Elysian Brewing Company Dark o’ the Moon
What the brewers say
“Pours dark as night with creamy tan head. A little smokiness on the nose with malty bittersweet chocolate and a little coffee with subtle earthy pumpkin and spices for an overall nice and creamy mouth.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Nice pumpkin-pie spice character (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger) with hints of caramel malt sweetness and brown sugar, followed by a roasted-malt character, mostly coming through as dark chocolate and coffee notes.”
Flavor: “Some caramel notes up front with a lot of cinnamon. Sweetness from malt and pumpkin, maybe brown sugar, with a lot of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg. Dark malts are surprisingly subtle, with notes of dark chocolate and espresso. The spices of nutmeg, allspice, and lots of cinnamon come through very strong in the beginning, carry into the roasty-malt sweetness of the stout, and fade into some bitterness on the back.”
Overall: “A welcome, original take on pumpkin beer. Roasted-malt character works well with caramel malt and pumpkin sweetness, with a heavy dose of cinnamon—it’s a chocolate pumpkin pie with extra cinnamon in the glass.”
