Smashed Pumpkin
Shipyard Brewing Company

Each year I enjoy pumpkin beers less and less, but this is one I'd pick up again. 9% ABV well hidden and not overly sweet or spiced. A quality ale, but think I prefer heavier/stout like pumpkin styles. I could see the barrel aged version of this being one of my favorite pumpkin beers. Something to look for in fall 2024!

 

 

Large, four-finger head. Although dense, it settles a tad bit quickly. Longer streaks remain behind as the head settles. The liquid is orange-amber and nearly clear.

The smell is truly like fresh baked pumpkin pie. The dominant aroma is pumpkin. The usual spice suspects are present but subtle--cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, and perhaps, clove. I also pick up on some sweet cream and vanilla. Attractive.

The taste is sweeter than expected...too much so. Again, pumpkin is the centerpiece flavor but here, the spices stand up strongly. Fuller bodied with a moderate carbonation level. The finish is somewhat cloy, much like the dessert. Moderate length aftertaste.

 

Fantastic Pumpkin Beer...

I've decided to start my pumpkin beer drinking season (early) I guess, and from my perspective I've done it with a smash (see what I did there?). Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin is fantastic - clear brew reminiscent of a marzen or Oktoberfest was impressive, followed by the sweetest, maltiest, and booziest pumpkin brew I have ever had a sniff of. Mouthfeel was carbonated, light, and crisp, with a taste that though booze forward still was flavorful with pumpkin, cinnamon, spice (and everything nice). Definitely one of the better pumpkin beers I've ever had and a spectacular way to start the season...

A: pours orange amber body with off-white head with nice retention and lacing.
S: sweet, clove, nutmeg and vanilla notes with hints of pumpkin notes. Subtle burnt toffee notes.
T: earthy, pumpkin taste with hints of clove and sweet alcohol; nutmeg present as well.
M: full bodied and smooth.
O: nice fee and taste for a pumpkin ale; welcoming and warming. Nice, early fall beer to enjoy on a crisp, cool fall day.

 

Poured from a can

Appearance - Cloudy, orange/ brown, light head

Aroma - Sweet brown sugar, molasses, a little pumpkin.

Taste -Brown sugar - candy ish. Pumpkin pie

Mouthfeel -full, pumpkin, good taste and follow thru. Enjoyable. A bit sugary but good

Overall - It’s good. Not the best but above average. Drinkable, pumpkin pie meets candy and pretty smooth. Could use more spice and less sugar.

 

 

 

Flavors of burnt sugar underpinned by an earthy graininess that did not finish well for me; leaving an unpleasant finish of burnt toast on my palate that was hard to get beyond.

 

Shipyard Brewing Co. "Smashed Pumpkin"
16 fl. oz. can, coding is illegible
$3.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: 9%, eh? That sure makes sense given the name. This one is brewed with natural flavors which is fine by me. It's an absolutely clear copper orange in color with glimmering golden highlights along the base of the glass. The head is a finger's width of tight-bubbled, slightly yellowed off-white foam. In the nose I'm finding sweetish, bready, biscuity, and caramelish malt backed by a delicate waft of fruitiness and pumpkin spice. It's not what I think most people would expect from a pumpkin beer but I find it quite enticing, and to be honest, quite English in nature as it's noticeable but refined. The cinnamon and nutmeg are present but not bold or brash. There's also some apple which is nice. On to the taste, it's got more spice to it, and a clear presence of alcohol, but it works. I get the bready, biscuity, wheaty, and carmelish malt threaded through with cinnamon, and then some more spice (nutmeg, allspice), apple, and vanilla appear as the alcohol comes forward, amplifying the spices and then settling down in the swallow to allow them to swirl about and eventually settle. Still, a dusting of cinnamon remains on the palate, fading to reveal more of the apple flavor. I initially thought that the apple had come from the yeast but it might actually be part of the flavoring they've used. I rather like it, but I'll also say that I doubt I would like it as much if it didn't have the snappy alcohol that it does. It's clearly a strong ale, and as such, in combination with the spicing, it becomes a great sipping beer. This is definitely not something that I'd want to have at a party, but rather something to wind down with later in the evening. It would be a great beer to nip at while reading, and of course Ichabod Crane and the more appropriate character of Brom Bones come to mind, but I also thought of the writings of Wallace Stegner as being appropriate. You could read whatever you want of course. In the mouth it's full bodied, and gently crisp and then smooth across the tongue with a fine-bubbled, moderate carbonation. The head has held up quite well and it's left beautiful lacing about the glass. All in all this is far different than a lot of pumpkin beers on the market, and had it been labeled simply as a spiced strong ale I'd be just as happy with it all year 'round. I may even pick up more if it's available as I'm looking at 5 months of cold winter nights.
Review #8,285

 

 

16oz can from a 4 pack kept ice cold. Definitely one of my favorite beers of this style. Typical deep orange hue, smell is of pumpkin, pumpkin spice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Taste is basically the same, slight booze, but not the pumpkin scented candle taste that some others unfortunately offer. Very good, I plan to have this many times more this season.

 

Pours cloudy orange color with a a small off white colored head that faded quick and left zero lacing. Smells and tastes like pumpkin, spices like cumin and cinnamon, metallic notes, yeast, biscuit and some weird chemicals. The flavor is better than the aroma and while this is good for the style, it’s not my cup of tea.