Image Credit: Elysian Brewing Company
Despite it being balmy and humid it is high time for Pumpkin Stouts. Yes despite it being the high time of summer it is time we start thinking ahead to fall when the beers are flavorful and one can wear a sweater outside without dying of heat exhaustion. So as D.C. United hosts the Seattle Sounders FC (7pm EST MLS Live, NewsChannel 8 in DC, and Q13 in Seattle) we try Elysian’s Dark O’ The Moon.
Yours truly stumbled across Elysian Brewing Company about two years ago when I traveled to Seattle with some friends. Before a Sounders – Vancouver Whitecaps match we went to a local pub in downtown Seattle. While my friends drank beers from boot-shaped plastic glasses yours truly went up and down the list of Elysian beers. Since then it has been a match made in heaven sampling all of their different beers and enjoying the fantastic artwork displayed on each label.
Now for those wondering how yours truly got their hands on a Pumpkin Stout the answer is simple: It was stored in a case. Although it is true that beers should be drank by the date listed on the bottle one can preserve their beer by having at room temperature. This is of course provided that the beer has not already been in the fridge.
Despite it being a bit old Elysian’s Dark O’ The Moon is a fantastic pumpkin stout. Upon first taste it gives off of the prototypical pumpkin taste that seems to have taken over the fall beer market. It has the standard after taste of a pumpkin pie- a little bit of sweetness mixed with cinnamon. The aroma also gives off of an impression that this is a beer that one should have with turkey and stuffing in November.
But what sets this beer apart is the stout aspect. While most pumpkin beers are ales this one is a stout and it provides a welcomed change from the run of the mill pumpkin beers. It is the chocolate flavor that makes it standout. With the mix of sweetness from the malt and the pumpkin seeds Dark O’ The Moon is a very complex beer and ultimately makes you want to continue drinking.
There is also another reason why this beer seems appropriate: we don’t know whether D.C. United and Seattle Sounders FC supporters will be enjoying Pumpkin beers in the fall. With both sides not clicking right now (the Sounders are winless in their last three matches while United have traded wins and losses in their last four matches) it is not necessarily a given that either side will make the playoffs. Wednesday’s finale for the first half of the MLS regular season will give one club the chance to end things on a high note while the other will have plenty of questions to answers.
With Wednesday’s match being a must-win for both sides it is time to try a must-drink beer. Elysian’s Dark O’ The Moon is the perfect beer for supporters looking for a change of pace.
DC United
Sounders FC
