Pumpkin Ale Throwdown

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KingBrianI

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Just got back from the bottle shop where I picked up a bunch of pumpkin ales. Some I've had before and some I haven't. I'm going to go through them in the next week or so taking notes on each to figure out which I prefer. From past years' experience, I'm expecting the weyerbacher to win out, but we'll have to see who comes out ahead when it's all over.

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ohh lol i saw your signature and thought you were saying that about your pumpkin beer experiment.
 
New Holland Ichabod

Poured a rich deep orange, brilliantly clear, with a two-finger, large-bubbled head. Aroma is initially malty, transitioning into that tangy pumpkin smell. Then the spices come through gently along with light, slightly soapy hop aroma. Flavor starts malty-sweet. Soft, minerally bitterness hits the sides of the palate. Finish is dry with a lingering toastiness.

Not a bad beer, but nothing special here either. A solid pumkin ale, but I won't be buying any more this season.

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Terrapin Pumpkinfest

Appearance very similar to the Ichabod. Rich orange color, brilliant clarity. Head slightly smaller than the Ichabod but with a tighter foam. Munich malt sweetness dominates the aroma. Has that "lager" smell you get from good german beer. Sweet spices accompany and mix well with the malt aroma. Aroma reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Very "rounded" flavor is the first impression upon tasting. Dryish but malty. Very slightly tart in the finish. Very nice body. Spices are very muted and I'm not getting any pumpkin in the flavor. Bitterness is very smooth and on the low side.

Overall a very well-crafted beer. This is on the "subtle" end of the pumpkin beer spectrum. You could drink this beer all day without getting tired of it. But if you are looking for liquid pumpkin pie you may be disappointed. I can appreciate both ends of the spectrum feeling that everything has a place and time.

Pumpkinfest is a great oktoberfest-styled beer with the subtle addition of pumpkin spice.

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Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Hey, finally a different color. Punkin ale pours a bronzed gold in color, with brilliant clarity and a tight white head. Raw pumpkin is very noticeable in the aroma. Smells like making a jack-o-lantern. A little bit of malt sweetness in the aroma backs up the pumpkin. Very little if any spice coming through. That fresh, raw pumpkin aroma dominates though. First sip is very smooth, sweet but not cloying. Bitterness is very low. The raw pumpkin smell gives the impression that there is pumpkin in the flavor. The brown sugar comes through clearly if you know what to look for (I made a a beer with way too much brown sugar once and won't forget that flavor, which is different than raw brown sugar strangely) and the spices may make a very shy appearance at the very back of the palate.

Punkin ale is a decent beer. The raw pumpkin character is almost a little off-putting (I prefer my pumpkin cooked!), but it is an otherwise interesting and unique beer. I don't think I could drink more than one of these for the aforementioned reason, though. I'm not sure whether I'm not getting much spice character because I just had two other pumpkin beers before this, or if it really is just that subtle. Probably won't be trying another one of these until next year.

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Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

The imperial pumpkin ale pours darker than any of the others so far. There's a lot more red in this one, it's a beautiful amber-brown. Again, this beer has brilliant clarity and poured with a one finger tight head. Aroma is the spiciest so far. I'm getting a lot of nutmeg and clove with the cardamom making a brief appearance. There's some malty, caramelly sweetness coming through and the overall effect is similar to one of those potpourri-scented aerosol air fresheners, but in a good way. There also seems to be a touch of hops clashing with the spices slightly. On the palate, sweetness and spices come out first. Malt has a dark-crystal malt character with caramel and dark fruits running the show. Bitterness is moderately low. Not getting a whole lot of pumpkin character. Finish is slightly tingly from the carbonation. It's not nearly as rich or creamy as I remember. I'm not sure if they have changed the recipe or if my memory is playing tricks on me.

Eh, it's a pretty good beer, but not as good as I remember. The alcohol is coming through gently, but enough to take away from the drinkability. The spices are very present, but the beer doesn't give that "pumpkin pie" impression. I'm kind of of the opinion that if the pumpkin beer doesn't taste like dessert-in-a-glass, then it should at least be super quaffable. If it's not quaffable, it should taste like liquid pumpkin pie. This beer kind of falls between the two and as such, I don't see myself really drinking it that often.

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Wow, awesome thread so far.

The only one of these I've had is the Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale. You wondered if you weren't tasting the spices because you had a couple other pumpkin beers, and I'm thinking that might be the case, because on my palate, the flavor is very much spice dominated. Not sure I get that raw pumpkin flavor you mention either, but then, I don't have a very refined palette *at all*, and I've only had a couple different pumpkin ales.

