'd despised so long ago. I added it to my cart and squirreled it away until today, when I'm finally able to make a post about it. So, here we are: Pumpkin.

Surprise! This is a beer that I didn't originally plan to write about this Spooky Finger Puppet Ghost Month but, since I discovered a bottle kicking around in my cellar (a.k.a. a darkened corner of my garage), I figured "why not?"


Before jumping into the bottle, I'll note a few things:

1. This is last year's Punkuccino. See, a local bottleshop had a plenty left over from last year and, in the early spring, they marked their remaining stock down to two bucks a bomber.
2. This isn't the only Elysian pumpkin beer I'm discussing this year; the other'll be Night Owl.
3. Elysian is, of course, a shill for AB InBev. I drink AB InBev beers, but I also recognize just how awful the company is. They're the worst.
4. I've had this beer before. Many times, in fact (I bought more than a few $2 bombers). While it's not the worst pumpkin beer I've had (that honor goes to Saranac's Pumpkin Ale) nor is it the worst Elysian pumpkin beer I've had (that'd be Dark Knife, also marked down to $2/bomber earlier this year), I can't say I particularly enjoy it. In this post, I'll tell you why that is.

Today's beer is one that I was excited to find in the wild. Back when I used Facebook (which wasn't too far back--I only gave up on it last month) (I still manage the blog's Facebook page, however) I saw a post about this ale in one of the beer groups I frequented. Someone had posted,  asking what Halloween/pumpkin ales others would recommend. One response had many more likes than the others: the rum barrel-aged offering from Two Roads, Roadsmary's Baby.


Intrigued, I hopped over to Untappd to see where I might be able to find it in my area. To my chagrin, I found that the ale wasn't distributed in Cincinnati (one comment on the aforementioned Facebook post clued me into this, but I guess I just wanted to see for myself).

Knowing this, imagine my surprise when, walking through my local bottleshop/international market, I found a sixer of the stuff! I grabbed it without a second thought. I'm happy to finally give it a go here and see if it lives up to the hype generated by that post.

Today's been a dark and rainy October day. I've spent the majority of it marathoning Ghost Adventures (or, mimicking how a music theory instructor in my undergrad introduced it to me, Ghost Bros). This show is the absolute best at being the absolute worst ghost-hunting show on TV. Guys who could be ex-frat dudes wearing Tapout shirts screaming "Come at me, bro!" to whatever spirits they think are around? I mean, come on.


But, it's been a hell of a great way to while away a nasty day while getting me into a spooky mood. I'm looking to double dip into that mood right now with this review: Josephsbrau's Howling Gourds Pumpkin Ale.

Today is the first autumn day that actually feels autumnal. When I took Lottie out this morning, I was compelled to throw on a hoodie because it was 54°. Can you believe it? Better yet, the forecast isn't showing anything above the 70°s for the next few weeks (it's refusing to show me anything further than that). What a spectacular day to put up my second Spooky Finger Puppet Ghost Month post!


For your frightful pleasure today, I'll be discussing Ellicottville Brewing Company's (EBC from now on) addition to the wide array of pumpkin beers: Pumpkinville Latte. Let's find out if it's up to the blog's spooky standards.

This is an Oktoberfest beer I've been meaning to get to since, oh, about 2016. Back then, my dad sent me a text praising the lager and letting me know that I should try it. For the last two years, I've found it too late for my Oktoberfest season. This year, though, I made sure to seek it out early.


Without further ado, it's time to crack into the can. Here we are: Left Hand's Oktoberfest Märzen Lager.