It’s that time of the year again. Autumn is upon us! There is a chill in the air and the first signs of color change have taken hold in the leaves, departing from the summer’s vibrant green and giving birth to the brilliant fall palette of red, orange, yellow and gold. Soon, the smell of burning wood from chimneys, campfires and patio fireplaces will drift through the evening air as regularly as if it had never left. Your shorts, sandals and t-shirts will be replaced with jeans, wool socks and the familiar comfort of a hooded sweatshirt. And when you sit down in to enjoy your warm hearth, your glass will no longer hold the shandys, kolsches and summer blonde ales you have grown so accustomed to over the warm summer months. New beers will usher in a new season and those pumpkin ales that you strolled past with a suspicious glance in late July and August will beckon to you from tap lists and shelves alike.
“There are so many of these pumpkin ales to choose from,” you will exclaim. “Which one do I buy!?” Fear not adventurous imbiber! I have done the homework for you. I have put my liver and taste buds to task, sampling over 20 of these seasonal delights. I have braved the muddled spice, cloying sweetness and excessive booziness of subpar offerings to bring to you a list of tasty pumpkin ales that is sure to please even the most discerning proponents of the style. My goal is not to rank these pumpkin pleasures in any specific order, and there will surely be other fine choices that are not represented here, but I believe I have covered the spectrum of pumpkin ales in such a fashion as to please all palates. Without further adieu, I bring you this GOURDgeous compendium with the hope that it brings you all treats and no tricks! Cheers!
Southern Tier Pumking
Though my aim is not to rank these autumnal treasures, I would be remiss not to start with Southern Tier Pumking. Cliché as it may sound, this ale is truly the Cadillac of pumpkin ales. Since it was first brewed in 2007, this imperial pumpkin ale has been the benchmark for the style. Clocking in at 8.6% ABV, Pumking is not only one of the stronger pumpkin ales, but also has the most authentic pumpkin pie-like flavor of all the brews in this category and is a must try for anyone interested in exploring these fall seasonals. The aroma of Pumking is tantalizing to say the least; notes of doughy crust, pumpkin filling, just the right amount of spices and a touch of vanilla will make you think that someone has actually crammed a slice of pie into your glass! Upon tasting this masterpiece, creamy pumpkin pie dances across your taste buds with notes of pumpkin filling, crust, a bit of whipped cream and the perfect blend of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. There are just enough hops to balance this out and cut through the sweetness. It is no wonder that this brew is in the 100th percentile for its style on Ratebeer.com. If you are feeling adventurous, pick up a bottle of Southern Tier’s Crème Brulee Stout and mix it 50/50 with the Pumking. The resulting dessert beverage will taste just like a slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle.
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
“Like a pyramid for a pharaoh, we set out to make a bold monument for the King of the Pumpkins.” The brewers at Weyerbacher surely accomplished their goal when they took home the bronze medal in the category of Field Beer/Pumpkin Beer at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival. Also an imperial pumpkin ale, this 8% ABV brew really does a wonderful job of showcasing the spices involved in conjuring up a pumpkin ale without muddling the flavor like so many others in the style. The aroma is a pleasant potpourri of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger. Ginger and clove carry beautifully into the flavor amid notes of mild pumpkin, caramel and earthy, woody hops. If you fancy a pumpkin ale that is spice-forward with a more hoppy, earthy and warming finish, this may be the perfect choice. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin will be awaiting you in nearly every bottle shop and gastropub in the area.
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
Have you ever seen a man-made cannon or catapult launch a pumpkin over 4,000 feet? Explore the roots of this Rehoboth, Delaware-based pumpkin ale and you just may learn a thing or two about the lengths people will go to in order to hurl a gourd as far as possible. Named for Delaware’s own Punkin Chunkin Competition, this amber hued pumpkin ale is one of the most sessionable, despite its 7% ABV. Rather than create a dessert-like beverage akin to so many others in the field, the brewers at Dogfish Head Brewing have crafted a quaffable, slightly hoppy amber ale that only hints at those desserty pumpkin qualities. The nose has familiar pumpkin pie and brown sugar notes with just a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, but these come through in the flavor only very briefly. As you taste the brew, this initial blast of pumpkin pie quickly changes to roasty, caramel malts that are masterfully balanced with mild earthy hops. Lest you forget you are drinking a pumpkin ale, those pie-like spices return ever so briefly before a refreshing mildly hoppy finish. Alas, by the time you read this article, the very popular Dogfish Head Punkin may already be gone from the shelves at your local bottle shops and distributors. You may be fortunate enough to find it on tap at a local pub but if you want to guarantee that you sample this one, take the trip to Bridgeville, Delaware on November 1-3 for the Punkin Chunkin Competition and toast the “Lords of the Gourd.”