If you're interested in swapping any pumpkin ales, I have a thread in the "swap" section, and a homebrewed pumpkin ale.

Anyway, looking forward to more of your reviews. This was a great idea. :mug:
 
The only two ive been able to try out of this nice patch of pumpkins is the Shipyard smashed,and PUmpking.I Bought three more bombers of Smashed after liking it alot.Pumpking had a cloying graham taste/aroma and all i could think of was pumpkin with a graham crust which doesnt seem right for pumpkin.Still a good beer,didnt go for that kind of spice paring though.
 
So should I go for the shipyard smashed pumpkin, heavy seas the greater pumpkin, or southern tier imperial pumking tonight? I've only had the pumking this year so the other two will be new to me. Decisions, decisions...
 
Here is my video review for Shipyards Smashed Pumpkin. One of my favorites as well as The Burery's Autumn Maple

 
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Chris, you know I watch your reviews the day you upload them! :D You've convinced me though, I'm going for the Smashed Pumpkin tonight. That Autumn Maple sounded very interesting!
 
Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin

Poured a light, orange-tinted gold. A bit duller in the light than the other beers. Not as brilliantly clear. A creamy 3-finger head popped up upon pouring and quickly dissipated. Aroma is unrefined sugar and spice. Powdered ginger seems to be a significant portion of the spices used along with allspice. Soft cinnamon in there too. Very light delicate hop spiciness. Wow, very different flavors from the other beers so far. The powdered ginger, allspice and cinnamon from the aroma come through powerfully in the flavor. There's a munich-type malty sweetness and very little bitterness. Body is nice and full. I'm not getting a whole lot of pumpkin flavor in there. There's a slight twang that hits the sides of the tongue just before swallowing. This beer is definitely a sipper -- not because of the alcohol or richness, but because of the almost overpowering spice. You almost need a minute or two between sips to let your palate rest before being assaulted by the next mouthful. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, and those who like their pumpkin beers strongly spiced will be pleased. It's interesting that the mix of spices here comes off much differently than the other pumpkin beers. While most pumpkin beers have strong cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, this beer brings the powdered ginger and allspice very strongly with the cinnamon playing a more background role.

This beer is kind of a share-with-friends beer to me. I'm going to have a hard time finishing the bottle. It's not bad, just really in your face.

Oh, one other thing I should note. It had a foiled cap but it was a twist-off. Kind of disappointing...

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Southern Tier Pumking

Poured a crystal clear, glowing, light orange. An off white 1 finger head came up then quickly fell back. The aroma is quite powerful and layered. Most dominant is the aroma of Cap'n Crunch Cereal (I think this is what many refer to as graham cracker but it is much more like the cereal to me). To my nose, it is indistinguishable. Under that I'm getting the spices and below the spices there's just the hint of sharp pumpkin. It's all very appealing. Upon taking a sip, the first thing that hits is the malty, creamy, sweetness. It is followed quickly by gingery spice on the tip of the tongue and in the back of the mouth. Toasty, almost buttery malt fill out the mid palate and the finish is sweet and tingly. I'm almost getting a custardy flavor in there too. The aftertaste is reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Body is nice and full.

The best pumpkin beer among those I've tried this year. Despite the artificialness of some of the flavors, it is still very appealing. Unlike the shipyard beer, I have no trouble drinking pumking. It's not an all-day kind of beer, but a bottle after dinner is nice.

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Glad you liked the pumpking,its a good beer,personally i thought the smashed had alot more character/complexity and was mildly spiced compared to the pumpkings overwhelming aroma and flavor profile. Mine(pumpking) was on the shelf warm then cooled for a week whether its a difference? who knows. Turns out i liked the smashed a little less the second time than the first too. But i disagree that the smashed is overspiced.Because i hate overspiced pumpkin beers.cheers! Ill be looking for some more pumpkins, and thanks for the reveiws i enjoy and apreciate people like you that take the time to do this.
 
Cool, keep it going!

I may have to hunt down some DFH when I am in Vegas next month. I love fresh pumpkin smell, and feel most pumpkin beers have too much spice. Sounds like my kinda' beer!

Thanks a bunch for the reviews. Great descriptions!
 
Congratulations on getting a decent bottle of Pumking. The quality of the bottles have been 50/50 for me this year.
 
I'm interested to read the review for the woodchuck hard cider, having only consumed one pumpkin beer before (it was the one by michalob, and it was horrible) I really appriciate these reviews.
 
I'm interested to read the review for the woodchuck hard cider, having only consumed one pumpkin beer before (it was the one by michalob, and it was horrible) I really appriciate these reviews.

