Pumpkin Ale Throwdown

First review of the season!

Buffalo Bill's Brewery's Pumpkin Ale

Poured a faded orange/gold. Very slight haze but not particulates. Small head quickly dissipated. Aroma is faint, but pleasant. Some slight spice notes, sweet malt and very faint yeasty esters. Flavor is a bit thinner than I expected. Slight sweetness (though not really a malty sweetness) dominates before quickly going watery with a slightly medicinal spicy finish. Very little bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium to low and a bit like sparkling water. The flavor is actually very reminiscent of slightly sweetened sparkling water with a strange spice note. I'd be very surprised if there was any pumpkin used for this beer. And I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot of non-malt fermentables added. And it has a twist-off cap, which, although I don't need to keep bottles anymore, still lowers my opinion of the beer. Not a bad beer, but very little going on here. I'll not be buying anymore of this one this year.

+1 didnt care for that one last year.Dont think Ill even bother. Wish I could get half of what you have there.Pumpkin head-blaaach-slightly better than last year,still colabeer.
Just had the Smashed PUmpkin-have to say I notice more cinnamon and orange mild citrus/tart tones more - Im thinking this would be better paired as suggested on the bottle.Still good but I think Im won over with Pumpking this year.Less graham and more bready/shortbread piecrust creamy.
Thanks again for revewing . Try a smuttynose pumkin if you can,its more of a hoppy one if you dont think thats weird-I think it works.

Cottonwood Pumpkin

Poured a brilliant, crystal clear dark yellow with a touch of orange. An aggressive pour produced a two-finger bright white head that fell to a thin cap. Aroma is of powdered ginger and cinnamon creating an aroma that puts me in the mind of chlorophenols, but not quite. There is an underlying caramelly sweetness that comes and goes in the aroma. Upon first tasting it, the first thing I noticed is that it is nicely full in the mouthfeel. Starts slightly sweet with a touch of an interesting, slight tang, that transitions into a full, thick finish with an almost chemically spice character lingering into the aftertaste. Carbonation is moderate and lends a slight carbonic bite to the finish. Overall, not a bad beer, but nothing special either. The spices come off a little chemically, which combined with the slightly carbonic finish, detracts from my enjoyment of the beer. I was pleasantly surprised by the thick mouthfeel, though. Worth trying, but only buy one.

jonmohno said:

I think the most well balanced medium type pumpkin ive had would be lakefront brewery's pumpkin lager. Nice medium of everything farily flawless lager.

I tried the pumking again and got alot more citrus bittering in the next bottle and less of the graham but still fairly grahmy thats why i always like to try a new one a few times. I also liked smashed pumpkin a little less after the next bottle, hmm but still preferred the smashed,but honestly my favorite may have been Lakefronts pumpkin lager this year from what I was able to try.

I didnt get the opportunity to try the others you had but tried a dozen or so i heard shefly's pumpkin was really good but was always out when i would try to seek it,so it must be decent. Just thought i would throw some opinion here. Definatly a fun pumpkin adventure, all the winter ales are coming out now.

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I think I'll put this year's lakefront pumpkin lager on schedule for tonight's tasting. Stay tuned!

Lakefront Brewery's Pumpkin Lager

This one pours a beautiful bright orange. Crystal clear in the glass and a fast-dissipating one-finger head. Aroma is nice and of clean sweet malt supported by background notes of spice. I'm really enjoying the flavor. Sweet malt upfront with toasty undertones. Very smooth with very little bitterness. Nice clean finish thats fairly sweet. The carbonation is spot on and really supports the beers flavor. The spices (I'm getting cinnamon and ginger) are nicely subtle, but well balanced with the beer. Moderate to full body is enjoyable. Overall, a really nice, well made beer. I'm not pulling a lot of pumpkin flavor out, but the spices are well done. I recommend trying this one if you can get it.

Bad day... Time for a beer.

