We're creeping closer and closer to the big day--just a week out! Soon enough, the veil will thin and kids dressed up as nightmares will prowl the streets seeking candy. The good news is that we're not there. Yet. We still have some time to prep.

So, prep we shall! This evening's a chance to steel our nerves before All Hallows' Eve. I'm doing that with a special beer from Timber Ales: Fields of Fall, the strongest beer of the season. Take a moment to grab a break from carving pumpkins and hanging artificial spiderwebs to enjoy this peaceful moment with me before we're flung into the spookiest day of the year.

Ah, how I despise October's rolling temperatures. We here in my little pocket of Ohio are being flung from 30-something degrees to 70-some degrees (in Fahrenheit, as always), meaning I've been achy and sleepy. But, hey, I'll take cooler temps however I can get them this time of year! 

I had originally planned on today's beer being the subject of my most recent post but figured it'd be better for a warmer day than one that was more brisk. Thus, my short shuffling around that I'm willing to bet most of you didn't notice. Regardless, let's get into the beer at hand: Streetside's Pumpkin Spice Latte Return of the Mac (I'll just call it PSL from here on out).

This evening's beer (a surprise! I was saving the for later but the sudden chill in the area bumped it up) was a gift from my dad. He and my mom came down to visit last month so they could spend some time with their favorite (i.e. only) grandkid. 

While doing so, we all swung by a local bottleshop. I somehow (that's sarcastic, by the way. It doesn't come through great over text) convinced Dad to grab a couple of beers for himself. One of those was Hi-Wire's Pumpkin Spicewalla Latte 10W-40 (Pumpkin Spicewalla henceforth). Before he left, he broke the four-pack in half, taking two cans with him and leaving two with me. Thanks, Dad! Let's see how this stout drinks.

Here's one that I hadn't accounted for at the beginning of the month. Hell, I hadn't accounted for it three days ago. A quick search of the blog will show that Athletic's a frequent NA flyer around these parts. Yet, I've never had a crack at their pumpkin beer.

Why? Well, it's price-related. See, for whatever reason, the brewery only drops the ale online. That's fine, I get that. It's a niche beer in a niche market. But, the price is $14.99/sixer and shipping is $5. Suddenly, we're looking at $20 for a single sixer of the stuff. That's not a chance I'm willing to take.

But two days ago, I got an ad on Instagram from Athletic touting a 10% off code. That was the push I needed to finally try Dark & Gourdy. Now I'm sitting here with the beer, which says something about the brewery's shipping. Let's see how it is at $10.