Table Talk Pumpkin Pie Ale
Wormtown Brewery

 

 

 

I saw this one in the cooler among several other similar styles given the time of year and decided to give it a shot. Typically, this style has a tendency to be too sweet and/or overly spicy to the point I get a sort of heart burn reflux. Not this one though! Yes it’s pumpkin pie flavored but it’s a legit ale and very smooth. They’ve struck a nice balance here between the underlying spices and keeping it an actual beer. I’d highly recommend it as something different for the season.

 

Look – Copper orange color with a transparent body and a gargantuan four fingers of slightly off-white head

Aroma – A lot of graham cracker and cinnamon hit first with some of that pumpkin puree playing a minor role.

Taste – Pumpkin pie all the way here. Big notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and graham cracker crust for days on end. A bog pumpkin and squash component arrive to the party fashionably late, but they’re here nonetheless. Getting notes of ginger and allspice on the back too.

Mouthfeel – Body is surprisingly light given the abundance of flavor, but I wouldn’t call it watery.

Overall – Some pumpkin beers are called pumpkin pie in a glass, well, this is literally pumpkin pie in a glass and the flavors reflect that. Would make a great pairing with actual pumpkin pie.

 

 

 

 

From the can, it pours a clear orange-copper color with a modest off=white head that slowly reduces to a nice ring, but leaves lacing as you enjoy it. In the nose, pumpkin pie spice predominates, over the malt base. In the mouth, it is spice forward, again with a malt base.

16 oz can into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear copper color with a finger of sudsy off-white head. The head has good retention, leaving some clingy, cobweb lacing as it settles into a thin layer of foam. Beautiful fall color.

The aroma is pretty straightforward, nutmeg and pumpkin spice with some vanilla and gingersnap cookies. Straightforward for the style but not unpleasant.

The flavor follows the nose: Pumpkin spice, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon with a sweet dough malt character. Good flavor, but not much "pumpkin pie".

The feel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Creamy, yet a tad slick.

Overall, this is a good all-around pumpkin ale. However, if you're seeking a legitimate pumpkin pie flavor as advertised, you aren't getting it here.

Poured into a 16 oz tulip glass canned on 10/7/2020. Pours a very attractive dark orange with a half finger white head that leaves some thin streaks of lace with solid retention. 4.25

Smell is pumpkin, nutmeg, vanilla, and brown sugar. 4

Taste follows pumpkin, nutmeg, brown sugar, and vanilla really pretty darn tasty. 4.25

Mouthfeel is medium, plenty of life, and at 6.6% really easy drinking. 4.25

This is a really nice pumpkin beer and I love that they actually canned it in October maybe hoping some people will be able to enjoy later into the Fall. 4.25

 

A- Tallboy can pours into a can glass with a clear light amber body and a two finger white cap. The head has a thick creamy-frothy texture and great retention. A few large sheets of lacing.

S- Pumpkin pie spice mix is the main thing in the aroma with notes reminiscent of ginger, clove, earthy allspice/nutmeg and spicy cinnamon. Actual pumpkin comes out a bit and vanilla comes to mind with light-medium sweets. Bready and light fruit hints.

T- The spices actually gain some strength here with a bit of a woodsy, spicy bitterness coming along with them. A light sweetness throughout with notes of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice as well as hints of pumpkin pie, vanilla and pastry crust. A touch of apple/pale fruits from the yeast.

MF- The body is on the light side but rather creamy and the lactose gives it a smooth silkiness. Carbonation is at a fairly high level and it ends with a solid spicy bitterness.

Kind of expected it to a be a bit sweeter and that would probably be a good thing here to help balance the spice mixture flavors out. Still, you get all of the pumpkin pie flavors and a nice creamy light body without it being too spicy.

12/26/18 bottling date

A: Pours a dark orange (duh) with a large fizzy tan head. Head dissipates quickly with no lacing or retention.

S: Lots of pumpkin pie spices as expected. Nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon. Don't really get much pumpkin, if any. Almost a little sour though?

T: Interesting. Candy sweetness abounds, with a backing of pumpkin pie spices. Not really much else to say, it's a pretty simple beer.

M: Medium bodied, clean finish.

O: Simple pumpkin pie beer but it does what it says it does and it does a pretty good job at that. I would have loved a little more complexity though, like some brown sugar or something. Just feels like it's missing something.

Bottled 9/26/18
Pours light fizzy head, touch of lacing, mostly clear slight hazed orange tan color

Nose plenty of pumpkin pie spices, not overboard though, faint pumpkin extract, mild sweet sugar and candy

Taste mild sweet candy, crystallized candy sugar, little toasted wish there was a bit more toasted biscuity brown malts but this is lighter style, plenty of pumpkin pie spices thankfully not too much, little fruity pumpkin, sticky finish, little bitterness which adds a nice touch

Mouth is med bod, decent carb

Overall not bad, plenty of the pumpkin pie characters but a good level, wish the malts were a bit more prominent, but nice easy drinking fall beer