Harpoon's Pumpkin UFO (Unfiltered Offering)

Poured a slightly hazy deep gold. Small head quickly dissipated like that of soda. I think the second pour is going to be a little more cloudy. The beer has very little aroma. A little spice, a little malt, maybe even a bit of tart cherry? Swirling it around a bit to kick out some aroma persuaded a strange tart, somewhat savory note to appear. Just took a sip. That savory note is present in the flavor as well. Very unusual and it's hard for me to place. Very "rounded" flavors in here and a fullness of body. Malty, but not very sweet. Moderately low bitterness. I think the savory character is maybe that of a pumpkin that started to go a bit soft. Maybe some toasted pumpkin seeds in there too? And biscuit malt. Have I mentioned before that I loathe biscuit malt? Finish is smooth with a touch of sweetness. A bit of bitterness lingers on the palate mixing with very subtle spicing. I took my dog out to use the bathroom halfway though this review and upon coming back in the savory/spoiled aroma had filled the glass and I got a nice big whiff of it. This is a very unique beer. It has flavors I've never experienced in a beer before, and it may be worth trying just to experience something new. I can't say I completely enjoyed the experience though. It's not that the beer is unpleasant, just that the moldy pumpkin kind of vibe I'm getting from it is drawing all of my attention and leaving little room for me to try to pull out what else is in this beer. I'm sure some of you would go bananas for it though. Just poured the rest of the beer in and it was much cloudier. This pour has a lot of that sour hard-to-describe aroma. I think the beer is a little oxidized and I think there has been some autolysis of the bottled yeast as well. Anyway, it's definitely different from the other pumpkin beers I've had.

Shipyard Brewing Company's Pumpkinhead

Twist-off cap. But pours a brilliant gold, much lighter than many other pumpkin ales. A foamy white head quickly dissipated. Aroma contains lots of cinnamon, and sweet, bready malt. There even seems to be a touch of spicy hops in the nose. Getting right into a sip here and it is really nice. Starts sweet with clean malt and that cinnamon again. I get a spiciness on the side of the tongue along with a bit of bitterness mid-palate that is followed by a drying, toasty finish. Mouthfeel and carbonation are both moderate. They really went heavy with the cinnamon on this one, but it's not over-the-top. It's combining with something in the beer to give a slight lemon flavor in addition to the plain powdered cinnamon flavor everyone is familiar with. This one's not a bad beer at all, with nice malt flavors and a unique spicing. I recommend trying one if you can get it.

I had some Pumking on tap tonight. Spicier than last years, I think. More gingerbread than capn' crunch this year. Still pretty damn good.

By the way, I'm impressed with the iphone 5 camera!

Awesome thread! Adding my 2c as well.

Did a pumpkin beer tasting last Saturday (bottle only - no draft) and ended up with a wall of shame. Most of the beers were thin, had watered down spice flavors. The Post Road and saranac were particularly unappealing.

Other interesting notes
- small patch pumpkin had a distinct smell of terryaki sauce and the taste faint taste of black malt)
- shipyard pumpkinhead has a nice smell of spicy honey, but tastes like hard cider gone slightly off. Tough to describe, but you'd know it if you've had it.
- Saranac's offering has an acidic nose that is slightly akin to vomit. It doesn't taste like vomit (thankfully) but it's not good, either.
- ichabod pumpkin smelled a little like the seafood section of my favorite Asian grocery store. Had a weird maltiness that I couldn't place, along with a lack of body.
- wolavers tasted like someone boiled cinnamon, and then diluted it with more water. I rated it a 2 when I drank it, because it wasn't undrinkable.
- Post road had a faint nose of pumpkin and spice, but the body was incredibly tannic and astringent. This won the award for worst pumpkin beer, and it's traditionally one of the least drinkable pumpkin beers of the season.

I did notice untapped has people rating these beers much higher on draft in their local markets. The cynic in me says that brewers are taking advantage of a seasonal "fad" and putting out a sub par product. However, the ratings seem to indicate shelf stability problems.

The saving grace ...

Dogfish was definitely the best of this group. I didn't love it, but I may have been burnt out on the odd flavors. It had a nice spicy nose, and the pumpkin spice came through well in the flavor. Was still a little light on the malt - too bland behind the spice for my taste. Supposedly it is far better on draft.

Overall the 2012 King is Pumpking. Had it twice this year an I couldn't get my nose out of the glass. Awesome.

Same story for me this year, but both the Weyerbacher and Southern Tier improved from last year. Also noticed MUCH more availability.

I see Fegley's Devious Pumpkin missing from your list, while not hitting my top 3 it's still good. Let me know if you'd be interested in a bottle.

Brewguyver, from your description of the punk and crowning of the pumpking, I'd recommend trying the weyerbacher, I switch between the imperial and king throughout the season and never get tired of either.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Poured a nice light orange, brilliantly clear, with a one finger, soapy head. Slightly estery nose with some spiciness from (I think) allspice. Wow, very rich and sweet flavor, more than I was expecting. It seems very different than last years from what I can remember. Starts caramelly-sweet with maybe a hint of pumpkin flavor. Some slight bitterness and tingly spices then come in before finishing slightly sweet. The spices come back around after a few seconds in the aftertaste. Moderate carbonation and thick body. I'm really liking this beer, more than I remember liking it last year. Lots of flavor in there. This is a thick, rich and sweet beer, but it doesn't come across as cloying. As it warms I'm even getting some pie crusty toastiness in the finish. Definitely give this one a try this year!

Drinking Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale now.

It pours a dark apple juice color with a thick off-white head that thins fast. Light lacing.

The aroma isn't much, a little cardboard, but it doesn't transfer to the taste, at all.

The flavor is very pumpkin pie. Very pumpkin too. The hops taste is most noticeable at the end. I like it.

Drank Shiner Oktoberfest last night. It's not a pumpkin beer.

It pours a similar dark apple juice color. Thin head that fades fast and leaves behind only the lightest lacing.

Not much aroma.

It has a sharp hoppy and sweet malty flavor at the same time. Hints of caramel too. Another good Shiner.

Schlafly is not too bad.I was hyped about it from last year which I heard was great but never tried,but I was disapointed as it seems some people that like it ,are this year disapointed as well .Its good but I think it was a bit sweet and cloying. Maybe heavy on the cinnamon and clove as well.Not shure if I already mentioned it but ,Big red gum is what it really remindes me of alot. Bought two sixers which I kinda regretted.One sixer would be Ok but really I could have been ok with 2 or 3 and done. I can appreciate its warming fall qualities though.Great appearance and aroma as well.

Schlafly and uinitas (sp)...love the roast pumpkin flavors

I thought southern tier was lacking something this year, but can't put my finger on it

Pumpking has always been my favorite. Every year they release the occasional keg of oak aged pumpking. I have driven 40 miles for a couple pints of it.

I really really really really really want Southern Tier to bottle oaked aged Pumking as they did with the oak aged Unearthly.

I picked up 5 more pumpkin beers today! Finally got my hands on some Pumking bottles. I also discovered that my bottle shop has expanded their british beer selection so I'm enjoying a Timothy Taylor Landlord at the moment! I didn't realize it was being imported.

I want to try the shipyard pumpkin but refuse to pony up $15 for one...

JordanThomas said:

I want to try the shipyard pumpkin but refuse to pony up $15 for one...

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Hmm, I don't think I payed that much, but I can't be certain. I wasn't crazy about it last year so here's to hoping this years is better!

