Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #9

Brewed by Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Houston, Texas USA

On tap at the Fort Worth Gingerman. Black pour with some rosy edges and a creamy white head. Aroma is cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin, malts, and roasted nuts. Very thick and spicy. Toast, pumpkin, cinnamon, alcohol, and spices. At 11%, it’s really warming, but the alcohol presence is just right and not overbearing.

Aroma of pumpkin spice, molasses, alcohol, vanilla, and cough syrup. Pours jet black with a nice brown head on top, lot darker than I would have thought. Full body, sticky texture that fills the mouth with fizzyness and the stomach with that nice wintery warmness. Three very distinct stages to this beer. Sweet malty goodness in the beginning, lays over to some very strong spices with moderate bitterness, than it strikes the back of the tongue hard with some bitterness even sour, the finish leaving an almost astringent, alcohol residue around the mouth. Loses some points for the finish, but I didn’t pay $15 for just another beer, this one doesn’t disappoint. Being a homebrewer, I know that 1-2 months and this beer will smooth out to something closer to a 5 (I will re-rate). Hell of a job Saint Arnold!

Yep, that is right, I am giving this one as close to perfect as I have come across in a while. This is after just one bottle, so if I see that it changes, I will alter accordingly. Drank at a perfect 52*~55*. Poured deep dark and nose of chocolate and spice and pumpkin. Very, very flavorful and rich. No heat from the alcohol at all. Yet very warming, I do believe that drinking this at the right temp is really, really important.

Deep black color in the glass. Incredibly complex nose with vanilla, nutmeg, and other spices that remind me of the smell of gingerbread cookies or pumpkin pie. The palate is rich, full-bodied, and has a nice array of spices.

I wanted and tried to like this. Honest I did. Was I excited about a pumpkin beer? No. Did I think they might be able to alter that perception? Yes. Is this a terrible beer? No. Rich and dark and sweet and a bit chocolaty .... but then the spice is just ALWAYS THERE. At first I felt it was more subtle and hidden under the alcohol and density and rich flavors, but I felt it growing and GROWING until it was about all I could taste. Not that it is actually that strong, but just because it was something I enjoyed less and less upon every sip until i just couldn’t take it any more.

Zero expectations going into this. Having experienced quite a few top pumpkin ales recently I can confidently say this is a total home run. Pours a dark mahogany color with a orangish light brown head. Nose smells of nutmeg cinnamon booze pumpkin Ginger ash dark chocolate burnt cookies and syrup. Taste is dark chocolate, spices, booze, pumpkin pie, and liquer and cola. Mouthfeel is highly carbonated And the finish lasts extremely long. Awesome. Perfect for my palate.

( 12oz bottle) pours moderately thick black, nice dark brown head, and decent lacing. Nose of cola, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and alcohol. Taste of bakers chocolate, pumpkin mash, cinnamon and nutmeg, and a warming alcohol on the finish. Highly carbonated for this style, dances on the tongue. This should age quite well, a great pumpkin stout!

Bottle with a faint marking of 111209 on it for a bottled on date. Pours with a near black body and a largish deep brown mocha head. Head slowly flattens out. Stays as a ring and leaves decent legs. Certainly a pervasive aroma! Highly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon with a slight alcohol tinge. Bits of ginger and sweet milk chocolate. No dark roast, just sweet chocolate. A bit of pumpkin as well and a touch of leather in the background. Taste is very up front and strong in alcohol. A bit smokey too (oddly, tastes like it could have been pitched on the yeast slurry of DR8). Bitter and aggressive at first with pumpkin and sharp notes of nutmeg and ginger. This will be a love it or hate it beer on the taste. I dig the forwardness of it. Medium to high bubbles for the style. A bit of a thin alcoholic finish; its big but needs a bit more body. I look forward to seeing how this ages.