647373 Tue Aug 25 09:32:52 -0700 2009 50 35 Beer 0 4975964 With Autumn fast approaching I was just wondering what everyone's favorite pumpkin beer is. This is not one of my favorite styles but a unique American style nontheless. I'm looking for suggestions as well. Thanks. I like Southern TIer Pumking Tue Aug 25 09:32:52 -0700 2009 127010 Diego Sanchez 1 4976472 Dogfish Head Punkin Ale or Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale are my top two favorites usually Im not a big fan of Post Road, I dont get alot of pumpkin flavor or spice. Ive never tried Southern Tier's Imperial Pumpking, i will have to find some of that for the upcoming season. Tue Aug 25 11:34:51 -0700 2009 4975964 177720 Asumnuthin 2 5062393 Have you tried the 2009 Dogfish? I came to the beer board just to complain. The head almost evaprates instantly. There's a nice brown sugar pumpkin aroma ... they use real pumpkin in it. But the hoppy bitternes and almost cloying sugar sweetness are awful. There's a metallic finish to it. And the saddest thing is that though it smells of pumpkin, there's no pumpkin flavor. Sun Sep 27 15:11:31 -0700 2009 4976472 10264 rworange 3 5082627 I totally agree. The 2009 Punkin doesn't have pumpkin flavor at all. The metallic taste is really similar to the 2009 Aprihop metallic taste. I'm not sure what happen in 2009, but those 2 beers were huge disappointments. Tue Oct 06 08:49:16 -0700 2009 5062393 27514 shellshock24 4 5100812 Has anyone tried Belfast Bay McGovern's Oatmeal Stout and if so where can i buy it in MA? Tue Oct 13 15:55:13 -0700 2009 5082627 1116092 BEERLOVER69 1 4977713 ST Pumpking is my favorite as well, with the exception of the 2007 Alpine Ichabod pumpkin beer, a one time release that was soured and aged in red wine barrels. That was most likely the best pumpkin beer ever. Tue Aug 25 17:42:46 -0700 2009 4975964 149239 juantanamera 2 4978384 '07 Ichabod was amazing. Wish I still had a few bottles around. Do you know what style they're doing this year? I thought they may have said sour again but that may have been for something else. Tue Aug 25 22:54:48 -0700 2009 4977713 72231 DougOLis 3 4979519 Southern Tier is also my favorite. I find Dogfish head to taste more like a pumpkin, and less like pumpkin pie, which is what I'm after. For a suggestion, the Old Post Road is really good. Wed Aug 26 10:11:35 -0700 2009 4978384 46815 Shaggy 2 4983438 Wow..I definitely need to get my hands on the 2007 Ichabod. I wonder what base beer they are using this season? I checked the website but it didn't say. Thu Aug 27 12:50:47 -0700 2009 4977713 127010 Diego Sanchez 3 4984893 Doug and Diego, Sorry I can't shed any light on this year's Ichabod. Last time I was there I was so excited about Nelson (one of my all time favorites) that I didn't think to ask about Ichabod. I can only hope for a sour, as I like their track record. I thought Che Monieax was very good, and Briscoe and '07 Ichabod excellent. Fri Aug 28 02:03:21 -0700 2009 4983438 149239 juantanamera 1 4982013 Two I tried last night from Ginger Man in NYC in the 4 beer flight, P.S. I preferred the weyerbacher, way more pumpkin on the nose and palate Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale Brewed with 150 lbs. of pumpkin in each batch. Made with Pale, Munich and Crystal malts green and roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin in the mash, boil and fermenter. Bittered with Horizon hops. Spiced in conditioning with nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale Commercial Description: Brewed with Pumpkin and Spices(Cinnamon,Nutmeg,Cardamom,Cloves). This 8.0% ABV pumpkin ale is heartier, spicier, and more caramelly and pumpkiny than its faint brethren! Perfect finisher on a cool autumn night. Thu Aug 27 06:09:36 -0700 2009 4975964 177720 Asumnuthin 2 4982068 The Elysian Pumpkin is usually my favorite since it is based on a pale ale recipe with nice level of hop flavor and bitterness that plays well with the spices. But last year, New Belgium was brewing this for the shipments that made it to my local