{"id":2478,"date":"2015-10-20T06:52:26","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T06:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beer-syndicate.com\/blog\/?p=2478"},"modified":"2016-12-14T15:48:53","modified_gmt":"2016-12-14T15:48:53","slug":"2015-pumpkin-beer-throw-down-40-pumpkin-beers-reviewed-and-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/2015-pumpkin-beer-throw-down-40-pumpkin-beers-reviewed-and-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"2015 Pumpkin Beer Throw Down: 40 Pumpkin Beers Reviewed and Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pumpkin<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the middle of October.\u00a0 Temperatures are dropping, leaves are changing color, and pumpkin beers have hit the shelves with a serious vengeance.\u00a0 By no means is pumpkin beer a new thing in the U.S., but this year there seems to be such a glut of them I\u2019m starting to wonder if there\u2019ll be any pumpkin left for the ailing\u00a0pumpkin pie industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

But just because there are more players in the pumpkin beer game, doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re all winners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course depending on who you ask, they might tell you that there are no winners<\/em> in the pumpkin beer game because they despise, detest, or otherwise deplore pumpkin beer.\u00a0 And depending on which pumpkin beers they\u2019ve had, I can\u2019t say I blame them.\u00a0 But before we get to this year\u2019s countdown, let\u2019s talk briefly about the perception of pumpkin beer and then our ranking method.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Funny Thing About Pumpkin Beer\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Quick question: If you had to guess what most people in North America think pumpkin beer should taste like, what do you suppose they\u2019d say?<\/span><\/p>\n

Like pumpkin pie maybe?<\/em>\u00a0 If so, people are often quick to point out that what you\u2019re tasting in pumpkin pie isn\u2019t just the pumpkin, but also pumpkin pie spices<\/em> like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, mace, etc. (not to mention the pie crust and maybe some whipped cream if you\u2019re fancy).\u00a0 Pumpkin on its own, depending on the variety and how it\u2019s cooked, can taste like squash (it is squash), earthy, buttery, mildly sweet, and perhaps nutty, but certainly not like cinnamon or any of the other pumpkin pie spices.<\/span><\/p>\n

But because pumpkin pie is commonly how we encounter pumpkin in North America, it makes sense that we associate pumpkin with pumpkin pie, particularly pumpkin pie spices<\/u>.\u00a0 Many breweries take this into account, especially those producing pumpkin beers for a North American audience, which is why some \u201cpumpkin\u201d beers can get away with containing only pumpkin pie spices<\/em> and no actual pumpkin at all (sort of like how Starbucks\u2019 Pumpkin Spice Latte<\/em> doesn\u2019t contain pumpkin— at least not prior to this season).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, using pumpkin pie spices in a pumpkin beer (with or without the pumpkin) can be a double-edged sword for brewers because not only does it reinforce the stereotype that pumpkin beers should be spiced, but also the consumers\u2019 expectation that pumpkin beer should taste as close to pumpkin pie as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Re-Conceptualizing Pumpkin Beer: Beyond Pumpkin Pie<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of how pumpkin beers \u201cshould\u201d taste, here\u2019s the other important thing you should know about the squashy suds: Brewers, particularly those of the pesky craft<\/em>\u00a0variety, sometimes think that it\u2019s OK to be creative and add pumpkin or related spices to different styles of beer like porter, Scottish ale, Altbier, saison, and even Lambic, which can definitely stretch some preconceived notions about what pumpkin beer is, especially when executed well.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the real kicker: depending on the pumpkin beer, the typical pumpkin pie spices may or may not<\/u> be noticeable!\u00a0\u00a0 (Just when you thought you had pumpkin beers all figured out<\/em>\u2026)<\/span><\/p>\n

So not only are some \u201cpumpkin beers\u201d brewed using not the typical wheat or porter base beer, the very fact that some of the craft pumpkin beers sampled in this review did not<\/u><\/em> exhibit any semblance of pumpkin pie spices shattered the perception of what pumpkin beer can be for at least one hardcore hater of pumpkin beer, who subsequently became a fan of this increasingly diverse style of beer.\u00a0 (Darn you craft beer for challenging our expectations of how things are \u201csupposed\u201d to taste!)<\/span><\/p>\n

Which brings us to how we ranked the pumpkin beers…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ranking and Tasting Methodology<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For the purposes of this review, even if the beer in question was delicious, well balanced, etc., points were taken off if the pumpkin beer did not exhibit any \u201cpumpkin\u201d character.\u00a0 And we were very open with the interpretation of \u201cpumpkin\u201d character and didn\u2019t mark off points as long as the beer exhibited at least one of the following: pumpkin\/squash character, pumpkin pie character, and\/or any pumpkin pie spice character; otherwise we more or less followed a combination of the GABF Pumpkin Beer guidelines<\/a> <\/span>and the 2015 BJCP \u201cAutumn Seasonal Beer<\/a><\/span>\u201d (30B) guidelines, meaning that\u00a0beers were judged according to an external standard more so\u00a0than personal taste.<\/span><\/p>\n

The other important thing to keep in mind when\u00a0using the\u00a0BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) model to evaluate pumpkin beer is that the quality of the base beer in question greatly\u00a0impacts the total score of the pumpkin beer, so if the underlying base style is not brewed within the BJCP\/GABF guidelines (i.e. brewed “to-style”), then the overall score suffers (the inverse of this is also true).<\/span><\/p>\n

