Do you enjoy Pumpkin Beer?

[petey_c]

Two or three years ago, at the East End/North Fork Brewfest I had four or five pumpkin ales (4 oz. samples). That was enough for me. That's why I like to be able to put together a sixer of different brews. This way I'm not stuck with four novelty beers.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Kill it with fire. And I don't mean a propane burner and kettle. I mean set the pumpkins on fire and throw them out of an airplane rather than brew with them.

 

[lumpher]

i think pumpkin beer is nasty. every1 who enjoys it, good for you.

 

[Braumeise]

I mistrust everyone who drinks Bud and calls it beer... I am highly suspicious of anyone who drinks pumpkin flavored anything and dares to call it "beer"...

Pumpkin makes great soup...and it is wonderful when pickled sweet and sour for a vegetarian sushi roll...

I guess you could even add roasted pumpkin seeds to a brew and get something nice out of it - if people would just leave those "pumpkin-flavour" spices out of the equation.

To me that tastes like gingerbread spice and doesn't resemble anything I would do to a poor innocent pumpkin.

 

[Gerry_P]

The only one I would buy is Dogfish Head's, if they sold it around here. I tried Wasatch Black O'Lantern recently, that one wasn't bad. I have a little grudge because my go-to beer store took a bunch of good stuff off the shelves (several Founders and Oktoberfest beers, for example) to make room for about 10 different stupid pumpkin beers. Bah.

 

[CoreyD]

Where I'm from Rogue is "the best beer around" (not my opinion. they make good beer, but there are others that are better, and cheaper). I tried their Pumpkin Ale a few weeks ago. Nasty stuff. Too much spice. Not sure what spice it was, but it was way too much. After 3 or 4 glasses you don't notice it anymore (had a growler of it so I drank what I could), but it made me leery of trying any other pumpkin beer. Maybe next year I'll brew my own so I can regulate the spices. for now I am staying away.

 

[unionrdr]

What bugs me is you don't taste the pumpkin with the spices in the beer.

 

[jekeane]

Pumpkin beers are the American version of an Oktoberfest. I prefer Oktoberfest have enjoyed many pumpkin beers. I really don't need to see pumpkin beers in Florida in August.

 

[drainbamage]

I'm not a big fan. I'll try a few new ones each year just to see if one hooks me, but usually that stray pint or bomber is enough to get me through the season.

I'd rather drink Oktoberfests this time of year, or just move straight to stout season if it gets cool soon enough.

 

[JonM]

I got a local brewery's mixed 6-pack. One bottle was their annual pumpkin beer. One. That's enough pumpkin beer for me for 2015.

 

[Melana]

I like one pumpkin beer per year - only if it is barely spiced if at all.

 

[JonM]

The one I had was like nutmeg soup.

I like nutmeg, and I really really like this brewery, and their pumpkin beer is obviously a hot seller, but blech. No. Not for me.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I do not like the pumpkin beer.
I refuse to drink it every year.
Potatoe.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I'm kind of with @Melana on this one. I usually try 2 a year. The one I like and then one new one. Previously I enjoyed UFO Pumpkin, this year a local one beat it for the top spot. Despite it being a little sweeter than I normally enjoy, Horseheads Brewing, Inc. Pumpkin Ale is my new favorite. They did a really great job.

 

[Malty_Dog]

Well this thread gave me a chuckle. I am usually less than impressed with the pumpkin beers I've tried although the more imperial versions I have liked more. And wouldn't you know it, I just brewed Gordon Strong's Liquid Pumpkin Pie yesterday and it definitely smells like pumkin pie (pretty awesome actually). Tons of spices. I'm hoping it turns out to be a drinkable "dessert beer". I know I will be giving a lot away if possible.

So in short - pumpkin beers are OK a few weeks out of the year

 

[Melana]

YAY! Someone is with me!

 

[mkyl428]

 

[lumpher]

^^ What Mkyl said

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

I try a few a year, but don't go out of my way to hunt them down like some folks do.

The best one that I've had so far is Imperial Pumpkin Smash by Crown Valley Brewing.

My buddy is in a beer of the month club and doesn't like "heavy beer." Too bad for him. Great for me, as he gave me 3 of them.

Now if I could only find it in Michigan.

 

[Roadie]

It's ok as a seasonal thing. I haven't been to a bottle shop since our move to know what's available in the south, but in the midwest I liked Schlafly.

 

[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.