2016 Pumpkin Beers

Crown Valley Brewing - Imperial Pumpkin Smash

Similar to Warlock by Southern Tier, this pumpkin beer is a stout, which is a nice alternative to the typical pumpkin ales and lagers, and seems to be a format which really works for pumpkin. At 10.6% ABV, this beer is no joke! It has a wonderful yeasty pumpkin scent and it is dark with a slight rust tint when it hits the light. A bit more carbonated than you would expect for a stout - it's actually slightly fizzy. Some chocolate notes become apparent as the beer warms, which starts to mute the pumpkin quality. It actually begins to taste more like a cinnamon roll - very sweet and tasty. This is a beer to be savored and enjoyed as it is quite heavy and filling - definitely not a session or poolside beer. Very enjoyable.

Harpoon Brewery - Pumpkin UFO

I look forward to Harpoon's wonderful unfiltered pumpkin ale each year, and this year's offering does not disappoint. In previous years, the finish was very dry and long, but this year's version has a smoother and sweeter finish which is very enjoyable. Once again, the foundation of the flavor of the UFO is raw pumpkin, with the background spices barely noticeable. Bright orange in color and hazy due to its unfiltered processing, this is a beautiful beer and looks like pumpkin in a glass. Not a heavy beer - you can enjoy several of these on a college football Saturday. Delicious!

New Belgium Brewing - Pumpkick

In a world where every brewery wants to grab a piece of the pumpkin pie, brewers are trying to be creative in order to produce something distinctive that will lure consumers. New Belgium's idea was to add cranberries and lemongrass to their pumpkin beer, and while these additions do make it different from a run-of-the-mill pumpkin ale, it doesn't make it better. It isn't a bad beer, but it does lack the pumpkin-forward quality that most pumkinficionados crave. The cranberry becomes more dominant as the beer warms. As far as a true pumpkin beer goes, it misses the mark.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company - Fall Hornin' Pumpkin Ale

Looks great. Smells great. Tastes....OK. There's a lot going on in the glass...maybe too much. A lot of spices and complexities with a very long finish. Malty and heavy. Good, but not my fav.

Blue Moon - Harvest Pumpkin Ale

There really just isn't much to this ale. Very subtle pumpkin flavor. If you're not going to make a pumpkin beer taste like pumpkin, then what's the point? This just tastes like an ale....and not even a really good ale. Don't bother.

Cigar City Brewing - Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Good gourd, that's delicious! Pumpkin beer of the year! Once you start drinking it, you just can't stop. Based on the flavor, you would never guess this baby is 9.6% ABV. A beautiful deep orange color with a very thin head and low carbonation makes this not as heavy a beer as you might imagine. The nose is loaded with pumpkin, butter, and spices. The pumpkin flavor of the beer is accented with light spices and has a sweet caramel finish. If you can find this beer, load up on it!

Southern Tier Brewing Company - Pumpking

All of the pumpkin loving world looks forward to the annual release of Southern Tier's masterpiece and aptly named Pumpking. With the scent and taste of pumpkin bread, enjoying a Pumpking has become an Autumn tradition.

Ballast Point Brewing Company - Pumpkin Down

While simultaneously jumping in on the pumpkin beer trend while bucking the typical pumpkin beer style, Ballast Point has released a pumpkin beer in the style of a Scottish Ale. This is always a malt-forward style of beer, and because of that, the pumpkin flavor is severely muted behind toffee and caramel sweetness. It is a good beer, but if you weren't told that there was pumpkin in it, you might not ever detect it. Personally, I enjoy tasting pumpkin in a pumpkin beer...call me crazy.

Barley Mow Brewing Company - Lord of the Gourd

I am always happy to try new beers from Florida, especially those from the constantly growing Tampa Bay brewing scene. This was the first beer I have ever had from Barley Mow and WOW is it good! Admittedly, I am a huge fan of porters, but porters are a tricky style and easy to fuck up, but Barley Mow absolutely nailed it, and the pumpkin flavor gives this porter a great dry finish which I absolutely love. Super creamy body and easy to drink with low carbonation, this is a great year-round beer to me. During my next trip to the liquor store, I will be loading up on Lord of the Gourd. Well done, Barley Mow!