Do you enjoy Pumpkin Beer?

[jeff62217]

I've had quite a few that were nothing to write home about, Shipyard's smashed pumpkin was amazing though.

I could never drink more than one per evening though, just seems like liquid dessert.

 

[filthyastronaut]

Beer is the best liquid analogue of pumpkin pie or bread, and I love them so long as they are balanced. I have both a spice-forward pumpkin ale and a lightly spiced stout right now. The former will be consumed quicker, but the latter will hold up into the winter.

 

[murphyslaw]

DFH Punkin Ale was once one of my favorites. I even bought five cases to serve at my October wedding a few years back. Last year I bought a case when it came out and it took me a long time to finish it. Nothing against DFH, which is one of my favorite breweries, I just think my tastes have just changed such that I no longer enjoy pumpkin beer.

Yet, I brewed my first pumpkin beer a couple weeks ago (not done yet). Go figure.

I wanted to brew something unusual (for me) and figured the family would like it around this time of year.

 

[Calichusetts]

Avery's Rumpkin and Pum[Ky]in are awesome, but I don't even know if I consider them pumpkin beers.

I age a few of the higher ABV ones out a couple years and they are far more drinkable

 

[hexangel013]

I love jolly pumpkin...but that's about it

 

[Devon]

I've only ever tasted pumpkin beer once. I was given one on the house at my local pub since the place was packed and I had no place to sit. I had to sneak off to the men's room to dump it down the drain discreetly. It was foul.

 

[JonM]

I am curious to try New Glarus's pumpkin beer. It's reportedly a Hefeweizen-like beer with a hint of pumpkin and spice that doesn't overwhelm the banana/clove flavor from the yeast.

But I won't be buying a sixer. Maybe if I see it on tap or I can get a single bottle.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I think what some people love about pumpkin ale is the sugar and spice on the rim of the glass... I don't do that at home. This one is dark not overly spicy, but I'd rather have pumpkin pie. Should be filling this bottle with cider in a while.

 

[clone63]

Maybe better to say I like sweet potato beers since it seems to impart a heavy pumpkin flavour. A lot of them just taste like spiced beer with breath of pumpkin.

 

[schematix]

Add a tick to the haters column for me.

Thanks.

 

[IowaHomeBrewer]

Rock Bottom Brewery makes a decent pumpkin ale. I make a point to go there once every fall for dinner so I can get a couple glasses. They do a cinnamon/sugar mix on the rim of the glass, maybe thats why I like it?

I isn't a beer I'd want to waste one of my tap lines on, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

 

[OleBrewing]

Usually too much spice for me, I will drink one and that's about it. But pumpkin is in everything fall now days.

 

[PDevlin75]

I love a good pumpkin beer... Trouble is, there are a lot of "not good" pumpkin beers out there. When I got into brewing, I knew one of the things I wanted to do was come up with my own. I'm in the process of refining my recipe, and I'm digging it along the way!

I like trying different pumpkin beers each year in the search of good ones. I used to love southern tiers Pumking, but it just hasn't been the same the past few years. Since then, I've come to love Schlafly's, and Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale. Ballast Point's Piper Down is another good one! Elysian's Punkaccino is also pretty tasty, but having tried their other "pumpkin" beers, I've come to find that I can only taste the cinnamon.

 

[unionrdr]

That's my problem. I can only taste the spices. Need to figure out how to get more pumpkin pie flavor.

 

[SevenOaks]

The sheep must drink what the sheep must drink.

 

[rupert130]

I hate pumpkin beer. A nice malty English Mild or Bitter is my beer of choice for fall.

 

[joshesmusica]

Amazing! Now we are on to bashing specialty styles!

 

[petey_c]

In today's paper...
http://www.gocomics.com/wizardofid
I have a feeling that this will change after today...
FYI, if you want to see the cartoon in question, you'll have to change the date on the cartoon to 10/7/15.

 

[iijakii]

I have mixed feelings about Pumpkin beers. I like probably half of the ones I try -- some are just way too sweet. But I havent had any yet this year and probably wont... they're all $8-10 for a damn bomber. No thanks.

 

[Malty_Dog]

I am definitely looking forward to the pumpkin beer I made this past weekend. It's a specialty beer, a dessert beer. I'm guessing one per sitting will be enough, and that's OK. SWMBO's friends will probably be gifted some over Thanksgiving provided its what I think it is.

 

[m00ps]

I cant seem to find the "i like turtles" option in the poll...

 

[danielofthedale]

Love pumpkin beers. Went to the Southern Brewing Company's Bumpkinfest last weekend and they had 10 pumpkin beers on tap, one out of a pumpkin cask and 8 that were the same recipe only changing the yeast. It was a great experince and seeing how just changing the yeast can totally chang the whole beer experince.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I really like the first one,seconds pretty good and I usually stop there.Shipyard is by far the best pumpkin Ive ever had

 

[Braumeise]

we have the first pumpkin beer of the season on Tap now....
usually I am very happy to sample the new beers on Tap so I can explain, what they taste like...
Might be, because I am not feeling well any way and coming down with a cold or something but sorry... after smelling it,I was not by all means able to taste it.

It is called Punkuccino and is a coffee pumpkin Ale from Elysian Brewery...

Not for me...

 

[izzie]

Pumpkin=ok for a few weeks. Had a barrel aged rumpkin (avery) at snallygaster in DC and our designated driver said that I really liked it! Pumking is hit or miss each year.

 

[Paps]

Pumkin beers apparently are a hard style to make a decent one.
Last year i had the Sam Adams version and it was decent but only had 2-3 offem. Tried O-Fallon`s version in the can, almost drain poured it.
Have not tried a lot of other name brands nor seek them as it's probably not a style that you can drink more than 2 pints in a sitting.

 

[zfcggh]

I enjoy the type without pumpkin or pumpkin spices. I like the idea, but not the beer. Save the pumpkin for pie!

 

[theseeker4]

I don't enjoy the pumpkin beers that I have had, but my wife does, so I will be brewing a 2.5 gallon batch of a pumpkin ale shortly....

 

[chisena]

Typically I enjoy it as long as it's not made by Dogfish Head. Really like Southern Tier's Pumking.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I do revvy's leffe recipe with the addition of pumpkin and spice.

It's been suggested by many who have tried it that this is the best beer I make.

I don't agree, but many of these people are craft beer lovers and I will continue to make it for them.

 

[mesooohoppy]

I enjoy seeing them on the shelves and not in my fridge or hand. With that said, I've only had the rogue pumpkin ale this year.

Maybe I am just not paying attention that much, but it seems like oktoberfest just comes and goes while pumpkin beers get most of the spot light...? (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[DevilNuts]

Anything with that strong, spicy flavor. My own pumpkin ale clocked in a bit low on the abv scale (around 5%) but had a very strong flavor (I left the spices in the fermentor), which mellowed out over about six months. Everyone who tried it fell in love.

My own personal favorites are, in ranked order:
1) Southern Tier's Worlock
2) Southern Tier's Pumking
3) Shipyard's Pumpkinhead

 

[fuzzy2133]

The only one I tend to buy each year is Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin.
I do agree with others that there can be a big flavor variance from year to year.