Abita Pecan Harvest Ale (6/10)

When I saw Abita Pecan Harvest Ale on the shelf at Kenny Road Market recently, I dropped a bottle into my “make your own six-pack” container.  Abita makes some nice products, and I had visions of this tasting something like an alcoholic pecan pie.

The beer pours a clear reddish brown with a thick off-white head that dissipates over several seconds.

The aroma is malty, with maybe a hint of pecan there, but I could be imagining that.  The Abita web site says the oils from the nuts give it a light pecan finish and aroma.  There’s something mildly sweet there.  If I didn’t know pecans were used in brewing it, I wouldn’t have a clue that’s what the aroma was.

The flavor starts with a malty bitterness.  This gives way to a kind of strange grain funkiness with an earthy note to it.  I think maybe I get some pecan in there, but it’s more like a piece of shell you accidentally eat than a pecan “meat”.  The finish is bitter in a very mildly hoppy way.  I want to like this beer a lot more than I actually like it.  It’s… just OK.  It’s not bad.  It’s not good.  I don’t care if I ever have this particular beer again.

Beer Advocate agrees with me on this, rating it just a 77/100 or “okay” on their scale.  Rate Beer is much tougher on it, giving it a 33 overall.

IBU:  20 (which seems a little low… I’d have thought more like 25)
ABV: 5%
My Rating: 6/10