Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine
Almanac Beer Co.

Heirloom Pumpkin BarleywineHeirloom Pumpkin Barleywine
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From:
Almanac Beer Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Pumpkin Beer
ABV:
12%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 10.74%
Reviews:
117
Ratings:
817
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 29, 2021
Added:
Aug 02, 2013
Wants:
  144
Gots:
  128
50% ale brewed with pumpkins aged in brandy barrels
50% ale brewed with spices

This is a beer made with real pumpkins. We hand-roasted over 500lbs of heirloom pumpkins from La Tercera Farms in Bodega Bay. The caramelized gourds were then added to our velvety American Barleywine and aged in brandy barrels for a year. Finally, we blended the barrel-aged beer with freshly brewed ale and added a delicate hint of pumpkin pie spices to round out this decadent autumn sipper.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Nugganooch:
Photo of Nugganooch
Reviewed by Nugganooch from California

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
375ml bottle - NYC bottle share with mdfb79
12/12/13 – Served in a Duvel tulip glass

A: Murky brown body with some orange tones and slight carbonation evident. Nice finger width of stubborn off-white cream settles out to a fine crown. Light dots of stick with a few swaths decorate the glass all the way down the drink.

S: Pumpkin spice nose filled with some gooey caramel sweetness, bready malts, and nutty nougat. Pumpkin itself is more vegetal and yam like but rather subtle overall. The spices are made up of mostly nutmeg and clove. Alcohol is evident and there is a whisper of vanilla earthiness to the aroma. Really nice and balanced overall. Perhaps a touch boozy as it stings the nostrils a bit.

T: Prevalent roasted pumpkin flesh with caramelized sugars, bread crust, and a holiday spice mix of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. More pumpkin than the nose leads on. I get a good dose of rum soaked raisin along with some earthy oak and a dash of vanilla liqueur. The Brandy spirit is fairly restrained and I guess the beer is pretty balanced in that way. A touch boozy albeit well suited for 12%. Finishes with an earthy bitterness to balance out the sweetness and cut through the alcohol. Good pumpkin flavor integrated into a solid barley wine recipe.

M: Moderate to slightly heavier body with a decent creamy texture. Plays between being somewhat syrupy and somewhat thin/watery. Some minimal hop bitterness and light drying at the finish. Very present alcohol warmth. Fairly clean at the end.

D: This is a really nice holiday brew. Nothing mind blowing but the pumpkin flavors taste fresh and I especially like the base barleywine which is loaded with caramel and nougat.
Dec 30, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.77 by Curt3 from Ohio

Nov 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Nov 29, 2019
Photo of SierraFlight
Reviewed by SierraFlight from Virginia

3.51/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Only bought a single bottle, which I aged for a few years. Not drinking one fresh was a mistake, as I'm not sure if the beer developed a tangy, sour flavor or if that was intentional. I did not enjoy this beer, but would try again if Almanac brought the recipe back.
Jan 18, 2019
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

3.99/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
375mL into a tulip. Pours a clear amber w/ a minimal head.

Aroma is earthy, malty and sweet. Pumpkin spices, nutmeg and clove.

Taste is a blend of malty sweetness and spice. Nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, liquid Red Hots.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, slick. Goes down with a warming finish.

Overall a unique barleywine with the pumpkin and spice.
May 24, 2018
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was poured into a sample flared pilsener glass. There was a nice light half finger-ed white foamy head that dissipated within less than a minute leaving a slight lacing roaming here and there. The smell had an authentic bourbon to vanilla sweet and somewhat pie - like/crust to light bread and even biscuit - like to an extent. The taste was mainly sweet and bready toasty /biscuity - ness roaming across my tongue. Light vanilla to roasty sweet aftertaste leading to a sweet and dry finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fairly decent sessionability about it. There’s a light sweet carbonation about it. Overall, definitely a pumpkin ale I could come back to with extra compliments to it.
Jun 20, 2017
Photo of macrosmatic
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

3.99/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Thanks to eyebereej for sending this! Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 375 mL bottle into a Russian River snifter glass.

A: Pours a hazy, pumpkin-pie-filling brown. A thin white head forms but quickly fades, and it has a good amount of large bubble visible carbonation.

S: Caramel and toffee malts. Nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet and boozy and pumpkiny. A nice and complex aroma, though maybe not a personal favorite.

T: Toffee and sweet malts, pumpkin and brandy. The cinnamon and nutmeg mix with the booze and ethanol heat. There are some raisins and dark fruit as well as mild woody tannins. It finishes with sweet malts, alcohol and residual pumpkin.

M: Full-bodied with a sticky mouthfeel. The alcohol is obvious but never hits that excessive level. Fairly low carbonation sensation.

O: This had the hallmarks of everything I don't prefer in a beer, but I actually found it pretty pleasant to drink. Well-planned, well-executed. It's nothing that I'd choose to drink frequently, but definitely good if you're in the right mood.
Feb 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4.35 by birchstick from Colorado

Feb 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.27 by sd123 from Georgia

Dec 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Nov 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.9 by JNForsyth from Pennsylvania

Nov 05, 2016
Photo of Davepoolesque
Reviewed by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2013 bottle. Ruddy amber brown in color. Clear in appearance. Earthy. Cinnamon, nutmeg and Brandy booze. Fairly dry. Not too sweet. Balanced but boozy. Holding up well. Pretty good.
Oct 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4.63 by deonreds from New York

Sep 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4.33 by puftdank from Illinois

Jun 14, 2016
Photo of LloydDobler
Reviewed by LloydDobler from Indiana

3.97/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle to snifter.

Hazy orange pour with an eggshell white head. Lots of sediment floating around in the glass. This is my first go-round with Almanac so didn't know what to expect. I love all the thanksgiving day aroma here, but not getting the sweetness of a typical barleywine. The taste threw me for a loop. Tangy pumpkin up front with a sweet finish. Nutmeg and cinnamon are present the whole way through. At first the tart was off putting but it grew on me. Not sure if this was the intention of the brewer, but this is a nice change of pace for me.
Apr 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by brandoman63 from Illinois

Apr 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.9 by 3-Ball from Georgia

Apr 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.27 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

Mar 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4.37 by stephenlee from England

Mar 12, 2016
Photo of angrybabboon
Reviewed by angrybabboon from Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Consumed 3/10/16

A: Medium amber with some dark copper and burnt orange - hazy, with some clarity around the edges - medium, light beige head, fades to a wispy cap, leaves some streaks of lacing

S: A lot of brandy, with some sharp grape, wood, and barrel - lots of heat, but it melds with the other flavors as this reaches room temperature - nice amount of pumpkin under the brandy, with pumpkin flesh and squash - pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice - big malt base, with some cooked malts, caramelized malts, caramel, molasses, and toffee - some sweetness

T: Pumpkin pie soaked in brandy - brandy flavors dominate, with wood and alcohol - malty, with cooked grains, cooked malts, caramelized malts, dark bread, toffee, molasses, straight-up caramel sweetness - nice amount of pumpkin, with some squashy pumpkin flesh, pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin pie spices - finishes with some earthiness and more heat

M: On the full side of medium, medium carbonation, smooth with some lingering alcohol heat

O: A pumpkin barleywine helps me cope with this lousy Smarch weather

I probably should have drank this in the fall. But today could pass for the late fall. Rainy, cold, ominous. This is truly a sipper. I should also note that this was borderline awful when I first poured it. But once it warmed up, it became good.
Mar 11, 2016
Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine from Almanac Beer Co.
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 817 ratings