Let me tell you, it’s a long drive from Canton, Georgia to Warwick, Rhode Island. I made the trip in two days, really two long days of solid driving. I don’t get back to Rhode Island, the state where I grew up, as much as I should, so when I do, it’s a big deal for me. Of course, people ask me why I don’t fly, but hey, you can’t bring back cases of Narragansett beer and other assorted goodies on a plane.
Anyway, I arrived at my brother’s house late on a Thursday night, just in time to watch the Patriots beat the Steelers to open the 2015 NFL season. We did some shopping the next day and took a ride to Gillette Stadium, but it wasn’t until the next afternoon that I got my first taste of beer at Brutopia Brewery & Kitchen in Cranston. I sampled just about every beer they had, ordering two samplers and two pints while I was there (my brother was driving, that's him in the red Patriots shirt). One of the most interesting beers was Revival Bushido, a pumpkin ale.
A few things to note about Brutopia. They tout themselves as Rhode Island’s Best BBQ and Craft Beer Spot! The brewer here, Sean Larkin, used to brew for Trinity Brewhouse in Providence, RI, and I would run into him frequently in the 90s when I wrote for the Yankee Brew News. Sean also runs Revival Brewing Company of Providence, Rhode Island, and draft revival beers are brewed at Brutopia. You’ll also (obviously) find them on draft here at Brutopia.
Brutopia says of the Bushido:
Drink like a samurai the pumpkin beer to slay all pumpkin beers. Made with ginger, lemon grass, rose hips, and pumpkin. Fermented with saki and Octoberfest yeast.
Revival Bushido has an alcohol content of 9% by volume with 25 IBUs. It was running $7 for a 12 ounce glass, but I got it in a sampler of 4 beers for $5.
My taster of Revival Bushido, really an imperial pumpkin Ale, was exceptional with a rich smooth maltiness up front accentuated by notes of pungent ginger, citric lemongrass, and a warming high octane burn in the finish. I think the sake might have added some of the alcohol notes, but it also added a creamy smoothness in the finish, at least in my mind. I got a little squashy pumpkin, but really that gets crowded out by the spices, which is common for pumpkin beers really.
This was a tasty little brew indeed and I’m glad I tried it. The food was excellent here as well. No visit to Rhode Island could be complete without biting into a hot steaming clamcake, and an order of them here was chock full of big juicy clams. They weren’t really available before 4PM, but the staff prepared them for me anyway. A barbecue sampler tray was as good as anything I’ve found in the south, with tasty pulled pork, brisket, and ribs.
Rest assured, I’ll be back to visit Brutopia again. If you’re in the area, you’d be crazy not to stop by.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft