![]() ![]() It's light with a dry finish, and doesn't punch you in the face with too much pumpkin. This hazy orange pumpkin beer from upstate New York is malty and nostalgic of fall. This year's batch is maltier but lighter on spices than last year's version, which I enjoyed more, and most agree that the 2011 was still the 'king's best year. The beer itself, just like the bottle label, is a little bit different every year. ![]() ![]() Perhaps one of the best-known and most sought-after pumpkin beers on the market, Pumking pours clear orange. Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale is nicely spiced, with nutmeg front and center. This Saint Louis brewery makes its pumpkin beer with both pumpkin and butternut squash, creating an amber-colored beer that screams fall. Freaktoberfest received poor marks on RateBeer, but I personally liked this unusual beer and was surprised, with such strong flavors preset, how easy and enjoyable this was to drink. Sounds like an odd combo, but if you drink pumpkin spice lattes, this makes sense. CONEY ISLAND – Freaktoberfest (6.6% ABV)įreaktoberfest is a roasty, dark orange pumpkin beer brewed with espresso beans. “UFO Hefeweizen, an American wheat beer, pours a cloudy, golden color with a dense, frothy head.12. Because it is unfiltered, the yeast accounts for the cloudiness of the pour as well as a faint but clear citrus-like character.” What our panel thoughtĪroma: “Moderate bready wheat with a slight lemony edge, and a touch of honey sweetness. Low yeast contribution with some fruity esters. Floral hops and a faint solventy note that blends with a perfume-like ester. It doesn’t smell like a traditional German hefe.”įlavor: “A chewy wheat flavor up front, with light banana, honey, and a touch of spice. The hops bitterness is medium-low, and nicely balances the malt with a bit of resinous, woody character. A light touch of melon sweetness appears in the middle of the sip, with a bit of bitterness at the end of the sip. Overall: “This one has a little more hops in it and not that much wheat. It would be nice to have some more banana to mix with the faint melon. Could use a bit more clove spice to balance the bitterness at the end of the sip. wheat beer.Did you hear the crunching of the leaves underfoot today? The air was filled with an earthy aroma of fresh hay, mixed with pine needles and pumpkin. Perhaps I was just a bit too close to my neighbor’s Jack-o-lantern, or maybe the wind blustered across the upper fields at just the right angle, but my nose knows when autumn has set in. My skin feels it, too … that sloughing of fresh chill that ruffles loose strands of hair from beneath your hood. I’m feeling a bit like Linus in the pumpkin patch, waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. And arrive it does, in the form of Pumpkin Ales that titillate the tongue and sate the spirit. If you are one of the people who would rather jump off a ledge than drink a pumpkin ale, I send you my deepest sympathy. I won’t try to talk you down from that ledge, but excuse me while I revel in alcohol and spice. Pumpkin Beers can differ dramatically, one from another, and there is no way to fully appreciate them unless you do a horizontal tasting of your own. ![]() UFO Unfiltered Pumpkin Ale by Harpoon Brewery, Boston, Massachusetts at 5.9% ABV Saranac Pumpkin Ale by Matt Brewing, Saranac, New York at 5.4% ABV At the King of Prussia BeerFest Royale, I presented Pumpkin Beers of varying strength and spiciness to those attending the VIP session, whetting their palates with enticing autumn pleasures. Smashed Pumpkin Ale by Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland, Maine at 9% ABVĭevious Imperial Pumpkin Ale by Fegley’s BrewWorks in Allentown & Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at 9% ABV Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale by Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, Pennsylvania at 8% ABV Punkin Ale by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware at 7% ABV It was interesting to observe the response by those tasting these ales. Each had a very different opinion of what they expected in a pumpkin beer. For those who had never experienced pumpkin beers, the lighter flavors of Saranac seemed to please their taste buds. A group of six beer-geeks did a blind taste-test and chose UFO as their number one, across the board. Aficionados of Dogfish Head beers noticed a distinct difference between “last year’s Punkin Ale” and the one made for 2012, while the three heavy-hitting Imperial Pumpkin Ales – assertively spicy and dripping with heat, were the overall favorites of the evening. Pumpkin Ales are generally malt forward, with just enough hops to pull back on the sweetness. ![]()
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