Alltech’s Lexington Brewing launches new barrel-aged series with Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale

The first seasonal beer ever produced by Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. will soon hit the market and signal the beginning of the fall season, conjuring up images of falling leaves, pumpkin carving and football. The new Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale will hit the market in limited quantities this week on draft, with bottles following shortly.

Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale is a barrel-aged ale brewed with Kentucky-sourced pumpkin, richly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. As the ale is aged in fresh bourbon barrels, the sweetness of caramel and vanilla are imparted upon the brew and complement its spicier base. At 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), this robust, limited release seasonal makes for a flavorful sipping beer to slowly warm up as the weather cools. Some retailers will be offering collectible jack-o-latern snifters along with the ale.

“Seasonals, especially pumpkin ales during the fall, are extremely popular among craft beer enthusiasts,” said Ken Lee, master brewer for Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. “Because barrel aging is our brewery’s specialty, we wanted to get creative with the idea of a seasonal program by focusing on aging all the brews in bourbon barrels, starting with the Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale.”

Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale is finished using the same process as Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout, which are both aged in bourbon barrels for six weeks. The company plans to follow up the new fall seasonal with a winter or spring barrel-aged seasonal, depending on production schedules. In the past, the brewery’s limited edition releases have been limited to those from the annual Kentucky Ale Brew-Off homebrew competition.

Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale will be available in limited quantities in areas of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, Georgia, New York, Florida, Wisconsin and Illinois. It will be sold on draft and in four-packs of bottles. Suggested retail price for the four-pack is $14.99. The beer will also be available for visitors to sample at the newly-opened beer tasting room in Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.’s brewery. The brewery is on the same site as Town Branch Distillery, which is a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and located at 401 Cross Street in Lexington.