It’s pumpkin season, which includes pumpkin beers. I am very particular about pumpkin beer but I have found some that I really enjoy. The Xibalba Imperial Pumpkin Ale from Wicked Weed Brewing (Asheville, NC) is a different take on a traditional pumpkin beer with the addition of cocoa nibs and chiles.
The Xibalba (Shih-bulb-uh) has a nice chile smell that follows through in the taste but is not overdone in any way. It features ancho chiles and habanero peppers. Then the cocoa nibs provided good chocolate notes, though I did not get much of it in the aroma. Both pumpkin and pumpkin spice also came through in the flavor. I found this beer to be very well balanced in all its many flavors, allowing each of them to be evident but not any one flavor stand out too strongly. I was overall impressed with the Xibalba. We enjoyed it with the Haystack Mountain Buttercup cheese. This was a fairly soft cheese with delicate flavor but it was not washed away by the beer. I would probably try a different cheese pairing with the Xibalba next time though.
More To Love:
Pumpkin cookies
Creme Brûlée Stout
Raspberry Wheat Bread
