9/4/13 Captain Pumpkin's Maple Mistress Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Monday night I was up at team trivia at Dokro's. The RZA did not fair very well getting trounced and finishing in last. None of the questions really killed us. We just missed ones here and there by the end they really added up. Still it was a solid night. So today I went to the Beer Stop in Hazleton and wrote a review on that and now I am enjoying Captain Pumpkin's Maple Mistress Imperial Pumpkin Ale and some pumpkin pie. This is another beer brewed in Pennsylvania. It is brewed by Saucony Creek in Kutztown, PA. This is one of the first two beers to be brewed in bottles by Saucony Creek which started brewing in bottles around August 20, 2013. The pour on the beer was nice but didn't produce much head. It was roughly 1/4" with a fizzy off white appearance and it dissipated quickly. My initial first sip of this beer was in a pint glass at 48.9 degrees. The beer has a nice orange color with normal clarity and lively carbonation. It has a nice bouquet with a sweet bourbon smell and taste that is nicely accented by a cinnamon flavor. The flavor is moderate with a long finish length and a dry mouth feel and a middle tongue hit. I did not notice any head or body lacing. Overall I would put this close to the top of my list of Pumpkin Ales. It went nicely with my pumpkin pie and it had a great flavor. If you love high ABV pumpkins you will love this one. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Cost: $2.70 from The Beer Stop
ABV: 9.5%
Glassware: Pint
Pairings: Desert
Serve Temp: 45-50 degrees

Nutrintional information from myfitnesspal.com

Saucony Creek Brewing - Captain Pumpkin's Maple Mistress

1. Servings:  12 oz. 1 oz.

Calories	175	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	0 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	0%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Information from Saucony Creek

Every fall when the winds change and the leafs turn to crimson and orange, the ferocious temper of pirate Anne Bonney, crew mate and mistress to Captain Jack Rackham would storm Spanish treasure ships off the coast of Cuba and Hispaniola. Flying their famous skull-and-crossed-daggers flag, the two lovers and their crew were victorious and successful pirates in the Caribbean. Later another lover boarded the ship, pirate Mary Read. Both Anne Bonney and Mary Read were known for their violent tempers and ferocious fighting, and they shared a reputation as "fierce hell cats." Their fellow crewmembers knew that -- in times of action -- no one else was as ruthless and bloodthirsty as these two women were. Captain Jack, nicknamed "Calico Jack" for his love of colorful cotton clothing, was a well-known pirate in those days, but his reputation has survived through the ages primarily because of these two infamous women pirates on his crew. 

In late October 1720, Rackkam's ship was anchored off Point Negril, Jamaica, the pirates celebrating recent victories in their typical hard-drinking tradition. Suddenly a British Navy sloop -- the man-o-war Albion, headed by Captain Jonathan Barnet -- surprised them. The drunken male pirates quickly hid below deck, leaving only Anne and Mary to defend their ship. The women yelled at their pirate mates to "come up, you cowards, and fight like men," and then angrily raged against them, killing one and wounding several others. But the women were eventually overwhelmed by the British Navy, and the entire crew was captured and taken to Jamaica to stand trial. 

Captain Jack and the male members of his crew were tried on November 16, 1720, and were sentenced to hang. Anne was allowed to visit her lover in his cell before his execution, and instead of the consoling, loving words he was undoubtedly expecting, her scathing comments live on throughout history: "Had you fought like a man, you need not have been hang'd like a dog." 

Anne and Mary were tried one week after Rackham's death and were also found guilty. But at their sentencing, when asked by the judge if they had anything to say, they replied, "Mi'lord, we plead our bellies." Both were pregnant from Captain Jack, and since British law forbade killing an unborn child, their sentences were stayed temporarily.

Their legacy inspired us to brew an equally ferocious Imperial Pumpkin Ale brewed with pirate rum spices. We added a touch of fall flavor with butternut squash and natural maple syrup.