La Folie by New Belgium Brewing – This barrel-aged sour was the second American sour I had ever tried, (the first being Avery’s Brabant), coincidentally at the same bar (The Muddy Pig, Saint Paul). Albeit I enjoyed these two brews on different occasions, this Fort Collins, Colorado brew delivered an amazingly flavorful and tart beast of a spontaneous beer. Vinegar and cherry nose followed by tart woody notes with pleasant residual funk. A superb, sessionable sour.     –    4.5/5

Nor’Easter by Captain Lawrence Brewing- I hadn’t heard of these guys until the weekend of Darkness Day, when I met up with fabled beer traders Uncle Jedi and Purple Hat Joan, of Huntsville, Alabama. After enjoying dinner with these two, Leslie and I visited their hotel room, where I was fortunate to sample this barrel-aged winter warmer, complete with prominent fruity notes from the elderberries used in the beer. This was definitely a winter “warmer” ringing in at 12% ABV, with the sweet bourbon notes present in the mouthfeel.    -   4.5/5

Pumking by Southern Tier Brewing - A dark amber color with a potent spicy nose that fills the room with pumpkin pie aroma quickly. I am a pumpkin pie fiend, so this aptly-named “imperial pumpkin ale” delivers a punch of flavor and body. Yet, even though it rang in a 9% ABV, the creamy smooth mouthfeel is my definition of what a pumpkin ale should be. Yes, Southern Tier does have a few extremely gimmicky beers (think: Crème Brûlée) but this beer was definitely one I had to seek out and buy a few other bombers. Just so happened to be across the border.   -   4.5/5

Petunia Ale by Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery - Yet another beer I sampled Darkness Day weekend, I decided it was important Mike finally get the chance to experience Town Hall. This fall seasonal had great body, but was very well-balanced with spice. Unlike other pumpkin ales which use two prominent spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), this brew had at least four or five, rounding out the flavor palette. The creamy finish was definitely a plus, and it was a great draft beer.    –   4/5

Monk’s Blood by 21st Amendment Brewery - I waited nearly two years to have my first 21A beer, and I was fortunate to participate in the release parties (yes, more than one) in Minneapolis the weekend of the 21st of November (suiting, right?). Although all the beers Sully and his crew had available were phenomenal, this Belgian dark ale really fit the brisk late fall weather. The mission figs, vanilla, and Belgian candi sugar in its composition, completed by a barrel-aging to meld the flavors, really helped to yield a big-bodied, Belgian-style beauty.    –    4.25/5

“Sour” Rye Saison homebrew by Stephen Freshnock – I was able to meet Stephen Freshnock, founding member and regular participant of The Fellowship of Gentlemanly Gentlemen (known on the Twitterverse as the #gents) this August. I was able to acquire a few bottles of his homebrew when a friend visited Chicago for a weekend in late October. One of the two bombers of his rye saison I gave to BGP fellow Tom Hill; the other Leslie and I shared shortly after its arrival from Chicago. It was tart, with slight tangy pepper notes, the body reminiscent of a great Ommegang brew: Ommegeddon. For a beer of any origin, it was fantastic, let alone a beer made in a single, five gallon batch. Look for Stephen, a.k.a. @SlovakBrewer‘s beer in a brewpub someday soon.    -   4.5/5

The real winner for me this season was the La Folie from New Belgium. I can’t seem to get enough barrel-aged sour beers. It’s really too bad my sentiment is shared by only but a few über beer nerds the world over. Perhaps someday the BGP will have to acquire some used barrels for experimentation…

New Belgium Glasses from Mike BGP on Vimeo.