bar and it was a big disapointment as it didn't have the hop character that is normally did and contained a wee bit of diacetyl that was distracting to me. Hopefully, it comes back to its former glory this year. Thu Aug 27 06:27:47 -0700 2009 4982013 12014 LStaff 3 5129564 I'm drinking the 2009 Elysian Night Owl and would agree that it's the best out there. Brewed with pumpkin and pumpkin seeds and fermented with pie spices, it strikes just the right balance. The alcohol level is not overwhelming (5.9%), the malt has a nice pumpkin flavor and the spicing is very subtle. Too bad this beer is not more widely available, as it blows away some of the bigger names. Sun Oct 25 12:11:34 -0700 2009 4982068 10395 brentk 1 4983497 My answer is NONE - pumpkin is for pie, NOT beer!!! I've tried Dogfish, and don't get why anyone would put pumpkin in beer. It's not like a raspberry lambic, where you just get the essence. Pumpkin beer is all about the pumpkin. Thu Aug 27 13:11:07 -0700 2009 4975964 124908 jeanmarieok 2 4983712 Raspberry lambics are way more sweet and syrupy than any pumpkin beer. That said, they are still good when that's what you are in the mood for. Thu Aug 27 14:12:35 -0700 2009 4983497 46815 Shaggy 1 4984976 I didn't like ST Pumking. I found it to be like liquid oatmeal cookies and vanilla wafers with some orange. Some may like that but I didn't. I found DFH's version to be quite restrained (oddly enough) and nearly perfectly balance. Finally I want more pumpkin taste versus a ginger snap taste in my pumpkin beers. Too many are all about the spice I think. Thanks Fri Aug 28 04:35:32 -0700 2009 4975964 26180 Chinon00 2 4986030 Thats because pumpkin doesnt have much of a taste to it once youve broken it down into a mush and boiled it to death. It becomes at best butternut squash light. Thats why most "pumpkin" beers are actually pumpkin PIE beers really. Because its the spices and flavors that we associate with pumpkins that dominate rather than the actual pumpkin. Which is why Ive never understood this pumpkin beer phenomenon too much. Frankly I think we should call these things "fall" beers because its more about the season to me than the vegetable ingredient. Like we do with Winter Warmers. Ive tried dozens of different pumpkin beers and never really been impressed with any. Pumpkin seems arbitrary to me. Why not make a broccoli beer or a zucchini beer? Why just pumpkin? Just because it sells well around Halloween? Fri Aug 28 10:35:04 -0700 2009 4984976 238787 Insidious Rex 3 4986224 Because its delicious! Fri Aug 28 11:23:23 -0700 2009 4986030 177720 Asumnuthin 4 4986382 Hmm... Well I propose we make a sweet potato beer then too with - lets see - cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, allspice, maybe a little vanilla and... oh wait... ;D Fri Aug 28 12:02:44 -0700 2009 4986224 238787 Insidious Rex 5 4986618 I got in some arguments over on BA when I challenged the common beer geek wisdom that "pumpkin beer" is some sort of long-lived traditional US beer style. (Did early colonist use pumpkin as an adjunct? Yeah, and they happily abandoned it as soon as barley malt became more readily available). The discussion brought up the memory that the creator of the modern "pumpkin (pie spiced) ale", "Buffalo" Bill Owens, actually didn't use ANY pumpkin, only the spice mix, after that initial experimental batch. http://www.beerbasics.com/008%20010/008%20010.htm --page about half way down to "The True Story of the first Pumpkin Beer" Fri Aug 28 13:19:42 -0700 2009 4986382 11059 JessKidden 6 4987106 Hop bomb, malt bomb, spice bomb, whatever bomb I don't like. I want balance. And to me the desire of any "bomb" is the sign of a growing but underdeveloped palate. Thanks Fri Aug 28 16:10:58 -0700 2009 4986618 26180 Chinon00 7 5049824 >And to me the desire of any "bomb" is the sign of a growing but underdeveloped palate. So I take it you are looking for a "balance bomb". ;-) I totally disagree that a "desire for any "bomb"" as you describe it, is a sign of an underdeveloped palate, I know plenty of