Pie Eyed Pumpkin Ale
Watch City Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

This beer poured a nice deep dark chestnut with a touch of orange hue to it. Head is sudsy, though more of a film but leaves nice sheets of lacing. Nose is of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The taste is far less spicey than the nose would indicate. There is a huge pumpkin flavor with a good dose of clove, and just a touch of cinnamon in the finish that leaves a bitter aftertaste to it. Lighter side of medium body, light carbonation, oily feel with a slick finish. This is a nice pumpkin beer to sit with for a bit.

Pours a reddish copper, topped with a wisp of white foam, leaves webs of lacing.
Smells like a spicy pumpkin pie, cracker and floral notes.
Spicy cookie taste, bitter pumpkin, not too sweet or too pumpkiny, dark bread like rye or pumpernickel. A little citrus zest in the back under the spice and pumpkin.
Medium to light bodied, ok drinkability but I wouldn't call it a session beer.

On tap at Watch City.

Poured a copper/orange color, no head or lacing to speak of. A nice, fresh representative of pumpkin ale. I like mine to have a little more spice than this one did, but a very nice beer indeed. Body was a bit light. I like my pumpkin ale to taste like a slice of pumpkin pie (without the artificialness). Good beer, can't complain too much but not the best pumpkin ale out there.

I was fortunate to be one of the 1st to have this on tap this year. Frank gave me a taste when I was in for lunch earlier this week, and I quickly had one of my growlers filled with this fine beer. The color is a bright orange/copper, and it does pour with a decent head. There is not a lot of lace retention, but that seems fine in a beer with this fruit, and spice level. The aroma is heavily influenced by the spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc that are added to the beer. There is just a touch of pumpkin on the nose. The flavor is nicely balanced between the fresh pumpkin used in the brewing process and the spices. It really is a study in balance between the two. My only gripe with this beer, and this is just my personal want, it seems to need more malt. I think that would give the beer a little more body, it seems just a touch thin. It does have a nice light mouth feel, and a great drinkability. No residual aftertaste from the spices or the pumpkin. One of the seasons great offerings.

This is by far one of the more complexly flavored seasonal ales I have experienced. The cinnamon brown liquid wafts a deep cinnamon aroma. The dominant flavors of cinnamon and pumpkin pair nicely with a smooth body and a moderate bitterness. The heavy use of pumpkin in this ale separates it from much of the field which focus more on spices. Nice spicy finish.

Sampled on tap at the brewpub 10-25-03. 35 IBU. 5.4% abv.

This pumpkin ale poured a clear, deep chestnut color with creamy, tan foam that clung to the glass. The smell was malty and spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg). The spices were nicely balanced and did not overwhelm. The taste was malty with pumpkin pie spices, but again the spices were proportioned nicely and did not overpower. The pumpkin presence could be tasted/felt on the back of the tongue. The mouthfeel was smooth and dry (though a bit sweet up front). The spices and bitterness lingered in the finish and aftertaste. The body and carbonation were medium. This was a very nice pumpkin ale.

Resampled Dec. 2004. Scores adjusted slightly.

Pours a deep orange-brown, with a nice white head that floats on top until the last sip, lacing well on the way down. Aroma is bready, sweet (pumpkin), and a bit spicy (nutmeg and cinnamon). Flavor is a bit bready to start, sweet with the squash coming through strong in the middle, the spice comes through w/the pumpkin as well, finish is a little spicy. Medium bodied, quite drinkable, although the sweetness might get to be too much after a few mug fulls.