Hornacopia Pumpkin Ale
Horny Goat Brewing Co.

 

 

12oz can poured into a goblet, no canning date

A- pours a bright crystal clear golden color with a small foamy white head that disappears quickly, leaving an appearance of apple juice

S- cinnamon-forward spice aroma with notes of cola, brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice & a trace of hop bitterness

T- spices dominate up front with plenty of cinnamon & nutmeg, complimented by some caramel malt sweetness. Roasted pumpkin turns into a finish of cinnamon and cola

M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and a slightly thin foamy finish

O- solid pumpkin beer with high drinkability

 

 

 

Horny Goat Brewing Co. "Hornacopia Pumpkin Ale"
12 oz. can, coded but without freshness dating
$1.79 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

So many pumpkin ales, so little time. So what makes Horny Goat's seasonal offering any better, or at least different, from the other hundreds on the market?

It's clearly pumpkin pie spiced in the aroma. It's bold but it's not overdone. I'm finding cinnamon and ginger upfront, but also a nice bit of woody nutmeg; and there's a very nice soft apple-like fruitiness as well, and that combination makes me think of fresh apple-cider. It appears natural, not like holiday candle spiciness; and it's bright and fresh. As you progress through the glass and you get used to the cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg some sweetish clove and a bit of authentic Jamaica pepper comes out.

In the flavor the malt comes through more than it does in the nose, balancing the spice even more with a softly-sweet medium-dark caramel note. The three components then work together, trading between spice, fruit, and malt but also combining as one. An additional component, which throws it a bit of complexity, is a touch of dark skinned fruit (think raisin, fig, etc.) that might coming from a combination of the darker caramel and soft clove. It's moderately bitter, probably around 20 IBUs, and that's all that's needed as the spice balances the softly caramelish malts quite nicely, drying it completely in the finish. It lingers nicely with a delicate bristle of softly peppers allspice and sweetish clove.

It's interesting to note as well, that it's 6.3% alcohol by volume and thus just medium bodied. Sometimes when there's too much malt in a pumpkin ale the spices tend to "stick" in the finish; and the alcohol here probably helps to clean it up a bit and lend an additional subtle touch of spice or heat (although at 6.3% it can't add that much).

Overall it's a pretty decent pumpkin ale, although despite it's nuances it's not really any different than you might generally expect. For fans of the style, of course you should seek it out; and for those who truly enjoy spiced beers I'd say it's absolutely worth a try.

Appearance: A large and dense off-white head graces a modestly hazy copper-colored body. Thick, unbroken lacing lines the glass walls. The head retention is quite good, with the fade to a scattering of foam on the surface quite leisurely.

Aroma: Prominent pumpkin pie spices dominate the aroma. Brown sugar is notable as well. There is a slight note of pumpkin in the aroma.

Taste: Opens with pumpkin pie spices, brown sugar, and roasted pumpkin. Warming alcohol is also present, but is felt, more than tasted. Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg ride atop a solid wave of roasted pumpkin. The pumpkin pie flavor remains quite consistent throughout, carrying well into the close where there is a flourish of herbal hops to bring the taste to a gracious close.

Mouth feel: Rich and full, with slightly zesty carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: Nicely done, a solid example of the style. Would be excellent from early fall through Thanksgiving.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce aluminum can, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

 

 

 

A: Pours a clear medium golden apricot in color with moderate to heavy amounts of active visible carbonation rising quickly from the bottom of the glass and moderate golden yellow highlights. The beer has a three finger tall foamy off-white head that reduces to a medium thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of pumpkin pie spices - mostly nutmeg with a lighter amount of cinnamon and just a hint of allspice. There are light aromas of roasted pumpkin over the top of slightly grainy and caramel malts.

T: Upfront there is a light to moderate flavor of caramel and grainy malts with a very light amount of toasted malts, all with just a light amount of sweetness. That is followed by slightly stronger flavors of roasted pumpkins. Finally, there is a light lingering flavor of pumpkin pie spices - cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Minimal amounts of bitterness in the finish which does not linger.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp upfront and smooth.

O: Decent though not great - I wish the pumpkin flavor was a little stronger and the pumpkin pie spice flavors a little more subdued. Enjoyable and easy to drink.

Crystal-clear gold color; thick, frothy head. Gentle malt aroma; pumpkin and squash; pumpkin pie spices; raisins. Faint malt and pumpkin flavors; metallic bitterness. Watery body.

A rather bland and uninspired pumpkin ale. Weak in most areas and offers little to look forward to in the taste department.

 

 

Pours a well carbonated pale orange color with an inch of bubbly white head. The nose is a balance of pumpkin and spice. The taste is smooth and light. A mix of malt and pumpkin. This is a surprise. I usually don't get a malt taste out of pumpkin beers. Nice job to the brewers