Imperial Pumpkin - Bourbon Barrel
Alewerks Brewing Company

Imperial Pumpkin - Bourbon BarrelImperial Pumpkin - Bourbon Barrel
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From:
Alewerks Brewing Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
Pumpkin Beer
Ranked #2
ABV:
9.4%
Score:
96
Ranked #1,112
Avg:
4.43 | pDev: 7.22%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
35
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 29, 2023
Added:
Oct 23, 2015
Wants:
  17
Gots:
  8
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by brocktune:
Photo of brocktune
Reviewed by brocktune from Virginia

4.69/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Rich, dark bronze/copper color. Sweet malty, fruity aroma balanced by bourbon notes. Taste is sweet, cinnamon/nutmeg spiced, balanced wonderfully by the bourbon aging. Bourbon is apparent but not overwhelming of the pumpkin flavor. It cuts the sweetness perfectly to create a evenly balanced flavor. Body has a full, but not overly thick mouth-feel. Bourbon is not so strong as to be hot and boozy. Overall this is a fantastic pumpkin ale that is positively complemented by the bourbon aging, a great beer.
Oct 30, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of Brumaster77
Reviewed by Brumaster77 from North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Poured in a glass from a chilled pint bottle. Looks a mildly dark amber color with mild carbonation and minimal head. Smells of caramel, very light bourbon and spice. Tastes of a spiced pumpkin with light bourbon feel. Overall a very good Imperial pumpkin. Well done!
Oct 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.11 by CreightonSM from New York

Nov 05, 2022
Photo of Griffin2
Reviewed by Griffin2 from Virginia

4.16/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a snifter glass.
L - Pours a reddish browncolorwith a slight white head that dissipates quickly.
S - Smells of pumpkin and bourbon.
T - Taste of pumpkin pie spice and bourbon.
F - Medium body and lightly carbonated.
O - Really nice pumpkin ale. Neither the pumpkin, or the bourbon overpowered the other, and the sweetness was very light.
Jun 13, 2021
 
Rated: 3.79 by hophugger from Virginia

Nov 20, 2020
 
Rated: 3.96 by Boone757 from Virginia

Nov 01, 2020
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.31/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a clear amber color capped by a rather thin head that fades to a film; spotty lacing

Smell: The Bourbon and pumpkin tones emerge in the aroma, with the pie spices, vanilla and coconut complementing

Taste: A bit of caramel buttresses the pumpkin with cinnamon, ginger, allspice and clove being joined by vanilla and coconut from the barrel; the Bourbon emerges, after the swallow, and blends in; the finish is a little boozy but the pumpkin flavor lingers

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; some warmth in the gullet

Overall: Having tried all the variants this year, my order of preference was Rye, Bourbon, Rum, the exact opposite of what I would have guessed
Nov 01, 2020
Photo of cejaev
Rated by cejaev from Virginia

4.87/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
a top tier pumpkin beer made even better by bourbon barrels
Jan 30, 2019
Photo of LifesAnesthesia
Reviewed by LifesAnesthesia from Virginia

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L - Murky, burnt orange with a thin tan head that dissipates somewhat quickly and leaves behind minimal lacing.
S - Notes of pumpkin and spice - pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, followed quickly by bourbon and vanilla.
T - Follows the nose: huge notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, followed behind by sweet bourbon, brown sugar, and vanilla - a little bit of alcohol warmth on the back end.
F - Medium to full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Somewhat sticky mouth feel.
O - A really solid bourbon barrel aged pumpkin ale that really hits all the notes nearly perfectly - one of the best out there.
Nov 09, 2018
Photo of avalon07
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark amber-brown color and a thick, cloudy, murky consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, off white head that lasted an average amount of time. So-so lacing.

S: A big, enticing aroma of pumpkin, bourbon, cinnamon, vanilla, malt, and some other spices.

T: Tasted of a small amount of malt (barely noticeable), lots of cinnamon, some allspice, a little nutmeg, a good shot of pumpkin, lots of bourbon (not too much), and a bit of vanilla. This is a big, robust, and well-balanced flavor. The bourbon barrel compliments the typical pumpkin ale flavors extremely well. Quite delicious.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.

O: An excellent pumpkin ale. Very easy to recommend this one.
Sep 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.61 by _Adam_ from Maryland

Jun 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

Mar 02, 2018
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A - Dark amber brown colored pour with dark cream colored lacing.

S - Cinnamon, pumpkin, light bourbon, vanilla.

T - Cinnamon, pumpkin, vanilla, bourbon, brown sugar, lingering spice bourbon finish. Lingering boozy finish.

M - Heavy and silky body.

O - For barrel aged Pumpkin beers, this one sits towards the top of the pack, IMO.
Jan 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Jan 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.59 by acurtis from New Jersey

Dec 16, 2017
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2017 Release: Pours a deep copper color with a thin ring of head around the glass. The smell of the beer spicy with some definite sweetness on the nose as well. The taste has a good balance of vanilla and pumpkin spice. The feel is medium bodied. Overall it’s a very solid brew.
Oct 14, 2017
Photo of Pencible
Reviewed by Pencible from Virginia

4.41/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: This poured a cloudy dark copper with a little light tan head.
S: It smelled like pumpkin puree and cinnamon graham crackers, with some allspice and vanilla and toasted oak.
T: It tasted like pumpkin puree and cinnamon and allspice and clove, with some honey biscuit and French vanilla and toasted oak. It had a clean sweet aftertaste with some alcohol warming.
M: It was thick with a little carbonation. Big chewy body.
D: This was a delicious brew, very refined and complex. The scent and taste were fantastic, and the body was great. The finish was smooth but hot, so it was better to sip. Age would help, but fresh it was still one of the best pumpkin beers ever. Highly recommended.
Jun 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by atrocity from Virginia

Feb 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.88 by BrookW from Virginia

Feb 01, 2017
Photo of opieo
Reviewed by opieo from Virginia

4.57/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
My, my, my. Rich, smooth, balanced complex flavors. Pumpkin, malty, burbon, slight hop. Unfiltered rust color, light tan head with low fizz. Nice thick creamy mouth feel. A superb quality brew. Not a brew to guzzle. Slowly savour.
Jan 17, 2017
Imperial Pumpkin - Bourbon Barrel from Alewerks Brewing Company
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 35 ratings