A Day of Pumpkin Ales!

Labor day weekend is often considered as the unofficial end of summer. So with that, I decided to celebrate with an all out pumpkin ale tasting. So I pulled out my mason jar mug and used the all powerful Google to compile a list of the most celebrated pumpkin ales that were available in my area, and this is the group I came up with...

First up this evening was New Belgium's Pumpkick. This beer was a nice, bright gold with an off white head. Nothing special on the nose here, just typical ale notes of alcohol and malts. If you have ever had New Belgium's signature Fat Tire ale, you have pretty much had this beer. Slight (and I mean VERY slight) hints of pumpkin and cranberry tartness. Not a bad beer by any means, but nothing terribly impressive.

Next up was Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale. Talk about a big difference. This beer poured a nice, hazy brown with a white head. Cinnamon and spices were very prevalent on the nose. Spices are very forward in the flavor of this ale, followed by light hints of sweet pumpkin and malts. This beer was absolutely fantastic. Incredibly warming and with just the right balance of sweetness and spice. I have heard by many that this is the best of all the pumpkin ales, and I certainly can see why they feel that way.

Next in line was Dogfish Head's Punkin. Now, I am quick to admit that I had my hopes up for this one. I love Dogfish Head and all that they do. This, however, was not my favorite of the evening. Pouring a clear, golden brown with a one finger off white head, the spices on the nose were much fresher smelling than the previous brews. Those spices hit hard forward in the taste; perhaps a little too much for my liking. The pumpkin was a subtle aftertaste followed by sweet malts. The Dogfish quality is certainly still there in this brew, but it just did not appeal to me.

Next up was Cisco Brewers Inc's Pumple Drumkin. This came highly recommended by both the folks of the interwebs and the fine folks who sell these brews at the local beer stores. Golden brown with an off white head, I had a hard time placing the nose on this one. There was a slight pumpkin odor, but not much else here the I can describe. The flavors were very sweet and malty. Not much pumpkin here, but there was a little bit of a spice follow up. All in all, unfortunately I appreciated the pumpkins on the bottle label much more than I did in the beer.

Okay, so here comes one that I had way hyped up. Southern Tier's Pumking is a bit of a legend around here. In the past years it has not always been easy to get a hold of, and I have always been told it was the best pumpkin beer around. This beer pours a nice, clear orange with a two finger, off white head. A quick whiff made me think someone was baking a pumpkin pie. The taste is exactly what the odor would imply. It does not taste like beer. It tastes like a delicious pumpkin pie that has been put in a bottle. The big pumpkin flavor is followed a sweet, spicy tang. Though a little sweet to have more then one glass, I see why this can be hard to find. It tastes awesome.

Smuttynose's Pumpkin Ale was next in line; a very hazy, orange beer with a two finger off white head. A nice blend of sweet pumpkin and spices come on the nose. The spices are the highlight of the flavor of this beer. They are very forward with only a slight hint of pumpkin. Sweet malts wrap this quality brew up. Though quite tasty, nothing made this beer stand out from the group.

Next up was one of my favorite brews of the evening, Alewerks's Pumpkin Ale. From Williamsburg, just 45 minutes West of here, this brew pours a clear brown with a thin, off white head. Wafting this one reveals big, sweet pumpkin odors on the nose. This is another big, very spicy pumpkin pie flavored beer. This is followed up with a fantastic spicy finish. The balance of the sweet pumpkin flavor and the spiciness is something that was lacking in the other brews.

Rounding out the evening was Southampton's Pumpkin Ale. Pouring a clear brown with a one finger head, the nose on this one suggests I was about to have another sweet brew. Big, super sweet pumpkin notes flood the nose. This is why I was so surprised by the flavor. Instead of a sweet brew, I found fresh pumpkin flavors, not nearly as sugary as the nose suggested. Followed up with subtle spices, this was another great beer with very nice balance.

Pumpkin beers was not a style I had previously delved into. When I first started drinking craft beers, I had tried one and my new, tame palate was not ready for the strange intensity in it. Now that my tastes have evolved, I am glad I revisited the style. They are fantastic brews and a great welcoming for the Fall season.