Beer Review – Spooky Tooth by Fatheads

Fatheads makes great IPAs.  That fact and the cool label were too much to pass up when I saw Spooky Tooth in the beer aisle a couple of weeks back. So I decided to pick up a 4-pack and include it in my profile of pumpkin beers for Halloween.

Vitals

• Brewery: Fatheads Brewing (OH)
• Style: Imperial Pumpkin Beer (9.0% ABV)
• Rating: 6
• Price: $10.99 per 4 pack (Giant Eagle)

My Review

When you look at this beer through the light it has a kind of orange color that you typically only see in pumpkin beers.  In the glass it has more of a brownish-orange color.  A vigorous pour only yields about 1 finger of head that settles pretty quickly.  Not too much smell, some doughy malts with a bit of spice.  The initial taste is smooth but pretty unassuming initially and then the alcohol makes its presence known mid taste, before giving way to some spices (nutmeg, cinnamon) that linger for a while.  It has a nice thick and creamy mouthfeel.  It’s not too sweet, like pumpkin beers can be, nor is there anything artificial tasting. On the other hand there isn’t much actual pumpkin flavor either.

Summary

Really it is more of a strong ale with some spice accents.  Not a bad beer, but strong ales aren’t really my favorite, and at nearly $3 a bottle I’m not likely to revisit this one.

Rating = 6

Rating scale: 10 = perfection, 9 = excellent, one of the top beers in the world, 8 = very good, one of the top beers in its style category, 7 = good, a solid beer I’m happy to be drinking, 6 = average, not bad but not something I’m likely to buy again, 5 = below average, 3-4 = poor, should be avoided, 1-2 drainpour.