Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

I still have a couple fall seasonal/pumpkin beers in my keezer, and 'tis the season for them.  I pulled out a Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale last night.  It's been a while since I tried anything from Smuttynose, but I remember liking what I've had of theirs well enough.

Vittles:
Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
5.84% abv
35 IBUs

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 23/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 90/100

Impression:
I could smell the nutmeg and cloves as I poured the beer, and I love those aromas.  I had to get my schnoz in a little closer to smell the pumpkin and cinnamon, but it smells like a solid, well-balanced pumpkin ale.  The flavors are a bit stronger and more robust than I expected based on the aroma, so that was a pleasant surprise.  The medium body rounds out the beer quite nicely.  I like how the bitterness of the hops is well-matched to the sweetness and earthiness of the other ingredients.  This is one of the better pumpkin beers I've had so far this season.  Hopefully I can snag a case of this stuff cheap at the end of the fall season.

Cheers!

Smuttynose Robust Porter

I don't have porters as often as I'd like.  They seem a little harder to find around me, since most of the 6-packs near here carry mostly marco lagers and other fairly tasteless stuff.  I used to have to drive pretty far to get any kind of decent selection.  Until fairly recently, that is.  A grocery store near my job started offering mix-a-sixers, and they actually have a pretty decent selection.  So, when I stopped by the other day to mix myself a six, I made sure to throw in a porter:

Vittles:
Robust Porter
6.2% abv
43 IBU

Score:
Appearance: 10/10
Aroma: 24/25
Taste: 38/40
Mouthfeel: 9/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 94/100

Impression:
This is probably the best porter I've had in years.  The aroma is rich and complex, with all of the nutty, roasty, chocolatey, coffee-y, vanilla-y scents I love in this style.  The flavors are very similar, except I taste a lot of dark fruits, especially raisins and figs, and there's also a creaminess to the beer that seems like more than just a medium-full-bodied mouthfeel.  It's nice and crisp on the tongue and finishes rather dry, leaving a bitter-sweet chocolate flavor in the aftertaste.  I will definitely be picking up at least a 6er of this come the chilly fall weather -- I might even splurge on a case of it.  I could get in trouble drinking a beer this tasty!

Cheers!