All beverages were carefully evaluated by a panel of\u00a0experienced homebrewers and tasters, most of whom have over ten years of experience evaluating beers (using the BJCP scoring method).\u00a0 In the interest of objectivity, all beers were evaluated over several tasting sessions (no more than one session per day), and in most sessions only three beers were evaluated so as to avoid palate fatigue (i.e. getting tipsy).\u00a0 As much as possible, pumpkin beers with a similar base beer (porter, wheat beer, etc.) were sampled during the same session.\u00a0 Each beer received approximately 10-15 minutes of evaluation time which covered appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression.\u00a0 Beers were evaluated in clear glass Brandy snifters in order to emphasize\u00a0the beer\u2019s character.\u00a0 Beers were served at the recommended serving temperature if one existed on the bottle\/can; otherwise the beer was served at approximately 48-50\u00b0F (8.9-10\u00b0C).<\/span><\/p>\n

All beverages reviewed were purchased out-of-pocket from retailers, which on one hand might lend more impartiality to the reviews, but on the other hand means some pumpkin beers didn\u2019t make the list for no other reason than we\u2019s only gots so much cash and<\/em><\/span> because\u00a0we were limited to mainly beers that are available in our region (west coast). \u00a0This means that although\u00a0SCHLAFLY PUMPKIN ALE<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>is\u00a0highly\u00a0acclaimed throughout all the galaxy\u00a0(or whatever “the best” pumpkin beer in your region\u00a0is), because they do not distribute out west, they do not show up on this list.<\/strong>\u00a0Also, even though the beers were consumed shortly after purchase, we can only assume freshness of the sample if there is no date listed on the bottle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just for fun, we also reviewed a few pumpkin ciders.<\/span><\/p>\n

And now, on with the show\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Page<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

2015 Pumpkin Cider Mini-Championship<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n\"Tieton<\/a>3. Tieton Cider Works Smoked Pumpkin Cider<\/strong>: Tieton Cider Works describes their smoked pumpkin cider as \u201cearthy\u201d, and while “earth” is clearly noticeable, we were hoping for something more in the direction of, say, pumpkin— with perhaps just a scoop less earth. The tasting panel unanimously picked up unmistakable aromas of earthiness (potting soil), cottage cheese, and canned peaches, along with apple juice, white wine, mild champagne, apple wood, and horse blanket in this nearly transparent light-gold cider. Earthiness is also apparent in this cider\u2019s particularly sweet, medium carbonated flavor profile in addition to elements of white grape juice, apple juice concentrate, 2 X 4 lumber, a touch of smoke, some cabbage, and white wine mid-palate and into the finish.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Private<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Private Reserve Pumpkin – Woodchuck Hard Cider<\/strong>: Woodchuck foregoes the typical pumpkin pie spices in this sweet cider, leaving just the apple and straight pumpkin to duke it out. The cider pours a crystal clear caramel\u00a0colored body with a quickly dissipating fizzy head which kicks out sweet aromas of barrel-aged cream soda, Caramel Apple Pops suckers, and a hint of banana Runts candy. Elements of cream soda, cooked buttered pumpkin, and Werther’s Original caramel candy come through in the taste, leaving behind an aftertaste of tart green apple, crushed Tylenol, and what one taster perceived as a touch of Dayquil.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ace<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Ace Pumpkin Cider<\/strong>: This sugary sweet cider has pumpkin taking a backseat to an overpowering presence\u00a0of cinnamon and tart apple, but nevertheless turned out to be the better of the three pumpkin ciders reviewed. The cider pours a clear apple juice color, no head or lacing, with aromas of mulling spices, hot cinnamon, tart apple, squash, and water balloon. The flavor is a saccharine combination of sour green apple Jolly Rancher candy and Atomic Fireball cinnamon hard candy, with perhaps a bit of butternut squash and pumpkin candle under all the noise. The aftertaste is sour citric acid, salt, and Chardonnay.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On to the Pumpkin Beers…<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Page<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n

\"Pumking<\/a><\/div>\n
40. Pumking – Southern Tier Brewing Company<\/strong>: \u00a0Reportedly much better in prior years, “Pumking” seems to have lost its crown as of late (and apparently we’re not the only ones who think so<\/a><\/span>). \u00a0The beer\u00a0ranked poorly this year for its odd general character of buttery corn and sweet kid\u2019s cereal. The medium-full bodied, apple juice colored pumpkin beer discharges aromas of corn meal, buttered acorn squash, Honey Comb cereal, Cap’n Crunch, \u00a0movie butter-soaked\u00a0<\/span>Corn Pops, caramelized brown sugar, cream corn, faint nutmeg, and dandelion.\u00a0 The medium-sweet taste closely resembles the aroma emphasizing notes of boiled yellow squash, earthiness, slightly sour canned evaporated milk, stale popcorn, booze, a hint of Chartreuse, pecan pie filling, faint cinnamon, and lickable adhesive (remember when you had to lick stamps?), leaving behind a canned spinach sort of bitterness in the aftertaste.\u00a0 A side-by-side tasting of 2014 and 2015 bottles revealed, for better or worse, very little difference in character.<\/span><\/div>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/a><\/p>\n

39. Pumpkin Springs Porter – Grand Canyon Brewing Company<\/strong>: A bit watery and soapy for a porter, this pumpkin beer pours a dark coffee colored body with about a pinky of dark tan head, evoking\u00a0a slightly smoky aroma and hints of coco powder, mesquite bark, roasted marshmallow, brown sugar, green tea, Eucalyptus leaves, black licorice, a hint of alcohol, allspice and cinnamon. Somewhat paradoxically, the brew is generally thin yet possesses a mildly creamy mouthfeel, exhibiting flavors of cinnamon pine cone, Cascade powder dish detergent, a hint of soy sauce, zucchini water, charcoal, nutmeg and ginger with an aftertaste of ash, cacao, volcanic rock and dry autumn leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/a><\/p>\n

38. Pumpkin Porter – Four Peaks Brewing Company<\/strong>: With no real pumpkin or spice character anywhere, the tasting panel picked out aromas of Swiss Miss cocoa powder, slight sourness, tamarind (including the pod), spam, and homemade play dough, followed by a taste of toasted ash, salt, and sour grain. [This porter is reportedly better on tap.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Punkin<\/a><\/p>\n

