Pumpkin Chai | Saugatuck Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Saugatuck Brewing Company
Michigan, United States
saugatuckbrewing.com
Style: Pumpkin Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.50%
Availability: Fall
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by mfnmbvp on 09-11-2014
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 81 | Reviews: 20
1.3/5 rDev -61.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1
Look is cool, but the smell is rather foul. The only thing worse is the taste. While the mouth feel is somewhat watery and underwhelming, the taste and smell is reminiscent to battery acid. I would have a hard time recommending this to my worst enemy.
251 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1
Look is cool, but the smell is rather foul. The only thing worse is the taste. While the mouth feel is somewhat watery and underwhelming, the taste and smell is reminiscent to battery acid. I would have a hard time recommending this to my worst enemy.
251 characters
3.54/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.75/5 rDev +11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.43/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Hallowe'en 2017 is fast approaching & I suddenly feel like I need to drink more Pumpkin Ales! Don't ask why, but when I see a new one available for purchase, I feel compelled to partake.
From the bottle: "Illustrated by @Crocodilesoutlate"; "& drink happily ever after".
I Pop!ped the cap & since it was a fresh bottle, there was no need to hold back on the pour. My heavy hand created two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, tawny head with decent retention. Color was a Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had an odd spiciness that I could not put my finger on. It was not exactly cinnamon, but close. Mouthfeel was kind of thin, slightly watery. The taste was oddly spicy, in the realm of cinnamon, but not cinnamon. I do not remember the last time that I had chai tea, but perhaps I need to reorient myself in order to recognize the taste. Finish was dry, spicy, but somehow just not fulfilling. It was worth a try, but one was plenty.
964 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Hallowe'en 2017 is fast approaching & I suddenly feel like I need to drink more Pumpkin Ales! Don't ask why, but when I see a new one available for purchase, I feel compelled to partake.
From the bottle: "Illustrated by @Crocodilesoutlate"; "& drink happily ever after".
I Pop!ped the cap & since it was a fresh bottle, there was no need to hold back on the pour. My heavy hand created two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, tawny head with decent retention. Color was a Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had an odd spiciness that I could not put my finger on. It was not exactly cinnamon, but close. Mouthfeel was kind of thin, slightly watery. The taste was oddly spicy, in the realm of cinnamon, but not cinnamon. I do not remember the last time that I had chai tea, but perhaps I need to reorient myself in order to recognize the taste. Finish was dry, spicy, but somehow just not fulfilling. It was worth a try, but one was plenty.
964 characters
3.52/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a nice amberish copper color with quarter inch head. Not really anything special with the aroma. Smells like an amber ale. Tastes like an amber ale as well. Goes down smooth, but has a bitterness aftertaste. This fits all the characteristics of an amber ale and would be great if it was, but as a pumpkin ale it's just average.
334 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a nice amberish copper color with quarter inch head. Not really anything special with the aroma. Smells like an amber ale. Tastes like an amber ale as well. Goes down smooth, but has a bitterness aftertaste. This fits all the characteristics of an amber ale and would be great if it was, but as a pumpkin ale it's just average.
334 characters
3.74/5 rDev +11%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Not much on the initial smell besides malt ans carmel and some clove/spice. Do pick up the chai and spice in the taste and an amber ale inspired mouthfeel dominates. The finish of the sip is akwardly but appreciately bitter and dry/cloyingly edgy like a pale ale. Solid. Oh and theres pumpkin there too. I feel it on my tastebuds. Pumpkin. Yep.
346 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Not much on the initial smell besides malt ans carmel and some clove/spice. Do pick up the chai and spice in the taste and an amber ale inspired mouthfeel dominates. The finish of the sip is akwardly but appreciately bitter and dry/cloyingly edgy like a pale ale. Solid. Oh and theres pumpkin there too. I feel it on my tastebuds. Pumpkin. Yep.
346 characters
3.5/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This brew is a solid pumpkin brew....a bit of malt,some vegetable, and a little spice. The taste is a bit sweet, with an underlying malt and dried fruit taste. Some musty flavors and a full, hefty boy. This is a solidly good brew.
234 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This brew is a solid pumpkin brew....a bit of malt,some vegetable, and a little spice. The taste is a bit sweet, with an underlying malt and dried fruit taste. Some musty flavors and a full, hefty boy. This is a solidly good brew.
