Tales From The Patch Pumpkin Porter
Big Rig Brewery
- From:
- Big Rig Brewery
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Pumpkin Beer
Ranked #213 - ABV:
- 5.8%
- Score:
- 83
Ranked #32,619 - Avg:
- 3.63 | pDev: 9.09%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 11
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 02, 2025
- Added:
- Sep 23, 2016
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 7
SCORE
83
Good
83
Good
We went to great lengths to bring you this killer autumn treat. Pumpkins were handpicked by our brew team from the depths of the path. A cornucopia of spices were added to them before roasting and then the sweet flesh—along with creamy milk sugar—went into this chocolate-hued porter. It’s like homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream. But better, because it’s beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thehyperduck:
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.75/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.75/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Tallboy can from the LCBO; dated Oct 12 2016 and served well-chilled. I first tried this a few weeks ago, but it took me longer than expected to secure a second can for reviewing purposes.
Pours a gorgeous clear copper-brown colour with crimson highlights, topped off with one inch of foamy, light beige-tinged head that fades off over the next two minutes or so. A modest collar is the eventual remnant, with minimal lace being generated; looks fine, I suppose, but the aroma is what really rouses my interest. It smells rich and sweet, like hot chocolate with milk and vanilla, mixed up with black cherries and pumpkin pie filling; accents of cinnamon and nutmeg only make it all the more tempting. I'm glad I'm not diabetic.
An intriguing beer, but there's a lot of stuff going on and not all of it melds together coherently. Graham cracker crust, molasses, oatmeal and roasted pumpkin flavours come through at first, followed by root beer, cherry cola and cloying vanilla coke. Cinnamon, nutmeg and mild ginger spiciness, with earthy bitterness, licorice and mocha on the back end. Not exactly unappealing, but a bit too saccharine. Nearing medium-bodied, thanks to the oats, with moderate carbonation levels and a prickly, crisp, biting mouthfeel that doesn't quite suit the flavour profile - with this much vanilla and pumpkin pie going on, I'm looking for something a bit softer and smoother. Enjoyable enough, but definitely not something I'd want to drink one after another.
Final Grade: 3.75, a B+. Tales From the Patch is one of the most unabashedly and aggressively-flavoured Ontario pumpkin ales that I've ever tried. The vanilla in particular is a little too dominant, and overall it kind of reminds me of a soft drink - like the offspring of a Dr. Pepper and Vanilla Coke, mixed with Pumking and vanilla extract. Interesting enough to be worth a look, at least if you typically enjoy pumpkin ales - but probably not one of my first recommendations within the style.
Nov 13, 2016Pours a gorgeous clear copper-brown colour with crimson highlights, topped off with one inch of foamy, light beige-tinged head that fades off over the next two minutes or so. A modest collar is the eventual remnant, with minimal lace being generated; looks fine, I suppose, but the aroma is what really rouses my interest. It smells rich and sweet, like hot chocolate with milk and vanilla, mixed up with black cherries and pumpkin pie filling; accents of cinnamon and nutmeg only make it all the more tempting. I'm glad I'm not diabetic.
An intriguing beer, but there's a lot of stuff going on and not all of it melds together coherently. Graham cracker crust, molasses, oatmeal and roasted pumpkin flavours come through at first, followed by root beer, cherry cola and cloying vanilla coke. Cinnamon, nutmeg and mild ginger spiciness, with earthy bitterness, licorice and mocha on the back end. Not exactly unappealing, but a bit too saccharine. Nearing medium-bodied, thanks to the oats, with moderate carbonation levels and a prickly, crisp, biting mouthfeel that doesn't quite suit the flavour profile - with this much vanilla and pumpkin pie going on, I'm looking for something a bit softer and smoother. Enjoyable enough, but definitely not something I'd want to drink one after another.
Final Grade: 3.75, a B+. Tales From the Patch is one of the most unabashedly and aggressively-flavoured Ontario pumpkin ales that I've ever tried. The vanilla in particular is a little too dominant, and overall it kind of reminds me of a soft drink - like the offspring of a Dr. Pepper and Vanilla Coke, mixed with Pumking and vanilla extract. Interesting enough to be worth a look, at least if you typically enjoy pumpkin ales - but probably not one of my first recommendations within the style.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Mikehicks100 from Canada (ON)
3.25/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Pours an inch or two of foam. Very dark brown almost black color that smells of cinnamon and mixed spices.
Taste is not bad. It's not as intense as some of the others I've had which may be a positive for you. I notice a pumpkin flavor on the after tase. Not my favorite kind of beer but I quite like it.
Don't want to have them all evening but it's good for a first and second drink.
Oct 02, 2025Taste is not bad. It's not as intense as some of the others I've had which may be a positive for you. I notice a pumpkin flavor on the after tase. Not my favorite kind of beer but I quite like it.
Don't want to have them all evening but it's good for a first and second drink.
Reviewed by talisen-crw from Canada (ON)
3.5/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, from the University Ave. West LCBO in nearby downtown Windsor. My first beer from the Kanata, Ontario brewery.
