Ghost Town
Sweetwater Tavern
- From:
- Sweetwater Tavern
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- Pumpkin Beer
Ranked #162 - ABV:
- 5.7%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #27,158 - Avg:
- 3.75 | pDev: 12%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 7
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 10, 2023
- Added:
- Mar 01, 2005
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia
3.8/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours an amber color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has pumpkin and spice hints
Taste has a pumpkin and spice flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Pumpkin Ale
Nov 10, 2023Aroma has pumpkin and spice hints
Taste has a pumpkin and spice flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Pumpkin Ale
Reviewed by Barclayjx
5/5 rDev +33.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +33.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is my favorite seasonal beer and yes, my favorite Pumpkin Ale for years. Sweet Water Tavern did an amazing job creating this beer and do a fantastic job in the presentation. A pumpkin spice rimmer adhered with apple cider. This beer is a fall time home run.
Sep 13, 2021
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia
3.43/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.43/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
On tap (tap date 10/2):
Realize this beer is listed at another location, but I believe each location brews their own beer, even if following the same recipe. I added this because the ABV was up to 5.5% versus under 5% on the other listing.
A: very clear golden amber, with little head (could be affected but the graham cracker crumb rim they add). Carbonation can bee seen sustaining thin edge head.
N: there's definitely a nice pumpkin bread spice to the nose, but hard t tell which is beer and which is rim. The combo smells wonderful. The beer I think provides a pumpkin tartness and holiday spice in a lesser degree. I think the bull of the spice and bready nose is the accompanying item.
T/M: for the review, I tried to drink from the same location. The beer itself is a bit like an amber ale, tart but crisp bitterness, crackers maltiness, maybe a little copper. There is some spice in the beer, but it plays second fiddle to the base taste. Feel is rather light and enjoyably drinkable. Adding the graham cracker to the taste does little for the beer, but is good on its own.
O: definitely a novelty with the rim, but an enjoyable one. The beer itself is okay, not a miss but not a hit either. A decent option for a happy hour, but maybe not for some serious night of craft beer exploration.
Nov 14, 2014Realize this beer is listed at another location, but I believe each location brews their own beer, even if following the same recipe. I added this because the ABV was up to 5.5% versus under 5% on the other listing.
A: very clear golden amber, with little head (could be affected but the graham cracker crumb rim they add). Carbonation can bee seen sustaining thin edge head.
N: there's definitely a nice pumpkin bread spice to the nose, but hard t tell which is beer and which is rim. The combo smells wonderful. The beer I think provides a pumpkin tartness and holiday spice in a lesser degree. I think the bull of the spice and bready nose is the accompanying item.
T/M: for the review, I tried to drink from the same location. The beer itself is a bit like an amber ale, tart but crisp bitterness, crackers maltiness, maybe a little copper. There is some spice in the beer, but it plays second fiddle to the base taste. Feel is rather light and enjoyably drinkable. Adding the graham cracker to the taste does little for the beer, but is good on its own.
O: definitely a novelty with the rim, but an enjoyable one. The beer itself is okay, not a miss but not a hit either. A decent option for a happy hour, but maybe not for some serious night of craft beer exploration.
Reviewed by Roland45s from Virginia
3.9/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: the graham cracker crust makes this beer appealing to the eye, the beer pours caramel colored
S: Smells sweet, probably too sweet for most
T: Tastes of caramel and pumpkin, sweet, not too much spice
M: Very sweet (did I say that), and smooth, the graham cracker adds crunchyness
O: I really like this beer, i'm probably different than most of you who prefer your IPAs and heavy hops in your beer.
Nov 08, 2013S: Smells sweet, probably too sweet for most
T: Tastes of caramel and pumpkin, sweet, not too much spice
M: Very sweet (did I say that), and smooth, the graham cracker adds crunchyness
O: I really like this beer, i'm probably different than most of you who prefer your IPAs and heavy hops in your beer.
Reviewed by krisandajt from Pennsylvania
3.83/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.83/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Stopped in for an afternoon beer with a friend while doing a bit of travelling. Definitely a good find.