Saranac Pumpkin Ale

This beer poured a really nice deep orange/copper. It shines in the light like a new penny. Very little head, despite a vigorous pour. Aroma is slightly vegetal or compost heapy. Some spice coming through as well along with a lot of munich malt-type sweetness on the nose. There's a slight toastiness and I'm occasionally getting a brief whiff of vanilla. My first sip was like "wow, oh.." Like good, then bad. It started with a lot of potential, malt, vanilla, light spices, but almost immediately went slightly sour and thin. Subsequent sips are better, never quite seeming as tart and thin as that first sip. The finish is almost watery, though. The sourness is similar to that of that sparkling mineral water German's love so much. (That stuff still tastes like crap even after degassing, as I discovered on one of my first business trips to Germany. There's nothing worse than being hungover, in a meeting, and the only water available tastes like carbonated PBW.) There's a smooth maltiness mid-palate, and that's where the vanilla hits as well, but these nice flavors are flanked by that tart, mineral character. So overall, not a terrible beer. I just wish the malt would follow through and not end in a bubbly, watery mess on the sides of the tongue. Never having been a big fan of Saranac, I can't say I'm surprised. I'm guessing there are a lot of non-malt adjuncts in here, along with some spices and vanilla extract.

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale

This one looks a bit different. Really nice dark mahogany color, bordering on ruby, with a creamy, tight head. Very attractive looking. First aroma I pulled out was a dry grainy kind of thing, but it turned into sweet brown sugar and strong spices almost immediately. Lots of cinnamon and ginger in the spice character. I'm smelling medium-color malts too - munich, medium crystals, etc. Also hints of chocolate milk powder just above threshold. Flavor is rich, but dryish. There's an almost savory, meaty character to the beer. There isn't as much malt flavor as you would think from looking at it. For some reason, I've got a feeling some melanoidin malt was used in this beer. The spicing only shows up right in the finish, and pretty lightly. Body is moderate. This is definitely an interesting beer. Moderate body but pretty dry, somewhat savory, little malt flavor outside of the meaty mushroom thing and a little Quik powder without the sweetness. I'm actually a little perplexed by it. Maybe give it a try? If you're into something different for a change? I'm going to go try to get unconfused by drinking lots of beer now...

EDIT: As it warms I'm getting a lot of pumpkin flavor. It's presenting as a slightly tart, pumpkin juice kind of flavor.

Are you looking to try Avery Rumpkin?

Gixxer said:

Are you looking to try Avery Rumpkin?

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Definitely, if I could find it. I've not ever seen it around here though. Looks like a crazy beer.

Yup, I too have been looking for it. I honestly might just call Colorado and ask them if any has been shipped yet, and where.

---EDIT--- It has been released on 29 September. Guess I could call the local beverage warehouse to see if they have it yet.

+1.Must have this. ! Im pretty much a anything Avery fan.

I know we are talking about commercial pumpkin ales but bottom line is Samhain pumpkin ale from kjngbrian1 right here on hbt is by far better than most commercial recipes IMHO. I know a lot if people who have tried this and would also agree.

Well thanks! I'd have to agree, actually. I'm actually planning on doing a review of my Samhain in this thread in the next week or so. I made it a little stronger than normal this year, and it's really nice.

Big Boss Brewing Company's Harvest Time

This used to be a pumpkin beer but I'm not sure if it still is. The label just claims "ale brewed with spices" so maybe there's no pumpkin anymore.

Anyway, onto the review. It poured a clear orange-amber with a small coarse head that died down very quickly. Spices dominate the nose with a background earthy something (pumpkin maybe?) and some malt sweetness. I'm almost getting a thick, round vanilla in there too. Flavor is really nice. Starts slightly sweet with nice round malts, and you notice a really nice, round mouthfeel. Then it dries out and there's a really nice toasted malt kind of flavor. Some moderate carbonation in the finish and very low bitterness. The spices dance around in the aftertaste a little. There's a very slight tartness in the flavor I was also picking up in the aroma that I associate with beers actually made with pumpkin, so maybe they still are using it in here. I'm getting more vanilla now in the finish that seems to help round out the mouthfeel even more. As it warms the finish is turning slightly metallic.

Overall, a pretty nice beer. Nice, subtle spicing, great mouthfeel, multi-dimensional malt character and the impression of real pumpkin being used in amounts high enough to actually taste (unlike breweries who add a minuscule amount just so they can say "brewed with pumpkin"). Pick this one up and give it a try if you can find it. It's a local brewery and I'm not sure how far they distribute.