37. Punkin Ale – Dogfish Head Brewery<\/strong>: While the members on our\u00a0panel are typically big fans of Dogfish Head brews, this medium-full bodied, semi-dry pumpkin beer was very subtle (bordering bland) and didn\u2019t really deliver much in the way of either pumpkin or spice this year (except in color). The beer pours a transparent pumpkin colored body with about a finger of light tan head with exceptional retention. Aroma-wise, the panel picked out faint notes of English muffin with a light glaze of apricot jam, paraffin wax, a touch of coffee cake, walnut-infused peach tea, and <\/span>maybe<\/em> pumpkin skin.\u00a0 The flavor offered notes of pecan and walnut shells, black tea, brown sugar, a hint of dried apricot, English Pale Ale, and finishes dry with a touch of alcohol some astringency in the aftertaste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/a><\/p>\n

36. Pumpkin Ale – Mendocino Brewing Company<\/strong>: This pumpkin ale presents a mosaic of aromas, but lacks a pleasant harmony in the taste. The aroma is complex, with elements of pumpkin roll with sour cream filling, brown sugar apricot glaze, whole cloves, maple, cinnamon, allspice, guava, loquat, guarana, star fruit, halved pomegranate, the juice of canned blueberries from the blueberry muffin mix, curly potpourri wood shavings, and a hint of cacao as it warms. The taste is dry and thin with notes of pumpkin candle, pumpkin soup, guava, gooseberry, Flintstone vitamins, bitter tea tannins, perfume, and over-cooked spices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wick<\/a><\/p>\n

35. Wick For Brains – Nebraska Brewing Company<\/strong>: Wick For Brains pours a transparent pumpkin colored body with only a film of head. The aroma recalls notes of Belgian Wit yeast, minimal pumpkin spice, flour tortillas, pumpkin candle, squash, a dash of corn meal, flat Vernors soda, sweet corn, pumpkin Gummy Bears, Splenda, jicama, and a touch of brown sugar. The taste offers up flavors of navel orange peel, Satsuma, canned apricots, pith, pumpkin chap stick, multivitamin juice, a touch of nutmeg, Kiks cereal, salt, and leaves behind a dry aftertaste of wheat grain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Punk'n<\/a><\/p>\n

34. Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale – Uinta Brewing Company<\/strong>: We were hoping for a bit more pumpkin character and sweetness from this medium bodied, pumpkin colored brew out of Utah. The aroma exhibits elements of rye, twigs, Wasa multigrain crackers, flaxseed, sesame seed, mild pumpkin, and a hint of ginger.\u00a0 The taste is dry, with a mildly creamy mouthfeel, and notes of rye, cream of tartar, black tea, Lincoln Logs, and unsweetened snickerdoodle dough, with a tannic aftertaste and a note of Wheat Chex.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wasatch<\/a><\/p>\n

33. Wasatch Black O’Lanter<\/strong>: Another offering from Salt Lake City, although a bit low in ABV (6.5%) to be called an \u201cImperial Stout (let\u2019s call it a \u201cUtah\u201d Imperial), this coffee black pumpkin beer reveals scents of roasted malt, molasses, vague soy sauce, twigs, subtle\u00a0booze, licorice, cedar, and desertbroom bush. The flavor is medium-sweet with notes of volcanic rock, black licorice, chocolate powder, and a hint of root beer barrel candy and nutmeg. Fun fact: apparently, the word \u201cWasatch\u201d comes from Paiute and Ute Indian phrase meaning \u201cfrozen penis\u201d; lucky no Wasatch was detected in this beer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Smuttynose<\/a><\/p>\n

32. Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale<\/strong>: Aside from\u00a0a touch of ginger in the nose,\u00a0a\u00a0dark pumpkin colored body, and an image of a pumpkin on the label,\u00a0this pumpkin ale offers\u00a0only mild hints at any outstanding pumpkin character.\u00a0\u00a0The aroma is suggestive of spiced gum drops, floral components of jasmine and pansies, dusty tangelo peel, toffee, light cream soda, ginger root, menthol, and chocolate covered orange stick candy. The panel uncovered flavors of dry pecan shell, lavender, soapy, perfume-y, pithy, Bergamot tea, some hop bitterness, lemon, salty, over-steeped chamomile tea, and green hay with a bit of an oily mouthfeel in this medium bodied ale. \u00a0The beer concludes with\u00a0a bit of a\u00a0lingering tannic bitterness in the aftertaste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wasatch<\/a><\/p>\n

31. Wasatch Pumpkin Ale<\/strong>: With little in the way of pumpkin pie spice in the aroma (perhaps only ginger), it was predominately pumpkin (squash) that took center stage in this Wasatch pumpkin production. \u00a0Unfortunately the pumpkin seemed past its prime, aged and pasty, with lactic components like pumpkin cheesecake made with mildly sour milk, rattan wood, and parsnip. Luckily, the taste was an improvement over the aroma, revealing typical pumpkin pie spices like nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, nevertheless the beer was nearly flat, watery, papery, and waxy. Although not particularly sweet, tasters noted a Splenda-like artificial sweetener character with hints of nutmeg and cumin in the aftertaste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Imperial<\/a><\/p>\n

30. Imperial Pumpkin Sleigh\u2019r – Ninkasi Brewing Company<\/strong>: A 2015 newcomer and weighing in at 9% AVB, this full-bodied Imperial Dark Pumpkin beer emphasizes the \u201cImperial\u201d over the pumpkin with notes of booze-soaked raisin bread, freshly lacquered wood, and Elmer\u2019s glue punching through the nose. The aroma also offers up hints of Red Twizzles, dates, cocoa powder, and brown sugar. Pumpkin comes through not really as a flavor component in this case, but instead as a thick, rich, syrupy mouthfeel sensation.\u00a0 Notes of banana Laffy Taffy, dates, leather, caramel, cedar and ash appear in the taste, but the prevailing character of this \u201cDo\u00fcble Alt\u201d is <\/span>booze<\/u>, which if better integrated and balanced with the pumpkin, could set up <\/span>Imperial Pumpkin Sleigh\u2019r<\/em> as the beer to beat next pumpkin season.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Redhook<\/a><\/p>\n

