Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #9 (DR9)
From Saint Arnold – Our Divine Reserve is a series of single batch beers, each brewed with a completely different recipe. The batches are identified by the number on the neck label. There is no particular theme to the beers, although it can be assumed that most all of them will be big. Many will benefit from being aged under refrigeration, not at room temperature. #9 is an Imperial Pumpkin Porter.
Saint Arnold Brewing – Divine Reserve #9 (An Imperial Pumpkin Stout according to their website and my tongue) 12 oz. bottle poured into a goblet. 11% abv. Thanks to Andrew from Texas!
Appearance: Pours a dark brown with a nice big creamy tan head.
Aroma: Rich pumpkin pie or pumpkin fudge can be smelled from a good two feet away. Upon further inspection, you can pick a part some of the components of the initial smell with cinnamon, nutmeg, pureed pumpkin, vanilla.
Taste: Pumpkin pie with hand prepared whip cream (not the lite canned stuff), lots of cinnamon and nutmeg spice, roasted malt, dark chocolate and a decent level of spicy hops in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Very creamy, moderately carbonated.
Overall: A wonderful dessert that should replace pumpkin pie itself. Many pumpkin beers come off as either like air freshener or pumpkin soda. This was neither. It was rich, creamy, and smelled authentic.
