Spiced holiday ales are, relatively speaking of course, nothing new. Just about every brewery makes one although not all do), and I always look forward to seeing them arrive in late fall. To be sure, they seem to be arriving a bit earlier each year, though that said I was still a little surprised to see Bridgeport Witch Hunt on tap at Taco Mac in early September.

To be fair, Bridgeport Witch Hunt isn’t a winter holiday beer, and when I ordered it I had not really heard about it. I only knew that I hadn’t tried it yet. Instead, it’s more of a “spiced harvest ale” (says so on the label), the name fitting more with Halloween than Christmas. When I took, a sip, though, my mouth was singing “Deck the Halls” all the same.

From the label:

Something wicked this way comes. From slightly sweet caramel malts, Witch Hunt offers an intense dry hop character finished with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg spice.”

The beer has 40 IBUs and an alcohol content of 5.8% by volume. It was very reasonably priced at $4.50 a pint and $7.98 a six-pack. Here’s what I think about the beer, from a 12-ounce bottle I’m enjoying tonight:

Bridgeport Witch Hunt pours to a murky brownish color with a fair sized creamy tan head formation and a toasty malty nose laced with cinnamon spice. Taking a sip, I love the toasty nutty palate up front braced with a bit of chocolate and a hint of fruit, all followed by a big blast of dry nutmeg and pungent cinnamon. In the finish, I get a hint of minty hop bitterness, but it’s really the spice that lingers and leaves the beer long and dry on the tongue. 

To a degree, this one reminds me of Anchor Our Special Ale-Light. It’s thinner in body, though that lets the spices shine through for sure. If you love spice beers and don’t want to wait until November for them, Bridgeport Witch Hunt is just the beer for you.

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