29. Redhook Out Of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter<\/strong>: Though this coffee black porter may only\u00a0offer flashes of\u00a0mild roast in the nose, there is absolutely no mistaking\u00a0its dominating character in the\u00a0taste. The aroma presents notes of new leather shoes, pleather, a hint of anise, German multigrain bread, flannel, solidified dark molasses, bamboo shoots, dry potting soil, with an absolute minimal roast (old campfire). The highly roasty taste interferes with and overshadows what pumpkin character there is. The tasting panel picked out elements of\u00a0heavily roasted pumpkin chunks, perhaps pumpkin dark wheat pita chips, pumpkin seed, followed by notes\u00a0of burnt toaster crumbs, ashy water, a\u00a0touch of peat, and a semblance of hops. \u00a0Aftertaste?<\/em> You got it: roasty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pumpkineater<\/a>28. Pumpkineater – Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company<\/strong>: Heavy on the spice, and even though\u00a0not brewed with ginger, Ginger Snap Cookie was unavoidable in the nose and taste, albeit the taste could have benefited from a bit more sweetness to balance out the spice. With a transparent Lipton Tea colored body, and a finger of thick buff head which lasts a solid minute, leaving a bit of lacing inside the glass, Pumpkineater exhibits inviting aromas of ginger snap cookie, ginger bread, cloves, dough, and autumn brown leaves. Taste: ginger bread, pleasantly medium-low sweetness, worn leather, chai tea, mild cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, and finishes with tannic ground spice which lingers into the aftertaste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spicy<\/a><\/p>\n

27. Spicy Pumpkin Ale – Indian Wells Brewing Company<\/strong>: While the beer produced only a film of light tan head which dissipated quickly, the aroma held some promise with notes of cinnamon-scented wicker basket, banana bread, pumpkin chap stick, vanilla yogurt, light brown sugar and nutmeg. Unfortunately, the taste didn\u2019t live up to the aroma and was underwhelming in part due to its thin, watery character, which was only accentuated by the nearly flat level of carbonation. Other flavors in this lightly sweet spiced beer are butternut squash, pumpkin potpourri, cinnamon, allspice, and yeast, ultimately finishing dry and mildly astringent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pumpkick<\/a><\/p>\n

26. Pumpkick – New Belgium Brewing<\/strong>: Although New Belgium changed things up a bit this year by adding a “kick”\u00a0of cranberry juice to their pumpkin beer, the cranberry\u00a0character tends to get lost in the shuffle of the other competing spices and may not necessarily be perceived as cranberry, if at all. In the aroma, the tasting panel detected notes of apple cinnamon yogurt, canned pumpkin pur\u00e9e, faint ginger snap cookie, uncooked sliced zucchini, pumpkin buttermilk, and soggy bran cereal. The flavor was reminiscent of New Belgium\u2019s flagship amber ale, <\/span>Fat Tire<\/em>, but with a vaguely sweet character of apple cinnamon cut with a certain acidity and pithy dryness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Fall<\/a><\/p>\n

25. Fall Hornin’ – Anderson Valley Brewing Company<\/strong>: Even though\u00a0this medium bodied, dark colored ale is unmistakably a pumpkin beer, offering both characters of acorn squash and pumpkin pie spice throughout, some tasters felt that it struggles in the taste to reign in some of the dry, borderline harsh, components generated perhaps from the spice. The ale pours a black\u00a0coffee color with ruby highlights and excellent clarity, topped with a \u00bc inch of dark tan head. The aroma is mild with pleasant hints of pumpkin candle, Coke float (Coke & vanilla ice-cream), earthy acorn squash and brown sugar, and is lightly spiced with ginger, cloves and allspice. The taste is only <\/span>mildly<\/em> sweet with a flat RC Cola-like character, a touch of vanilla and some squash as it warms which is tempered with dry, bitter, almost tannic notes of spices like baked ginger, cardamom, and a touch of salt. Aftertaste is dried spice and twigs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wilhelm<\/a><\/p>\n

24. Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale – Magic Hat Brewing Company<\/strong>: This peach tea-colored, medium-bodied pumpkin beer from Magic Hat could stand to gain from a bit more sweetness and pumpkin in the taste to match its promising aroma. Pumpkin pie spice comes through clearly in this well-balanced aroma, along with notes of peanut shell, pumpkin snickerdoodle, dry autumn leaves, zucchini, and pumpkin pie filling. The taste is semi-dry and a bit thin, but displays flavors of brown sugar, walnut shell, dry leaves, jicama, copper, faint anise, mild cola, with a turnip-like bitterness, and an aftertaste of fresh ginger and allspice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Engine<\/a><\/p>\n

23. Engine 45 – Mendocino Brewing Company<\/strong>: This hazy dark copper ale offers a promising aroma of waxy cold cooked pumpkin with mellow spices of nutmeg and ginger. The taste, albeit a touch perfume-y, generally reflects the aroma but is somewhat plain, with an unsweetened Lipton tea character, mild nut shell and dry leaves, and finishes with a mild presence of alcohol.\u00a0 Vague allspice is noticeable in the taste, but overall the beer could benefit from a greater variety and balance of spices. \u00a0The aftertaste is a touch tannic with a slice of fresh ginger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Peaceful<\/a><\/p>\n