long time beer geeks - myself included - that have a great appreciation for many styles of beer, can differentiate between a well made beer and one that just packs in the most flavor possible, but PREFER a hop bomb over other styles. Tue Sep 22 13:02:51 -0700 2009 4987106 12014 LStaff 8 5076156 I meant a strong bias toward big beer and against smaller ones. I drink "big beers" and enjoy them. But it doesn't makeup the bulk of my beer consumption. Sat Oct 03 06:42:28 -0700 2009 5049824 26180 Chinon00 5 4987261 The Bruery does make a sweet potato beer called Autumn Maple. Fri Aug 28 17:12:23 -0700 2009 4986382 72231 DougOLis 3 5062388 I like the idea of pumpkin beer, but I only ever had one that was the beer I have been dreaming of where pumpkin and beer had a happy marriage and the flavor was autumn in a glass. It was a draft beer and the company prompty went out of business. Sob. Sun Sep 27 15:06:51 -0700 2009 4986030 10264 rworange 1 4988500 I don't recommend Saranac's pumpkin beer. As with every other Saranac beer I've tried, I found it to be very underwhelming. I'm not a huge fan of fruit beers, but considering every Southern Tier imperial series beer I've had has been top-notch, I have a feeling sticking with the Pumpking would be a good bet. Sat Aug 29 10:49:55 -0700 2009 4975964 323691 writergeek313 1 5039283 O'fallon's from MO or Big Boss from the triangle area in North carolina Fri Sep 18 07:30:50 -0700 2009 4975964 170349 nemis 2 5075751 Just had an O'fallons. Never had a pumpkin beer before, and was interested. While not an appealing style to me, I was a little surprised. Not sweet. Very nice amber ale flavor with a hint of pumpkin and spices. I would probably be able to drink a couple before running back to my IPA's. Fri Oct 02 20:20:49 -0700 2009 5039283 10737 Bobfrmia 1 5047937 Smuttynose and Cambridge Brewing Company do the two best pumpkin beers I've had. I like them better than Dogfish Head, Post Road, Southern Tier, etc. Shipyard Pumpkinhead is especially foul; avoid it at all costs. Mon Sep 21 20:34:03 -0700 2009 4975964 12854 afty698 1 5051314 My favorite is the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. I also like Dogfish Head's Punkin. I'm not really a fan of the Shipyard Pumpkinhead, but I did just visit their brewery a couple of days ago and got to taste their Smashed Pumpkin, which is a different beer with higher alcohol content. It comes in a large bottle. I liked that much better, but I'm assuming it is much less readily available. Wed Sep 23 03:21:59 -0700 2009 4975964 66556 Solstice444 2 5074478 I've been enjoying the Smuttynose as well, but one at a time. By the second pumpkin beer, I ask myself why the hell I'm drinking pumkin beer... Fri Oct 02 08:38:49 -0700 2009 5051314 18667 abu applesauce 3 5129207 Hilarious! Right there with ya on this one. One at a time is "not normally"(i.e. never)my M.O......If only they lessened the spice even just a bit it would make this already enjoyable brew markedly better. Sun Oct 25 08:21:36 -0700 2009 5074478 1085943 noreservations 2 5074734 Has anyone seen the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale in NYC? When I went yesterday, neither New Beer Distributors nor Whole Foods Bowery had it... Fri Oct 02 10:23:50 -0700 2009 5051314 146162 maggiej 3 5074870 My beer guy in Glen Cove has a nice selection and he didn't have it two weeks ago. I'll be back this weekend though. Fri Oct 02 11:27:34 -0700 2009 5074734 18667 abu applesauce 4 5080101 Couldn't find it, but I did find Smuttynose Mon Oct 05 10:13:15 -0700 2009 5074870 18667 abu applesauce 1 5074987 and another question. What do you like to eat with pumpkin beer? Is there a perfect food pairing? Fri Oct 02 12:19:38 -0700 2009 4975964 146162 maggiej 2 5075930 At a restaurant, sweet potatoe fries. At home, a local sausage maker makes a nice pumpkin sausage ... I go a little pumpkin crazy this time of year. However, pumpkin beer goes well with most sausages. Fri Oct 02 23:41:11 -0700 2009 5074987 10264 rworange 3 5078444 We had garlic & mushroom chicken sausage, roasted