What category should i put pumpkin porter?

[thood6]

I'm going to put a pumpkin porter in a competition and I am curious where y'all would put it in the BJCP guidelines. You taste a little pumpkin sweetness with the first couple sips with a little spice in the background. It is very subltle.

I purchased the recipe from AHS an the characterize is as a Baltic Porter. However I'm considering Fruit beer but concerned it is not prevelant enough for that category. Specialty beer?

If I don't tell people what's in it they don't notice any flavor or think anything of it.


Thanks for all the help.

 

[microbusbrewery]

If you don't notice any pumpkin character and it fits the style guidelines for Baltic Porter, that's what I'd go with. Did you use any spices like nutmeg or cinnamon? Same for them...if you didn't or don't notice them, go with the BP.

 

[thood6]

If you don't notice any pumpkin character and it fits the style guidelines for Baltic Porter, that's what I'd go with. Did you use any spices like nutmeg or cinnamon? Same for them...if you didn't or don't notice them, go with the BP.

I used the spices and if you are looking for them you can pick them up but again nobody tastes it until I say something.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Assuming it meets the guidelines, and if you're sure you can't pick out pumpkin and/or spice then you're probably safe going with 12C Baltic Porter. Otherwise I'd probably go with 21A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer. Even if it's subtle, an experienced judge may be able to pick up on the pumpkin and spices.

 

[thood6]

Assuming it meets the guidelines, and if you're sure you can't pick out pumpkin and/or spice then you're probably safe going with 12C Baltic Porter. Otherwise I'd probably go with 21A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer. Even if it's subtle, an experienced judge may be able to pick up on the pumpkin and spices.

Since pumpkin is technically a fruit I was also wondering whether fruit or vegetable category was appropriate.

 

[weirdboy]

I would go with 21A personally.

"dark" fruity esters akin to raisins, plums, or prunes are expected in a baltic porter, but spice of any sort isn't. It should have a clean lager fermentation character. If you can pick up on the spice at all in the aroma or flavor, you will get knocked down on that by submitting it to the regular baltic porter category. Those spices will likely be interpreted as inappropriate phenolics created by the yeast and I would not be surprised to see comments akin to "Belgian character" and suggestions to use a clean ale or lager yeast, or to watch fermentation temperatures, etc. in the overall feedback section. I think the flavor you get from pumpkin is close enough to plums or similar that it wouldn't really be a factor, but the spices definitely could be. 21A seems like a good fit to me.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Since pumpkin is technically a fruit I was also wondering whether fruit or vegetable category was appropriate.

Botanically speaking, yes it is a fruit. So are peppers but the comments section for 20 Fruit Beer indicates:

Beer with chile peppers should be entered in the Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer category (21A).

You can enter it in category 20 if you like but I wouldn't count on a very good score. You could argue with the judges after the fact that pumpkins are fruit but what good is that going to do you? Also, if you look at the commercial examples for the category, they're pretty much all "fruits" with high sugar content and/or quite a bit of acidic tartness...unlike a pumpkin.

New Glarus Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart, Bell’s Cherry Stout, Dogfish Head Aprihop, Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale, Founders Rübæus, Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale, Stiegl Radler, Weyerbacher Raspberry Imperial Stout, Abita Purple Haze, Melbourne Apricot Beer and Strawberry Beer, Saxer Lemon Lager, Magic Hat #9, Grozet Gooseberry and Wheat Ale, Pyramid Apricot Ale, Dogfish Head Fort

 

[thood6]

Botanically speaking, yes it is a fruit. So are peppers but the comments section for 20 Fruit Beer indicates:

Beer with chile peppers should be entered in the Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer category (21A).

You can enter it in category 20 if you like but I wouldn't count on a very good score. You could argue with the judges after the fact that pumpkins are fruit but what good is that going to do you? Also, if you look at the commercial examples for the category, they're pretty much all "fruits" with high sugar content and/or quite a bit of acidic tartness...unlike a pumpkin.

New Glarus Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart, Bell’s Cherry Stout, Dogfish Head Aprihop, Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale, Founders Rübæus, Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale, Stiegl Radler, Weyerbacher Raspberry Imperial Stout, Abita Purple Haze, Melbourne Apricot Beer and Strawberry Beer, Saxer Lemon Lager, Magic Hat #9, Grozet Gooseberry and Wheat Ale, Pyramid Apricot Ale, Dogfish Head Fort

Thanks I appreciate all the help!

 

[weirdboy]

Botanically speaking, yes it is a fruit. So are peppers but the comments section for 20 Fruit Beer indicates:

Beer with chile peppers should be entered in the Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer category (21A).

You can enter it in category 20 if you like but I wouldn't count on a very good score. You could argue with the judges after the fact that pumpkins are fruit but what good is that going to do you? Also, if you look at the commercial examples for the category, they're pretty much all "fruits" with high sugar content and/or quite a bit of acidic tartness...unlike a pumpkin.

New Glarus Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart, Bell’s Cherry Stout, Dogfish Head Aprihop, Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale, Founders Rübæus, Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale, Stiegl Radler, Weyerbacher Raspberry Imperial Stout, Abita Purple Haze, Melbourne Apricot Beer and Strawberry Beer, Saxer Lemon Lager, Magic Hat #9, Grozet Gooseberry and Wheat Ale, Pyramid Apricot Ale, Dogfish Head Fort

Assuming you have competent judges, nobody is going to be taking points off and saying "pumpkin isn't a fruit" on the scoresheets. They will judge the beer to the best of their ability and try to decide how well the pumpkin works with the beer. That being said I will reiterate that the fact you have spices in there, and the fact that pumpkin beers are typically associated with those spices, means it goes in 21A.


And if we are going to use commercial examples to prove our points, I submit that Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale are both commercial examples for 21A.