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Fordham Brewing Company - Spiced Harvest Ale

Fordham Brewing Company - Spiced Harvest Ale

Beer Club featured in U.S. & International Variety Beer Club U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club

Country:

United States

Alcohol by Volume:

6.00%

Fordham Brewing Company - Spiced Harvest Ale

  • ABV:

    6.00%
  • Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs):

    18
  • Serving Temperature:

    40-45º F
  • Suggested Glassware:

    Pint Glass or Mug
  • Malts:

    Pale, Torrified Wheat, CaraAmber, Black, Chocolate
  • Hops:

    Perle, Hallertau
It’s that time of year again, when brewers begin releasing their fall seasonals – many of them pumpkin beers. Fordham’s fall brew is indeed made with pumpkin, but it’s the spices – allspice, clove, cinnamon, and ginger – that stole the show for us. Big spice aromas will probably be apparent as soon as you pop the cap. Expect a golden coppery color on the pour with a touch of light haze. There are strong notes of ginger and cinnamon spiciness with a touch of honey (also an ingredient) underneath the dominant spice profile. On the palate we found there’s a sort of bready character to the malt core which, combined with the spices, reminds us of gingerbread. Pumpkin pie might come to mind as well, as pumpkin is there too, but the spices are more pronounced than the pumpkin itself. Look for a fruity note to come through on the mid-palate as well, while mild sweetness and hop bitterness balance well until the finish where the bitterness edges out with an acidic touch. A delight for fans of autumn seasonal beers or spiced ales in general, this beer would match well with a slice of pumpkin pie (naturally), although we often like spiced ales on their own. Some of our tasting panel members also recommend adding spiced ales to eggnog, in place of liquor. Cheers!

In 1703, England’s Queen Anne commissioned Benjamin Fordham to begin a brewery in America, in her namesake city of Annapolis. As the port city grew, so did the popularity and demand for Fordham’s beer, and he secured a position in the history of the region, becoming one of the city's first aldermen. Sadly, when he passed away in 1716 the brewery was shut down.

For nearly three centuries, the Fordham brewery remained closed. Or should we say, on hiatus? The Fordham name was resurrected in 1995 with the establishment of a new brewery by William Muehlhauser and Jim Lutz. In researching the history of Annapolis area breweries of days gone by, Lutz, currently president and CEO, discovered the story of this once famed brewhouse. As he puts it, “I just went back to see what breweries existed in Annapolis and ran across this Fordham Brewery. I contacted the Fordham family and asked them if we could resurrect their great-great-great-grandfathers name. The family was happy to oblige.”

After five years of strong growth, they moved to a larger facility in Alexandria, VA, and three years later they had outgrown that building too. Fordham’s brewing and bottling operations moved to their current facility in Dover, DE in 2003. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours call (302) 678-4810 or check out their web site at www.fordhambrewing.com.

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