Dark Pumpkin Sour
Almanac Beer Co.

Dark Pumpkin SourDark Pumpkin Sour
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From:
Almanac Beer Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
7%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 10.85%
Reviews:
40
Ratings:
371
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 16, 2023
Added:
Jul 02, 2014
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  57
Ale brewed with pumpkin and spices aged in wine barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by eawolff99:
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Rated by eawolff99 from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

Sep 28, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.23 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Dec 16, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.13 by Jcarriglio from Florida

Nov 25, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up when a local retailer was going out of business last year, was marked down like 75%, so at like ~$3 I figured it was finally time to check this beer out.

Pours dark brown, but not overly viscous and thick. Small 1/4" off white head. The aroma didn't deliver on the pumpkin promise, but there was plenty of sour barrel dark hearty red wine notes and a tiny bit of acetic acid.

Taste, more oak, plenty of sour, but pumpkin? See I'm not a big pumpkin fan, so what a catch22 for these guys. Some spice rack nutmeg is evident. The alcohol is not prominent. Has some of those flanders like notes barrel wise, earthy, slight leathery aspect to it. I can't tell whether the base beer is a big brown ale or a mild porter.

So despite this beer maybe not delivering as expected, it was still enjoyable. Would I pay $10 for a bottle? No. But I would pay $6 or less.
Oct 05, 2017
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Reviewed by BeanBump from California

4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This beer is pretty similar to the standard Almanac Pumpkin sour as far as my palette can tell. The one notable difference, imo, is that this beer skews a little more "pumpkin" as compared to the standard that hits me as more pumpkin pie.
Oct 04, 2017
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

4.06/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark brown in color with very little light seeping through. Thee's a fingernail of brown around the rim and covering half of the middle. The aroma is of cabernet, nutmeg, oak, and tart brettanomyces. I taste a complex blend of dark malt, cabernet, cinnamon, nutmeg, oak, pumpkin pie spice, and dark malt. The mouth is bone dry and moderately spiced.
Feb 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by Piglet_rulz_da_yard from California

Dec 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.32 by Kappakoosh from Texas

Nov 20, 2016
Photo of BeerSamurai34
Reviewed by BeerSamurai34 from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Kind of a weird hybrid beer for me. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin but I love Almanac's sour strain so I gave this a try. The tartness is very nice, but the pumpkin and nutmeg spice like notes were not a good pairing for me.
Jul 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by GoBeerGo from New Hampshire

Mar 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4.37 by RebornStussy from Ohio

Feb 15, 2016
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

4.48/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
A one-inch, dense, creamy, mocha foam stands for a few minutes before settling and leaving little fine lace on the wall of a Pretentious Beer Glass Company pumpkin goblet. The beer within is black with clear, blood-red highlights.

The nose is immediately bitten by sharp sourness and a strong oak aroma. The background contains faint charred wood. Warmth brings out cherry and white wine, while extended warmth reveals light notes of bourbon.

A strong dose of acidic sourness reveals oak and cherry up front and quite similar to a Flanders Red. While strong, bitterness and sweetness are balanced, yet, as a combination, far short of the sourness. Specific flavors of currents and blackberries are revealed with warmth, as is a light dose of pie spice. Late in the session, pumpkin meat is discernible. The finish is unyielding, with a long, sharp astringency.

A medium body is soft and smooth with a luxurious texture. Each sip contains a lively burst of carbonation with aggressive alcohol.

Almanac has produced a Pumpkin Beer with tons of character. This may be the second Pumpkin Beer that I will actually look forward to in coming years. As a Sour, it stands solid. I enjoyed it while relaxing before dinner during a cold, dark January night.

The bottle date is July 2015.
Jan 31, 2016
Photo of thepenguin
Reviewed by thepenguin from Massachusetts

4.07/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
L: Pours a very dark brown with a laborious tan head. Really quite dark for the style, looks like a porter or Irish dry stout. Nice tight-knit bubbles form at the sides.

S: Very tart with lots of vinous notes. Some toasty oak, fall spices and very faint pumpkin. Dark malts adds mild roast and a certain heaviness to the aroma, reminiscent of a brown ale. It really takes a lot of warming up before the smell starts to open.

T: Pretty balanced sour but definitely teetering on the tart side – I’m guessing this really developed in the bottle in the year since it was produced. Notes of a high-acidity wine, plums, and as with the nose, just a little bit of pumpkin. Dextrinous, dark malts pull through as it warms, adding a dark fruit character and mild roastiness. Pleasant, tart, earthy finish with some tannic notes.

F: Medium-light body with abundant yet delicate carbonation and mild tannic dryness. Very drinkable, no discernable alcohol.

Overall: An enjoyable and balanced sour that I would have liked to try fresh.
Dec 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by cp45 from New Jersey

Dec 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by WiggyKGB from Illinois

Dec 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by DeadeyeOTDO from Arizona

Dec 07, 2015
Photo of scottfrie
Reviewed by scottfrie from California

3.54/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
375ml bottle into tulip. Bottled “Autumn 2014”.

A: Pours a very dark ruddy brown, near black, with a couple fingers of foamy light tan head that fizzed away into a faint collar. Wispy streaks of lace were left down the glass.
S: Musty cooked squash, tart lactic acid, cola, and pumpkin pie spice on the nose. Smells ok but not great.
T: Dark bread, caramel, and a hint of chocolate syrup up front with cooked squash, lemon zest acidity and pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg in the finish. The aftertaste has a bready quality along with hints of cola, raisin, and bright acid.
M: Medium-light body, fuzzy, frothy carbonation, clean and bright acidity. Mouthfeel is soft and drying, with a lingering kiss of spice. Drinks well.
O: Underwhelming flavors, maybe this one should have been drank fresh. I liked the tartness and mouthfeel, but the squash wasn’t my favorite, nor was there much spice. Good but not their best.
Nov 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by PBRmeasap1980 from Indiana

Nov 10, 2015
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Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.01/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
This one pours a dark amber brown, clear, with basically no lacing or head.

Smells like wine, vinegar, some light caramel, and pumpkin spicing.

This is not all that impressive, I'm just not sure that this set of flavors really needed to go together, you know? As it warms, the pumpkin spicing comes through a bit stronger, but I don't get any real pumpkin character. It's fairly sour, and a bit vinegary.

This is light bodied, a bit oily, with a tart mouthfeel, and a low level of carbonation.

Not all that enjoyable. Didn't work for me.
Nov 08, 2015
Dark Pumpkin Sour from Almanac Beer Co.
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 371 ratings