Pumpkin Grinder
Mankato Brewery

Mankato Pumpkin Grinder, 5.7% ABV, 30 IBU. Pours thin and cloudy orange, two finger off-white head. Nose is malt and spice. Taste is malt, pumpkin/squash, pumpkin spice, and clove. Mouthfeel is OK. Overall, one of the least inoffensive pumpkin beers I've had - given that so many I find barely drinkable. I could drink a bunch of these. Not a strong pumpkin pie tasting beer - not sweet, but pumpkin is there and the base lager is decent.

Aroma is very cinnamon and clove, with the pumpkin also coming through. Hazy brown-amber with a short (1/4 inch) slightly off-white head from a very vigorous pour. The head disappears very (very) quickly, leaving just a slight ring. A few tiny bubbles are rising. A little disconnected lacing that quickly sags down the glass. Body is thin, with a slight carbonation to keep it from being completely flat. The taste is heavily cinnamon & clove with just enough pumpkin and malt backing to keep the spices a bit under control. Very slight bittering initially, mild through the middle. Finish is cinnamon and clove with just a touch of malt/pumpkin and hops leading into the aftertaste.

The main act with this beer is the cinnamon and clove, but it does have some pumpkin, malt, and hops in the flavor to keep it at least somewhat balanced. Even so, if you don't like those spices in your beer, you won't like this one. If you do, then you will most likely enjoy it. It is easy drinking and pleasant.

Muddy brown color with hints of toffee and caramel. Head is scummy on top, with a finger nail of head.

Aromas are faint and are of chlorine, brown sugar, cinnamon, plum, and pumpkin.

Flavor is metallic can lid, followed by brown sugar, pumpkin meat, nutmeg, chlorine, water, and minerals.

Feel is watery and very light bodied. Carbonation followed by an unforseen alcohol burn which shouldn't exist at 6%.

Overall, it's a major miss, I'll gladly pass next time.

 

 

 

 

Look: Amber, deep copper color
Smell: pumpkin spice is pleasant, not too invasive
Taste: cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla (pie spice blend of some kind) followed by a malty finish
Feel: smooth, like pumpkin pie

 

 

 

 

Congrats on silver medal at GABF 2015. And my impression is that is was well earned. This is a pretty good pumpkin beer. The vienna lager base is a good base. A good clean drinker for style it has a nice lager feel and drinkability. The spice also seems to add a gritty quality which I found enjoyable. Attractive amber color with a smallish darker head. In both the aroma and taste it is more spice than pumpkin, but it is not to point of excess. Nice mix of flavors with a good vienna lager base, pumpkin and spice (seems mostly nutmeg).
This is a good solid nice fall drinking lager. Nicely done