Review: Elysian Punkuccino

Take a seasonal pumpkin ale and mix it with a classic milk stout and what do you get? This surprisingly delightful blend of beer styles that is built around a complex mix of Stumptown cold brew coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, lactose, various malts, German Northern Brewer hops, and three different additions of pumpkin to the kettle.

It’s a near-perfect mix of both coffee and pumpkin spice flavors, heavy on the nutmeg up front, giving the attack a distinct gingerbread quality. The coffee rolls in quickly from there, though it’s amply balanced by hops to keep it from taking over completely. As the malts join the party, the beer bounces among a trinity of elements — pumpkin cake, milky coffee, and the doughy essence of a lightly hopped lager. Any one of these on their own may not have impressed, but what Elysian has done in the combination is nothing short of genius. Probably my favorite autumn brew I’ve tasted to date.

6% abv.

A- / $7 per 22 oz bottle (cans typically available in mixed packs)

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