Saucony Creek Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress
New to the regional distribution scene, Kutztown’s own Saucony Creek Brewing company seems to have hit a grand slam with Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress. It has been flying off of shelves at every bottle shop, bar, and distributor that stocks this 9.5% ABV imperial pumpkin delight. Perhaps it is the catchy label portraying a scantily clad female pirate serving up pancakes and rum. Who doesn’t love pancakes and rum!? Or maybe it is the fact that Maple Mistress (as it is commonly referred to in short) is brewed with local butternut squash, maple syrup, and rum spices that tantalizes curious beer shoppers. But more than likely, it is the first taste of this hidden gem that leaves people thirsting for more. The butternut squash and maple syrup play very well together in this brew to provide a slightly different pumpkin ale experience that has all of the aromatics of the style but pleasantly takes the flavor in a subtly different direction. Notes of roasted yams and maple syrup combine with caramel malts and lightly spiced graham cracker to balance beautifully with mild hoppiness, providing a flavor experience that can be described as a cross between sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie. It may be wise to hold on to a few bottles of Maple Mistress to accompany your holiday feasts this year. Look for the mistress at your favorite bottle shop but don’t blink; she disappears quickly!
Horny Goat HornyCopia
Milwaukee, Wisconsin based Horny Goat, another of the region’s newcomers this season, brings you HornyCopia Pumpkin Ale. With an aroma reminiscent of fresh-baked pumpkin pie and mild caramel that is bolstered by a very authentic flavor consisting of nutmeg, clove, allspice and a touch of doughy crust, HornyCopia proves itself as a worthy entrant in the pumpkin ale category. While it lacks the complexity, full body and warming finish of Pumking, Horny Goat’s pumpkin offering comes across as a lighter and more sessionable version of Southern Tier’s tried and true gold standard. If you prefer that authentic pumpkin pie-like flavor without the high ABV of some of the others in this category, this may be a great option for you. At 5.7% ABV, you can enjoy more than one HornyCopia on a relaxing autumn afternoon. It is slightly limited in distribution so if you come across it in your travels, be sure to snatch it up! Share it with your friends and neighbors and they will love you forever. Or hoard it all to yourself and enjoy the bounty of HornyCopia!
Fegley’s Brew Works Devious Imperial Pumpkin
The folks at Fegley’s cleverly refer to this one as “a deviously enticing autumn brew.” Not far from the truth, Devious embodies that statement in more than just its name. The aroma is very autumnal with notes of earthy dry leaves and an abundance of seasonal spices, most notably nutmeg and allspice. The flavor also packs quite the spicy punch with all of the requisite spices boldly present and mingling quite nicely atop a faint pumpkin pie note that serves as a fine canvas for the cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and allspice. Often, the bold, spice-forward pumpkin ales can get very muddled, detracting from the overall components but the ingeniously crafted Devious delivers a fabulous blend of spices that leads to a slightly dry finish, leaving you begging for another sip. With a surprisingly well masked 9.0% ABV, this is not only “deviously enticing” but deviously drinkable! You will have no trouble finding this Allentown-based brewery’s seasonal treat on tap or in bottles. Keep an eye out for the limited and very sought after bourbon barrel-aged Devious as well. You won’t want to pass up the chance to discover the complexity and flavor imparted by bourbon barrels upon this delightful treat.
Alewerks Brewing Company Pumpkin Ale
Alewerks Brewing Company of Williamsburg, Virginia keeps the name simple but the flavor complex with their own Alewerks Pumpkin Ale. Whipped up each year in Williamsburg’s only microbrewery, many proponents of the pumpkin consider this to be one of the best pumpkin ales available. A mild yet inviting aroma suggests fresh pie and ample spice, leaving a would-be taster powerless to resist. The flavor showcases nearly everything you could want with your pumpkin pie, running the gamut from malty notes of dough and crust all the way to bold nutmeg and earthy hops. In between, wonderful warm pumpkin notes combine with brown sugar, cinnamon and mild clove creating a delectable seasonal treat that can be described as a spicy graham cracker-crusted pumpkin pie slice in a glass. Unfortunately, distribution of this wonderful autumn ale is extremely limited. Kudos if you are fortunate enough to score some bottles of the Alewerks Pumpkin Ale but this one presents an opportunity for a great weekend getaway. Williamsburg, Virginia, just four hours and thirty minutes away, has much to offer visitors. Not only can you visit the Alewerks Brewing Company Tasting Room to sample their outstanding pumpkin beer, along with a large portion of the Alewerks lineup, but you can take in much of the fascinating history and scenery that Williamsburg has to offer.