234 characters
4.06/5 rDev +20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, brown color. One inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, caramel malt, slight pale malt, pumpkin, hint of hops, and slight spice. Fits the style of a Pumpkin Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, caramel malt, hops, spice, hint of pale malt, hint of yeast, and a hint of pumpkin. Overall, good appearance, malty, smooth, and good body.
462 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, brown color. One inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, caramel malt, slight pale malt, pumpkin, hint of hops, and slight spice. Fits the style of a Pumpkin Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, caramel malt, hops, spice, hint of pale malt, hint of yeast, and a hint of pumpkin. Overall, good appearance, malty, smooth, and good body.
462 characters
3.5/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.81/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.05/5 rDev +20.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
"Welp, if it's going to have pumpkin in it, then we gotta add pumpkin pie spice, right?" And Saugatuck's brewers exclaim a big 'ole "Hell no!" in response. It turns out the the question is a lazy on and it takes a lot of courage, honesty and harmony to rethink the pumpkin and to arrive at a place where the spices of chai tea works best with both the ale and the fruit.
Pumpkin Chai's deep chestnut mahogany pour casts a creamy but fading froth- one that expels a shocking array of spices. Cinnamon, clove, star anise, cardamom and coriander play into the nose with a sweet tea-like soothing scent. Its taste is deeply caramelized, almost toffee-like with the taste of the grilled edges of fruit cobbler and all of that graham cracker and praline character that draws us to pumpkin pie to begin with.
As the tongue is awash with malty spicecake flavors and sweetness, the beer lifts its sugars slowly and leaves behind the toasted taste of french toast as those spices begin to billow. All those spices of the nose resonate in the taste as well along with the spiciness of ginger, peppercorn and fennel for a spicy, earthy finish with only hints of actual pumpkin flesh lurking in the recesses of taste.
Medium-full in body, the beer's charm isn't in how well it resembles actual pumpkin pie, but in how the flavors of pumpkin pie and oriental teas can come together in a unique collection of taste but also in a masterful culinary combination. Trending spicy and drying, the beer extends sharply with cinnamon and simmering rum-like warmth.
1,545 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
"Welp, if it's going to have pumpkin in it, then we gotta add pumpkin pie spice, right?" And Saugatuck's brewers exclaim a big 'ole "Hell no!" in response. It turns out the the question is a lazy on and it takes a lot of courage, honesty and harmony to rethink the pumpkin and to arrive at a place where the spices of chai tea works best with both the ale and the fruit.
Pumpkin Chai's deep chestnut mahogany pour casts a creamy but fading froth- one that expels a shocking array of spices. Cinnamon, clove, star anise, cardamom and coriander play into the nose with a sweet tea-like soothing scent. Its taste is deeply caramelized, almost toffee-like with the taste of the grilled edges of fruit cobbler and all of that graham cracker and praline character that draws us to pumpkin pie to begin with.
As the tongue is awash with malty spicecake flavors and sweetness, the beer lifts its sugars slowly and leaves behind the toasted taste of french toast as those spices begin to billow. All those spices of the nose resonate in the taste as well along with the spiciness of ginger, peppercorn and fennel for a spicy, earthy finish with only hints of actual pumpkin flesh lurking in the recesses of taste.
Medium-full in body, the beer's charm isn't in how well it resembles actual pumpkin pie, but in how the flavors of pumpkin pie and oriental teas can come together in a unique collection of taste but also in a masterful culinary combination. Trending spicy and drying, the beer extends sharply with cinnamon and simmering rum-like warmth.
1,545 characters
3.25/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.15/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
2.75/5 rDev -18.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Absolute miss. Will not buy again. Spiciness and pumpkin, little malt. Sweet. Did not finish
92 characters
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Absolute miss. Will not buy again. Spiciness and pumpkin, little malt. Sweet. Did not finish
92 characters
3.22/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.85/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I want to love this beer, but it has a slight metalic aftertaste.
65 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I want to love this beer, but it has a slight metalic aftertaste.
65 characters
3.94/5 rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pumpkin Chai from Saugatuck Brewing Company
Beer rating:
3.37 out of
5 with
81 ratings
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