Appearance: This particular pumpkin ale was served in a most unique way. Poured into a standard pint glass, the rim was lined with some sort of sweet, crumbly, cookie mix. The beer itself was a clear, vibrant orange amber color. There was a good inch worth of white foamy head immediately after the pour, but it didn't last very long and it faded away to complete nothingness.
Smell: Very sweet, and light on the pumpkin spice which is how I prefer my pumpkin brews. I'm not entirely sure if the sweetness is directly from the beer, or if it's from the crumbly cookie schlop around the rim of the glass. It definitely has a sweet desert quality to it.
Taste: The rim o' cookies is actually a tasty, pumpkin pie sort of crumb and is pretty good. Still, I don't fancy this sort of thing with my beer so I carve out a section and stick to it. The beer is light, and has a sweet crisp pumpkin taste to it. The spice is light, but what is there compliments the beer nicely. Spices are pretty typical for the style: nutmeg and cinnamon mostly.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is a bit light, and the body is a wee bit thin...but not too bad overall.
Drinkability: Not a bad drinking Pumpkin Ale. Light, simple, and refreshing. Not the most extreme example of the style, but one that I would recommend if you were a fan of this type of beer. Cheers!
Nov 15, 2010Appearance: This particular pumpkin ale was served in a most unique way. Poured into a standard pint glass, the rim was lined with some sort of sweet, crumbly, cookie mix. The beer itself was a clear, vibrant orange amber color. There was a good inch worth of white foamy head immediately after the pour, but it didn't last very long and it faded away to complete nothingness.
Smell: Very sweet, and light on the pumpkin spice which is how I prefer my pumpkin brews. I'm not entirely sure if the sweetness is directly from the beer, or if it's from the crumbly cookie schlop around the rim of the glass. It definitely has a sweet desert quality to it.
Taste: The rim o' cookies is actually a tasty, pumpkin pie sort of crumb and is pretty good. Still, I don't fancy this sort of thing with my beer so I carve out a section and stick to it. The beer is light, and has a sweet crisp pumpkin taste to it. The spice is light, but what is there compliments the beer nicely. Spices are pretty typical for the style: nutmeg and cinnamon mostly.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is a bit light, and the body is a wee bit thin...but not too bad overall.
Drinkability: Not a bad drinking Pumpkin Ale. Light, simple, and refreshing. Not the most extreme example of the style, but one that I would recommend if you were a fan of this type of beer. Cheers!
Reviewed by HURTemHIZZY from Virginia
2.88/5 rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
2.88/5 rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Meh. Pours a clear bronze-amber with a one finger nearwhite head that dissipates fairly quickly. Retention is below average, and no lacing. Smell is faint, with a quick dose of pumpkin overtop a tiny bit of caramel. Needs more. Also served with brown sugar around the rim of the glass; what's up with this trend?
Taste is really boring. Tiny bit of pumpkin, faint hop bitterness, slight biscuity malts, touch of caramel. Nothing to write home about. It needs a stronger base of malt, a touch more hops, and a more noticeable pumpkin presence. Boring.
Oct 20, 2010Taste is really boring. Tiny bit of pumpkin, faint hop bitterness, slight biscuity malts, touch of caramel. Nothing to write home about. It needs a stronger base of malt, a touch more hops, and a more noticeable pumpkin presence. Boring.
Reviewed by RBorsato from Virginia
3.85/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
3.85/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
Orange-ish gold color with a moderate-low light tan head and active carbonation. Amber Lager Vienna malt aroma with a light pumpkin character. Similar subtle pumpkin and Vienna malt flavors ... maybe a touch of spice. Very nice when tasted with the spices (suppied in a tiny ziplock banded around the growler) around the rim of the pint glass. Light bodied and a bit watery.
Fairly boring by itself but nice with the supplemental spices.
Per Chalkboard at the brewpub: ?.?% ABV -- forgot to look :-(
Note: This review was based on a growler from the Centreville, VA location.
Tasted: 11/11/06
($8 / growler)
Dec 11, 2006Fairly boring by itself but nice with the supplemental spices.
Per Chalkboard at the brewpub: ?.?% ABV -- forgot to look :-(
Note: This review was based on a growler from the Centreville, VA location.
Tasted: 11/11/06
($8 / growler)
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