22. Peaceful Pumpkin – Mudshark Brewing Co.<\/strong>: The brew is easily identifiable as a spiced pumpkin beer from the aroma alone. Pouring a slightly hazy dark copper colored body with minimal head, the aroma here is pumpkin pie filling with spices of nutmeg and cinnamon along with baked pie crust, milk-soaked Cinnamon Toast Crunch, a hint of banana, unripe green grapes, boiled pumpkin, a touch of ginger snap cookie, and a trace of dry apple cider as the beer warms. The taste is lightly sweet with notes of cold chai tea, squash, salt, a touch of astringent ginger, mild booze in the finish, with medium carbonation and a somewhat oily mouthfeel, leaving behind a bit of over-steeped tea in the aftertaste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Samuel<\/a><\/p>\n

21. Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale<\/strong>: This deep red-copper double pumpkin ale from the Boston Beer Company emits fragrances\u00a0of anise, mild nutmeg, Boston brown bread, brown sugar, diluted molasses, tamarind, cedar wood shoe horn, a hint of cola slushy, faint leather and a touch of smoke. The flavor is spice-forward and heavy on the ginger, with a thick, creamy, almost corn-starchy mouthfeel. Other flavors include teriyaki sauce (think the sweet thick kind that coats Beef and Broccoli), water chestnut, salt, black licorice, smoked malt suggestive of cured ham, clove, allspice, pumpkin pur\u00e9e, mild whiskey barrel, mulch, and booze mid-palate, leaving an aftertaste of ginger and crunchy autumn leaves in the mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Oak<\/a><\/p>\n

20. Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Uinta Brewing Company<\/strong>: Yet another offering hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, this barrel-aged pumpkin beer is justifiably \u201cimperial\u201d, boasting an alcohol content of 10.31% (the official ABV of Halloween), and while light on the spices, it clearly spent some time in the wood. \u00a0But just because\u00a0the hashtag “barrel-aged imperial” is trending on Twitter this week, doesn’t mean we forget about balance. \u00a0Tasting notes: Aroma is gin, cedar and hops, brown sugar, resin, mesquite sap, Oreo cream filling, marshmallow coated yams, pumpkin skin, and cola Freezie. Taste: sliced bamboo shoots, mild well-masked booze character of sak\u00e9 and gin mild-palate, juniper berry, creamy mouthfeel, raw oats, cornstarch, medium-high sweetness, fermented pumpkin pie filling, mild maple wood character seems to mute notes of spices of ginger, clove, cinnamon, and allspice.\u00a0 Finishes dry and bitter.\u00a0 Appearance: 15-16 SRM, hazy, one minute of tan head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/a><\/p>\n

19. Pumpkin Down – Ballast Point Brewing Company<\/strong>: This nicely spiced (but low on the pumpkin), medium-full bodied Scottish Ale pours a nearly transparent dark mahogany body which develops a finger of dark tan head with excellent retention and some lacing. The aroma presents sweet notes of Baked Apple Pie from Mcy Ds, untoasted raisin English muffin, cinnamon raisin bagel, anise, dry pinecone, dark Karo syrup, and one panelist felt a certain peachiness suggestive of peach yogurt, Lipton peach tea, peach pie with the crust, and lastly, perhaps a hint of \u201cOcean\u201d scented blue candle. Cinnamon raisin toast comes through in the taste, along with walnut skin, raw pie crust, tea, and one taster picked up mildly sweet curry potatoes.\u00a0 The aftertaste leaves the palate with a bit of astringent allspice, ink, and booze.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Saranac<\/a><\/p>\n

18. Saranac Pumpkin Ale – Matt Brewing Company \/ Saranac Brewery<\/strong>: For a pumpkin beer, this medium-bodied brew does a pretty good impression of an English Brown Ale (hint: rhymes with \u201cKnew Kassel\u201d). Saranac pours a transparent dark copper body with a finger of creamy thick tan head which hangs around for a solid 30 seconds. Our panel picked up on whiffs of nutty amber ale, sun tea, cola slushy, walnut shells, pecan skins, and dry autumn leaves in the nose.\u00a0 The taste was lightly nutty, mildly sweet, a bit tannic like long steeped black tea, a hint of dry sticks with a dry finish. Mouthfeel may be a touch thin with medium-low carbonation.\u00a0 Overall, a tasty and thoroughly drinkable ale, but not much in the way of pumpkin— the squash or the spice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Shock<\/a><\/p>\n

17. Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat<\/strong>: Despite being an Anheuser-Busch \u201ccrafty\u201d beer, Big Beer gets some credit with this pumpkin Belgian Wheat brew for not only incorporating real pumpkin, but also outperforming several other authentic craft pumpkin beers. This hazy burnt orange colored seasonal exhibits aromas of butter cookies, muted pumpkin, angel food cake, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, candy corn, wax, Corn Pops cereal, waffles, caramel kettle corn, and faint vanilla. Although the flavor is a bit bland, reminiscent of mushy cinnamon-spiced squash, it is nearly full-bodied, wheaty, mildly sweet up front with notes of milk-soaked Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, vague nutmeg and butter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"<\/a><\/p>\n

16. Alaskan Pumpkin Ale (2015) – Alaskan Brewing Co.<\/strong>: While the descriptors used for this beer may sound a bit, well, <\/span>odd<\/em>, the beer was nevertheless tasty. The brew is pumpkin orange in color, clear, with a frothy light tan head. Surprisingly, the entire panel picked out pleasant <\/span>meaty<\/em> notes in the aroma like creamy liverwurst, Honey Baked Ham with the brown sugar crust, summer sausage, along with a hint of root beer barrel candy, sweet clove, and a touch of anise. The flavor reflected the aroma well, with elements of nutmeg, ginger, clove, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, black pepper corn, and of course, Honey Baked Ham.\u00a0 This beer left us in need of a dinner roll to sop up some of this hammy goodness in a glass!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Shipyard<\/a><\/p>\n

15. Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale<\/strong>: In a blind taste test, our panel couldn’t consistently tell the difference between Shipyard Pumpkin Ale and next beer on the list, Kennebunkport (KBC) Pumpkin Ale. \u00a0Both are brewed and bottled at the same facility, both are essentially identical in appearance, and the rumor is that both are in fact the same beer, which might help to explain the only 1\/2 point difference in the rank between\u00a0these beers. \u00a0Shipyard exhibits aromas of cold pumpkin pie, Coca Cola, Martinelli’s Apple Cider, \u00a0ginger snap cookie, faint biscuit, pumpkin bread, oat meal, apple pie filling, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and roasted brown sugar. \u00a0Shandy-like in the flavor with balance towards the sweet, the panel picked up notes of spiced apple pie, club soda, mild squash, and allspice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

14. Kennebunkport Pumpkin Ale<\/strong>: (see above)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rogue<\/a><\/p>\n

13. Rogue Farms Pumpkin Patch Ale – Rogue Ales<\/strong>: Rogue\u2019s farm-to-bottle pumpkin beer offers a very promising aroma of pumpkin pie, if only the taste could match it. One finger of tan head sits contently on top of this slightly hazy dark rum colored brew. \u00a0The panel detected the scent of cold pumpkin pie including the baked pie crust, pumpkin pie filling, whipped cream and all. Other aromatics\u00a0include brown sugar, cream cheese, butternut squash, and a dash of ginger and cardamom.\u00a0 Unexpectedly, the flavor is only vaguely sweet (probably as a result of their in-house \u201cPacman\u201d yeast gobbling up a lion\u2019s share of sugar) and a touch on the thin side with notes of ginger, vanilla, orange peel, wheat, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and savory pumpkin.\u00a0 The aftertaste was a bit harsh, dry, corky and pithy.\u00a0 Panelists also noticed a developing aroma of raw ground beef as the beer warmed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Samuel<\/a><\/p>\n

12. Samuel Adams Pumpkin Batch<\/strong>: Some beers scream pumpkin pie, this one barely whispers it. A self-proclaimed Belgian-style Saison, the aroma in this brew is dominated by notes of both Belgian Wit and Saison yeast, followed up with coriander, soft lemon cookies, cotton candy, pink bubble gum, Cream of Wheat, Satsuma flan, custard, and maybe, just maybe, some butternut squash. As the beer warms, subtle pumpkin pie elements of ginger and a touch of nutmeg emerge in the taste along with straw and a bit of overly steeped tea-like astringency.\u00a0 The beer finishes dry, which is typical of a Saison, but it is under-carbonated for the style.\u00a0\u00a0 Overall, a good example of a Belgian Farmhouse ale, but few if any pumpkin beer characteristics are obvious even though the beer contains actual pumpkin and the typical pumpkin pie spices, which makes this beer a definite go-to pumpkin beer for those who\u2019d rather have a Saison.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Shipyard<\/a><\/p>\n

11. Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin – Shipyard Brewing Co.<\/strong>: Smashed Pumpkin is a vaguely spiced, rich, full-bodied, boozy rendition of a pumpkin ale somewhat reminiscent of a Belgian Golden Strong Ale, and a touch on the sweet side. The ale pours a lightly hazy mahogany body with at least a finger of creamy light tan head, while the aroma displays bready characteristic of sweet corn bread, lightly honeyed banana bread, and pumpkin bread. Other notables in the nose are dehydrated apple slices, oatmeal, booze (cacha\u00e7a), yeast, roasted brown sugar, light green hay, corn meal, grape Laffy Taffy, with a hint of butterscotch and cream soda.\u00a0 Along with a thick, creamy, milk shake-like mouthfeel, the panel picked up flavors of raw aged pumpkin, plantains, cream of wheat, pine resin, dandelion, starchy cooked white potatoes, perhaps just a touch of nutmeg, and booze, which although pleasant, tends to overpower the pumpkin and seemingly minimal spice.\u00a0 It was hard to avoid the sensation of alcohol in the aftertaste, and some tasters also got dry wheat, corn cob, and squash.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Buffalo<\/a><\/p>\n

10. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale – Buffalo Bill’s Brewery<\/strong>: The highlight of this pumpkin beer original (brewed since 1985) is the aroma which boasts notes of cold pumpkin pie— crust and all, pumpkin ice cream, vanilla, ginger, cloves, allspice and finely ground cinnamon. A hard pour sets up a half finger of dark tan head which slowly fades over a nearly clear mocha colored body.\u00a0 First sip is pumpkin pie, barely sweet ginger ale, brown sugar followed up by clove and a dry over-steeped tea-like astringency mid-palate all the way into the aftertaste, leaving behind remnants of spice, squash, and dry leaves.\u00a0 This pumpkin beer classic would have stood higher in the rankings if but for a little less astringency and a bit more sweetness in the taste.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Blue<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale – Coors Brewing<\/strong>: I know, I know. \u00a0What the devil\u00a0is a macro beer doing in the top ten. \u00a0We must be corporate shills\u00a0paid off by Big Beer in a sinister scheme to\u00a0infiltrate the craft beer market. \u00a0Or maybe, just maybe<\/em>, we were never paid a cent, and Coor’s actually did a pretty good job of incorporating<\/i>\u00a0(Big Beer pun, get it?) a balance of pumpkin pie spices and real pumpkin into this almost full-bodied, copper colored beer, managing\u00a0to sneak in some flavor<\/span> while they were at it. \u00a0Notes: Aroma is pumpkin cream cheese, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, pumpkin pie filling, light brown sugar, a hint of evaporative milk, and a bit heavy on the ginger. Taste is flavorful, quasi-pumpkin soda brew is pumpkin pie filling, with a desirable level of sweetness, albeit somewhat artificial, that fades mid-palate balanced by hop bitterness, finishing dry and a bit twiggy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Alaskan<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Alaskan Pumpkin Porter (2014 Vintage)<\/strong>: While sadly there is no 2015 release of this well-regarded pumpkin porter, if you come across a bottle from 2014, you\u2019re in for a treat. More reminiscent of dark spiced bread than pumpkin pie, our tasters pulled out a myriad of aromatics to describe this complex pumpkin porter including Pfeffern\u00fcsse cookies, warm pumpkin bread, Boston Brown Bread, Pumpernickel bagel, caraway, ginger snap cookies, root beer barrel candy, stewed apples, canned pumpkin, BIC pen ink, raisin toast, scented pine cones, cedar, cinnamon stick, allspice, brown sugar, molasses, nutmeg, persimmon pudding, and clove. This medium-bodied, well-balanced, cola colored porter exhibits a medium-high sweetness with flavors of molasses, ginger, faint anise, Cherry RC Cola, dark potting soil, mild booze mid-palate, mincemeat with apples, and iced pumpkin spiced latte, leaving behind a lingering aftertaste of ginger bread.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Fermentation<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Fermentation Without Representation – Epic Brewing Company<\/strong>: A solid medium-light bodied porter, but low on pumpkin spices. About a finger of dark tan head lasts about 45 seconds, cola colored, clear. Aroma is spent grain, wet wood, hint of Grape Nuts, artichokes, sweet acorn squash, brown sugar, bark, dry autumn leaves, gooey prunes, fig jam, sticky ginger cookie, praline pie filling, all-grain muffins, roasted corn on the cob, hint of dry Palo Verde beans, Brazilian nut shell, pumpkin guts.\u00a0 Taste: burnt raisin toast, toasted pumpkin seeds, crumble topping on a pumpkin-apple muffin, anise, booze, oak, cocoa powder.\u00a0 Aftertaste is burnt rock and roasty autumn leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jack-O<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Jack-O Traveler Shandy<\/strong>: Wait- a shandy in the top 10?<\/em> Heresy!! \u00a0(Wait til you see # 5.) The deal with\u00a0shandys are that typically they’re on the sweet side, as is\u00a0pumpkin pie, so shandys sort of have a bit of an advantage in mimicking a cold slice of pumpkin pie, which, for better or worse, is what many people tend to associate with the word “pumpkin”. \u00a0And that’s why Jack-O Traveler is here at # 6. \u00a0Overall, a decent pumpkin shandy which presents a hazy walnut wood appearance with a \u00bd inch of creamy light tan head, a bit of lacing and excellent head retention. Hints of clove, ginger, and vanilla candle can be found in the nose. Serendipitously, the flavor is even better than what the aroma leads on with its semi-sweet soda character, medium-high carbonation, notes of ginger, clove, toasted grain, and tooth pick.\u00a0 Some pumpkin character was picked up in the aftertaste along with a bit of Wheat Chex.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Leinenkugel's<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Leinenkugel’s Harvest Patch<\/strong> Shandy<\/strong>: Dear Lord, another shandy?!?<\/em> \u00a0Yep. \u00a0Like it or not, Harvest Patch may be the closest thing to a cold slice of pumpkin pie in a bottle you can get, so it scored highly in representing that “pumpkin pie” character, but more importantly, it’s a\u00a0pretty damn fine shandy. [Remember, the base-style of the beer is judged in this review\u00a0too, in this case “shandy”, so\u00a0regardless of whether we personally<\/em> like shandys or not as a style of beer, as a shandy, Leinenkugle has it dialed in.]\u00a0 The beer pours a cloudy pumpkin skin color with about a half finger of creamy egg shell white colored head which remains for a solid minute, leaving behind even some lacing. The aroma is spot-on pumpkin pie with balanced and inviting notes of nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves, hints of moist pie crust, and yes, pumpkin (even though it\u2019s not indicated that the beer contains any actual pumpkin at all). Taste-wise, if Sprite were to make an alcoholic pumpkin soda, this would be it. Although the beer is a bit on the sweet side (to be expected of a shandy), it nevertheless delivers a medium bodied, lightly pumpkin pie flavored experience with prickly carbonation, and an aftertaste that\u2019s a touch tannic with some radish-like bitterness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"St-Ambroise<\/a><\/p>\n

