Blizzard of '91
Oliphant Brewing
- From:
- Oliphant Brewing
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- Pumpkin Beer
Ranked #72 - ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #16,402 - Avg:
- 4.03 | pDev: 5.71%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 28, 2025
- Added:
- Nov 01, 2018
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Pecan & pumpkin pie ale.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by deleted_user_1366261
4.74/5 rDev +17.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.74/5 rDev +17.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
From a pint can, poured into glass mug.
Dark copper, taste is pecan right off the top, going into pumpkin. This is underrated, and is wonderfully done. Kudos!
Sep 28, 2025Dark copper, taste is pecan right off the top, going into pumpkin. This is underrated, and is wonderfully done. Kudos!
Reviewed by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota
4/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer pour a very dark amber, yet it's fairly clear. There's a 2 finger off white head. The retention is ok. There's also some lacing on the glass.
The nose is full of spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves.
Taste is like the nose. I get a lot of cinnamon up front, backed up by nutmeg and cloves. While the cinnamon is up front, it is very well balanced, and not over the top. The 3 pumpkin spices are in the right ratio.
Body is decent. Cinnamon feeling form the flavor lingers a bit, again, right balance.
Delicious beer.
Nov 15, 2021The nose is full of spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves.
Taste is like the nose. I get a lot of cinnamon up front, backed up by nutmeg and cloves. While the cinnamon is up front, it is very well balanced, and not over the top. The 3 pumpkin spices are in the right ratio.
Body is decent. Cinnamon feeling form the flavor lingers a bit, again, right balance.
Delicious beer.
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota
4/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Can. White head. Copper caramel golden color.
Love the low abv pumpkin spice beer. Pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg. Not overly spiced. Very drinkable for the style.
Nov 07, 2021Love the low abv pumpkin spice beer. Pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg. Not overly spiced. Very drinkable for the style.
Reviewed by MNAle from Minnesota
4.06/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Crystal clear light golden amber with moderate carbonation. 3/4 inch off-white head that has rather short retention, leaving little lacing. Became a cap with a creamy ring before I even took a sip (but, then, I was being a bit unhurried as I was taking notes.)
Spicy, sweet bread/pie crust aroma. Smells like a fresh-baked sweet and spicy pie crust. Very nice.
Taste retains the sweet crust from the aroma, and amplifies the spiciness to a definite pumpkin pie flavor. There is a definite nuttiness as well. This beer is quite smooth, no bittering at all, and flavorful. There is a substantialness to the bready backbone and to the flavors. IOW, it is not all just pumplin pie spice. While the spices are obvious, they are not at all overdone. It is well-balanced among the malts and spices, flavorful, and quite good. I use the word "sweet" a lot, but this is not an overly sweet beer. As I said, well-balanced.
The body is a bit thin, but not overly so. It has a smooth feel, with some contribution from the carbonation.
While my sample size is small, this is the first pumpkin beer I have tried that is above mediocre. And, this one is well above that. I bought this beer without looking at it too closely. I thought I was buying a winter brown. Had I known it was a pumpkin beer, I probably would have passed it up. In this case, not reading the label carefully turned out to be a good thing.
Late added comment: as the beer warms, the final few sips do become a bit toward the cloying side. I didn't downgrade the ratings, though, since its my fault... I just let it linger way too long.
Nov 24, 2020Spicy, sweet bread/pie crust aroma. Smells like a fresh-baked sweet and spicy pie crust. Very nice.
Taste retains the sweet crust from the aroma, and amplifies the spiciness to a definite pumpkin pie flavor. There is a definite nuttiness as well. This beer is quite smooth, no bittering at all, and flavorful. There is a substantialness to the bready backbone and to the flavors. IOW, it is not all just pumplin pie spice. While the spices are obvious, they are not at all overdone. It is well-balanced among the malts and spices, flavorful, and quite good. I use the word "sweet" a lot, but this is not an overly sweet beer. As I said, well-balanced.
The body is a bit thin, but not overly so. It has a smooth feel, with some contribution from the carbonation.
While my sample size is small, this is the first pumpkin beer I have tried that is above mediocre. And, this one is well above that. I bought this beer without looking at it too closely. I thought I was buying a winter brown. Had I known it was a pumpkin beer, I probably would have passed it up. In this case, not reading the label carefully turned out to be a good thing.
Late added comment: as the beer warms, the final few sips do become a bit toward the cloying side. I didn't downgrade the ratings, though, since its my fault... I just let it linger way too long.
Reviewed by metter98 from New York
3.96/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: The beer is relatively clear yellowish amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a short white head.
S: Moderate aromas of pumpkins are present in the nose along with notes of pumpkin spices.
T: The taste follows the smell and has lots of flavors of pumpkins with notes of pumpkin spices. There are only some hints of pecans.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has lots of pumpkins without being overly spicy.
Serving type: can
Nov 15, 2020S: Moderate aromas of pumpkins are present in the nose along with notes of pumpkin spices.
T: The taste follows the smell and has lots of flavors of pumpkins with notes of pumpkin spices. There are only some hints of pecans.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has lots of pumpkins without being overly spicy.
Serving type: can
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota
3.96/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Notes from 11/17/17:
Oliphant blizzard of '91. "Pecan pumpkin pie blizzard ale." 4.1% Alc./Vol. Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.
I recall that blizzard of '91. Who among us can forget it. Shut the whole darn town down. Except the muffin shop I worked at back then. They wanted me to come in. So, I waited and waited for the bus, like an idiot, to wait around for customers who weren't there because they took the day off and stayed home, like smart people. I'll bet this beer won't suck, unlike that Halloween blizzard.
Clear, Amber/bronze. large and lasting ivory head. Nice.
In the nose: Sweet, malty, vegetal. If there's pumpkin here, I'm getting it. Pecan? Yeah, sure. Spicy, pumpkin-y, nice, once more. A little toasty, tasty, mmm....
In the mouth: more sweet, more spicy, more tasty. Medium body, long malty finish, vanilla, pumpkin, sweet, spice, yum. A sometimes treat. I'm taking down this big ol' crowler by myself, but it's more than enough. It's definitely delicious. Has everything in just the right amounts, not too much, not too little. Damn.
I'm going hunting for more of this. It'll be perfect for Thanksgiving.
Feb 09, 2020Oliphant blizzard of '91. "Pecan pumpkin pie blizzard ale." 4.1% Alc./Vol. Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.
I recall that blizzard of '91. Who among us can forget it. Shut the whole darn town down. Except the muffin shop I worked at back then. They wanted me to come in. So, I waited and waited for the bus, like an idiot, to wait around for customers who weren't there because they took the day off and stayed home, like smart people. I'll bet this beer won't suck, unlike that Halloween blizzard.
Clear, Amber/bronze. large and lasting ivory head. Nice.
In the nose: Sweet, malty, vegetal. If there's pumpkin here, I'm getting it. Pecan? Yeah, sure. Spicy, pumpkin-y, nice, once more. A little toasty, tasty, mmm....
In the mouth: more sweet, more spicy, more tasty. Medium body, long malty finish, vanilla, pumpkin, sweet, spice, yum. A sometimes treat. I'm taking down this big ol' crowler by myself, but it's more than enough. It's definitely delicious. Has everything in just the right amounts, not too much, not too little. Damn.
I'm going hunting for more of this. It'll be perfect for Thanksgiving.
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