Punkel
Lakewood Brewing Company

PunkelPunkel
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Lakewood Brewing Company
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
Ranked #62
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
82
Ranked #25,105
Avg:
3.59 | pDev: 14.48%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
119
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 17, 2023
Added:
Nov 06, 2012
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  29
Is there a better fall treat than pumpkin pie? Nope, which is why there are so many pumpkin beers out there. It's also why ours is based on the dessert, not the gourd.

Our twist: Punkel has no pumpkin. It's a dark, malty German lager but with a lighter body enhanced by cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger. Because who doesn't like a little trick with their treat?

It's the perfect session beer for those fleeting cool Texas days spent watching the grackles fly south to their favorite grocery store parking lots.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by greenspointexas:
Photo of greenspointexas
Rated by greenspointexas from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

Dec 14, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.73 by rsuarez1982 from Texas

Nov 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.79 by rexdeopp from Texas

Nov 11, 2023
Photo of Pegasus
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance: Deep but clear dark amber, with a modest white head, which soon collapses to a scattering of foam, and a ring about the glass wall. Before a strong light, there are ruby highlights, but little evidence of carbonation.

Aroma: Toasted dark malt and caramel dominate the aroma, as well as pumpkin pie spices, particularly nutmeg and cinnamon, there also seem to be cloves.

Taste: Begins with toasted malt, caramel, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon and nutmeg being most notable. As the taste progresses, there is a strong undercurrent of toasted malt, very pleasant and balanced. Finishes with a mild and lingering note of toasted malt and pumpkin pie spices.

Mouth feel: Smooth and soft, quite pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: Pumpkin without the pumpkin, its overall awesome. I have nothing but praise for this unique example. Certainly this would be superb for a winter holiday dinner or a cold autumn day. It might present even better with a slightly higher ABV.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce aluminum can, served in a La Fin du Monde tulip glass.
Nov 28, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Oct 10, 2021
 
Rated: 2.85 by npendres from Wisconsin

Sep 27, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by archero from Texas

Nov 14, 2020
 
Rated: 3.19 by 10Crumra from Texas

Sep 14, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by bundy462 from Texas

Aug 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.71 by Pro_Magnon from Texas

Aug 16, 2020
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.99/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a deep and murky brownish color with a one finger head of tan colored foam. The head has a moderate level of retention, slowly fading over time to leave a bit of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma of the brew is quite heavy of a spice and pumpkin. The spice is mainly of a nutmeg and cinnamon smell with a pumpkin being of a more roasted nature. Other aromas of caramel and molasses as well as some toasted malt and a bit of char are there as well giving a nice toasted pumpkin pie like smell to the brew.

Taste – The taste begins much less sweet then I was anticipating, but more roasty then I would have thought from the nose. The flavor begins with a toasted malt and lightly sweetened caramel and molasses taste. The spice is lighter upfront, getting stronger as the taste advances. The strongest of the spice is by far the nutmeg, but there is a decent showing of cinnamon and a bit of clove as well. Throughout the flavor there is a moderate to lighter pumpkin flavor as well which gets a bit stronger at the end. With the spice, pumpkin and sweet all ramping up, and the roast getting a bit weaker, one is left with a moderately spiced and sweeter toasted pumpkin taste to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium in thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather average. For the style and the tastes the feel was good and handled all the spice and pumpkin, all while keeping them from being all the overwhelming on the pallet.

Overall – A nice flavorful but still easy drinking dark pumpkin ale. Quite tasty!!
Aug 06, 2020
 
Rated: 3.61 by Kips from Texas

Aug 31, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by kjkinsey from Texas

Feb 16, 2019
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
16oz on tap at the brewery taproom.
Dark brown with a thin beige head. Head quickly fades. Some lace.
Pumpkin spice - nutmeg, cinnamon, strong ginger. Brewed with no pumpkins. Pleasant aroma.
Pumpkin spice dominates over a lightly roasty malt base.
Thin to medium body. Slight sweetness but not anything overly so. Would like to try the base Dunkel beer but I don’t think that’s ever released that way.
Oct 27, 2018
 
Rated: 2.98 by Navin-Johnson from Texas

Sep 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by nstygles from Pennsylvania

Nov 22, 2017
Photo of Thomas_Wikman
Reviewed by Thomas_Wikman from Texas

3.59/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Punkel is a common local pumpkin beer that resembles a dunkel. It has a lot of pumpkin pie in the flavor, and it is fairly good if pumpkin is Ok with you.

Look: dark brown with an inch off-white head

Aroma: pumpkin pie

Taste: dark bread and pumpkin pie, perhaps some cinnamon, a tad too mild.

Feel: medium body
Oct 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by BrentMcQuirk from Texas

Sep 20, 2017
Photo of BrewBetterBeer
Reviewed by BrewBetterBeer from Texas

1.62/5  rDev -54.9%
look: 5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 1.25
This beer has no spices whatsoever. No cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg or ginger... no smell of spices and no taste of spices, none; at all. I question any Reviews saying otherwise.
Oct 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.87 by needMIbeer from Virginia

Sep 14, 2016
Punkel from Lakewood Brewing Company
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 119 ratings