Pumpkin Porter
Alaskan Brewing Co.

Pumpkin PorterPumpkin Porter
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From:
Alaskan Brewing Co.
 
Alaska, United States
Style:
Pumpkin Beer
ABV:
7%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.74 | pDev: 12.3%
Reviews:
67
Ratings:
424
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 18, 2022
Added:
Sep 08, 2013
Wants:
  28
Gots:
  76
With over 11 pounds of pumpkin added to every barrel of this imperial porter, this beer has a smooth, velvety rich texture. Brown sugar, holiday spices and a scoche of Alaskan’s famous alder-smoked malt are added to create an aroma and flavor reminiscent of grandma’s Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

25 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by charlzm:
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Reviewed by charlzm from California

2.09/5  rDev -44.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
Consumed October 15th, 2013. Poured into a standard pint glass.

Beer pours a deep, deep dark brown. Fairly vigorous pour results in almost no head; a thin, sad layer of light brown bubbles disappeared in less than two minutes, leaving nothing behind but a random bubble or two clinging to the sides of the glass.

Smell is interesting: sweet brown sugar (molasses?) and pumpkin with the faintest wisp of smoked malt.

Flavor is a trainwreck. Total disaster horrorshow. There is a slightly sweet note, followed by a touch of smoky, darkly roasted malt. Pumpkin is in the mix, but doesn't stand out as much as feared. Some spice, spearheaded by nutmeg and... is that ginger? Mild bitterness on finish. So what's wrong with the flavor? PENNIES. The whole damned flavor experience is dominated from the first drop to the last with a grotesque copper penny flavor. It's like licking wet pennies. What the hell happened?

Mouthfeel is appropriately thin for a porter but is lacking in carbonation.

I have to say upfront that I dislike pumpkin beer in general. That, however, is not why I dislike this beer so intensely. I am astonished that a brewery that's usually so consistent as Alaskan could put out something so abominable, especially in light of their Smoked Porter, which is very, very good.
Oct 16, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by mpenske from California

Feb 18, 2022
Photo of rand
Reviewed by rand from California

3.72/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Had this one sitting in my fridge for a good 2 or 3 years now...got tired of looking at it so here we go.

An oily looking beer with little head or carbonation, this dark brown ale gives off wafts of milky sweet residuals, under a bready, grassy overtone. Smooth and a little chocolaty on the palate, as sweet pumpkin notes roll in mid-sip, but this is more porter than pumpkin. A little vegetal toward the finish, which is quick and a bit flat.

Decent porter - the pumpkin and sugar accent the beers base flavors, but otherwise a drinkable but unremarkable brew. Could've used a bit more carbonation as well.
Nov 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.71 by Sellen from Connecticut

Sep 22, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Dec 28, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into an English pint glass, the appearance was a nice dark brown close to black color with a finger's worth of eggshell white foamy head that slid off at a mild pace. Some stringy lace ran here and there.
The aroma started with the roasted malts, dark chocolate nibs, coffee bean roastiness, and some milk chocolate sweetness. And then the pumpkin spices and sweetness came in just for a balance.
The flavor was moderately sweet and then roasty through the blend of the prior mentioned aromatics. Light pumpkin spice entered at the end. Mild roasty to dark chocolate-like aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was almost medium bodied with a fine sessionability about it. Carbonation felt good. ABV felt on par. Finish was mainly roasty with a light pumpkin sweetness.
Overall, it's more porter than pumpkin ale in my opinion, and well worthy of coming back to.
Oct 22, 2017
Photo of TonyLema1
Reviewed by TonyLema1 from South Carolina

3.56/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
L: Deep mahogany, tan head, some lacing
S: roasted malts and a bit of pumpkin
T: kinda off, I don't think this one works, the pumpking comes out tasting fake, and it's not balanced
F: medium body, decent mouthfeel
O: not crazy about this one
Apr 17, 2017
Photo of gman1602
Reviewed by gman1602 from Texas

4.17/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Reviewed as a pumpkin ale (as a pumpkin porter this is exactly that, and well done; a pumpkin porter). This is from Fall 2014 so it has almost 2 years of aging on it at appropriate temperatures.
Pours dark with a small head, some lacing. Aroma is pumpkin spice with a few roasted malts. Taste is fantastic with pumpkin spice on top of a well done porter. They blend together really well - I like to think the aging shines through here. Mouth feel is pretty much spot on for a pumpkin porter - my preference is heavier mouthfeel but this is not a stout. Overall a really great pumpkin beer that I am glad to have aged. I think that melded the characteristics of it wonderfully. Alaskan knows how to make a myriad of fine beers and this is one of them.
Aug 08, 2016
 
Rated: 2.64 by misternebbie from Pennsylvania

May 06, 2016
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
This one pours a dark brownish-black, with a small head, and not much in the way of lacing.

Smells like pumpkin, honeyed yams, clove, cinnamon, and chocolate.

I am drinking this massively out of season, in May, but it still tastes alright nonetheless. It's fairly dry for a pumpkin beer, with a well integrated spice character, a nice roastiness, and a dry pumpkin flesh character. There's a little bit of yam and honey too, and cocoa powder.

I wish that this was a bit thicker bodied, though. It's fairly creamy, with a normal level of carbonation.

This is pretty solid stuff, nothing amazing but definitely drinkable.
May 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by MatthewD4 from Alaska

Mar 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.26 by Briken from Washington

Nov 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by rsuarez1982 from Texas

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.23 by YupikHops from Alaska

Aug 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by jpuetz from South Dakota

Aug 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by Irishace9 from Illinois

Jul 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.74 by 03fatboy from Wisconsin

Jul 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

May 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.26 by MICAMD from Maryland

Apr 27, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by SweetwaterTuonker from Minnesota

Apr 24, 2015
Pumpkin Porter from Alaskan Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 424 ratings