Whew! Rough day so it's Pumking Time!

Southern Tier's Imperial Pumking

Pumking pours a clear, deep gold with orange hues. A creamy head quickly dissipated to a thin cap on the beer. Aroma is great. You guys know about this beer by now. Strong aroma of buttery crust dominates. Gingerbread and a little fruit (strawberry?) are also present. Flavor is great too. This beer isn't as sweet as everyone says it is. It's very low in bitterness, which is probably why people say that. You do get a strong impression of sweet confections, though. Butterscotch candies, shortcake and butter cookies are all in there. It finishes somewhat fruity, though I'm having trouble picking what fruit it tastes like. I still feel like this beer is subtly spiced, though lots of people say they think it is overspiced. The spices are only coming through gently for me in the warm, tingly finish where it seems like ginger is the dominant contributer. Surprisingly, I'm finding the beer a bit more difficult to drink than in past years. I don't know if that's due to the beer changing, or my current mood. I'm also being reminded of a couple of my attempts at gruits in some way. Probably due to the extremely low bitterness. That lack of bitterness might be what's causing me to become fatigued in drinking it and could be why there is a large contingent that can't drink this beer. I'm a bit less infatuated with this beer than in past years, possibly because I have been drinking a lot of my Imperial Samhain Ale lately, which largely outclasses this beer. That's not to say Pumking is a bad beer -- it's probably my favorite commercial pumpkin beer I've had this year. But that artificial butter cookie flavor is so strong, and the bitterness so low, that it can be difficult to drink a whole bottle. So grab a friend, and a bottle of this beer, and see if you agree.

King brian do you like pumpkin beers ? Just asking you haven't really reviewed any for us LOL Where is Samhain ??? Last dibs or I'm going to review it.

Aschecte said:

King brian do you like pumpkin beers ? Just asking you haven't really reviewed any for us LOL Where is Samhain ??? Last dibs or I'm going to review it.

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Haha, feel free to review it. I was waiting until after I reviewed Pumking so I could have a good comparison. I didn't want to review both in one night though. It would be great if anyone else added reviews to the thread, including you doing Samhain. I'll probably get to it in the next couple of days.

KingBrianI said:

Cottonwood Pumpkin

Poured a brilliant, crystal clear dark yellow with a touch of orange. An aggressive pour produced a two-finger bright white head that fell to a thin cap. Aroma is of powdered ginger and cinnamon creating an aroma that puts me in the mind of chlorophenols, but not quite. There is an underlying caramelly sweetness that comes and goes in the aroma. Upon first tasting it, the first thing I noticed is that it is nicely full in the mouthfeel. Starts slightly sweet with a touch of an interesting, slight tang, that transitions into a full, thick finish with an almost chemically spice character lingering into the aftertaste. Carbonation is moderate and lends a slight carbonic bite to the finish. Overall, not a bad beer, but nothing special either. The spices come off a little chemically, which combined with the slightly carbonic finish, detracts from my enjoyment of the beer. I was pleasantly surprised by the thick mouthfeel, though. Worth trying, but only buy one.

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I will disagree with you on this one, by far my favorite pumpkin beer over 2 years of trying them. Up to ~30 different ones me and my fiance have now sampled and it is both of our favorite one.

KingBrianI said:

I had some Pumking on tap tonight. Spicier than last years, I think. More gingerbread than capn' crunch this year. Still pretty damn good.

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Look's like Tyler's Taproom in Durham by DBAP. They had the Pumpking as their Pint Night special in Carrboro last week but we never went, bought a 22oz insread.

Ok here it is my review of Samhain Pumpkin ale the King of all pumpkin ales on this thread. KingBrianI right here from HBT also happens to be the brewmeister of this recipe and deserves all credit for this amazing seasonal yet should be year round treat. This of all the homebrews I do each year falls into the category of tradition it is the only beer I brew with my family and just like making a pumpkin pie, carving a pumkin, or taking the boy out trick or treating it has become something we all look foward to doing as a family each fall. This beer also happens to be amazing. Without further ado here is my review of Samhain Pumpkin Ale.