Feb 16, 2025
Reviewed by Tony787 from Canada (ON)
3.38/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
pours a 1 finger head into glass that quickly goes away but there is a nice lace left it really does look like a root beer to me dark color
September 24th 20 was brew date under can beer tasted malty flavor and spices with not much bitterness at all vanilla and caramel. very first time I had a pumpkin Porter and it was drinkable and interesting but it was thick and creamy and the spices flavor probably only drink 1 can .
cheers
Oct 11, 2020September 24th 20 was brew date under can beer tasted malty flavor and spices with not much bitterness at all vanilla and caramel. very first time I had a pumpkin Porter and it was drinkable and interesting but it was thick and creamy and the spices flavor probably only drink 1 can .
cheers
Reviewed by rapayn01 from Kentucky
3.38/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Purchased in a standard 473 ml Canadian pint can. I'm not sure I've ever had a pumpkin porter and I cannot say that this really fit the style. It seemed more like a pumpkin soft drink than a porter as it lacked the richness and roasted malt of a good porter. I like some pumpkin ales, but will not seek this one out again.
Oct 01, 2018
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
4.32/5 rDev +19%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.32/5 rDev +19%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown with a copper tinge when held to the light. Moderate carbonation, and it looks filtered. Topped with 3 fingers of beige head.
Big smells of cream and sugar, pumpkin spices, vanilla and caramel.
Tastes big and rich and sweet and creamy, following the nose with vanilla and cream, caramel and pumpkin spices. Unfortunately getting a hint of rust at the end of all that beauty.
Thick and creamy body, very milkshake like, with a pillowy carbonation that is also like whipped cream.
Got this today in the old, barrack like LCBO in Elora, Ontario. Drinking it up by Lake Muskoka at the cottage, this cold and rainy winter night of November 22nd, 2017. Excellent brew. I'm glad I took a risk and picked up several of these.
Nov 22, 2017Big smells of cream and sugar, pumpkin spices, vanilla and caramel.
Tastes big and rich and sweet and creamy, following the nose with vanilla and cream, caramel and pumpkin spices. Unfortunately getting a hint of rust at the end of all that beauty.
Thick and creamy body, very milkshake like, with a pillowy carbonation that is also like whipped cream.
Got this today in the old, barrack like LCBO in Elora, Ontario. Drinking it up by Lake Muskoka at the cottage, this cold and rainy winter night of November 22nd, 2017. Excellent brew. I'm glad I took a risk and picked up several of these.
Reviewed by Jesterr44 from Canada (ON)
3.34/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.34/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Pours like rootbeer; brown with an orange tinge, a fizzy tan head on a hard pour which fades down to nothing almost as quickly as rootbeer & leaves no lacing. Aroma of spice & vanilla. Taste follows with spice & vanilla dominating any pumpkin flavour & then there is a lager-esque sharp bite of carbonation at the finish. I'll stop short of calling it an adjunct bite, but there I guess I said it. It's very drinkable & went down quickly but it's not exactly a craft flavour to savour. Interesting to try, like a vanilla porter or the Cinnamon toast crunch from Bell City, but I won't be having this again.
Oct 21, 2017
Reviewed by pootz from Canada (ON)
3.13/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.13/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Spazzy glo-in-the-dark count floyd can -puts a dark orange copper beer in the glass with a bulbous off white cap - aromas of pumpkin pie spices, vanilla and fresh dough not over powering but distinct. Flavor is delightful big whack of malts with a decent amalgam of spice and vanilla pods, rich mouth feel, very rounded - long wet finish with increasing hop bittering - a very satisfying flavorful and drinkable pumpkin beer - something that won’t fatigue your taste buds after a couple
Sep 22, 2017
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)
4.1/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
4.1/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
I'm nor really a fan of pumpkin brews. There's just too much sameness, and while i really enjoy pumpkin pie, the beers rarely really hit the spot.
This one though, does the trick. Its not just a pumpkin spice club of cinnamon and nutmeg, &etc. Its got some vanilla, and creaminess, and a root beer sarasparilla sort of thing happening over the top of the chocolately roastiness of a porter. Very tasty. Not for drinking a ton of, but a decent dessert beer and something I'll be looking to round up a couple more cans of.
Sep 19, 2017This one though, does the trick. Its not just a pumpkin spice club of cinnamon and nutmeg, &etc. Its got some vanilla, and creaminess, and a root beer sarasparilla sort of thing happening over the top of the chocolately roastiness of a porter. Very tasty. Not for drinking a ton of, but a decent dessert beer and something I'll be looking to round up a couple more cans of.
Reviewed by Trevor_IPA from Canada (ON)
4.37/5 rDev +20.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +20.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Tried this since I was in the Halloween spirit. A spiced pumpkin porter. Pours the darkest of amber colours, almost porter but against the light is definitely amber. Smells strong of pumpkin pie, rather than pumpkin, with strong cinnamon notes. Tastes completely different than I'd imagine, very refreshing, almost like pumpkin nectar - very sweet (in a good way). A very unique taste. I'll be sure to save some around for friends who are not IPA fans, and would go well with variety of dishes
Update: Also noticed a previous fella mentioned can glows in the dark, it certainly does... Nice touch
Nov 06, 2016Update: Also noticed a previous fella mentioned can glows in the dark, it certainly does... Nice touch
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