4. St-Ambroise Citrouille (The Great Pumpkin Ale) – McAuslan Brewing<\/strong>:\u00a0Re-label this tasty spiced beer \u201cApple Pie Ale\u201d, and it could easily be sold year-round. <\/span>So why apple pie and not pumpkin pie? <\/em>Well, the short version is that this pumpkin beer is <\/span>not<\/em> brewed with allspice (a key ingredient typically found in American pumpkin pie), and is decidedly cinnamon-forward (much like apple pie).\u00a0 So to an <\/span>American<\/em> palate, this Canadian pumpkin beer (while delicious and possibly more like Canadian pumpkin pie than the American version), is closer to apple pie.\u00a0 Understanding that, our <\/span>American<\/em> panel noted aromas of apple chunk cinnamon yogurt and ginger snap cookie, followed up with an appropriately sweet taste of cold stewed cinnamon apples, yogurt, mildly astringent pumpkin pie spice, pine cone potpourri, oats and pumpkin bread.\u00a0 Although the dominant cinnamon spice does tend to drown out much of the already subtle pumpkin character, this cinnamon-centric Canadian pumpkin beer is darn good and belongs in the top five for sure.\u00a0 [Recommended food pairings: Beavertail, poutine, and anything Tim Hortons.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Timmermans<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus – Brouweij Timmermans [2014 Vintage]<\/strong>: Imagine the aroma of a perfect slice of mildly tart cinnamon apple-cherry pie with a pinch of nutmeg, its gooey filling\u00a0gently easing away from a\u00a0soft, almost doughy, pie crust, with perhaps\u00a0even a scoop of slowly melting French Vanilla ice cream on the side. That’s the first greeting of this masterfully crafted, peach tea colored Belgian Lambic. Beneath the pie crust are hints of sweet lemon tea, which manifests\u00a0\u00a0in the flavor as a tall glass of sun tea with a wedge of fresh-squeezed lemon, the bright\u00a0acidity balancing the mild sweetness of the lightly spiced presence of apple pie. Lemon acidity lingers into the aftertaste which is best remedied with another sip. \u00a0If only this tart ale communicated more pumpkin pie and less apple pie, we’d stop our search for the best pumpkin beer right here. \u00a0Nevertheless, Timmermans justifiably rests rather comfortably in the top three\u00a0of this pumpkin beer review for having produced\u00a0an expertly crafted, world-renowned, Belgian Lambic since circa 1702— and this pumpkin Lambic is\u00a0no exception.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Local<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Local Fields Gourdgeous – Hangar 24 Brewery [2014 Vintage]<\/strong>: A panel favorite for its complexity and combination of flavors, \u201cGourdgeous\u201d pours a\u00a0dark cola colored body (excellent clarity) with a thick finger of dark tan head which dissipates slowly for over a minute. \u00a0The aroma features notes of earthy roasted malt, cold pumpkin pie, chai, allspice, pickled beets, RC Cola, iced black coffee, Triscuit crackers, molasses, and volcanic rock. The taste mirrors the aroma fairly well with additions of anise, a touch of vinegar, spiced apple cider spiked with vanilla vodka, unsweetened cacao, squash, and restrained pumpkin pie spice.\u00a0 Mild roasted malt and baker\u2019s chocolate linger in the aftertaste.\u00a0 Although the beer could benefit from some more pumpkin\/pumpkin pie character and body (it\u2019s a bit on the thin side especially for an Imperial Porter), this ale is a superior example of pumpkin porter and ages well.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the # 1 pumpkin beer of 2015 (from only those beers reviewed on this list)…<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Page<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Pinchy<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Pinchy Jeek Barl – Anderson Valley Brewing Company<\/strong><\/span>: So what\u2019s with the name?<\/em> More on that in a second.\u00a0\u00a0 This full-bodied, extremely well-balanced, carefully crafted pumpkin ale is matured for nine months in Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels and pours a dark root beer colored body with excellent clarity, topped by a \u00bd inch of creamy hazelnut head, leaving behind a swath of lace. \u00a0The brew conjures up alluring aromas of maple brown sugar-encrusted acorn squash, coffee cake with crumble toppings, oatmeal cookie, Bourbon barrel, a sweet hint of leather, caramel, cedar, and peanut brittle. \u00a0The medium-high sweet\u00a0<\/span>taste is reminiscent of\u00a0caramelized pecan pie, oatmeal cookie, subtle pumpkin toffee, molasses, brown sugar, praline filling reduction, cloves, allspice, maple, vanilla extract with a bit of bourbon and wood tannins mid-palate all the way into the dry finish. \u00a0Even with\u00a0an ABV of 8.5%, high praise goes to Anderson Valley for thoughtfully\u00a0integrating the alcohol as but one of many components in this dark ale, showing restraint, and not simply producing an alcohol-centric booze-bomb for the sake of booze. \u00a0With pleasant\u00a0notes of vanilla, leather, wood, and\u00a0warming alcohol in the aftertaste, Pinchy Jeek Barl leaves you in need of\u00a0just another sip… bottle… case… endless supply.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh right<\/em>, the name\u2026 \u201cPinchy Jeek\u201d translates roughly from Boontling as \u201cStingy Jack\u201d, after the mythical smooth-talking drunkard of Irish folklore who tricked the devil into getting out of being sent to hell, but was too much of sinner to get through the pearly gates, and was thus condemned to walk the night for all eternity, with only a lantern comprised of a single glowing hot coal inside a large rutabaga to light his way.\u00a0 \u201cStingy Jack\u201d eventually became known as \u201cJack of the Lantern\u201d (or \u201cJack-o\u2019-lantern\u201d), and every year around this time, folks carve their own spooky version of Jack\u2019s lantern to frighten off evil spirits, along with old conniving Jack.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the word \u201cBarl\u201d, it refers to Anderson Valley\u2019s \u201cBarl Series\u201d of beers, which is their beer aged in Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels.\u00a0 \u201cBarl\u201d is also the verb \u201cto shoot\u201d in Boontling.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Haven\u2019t heard of Boontling?<\/em> You\u2019re not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoontling\u201d, or the nearly extinct language (ling<\/em>) of Boonville (Boont<\/em>) located in the Anderson Valley of California, was invented in the late 19th<\/sup> century and spoken by many of the loggers, farmers, and ranchers who incorporated words from Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and other languages into Boontling. \u00a0Anderson Valley Brewing Co. embraces its surrounding culture, including Boontling, which is why “Pinchy Jeek Barl<\/em>” probably won’t be the last time you last time you happen across the ling of Boont.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And thus concludes this year\u2019s monster list of pumpkin beers.<\/span><\/p>\n

As always, in our never-ending mission to shamelessly promote beer, please go out and give a try to any and every beer we mentioned on this list (and those we didn’t) to decide for yourself what you think!<\/span><\/p>\n

And while you’re at it…<\/span><\/p>\n

Bahl Hornin\u2019!<\/em> (Good drinking)<\/span><\/p>\n

[P.S. A special thanks<\/strong> goes out to all the tasters who contributed their time and discerning palates towards\u00a0this harrowing journey through the pumpkin patch of beer!]<\/span><\/p>\n

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Like this blog?<\/em>\u00a0 Well, thanks- you\u2019re far too kind. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet-worthy? \u00a0That would be very kind of you:\u00a0Tweet<\/a>
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