Hangar 24 Brewing Falling Leaf 2014
Hangar 24 Brewing Falling Leaf 2014 is autumn, bottled — a 10.2% ABV bourbon-barrel-aged imperial pumpkin porter and the eighth release in the brewery's Barrel Roll series. Hangar 24 brews its Gourdgeous imperial porter each fall with 1,000 pounds of pumpkins grown about half a mile from the Redlands brewery, then ages a small portion a full year in single-use bourbon barrels to become Falling Leaf — only 2,981 numbered bottles in the 2014 vintage. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 10.2%
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Bourbon-barrel-aged imperial pumpkin porter (Barrel Roll No. 8)
- Base beer: Gourdgeous imperial porter — 1,000 lbs of pumpkins grown ~½ mile from the brewery
- Aging: One full year in single-use bourbon barrels
- Vintage: 2014, individually numbered bottles — the brewery calls it cellarable
From Gourdgeous to Falling Leaf
Each fall, the local pumpkin harvest becomes Gourdgeous — Hangar 24's imperial pumpkin porter. A small cut of it goes into fresh bourbon barrels for another twelve months, and what comes out is Falling Leaf: pumpkin pie spice, molasses, caramel and dark chocolate mellowed and sweetened by the barrel, with bright layers of bourbon, oak and vanilla on top. One reviewer called the pour "translucent auburn, like a fall leaf," and BeerAdvocate scores it 85/100. Find more seasonal craft beer or explore Hangar 24 Brewing at Del Mesa Liquor.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Bourbon, vanilla and oak over pumpkin pie spice and molasses. Palate: Rich dark chocolate and caramel with bright bourbon layers. Finish: Long, warming, vanilla-oak.
How to Enjoy
Serve cool in a snifter beside pecan pie or bread pudding — or cellar it; the brewery bottled this to age gracefully. A Halloween-week pour if there ever was one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Falling Leaf? Hangar 24's bourbon-barrel-aged imperial pumpkin porter — the 2014 Barrel Roll No. 8 release, aged a year in bourbon barrels.
How many bottles were made? The 2014 vintage ran 2,981 individually numbered bottles.
Is it a stout? No — the base beer is an imperial porter (Gourdgeous); the barrel aging adds the bourbon character.
A numbered fall classic — order Hangar 24 Falling Leaf 2014 online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.