Beer of the Week: Crucible Brewing’s pumpkin golden ale

Brett’er Than Gold

Crucible Brewing, Everett

Style: Barrel-aged pumpkin golden ale

Available: On tap at the brewery on Sept. 30,

My thoughts: Smells like a barnyard isn’t a great selling point for a beer. But this gem from the mind of Crucible Brewing head brewer Dick Mergens is complex, tasty and not your average pumpkin beer.

Made with pumpkins and no spices, this golden ale was aged in Woodinville Whiskey bourbon barrels for exactly one year with Brettanomyces, a common funky yeast, introduced to give it a wild, some might say barnyard, flavor.

The beer is awesome. Its bitter notes co-mingle with the slight earthy sweetness of the pumpkin and vanilla flavor from the oak. The brett gives it a funky, sour quality that isn’t overbearing and plays nice with the golden ale base. It’s not a beer for everyone, but if you’re looking for something to challenge your palate, it’s a great opportunity.

Brett’er Than Gold is one of six barrel-aged beers Crucible is releasing at its second anniversary party on Sept. 30. Here’s a look at the other five:

Barrel-aged Putin Out Stout: Aged one year in JP Trodden bourbon barrels and another year in kegs, this beer was brewed right before Crucible opened. It was released on the brewery’s one-year anniversary, but Mergens saved a keg for this year. The high-alcohol notes aren’t as prominent and the flavor is smoothed out, while still showing off the chocolatey and coffee notes.

Niter Bluing: A three-barrel blend of Crucible’s cabernet barrel-aged saison with 42 pounds of blueberries per barrel.

Magnetite: With a base of a saison beer, this apricot sour is aged in Facellii Winery sangiovese barrels with 42 pounds of apricots per barrel.

Grand Cru-cible: Using Mergens’ own blend of microbes, this sour ale is based on the brewery’s Damascus Dubbel and is aged in cabernet barrels for more than a year.

Molten Peaches: This Bavarian hefeweizen was aged one year in cabernet barrels on 26 pounds of peaches per barrel.