peppers, twice baked sweet potatoes, grilled spanish onions and pumpkin beer rimmed with lemongrass powder for dinner friday night. Sun Oct 04 13:22:59 -0700 2009 5075930 36312 HillJ 4 5080105 Acorn squash/beef stew. Mon Oct 05 10:14:11 -0700 2009 5078444 18667 abu applesauce 1 5099752 I've been trying lots lately: Pumpking, Dogfish, Smuttynose, Post Road, Woalavers organic, but my favorite came from a brewery in Utah, I think. The brew is called Pun'kin I've only ever seen it in the little liquor store by my hous but it's really good stuff. it's in a short and stout little bottle, like Sierra, and the label says nothign more than Pun'kin' or something like that......Fishermans Pumpkin Stout is pretty great too. Tue Oct 13 10:09:23 -0700 2009 4975964 217582 cannedmilkandfruitypebbles 2 5099765 Give Jack's pumpkin beer a go cannedmilkand..! The seasonal "taste testing" is alot of fun! Tue Oct 13 10:11:38 -0700 2009 5099752 36312 HillJ 3 5100564 I've actually avoided that on purpose. Tue Oct 13 14:08:28 -0700 2009 5099765 217582 cannedmilkandfruitypebbles 4 5100988 Avoided Jack's brand of pumpkin beer or the whole taste test thing? Tue Oct 13 17:16:32 -0700 2009 5100564 36312 HillJ 2 5110828 I had the Wolaver's from the cask while I was actually at Wolaver's/Otter Creek about a month ago. It was so much better from the cask than on tap/bottle. The cool thing about that brew is that they get the pumpkins from a guy who grows them only about 15 miles away from their brewery. I've been meaning to try the Fishermans Pumpkin Stout, that's next on my list! My fridge is so full of beer at this time of year. Sat Oct 17 14:54:15 -0700 2009 5099752 66556 Solstice444 3 5114037 I think the Wolaver's is my favorite this season by far. Agreed with the other re: Dogfish Punkin. It's sort of frustratingly inconsistent. Amazing one year, mediocre the next. http://www.wolavers.com/wolavers/beers/pumpkin_ale.html I'd also add that I count myself among those who like a good balance of pumpkin to pumpkin spice taste. Mon Oct 19 07:50:31 -0700 2009 5110828 10118 joypirate 1 5110939 Well, to paraphrase a popular beer comment: "My favorite pumpkin beer is the one in *your* hand." Sat Oct 17 15:45:35 -0700 2009 4975964 11059 JessKidden 2 5113458 Right on. My favorites are the ones without pumpkin. Sun Oct 18 20:46:40 -0700 2009 5110939 116047 The Professor 1 5113758 I a delicious version at Boston Beer Works this weekend, Pumpkinhead Ale, I think it is only available there though on draft. Mon Oct 19 05:30:32 -0700 2009 4975964 177720 Asumnuthin 1 5137360 I think my favorite pumpkin ale is the Cambridge Brewing Company's "Great Pumpkin Ale." Also, the Cape Ann Brewing Company out of Gloucester, MA does a nice pumpkin stout, though I don't know that it has any specific pumpkin flavor, it adds a nice sweetness and depth of taste to the stout. But generally, I stay away from Pumpkin Ale. I did have a "Biere de Gourde" last night at the CBC, but that's because I love farmhouse ales. It was OK. Wed Oct 28 09:46:30 -0700 2009 4975964 218487 noradeirdre 1 5138000 http://www.magpiemead.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16218&cat=0&page=1 Pumpkin Pie Mead is the way to go! Wed Oct 28 12:53:40 -0700 2009 4975964 36312 HillJ 1 5213574 Possible that these suggestions are limited to Ontario availability, but 2 great recommendations: 1) Great Lakes Brewing makes a great pumpkin ale, I think it has won a few prizes. The pumpkin flavour is not too strong, and personally I like something spicier, but it avoids the sweetness you risk with a beer that overemphasizes pumpkin. I think this one can be found in some specialty beer stores in the US. 2) Mill Street brewery in Toronto - sadly, theirs is only available at their brewpub - makes a really wonderful, perfectly spiced (IMO) pumpkin beer. They featured it in a brewmaster's dinner this year, paired with a delicious butternut squash soup. I recommend the gourd&gourd pairing - delish! Would like to try it with zucchini soup. Sat Nov 28 19:56:18 -0800 2009 4975964 238810 c.cow