Buffalo Dandy

Guest author and fellow Dandy Mr. Pentheros from Man’s Night has provided us with an in-depth review of the best Pumpkin Beers of the Fall. 

First off, one must understand and agree that pumpkin is one of the most unique and versatile seasonal flavors on planet earth. Thusly, being one of the fastest growing styles of beer in America; Pumpkin Ales are swiftly pushing to the top of my beer-crave scale. Every year more and more breweries are offering and refining their pumpkin blends. Some brewers use real pumpkins in their process, while others use puree or artificial flavor. Most pumpkin beers are also laced with pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Some can have a flavor that can be quite simple, yet others can be layered and memorably full-bodied.They are not bitter, usually have a sweet maltiness and are typically a little higher than average in alcohol content… Which is good.

I have compiled a list with a short flavor description and letter grade. All of the beers reviewed can be purchased locally, here in Buffalo.

Post Road Pumpkin Ale - Brooklyn Brewery - Typical pumpkin flavor, nothing bad here but nothing outstanding either. Sometimes safe can be boring. C+

Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Unlike the other imperial beers tasted, this one is rather dry on the tongue which seems to deaden the pumpkin flavor. Mild pumpkin and cloves give way to a somewhat spicy finish. Not quite what a pumpkin beer should be. D+

Pumking - Southern Tier Brewing Company - This one could possibly be the most unique beer on this list. It is literally liquid pumpkin pie. You can taste the high ABV at 8.6, but its prominent sweetness manages to remain front and center all the way through. That sweetness might be its only flaw but if you’re in the right mood, one of these could quickly turn into five. A-

Punkin Ale - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - The most drinkable pumpkin beer I’ve tried. Punkin is quite possibly flawless. It’s flavor has complex with distinctly even measures of pumpkin pie, cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s a perfect fall day in a bottle. A

Pumpkinhead Ale - Shipyard Brewing Co. - Super simple and quite heavy on the cinnamon. Described as a “malt beverage” on the label, Pumpkinhead’s carbonation takes over the palate making it seem more like a pumpkin cider than a pumpkin ale. D+

Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale - Blue Moon - More cinnamon than pumpkin here, which is not good. Very simple and light bodied. When compared to some of the others on this list it leaves much to be desired. C-

Harvest Pumpkin Ale -  Samuel Adams – This is unequivocally the worst beer on this list. The pumpkin flavor is virtually non-existent in this personality-less swill. It has a faint nutty flavor and feels more like a porter on the tongue than anything else. I’m not entirely sure that the brewmaster and brain trust over at Sam Adams actually drank this beer before putting it out on the market. F

Wolaver’s Organic Pumpkin Ale - Otter Creek Brewing - Similar to the Post Road, this pumpkin beer is a solid brew, but offers little in the uniqueness category. It could be a good place to start if you have never tried a pumpkin beer. B-

UFO Pumpkin - Harpoon Brewery - UFO is Hapoon Brewery’s unfiltered line, but it doesn’t seem to make too much of a difference here. The pumpkin flavor is there but little else emerges in terms of complexity. C+

Imperial Pumpkin - Long Trail Brewing Co. - This was a late but very welcomed addition to this list. Wonderfully strong and balanced, with solid notes of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. The Long Trail imperial is also the only beer on this list that offers a slight hint of hops with its pumpkin pie. B+

Mother Pumpkin Ale - Blue Point Brewing Co. – Another one labeled “malt beverage,” Blue Point’s brew is also over carbonated and its pumpkin flavor is soft. If this was your first pumpkin beer your response would likely be something like “meh.” D+

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Company - This pumpkin ale starts off mild and light. The pumpkin and spices eventually show up, I only wish there was more of them. C+

Saranac Pumpkin Ale – Matt Brewing Company – A more beer infused flavor with slight overtones of pumpkin and cinnamon. Highly drinkable and doesn’t leave you with an overdose of pumpkin. A-