I actually only had a sip of it, my wife is the cider person. It was alright as far as woodchuck ciders go. They are all too sweet for me, but it wasn't bad. There were spices coming through and another flavor you might call pumpkin. I wasn't really paying much attention to the sip though. My wife said it was very similar to the woodchuck fall cider, which is just a spiced cider. I could definitely pull out something different in the pumpkin cider though.
 
Heavy Seas The Greater Pumpkin

I noticed lots of fluffy, loose sediment in the bottle so I handled and poured it carefully. Upon opening there was a big pfft warning me to pour carefully. Poured gently and a nice 1-finger head popped up and slowly settled into a thin cap. Color is an attractive orange-gold, fairly clear in this first pour but for a little yeast clumps floating around. The next pour is sure to be a lot cloudier. Smell is slightly sour, like old barrels in a distilleries aging celler. Bourbon comes through eagerly with hints of spice on the nose. There's an almost creamy quality to the aroma. It blends with the sour notes to create an orange and cream sherbet impression. I think the beer definitely picked up some Brett in those barrels. Flavor is sweeter and less sour than I was expecting. You're hit with nice malt sweetness up front, and it's followed quickly by slightly puckering tannin from the oak that blends with a bourbon smokiness into the finish. Definite alcohol warmth in the throat. Low bitterness. I'm not getting much pumpkin and only a little bit of spice in the flavor. It's actually a nice, well-made beer, but it doesn't display the pumpkin and spice character of most pumpkin beers. It tastes like it might have been stronger before the bourbon barrel aging added the oaky tannin, bourbon, and brett flavors. The tannins are actually a bit too strong in this beer right now, but would probably smooth out after another 6 months to a year. This might be a very good beer to hang onto for a year or two. For a pumpkin beer though, you may be better off with the Great Pumpkin by Heavy Seas, which forgoes the bourbon barrel aging. I think the oak covers up a lot of the pumpkin and spice flavors while the Brett ate some of the other flavor up while drying and thinning out the beer slightly.

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This is great! Thanks a ton for doing this. Can't wait to get home and try a few.
 
Well, that's it for the pumpkin beers I bought. I've still got the nogne 0/jolly pumpkin/stone holiday ale I bought thinking it was a pumpkin ale. It should be good but it's not a pumpkin beer. I may pick up some more pumpkin beers to add to this thread if anyone can recommend a good one that would be available in my area (Durham, NC). I saw a few more in the bottle shop I skipped due to either not having heard of the brewery, or knowing the brewery made compromised beer (harvest moon).
 
Tried Pumking on tap last night. Even better than in the bottle. On tap, the artificial capn crunch cereal was a bit more subdued, and I actually got more of the toasty malt flavor.

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In regards to the cider, I didn't get much pumpkin either, but may I suggest the barrel aged woodchuck. Not a cider expert, but best one I've had. And I am a huge fan of heavy seas greater pumpkin! Thanks for the work.
 
Great thread. I find most pumpkins to be nothing more than a spiced beer, which I am not as big a fan of. I want PUMPKIN flavor, not cinnamon and nutmeg beer!
 
Pumking is my favorite beer of all time. One of the reasons being on how hard it is to clone. How do they get that perfect pumpkin pie flavor that finishes with a graham cracker crust? Delicious dessert beer.
 
Great thread. I find most pumpkins to be nothing more than a spiced beer, which I am not as big a fan of. I want PUMPKIN flavor, not cinnamon and nutmeg beer!

Brooklyn Pumpkin, it's nothing but pumpkin flavor, or Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale, again, nothing but pumpkin flavor in it.
 
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.
 
Went out and bought some Pumpkin ales and they are missing the mark. IMHO, Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale and did not get the pumpkin flavor at all. It is very drinkable (quafable), but the pumpkin flavor was not there. We also tried the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. King's review was spot on there. Lots of nutmeg and clove, crisp, malty, but not a pumpkin pie. The quest continues.
 
I've had 2 bottles of Pumking this season and so far they're definitely better than last year's batch. Hopefully they bottle the Oak-Aged version this year.
 
+1 i agree. I bought2 more this year. I think so far Sam Adams harvest pumpkin- is a pretty solid one also. Fat Jack was O.K.
 
I picked up some of the 2012 crop today. Still not done shopping though, as there were a couple I didn't find, namely Pumking and the Schlafly's beer. I'm not even sure if schlafly's is distributed in my area. Anyway, now that the weather is becoming more conducive to pumpkin beers here, I'll be starting the reviews later today.

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