A- Dark with ruby highlights and fair clarity, off white tanish fluffy head with a 2 finger depth that holds on for what seems like forever but when fading leaves a copious amount of thick lacing along the glass walls.

S- If you can imagine the smell of pumpkin pie this is it but with a cookie like malty backbone. Aroma's of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove all intermingle with the perfect balance of pumpkin and a malty quality that is accentuated by the toasted maris otter that gives it a baked cookie like quality that is unique and perfect for this style.

T- The taste follows very closely to the aroma produced. The balance of this beer is what sets it apart from other beers of this style not overwhelming in any of it's individual aspects but by no means underhelming either. The first taste is the spices which may as well be pumpkin pie but quickly gives way to the pumpkin and malt which are blended perfectly.

M- The mouthfell is medium-full and is due to a strong malt back bone of Golden promise, maris otter, wheat amoung other grains. The carbonation is pretty solid as well though as homebrewers we have ability to make this of our liking I choose to go with about 2.5 volumes of co2 and find it to be a perfect balance of carbonation.

O- Each year I go to alot of fall parties and each year pumpkin ales seem to be a love hate topic either falling short from too much pumpkin or too much spice or conversly not enough of either and is a pumokin ale by label ony. I also happen to be the President of one of the largest homebrew clubs in the Hudson Valley of New york and since I have introduced this to other home brewers I have got nothing but perfect reviews and compliments of this Pumpkin Ale. I have also made this my family's Thanksgiving day drink of choice. With a perfect balance of spice, pumkin, and malt I strongly reccomend everyone to brew this fabuous recipe. If you like pumpkin ales you will not be dissapointed in this beer and I'm sure you will agree this is by far the King of Pumkin ales.

Wow, thanks for the review! I'll be embarassed of my attempt to review it now, since it will be nowhere near as descriptive as your review! I'm glad you like it so much.

I tried Pumking a few weeks ago after hearing lots of good things. I have to be honest, at first I thought it was pretty good because it tasted exactly like pumpkin pie. I couldn't even finish the bottle though. It is overly sweet and loaded with diacetyl. Just thinking about it now makes me want to hurl!

Shipyard Brewing Company's Smashed Pumpkin

Pours a hazy, light-orange with a thin, white head. Belgian-y esters (?), sourish oaky smells, and light spices on the nose. I'm also getting something kind of citric as well as a light, creamy malt sweetness in the aroma. Lots of ginger explodes on the palate on the first sip. It's joined with some sweetness from the malt and an orange juice flavor. A good amount of cinnamon sugar-dusted toast as well. Finish is long and slightly tart. The lingering flavor of ginger continues from the back of the tongue and into the throat. I think I said this last year as well, but the ginger flavor is definitely from powdered ginger, which tastes different than fresh ginger. Nice full mouthfeel and moderate-low carbonation. I don't think it's spiced to the level of last year's, though I can't be sure (it HAS been a year, afterall). It's a decent beer, though I wish the powdered ginger was taken back another notch or two. It overpowers everything else and washes out most of the malt flavor. If I'm honest, this tastes more like orange juice mixed with a lot of powdered ginger than it does beer to me. The 9% ABV is well-hidden. Not much else to say. Still have half the bottle to work through.

+1, I think the orange is from maybe hops(?). I was considering aging one to see if it gets better, I really think that will tone down with age.Yet I hope I get around to taking it out of the fridge and dont drink it before I do age it. I may just have to buy another one. Pumpking is king so far for me, although Ive been still limited and havent tried some of the great ones unavailable to me, but Im about to try a Lakefront Pumpkin Lager soon. St.Ambroise pumpkin ale is pretty high up there in my opinion as well.

Favorites in order are Pumking, Punkin and Smashed Pumpkin.