PumpFest Pumpkin Beer
Wander Brewing

Poured into an Elysian pumpkin snifter. Pours a medium, slightly brownish orange with a one finger white head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of light biscuit malt, light pumpkin and cinnamon; lightly mineral. Flavor is lightly biscuit and bready malt, pumpkin, cinnamon, light clove and nutmeg. Pumpkin and light vanilla in the finish. Medium bodied with light creaminess. My bottom line for a pumpkin beer is genuine pumpkin flavors and light, balanced pie spicing, and this one delivers. The pumpkin tastes more like steamed pumpkin than overly sweet pumpkin pie and the spices are evident, but do not overwhelm the malt and pumpkin flavors. The base malt is slightly more robust than a traditional American lager, which is great for supporting the pumpkin. Vanilla shows up in the finish giving it it's main pumpkin pie moment. My favorite pumpkin beers are usually fairly robust in ABV, and I'm pleased with the amount of flavor and body this has at a moderate ABV. Pleasantly surprised by this one.

Served On-Tap in October

A — Pours a deep coppery hued brown color into the glass, great clarity here, looks like a super dark festbier with a nice billowy creamy head on-top, surprisingly nice lacing left behind.

S — Smell is nice enough initially, but is unfortunately overpowered by spices, huge cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice overpower whatever delicious lagered malts were here.

T — Nice initially with notes of chewy malts, caramel and biscuit. Does again get overpowered by a strongly spicy and unbalanced note of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.

M — Medium bodied, semi-low carbonation, smooth enough, but there is a lingering sweetness and heaviness here.

O — OK overall, a bit unbalanced and overspiced. Not a bad concept for a pumpkin beer though, just needs a little more fine tuning.