Secret Machine - Pumpkin Whoopie Pie
Dewey Beer Co.

Impossibly pumpkin orange, it's that darker yet not brown orange just like a baked pumpkin, with a head that instantly fizzles out over an uncanny opacity.

I thought this would be harshly sour considering how quickly the head died, but it's not. Though it's still thin, it's also kind of crisp, beginning with a tangy sort of cider that lightly transitions to pumpkin oatmeal creme pie finishing light and zippy, even herbal of orchard fruit.

Very low expectations gave the final impression a huge leg up.

An unusual but good beer. From the name on the label, I thought this was going to be an overly sweet, heavily pumpkin spiced brew. Instead, I found a pumpkin-based sour that actually tasted pretty good. Poured from a 16 oz. can into a Stone Brewery RIS tulip, this beer featured a hazy, bubbly orange body and a fizzy off-white head that dies out quickly. No lacing to speak of on the glass. The aroma is pumpkin all the way and pleasant. The taste was surprising. The pumpkin aroma carried into the taste, but this beer was most definitely a sour - and a good one at that. There was some underlying creamy sweetness to balance the beer out, but the sour aspect was prominent and one just right. Mouthfeel included some good carbonation and a nice balance between some sweetness and the more dominant sourness. On the whole, very enjoyble.

6 oz draft pour at Lures Bar & Grille. Not a typical "Secret Machine" with more sweetness that fruity tartness, but it's a decent and unusual take on a pumpkin beer that mostly delivers the expected flavors. Creamy, not too heavy on the spice, very drinkable.

Dewey Beer Co. "Secret Machine - Pumpkin Whoopie Pie"
16 fl. oz. can woithout production codes or freshness dating
$4.25 @ Wegmans, King of Prussia, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: Well this is a twist! The Secret Machine beers are sour; is this a sour pumpkin beer? Let's find out... yep. It has a bit of an acidic and mineralish aroma to it, and it's tart in the flavor. There's also some sweetness to it, and the vanilla and cinnamon that are in it gives it the impression of being even sweeter. Back to the appearance, it's a murky orange. A rough pour will bring up a short head of creamy yellowed off-white foam but it drops almost immediately and then leaves nothing in the way of lacing behind. The aroma isn't my favorite but there's nothing wrong with it, and I love the flavor as it's a very unusual combination. Somehow it's balanced, and at least for me, it's tart, sweet, and then tart in the finish leaving me ready for another sip. It's compelling. In the mouth it's medium bodied and dextrinous, and very moderately carbonated but also with a little zing from the acidity. I have to give it credit for originality, and I really like the taste. Great, well-made and balanced beer.
Review #9,035