Fat and Juicy!

Brewer- Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Beer- Fat Jack

Style- Pumpkin Ale

ABV- 8.50%

Description – Fat Jack pours a beautiful dark amber color with beige head and slightly orange highlights that doesn’t linger long but leaves a thin wispy lacing on the glass.  The aroma absolutely explodes with spices and roasted pumpkin; all the usual suspects are on display here: nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, a hint of ginger, and roasted caramelized pumpkins cut through with toasted caramel malts and molasses serving as background notes.  The taste is subdued at first but really opens up and shines one it warms a little in your mouth.  The spices really come through with cinnamon being the most dominant but the clove, nutmeg, and ginger are certainly present as well.  The caramel malt backbone blends perfectly in with the roasted caramelized pumpkin to create an extra layer of pleasure in an already enjoyable beer.  The medium body and moderate carbonation are perfectly in balance and Fat Jack does finish a bit more on the wet side with a lingering stickiness of sweetness and spice on the palate.

Food pairing –Fat Jack is certainly a beer that is complex and hearty enough to blend with most dishes on any Thanksgiving Day table.  This is a beer that is perfect with candied yams, with the yams highlighting the sweetness and spice profile of the beer, and Fat Jack adding a bit of dryness to the yams.  Fat Jack is also a dream pairing with cranberries and roasted turkey, the sweetness and tart of the berries add another layer of complexity to an already complex beer, while the roasted and caramelized skin of the skin mimics the caramel malt beer of Fat Jack and seemingly melts into the beer.  The pairing with any pumpkin desserts also goes without saying and do not be afraid of any rich and hearty desserts as well, this is a beer that can undoubtedly hold its own against them!

The Final Word – Sam Adams may be one of the largest craft breweries today, but it is still a brewery that is creating award winning beers and Fat Jack is yet another great beer in a long list of great beers from this brewery.  Fat Jack bills itself as being a “Double Pumpkin” ale with a boasted “28 pumpkins per barrel” use of the ingredient to create an imperial pumpkin ale that is a cut above the rest.  Pumpkin ales have existed far back into history, but the imperial pumpkin ale is a relatively new beer and comes from the bigger is better mentality that Americans tend to have, not that I am complaining at all!  Fat Jack certainly belongs at the table during Thanksgiving or any gathering that involves friends and loved ones and helps create a festive atmosphere and is to be enjoyed by all!

Rating-

Where can I get it? -  Warlock is available where ever Sam Adams products are sold, however it is available in limited quantities and many shops are already sold out.  So call around for this one to ensure you have it on your table this Thanksgiving!