Susquehanna Brewing Company Pumpkin Ale
So you’re not a huge fan of pumpkin pie? You’re still not interested in a beer that emulates pumpkin pie? Well don’t you fret and don’t you frown! Susquehanna’s Pumpkin Ale won’t let you down! Crafted in northeastern Pennsylvania by folks with a long family history of brewing, Susquehanna Pumpkin Ale is pumpkin only in name. This sessionable 4.8% ABV ale departs from the pie-like qualities that dominate this category in the most delightful way. To put it bluntly, SBC Pumpkin Ale is a liquid gingersnap cookie! Sure there are pleasant subtle hints of pumpkin but doughy malts, ginger, and allspice take center stage in this orange-hued ale that is a pleasant surprise. When I sampled this gingersnappy concoction, I was taken back to a time in my childhood when I reached into my sack of Halloween candy and pulled out a small white paper bag adorned with jack-o-lanterns, witches and candy corns that held two or three loose gingersnap cookies inside. Back then, mom would make me throw them out because she feared that anything unwrapped could be tampered with and unsafe, but she can’t stop me now! I’m drinking as many of these liquid gingersnaps as I can this season. Try a couple today and see where Susquehanna Pumpkin Ale takes you!
Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale
Smuttynose Brewing Company, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, takes a stand against the malty, doughy, crusty, graham crackery pumpkin ales and reminds us that there is a pumpkin ale for hop-heads too. With a mild aroma that only hints at pie-like spice and a bit of hoppiness, Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale forces the taster to take a sip… and then another, and another, and yet another. The faint nutmeg and cloves are ever present throughout the flavor of this brew but Cascade and Liberty hops take the driver’s seat, delivering hoppy spice that almost comes across as peppery and a bitterness that is clearly designed for hop lovers. Consider this a cross between an IPA and a pumpkin saison of sorts. The finish is crisp and dry, leaving you thirsting for more. Smuttynose does a brilliant job of proving that a pumpkin ale does not have to abandon hops in order to deliver a taste of the season as well as a great beer. Tipping the scales at only 5.8% ABV, this is the perfect choice for a craft enthusiast’s tailgating party or football Sunday. Enjoy the game and enjoy some Smuttys!
Selin’s Grove Brewing Company Pumpkin Ale
If you have heard of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania’s own Selin’s Grove Brewing Company then you know about this small brewpub’s sparkling reputation for making excellent beer. If you haven’t heard of Selin’s Grove brewing Company then trust me, you want to! Not only does Selin’s Grove’s The Phoenix Kriek top the list of beers brewed in Pennsylvania according to Ratebeer.com’s list, but their Pumpkin Ale is number ten on the list! In fact, Selin’s Grove boasts five beers on this list of who’s who in Pennsylvania breweries. That is impressive company to keep. I can vouch for The Phoenix Kriek and the IPA but I must admit that I’ve yet to taste the nitrogen pour only Selin’s Grove Pumpkin Ale. Considered to be one of the top pumpkin ales in the world by many craft beer experts and enthusiasts, Selin’s Grove Pumpkin Ale can be had by anyone willing to make the two and a half hour trek to the brewpub. As if world class beer isn’t enough, Selinsgrove also offers wandering souls and day trippers many opportunities to enjoy “the charm of hometown America.” Selin’s Grove Pumpkin Ale is tentatively scheduled to go on tap on October 15 or 16. Keep an eye on their website or follow them on Facebook to be sure it is available before making the drive and remember it is nitrogen poured only, so growler fills are unavailable. You have to sit at the bar to enjoy this one.
I have prattled on long enough. I hope that I have shed some light upon the many choices presented by distributors, bottle shops, and grocery shelves near you. With any luck, I have ignited a passion or spawned a fun new adventure for you, your family and your friends. My love for sharing great beer with great people extends well beyond this list of pumpkin ales, so please feel free to share your thoughts, comments and experiences now or anytime you do me the honor of spending a few minutes reading my beer-driven ramblings. Cheers!
- Feature photo: Kerry Watson
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