Pumpkin Ale
Portsmouth Brewery

Pumpkin AlePumpkin Ale
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From:
Portsmouth Brewery
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
Pumpkin Beer
Ranked #193
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
82
Ranked #24,574
Avg:
3.53 | pDev: 13.6%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
22
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 31, 2022
Added:
Nov 03, 2005
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  2
Brewed with spices and 100 pounds of locally grown Dickinson pumpkins. This style dates back to colonial times, when brewers were still dependent on Europe for many supplies, especially malt. Brewers learned that they could extend their meager malt supplies by using starchy vegetables such as pumpkins, squash, and potatoes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by beachbum1975:
Photo of beachbum1975
Reviewed by beachbum1975 from Ohio

3.11/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Shared this one with pwoods and Ftownthrowdown Friday night. Review is from notes taken on the fly. 22 ounce bomber courtesy of a recent trade from BanditBrewingCo - thanks, Alan!!!

Neat bottle with blue hand-stamped "PUMPKIN ALE = ALE WITH PUMPKIN AND SPICE ADDED" - I love their simple, down home-style packaging.

This one poured a clean and clear orange with a small white head that disappeared quickly leaving no lacing.

Smelled of light pumpkin, light spices light cinnamon and allspice and light malts, very faint smell overall.

Tasted light and much like the nose. No a whole lot going on - very grainy with only the slightest hints of malt, pumpkin or spices. Very light and average this time around.

Sorry, I was kind of underwhelmed on this one and it didn't do a lot for me. To be honest, it sorta reminded me of the lightness and lack of flavor found in Blue Moon's Harvest Ale which isn't anything to write home about.
Nov 10, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by LAM01833 from Massachusetts

Jul 31, 2022
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.42/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the source.
The menu called this pupkin ale and the proceeds benefited an animal charity but I assume it is their regular pumpkin beer and not a new entry. Lightly hazy light gold in color with a thin rocky head. Lots of pumpkin spice light malt. Yeah pretty much just a pumpkin spice beer.
Oct 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.44 by acurtis from New Jersey

Nov 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by Celtics76 from Rhode Island

Nov 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by mklisz from New Hampshire

Aug 20, 2015
 
Rated: 2.5 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Nov 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by phuntasy from New Hampshire

Mar 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by ajcormier from New Hampshire

Oct 31, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kelp from New Hampshire

Apr 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by juliusseizure from New York

Dec 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by uscbrasco from Virginia

Oct 15, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by Rhettroactive from Virginia

Oct 11, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by phingdong from New Hampshire

Feb 01, 2012
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.67/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Tap at brew pub

Fizzy and creamy 1 finger head fades at a med pace with a bit of lacing over mostly clear bit of chill haze orange golden wood color.

Nose has some lighter pumpkin, fresh pumpkin not syrup or extract, light pumpkin pie spices, light toasty malt base.

Taste Starts with some fruity hops actually, light fruity flavor with a bit of fruity floral hops, then some pumpkin flavor, again fresh fruit not syrup. Light spices come through again with light pumpkin pie spices, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, etc. the bitterness get a bit harsh as the hops and spices multiply off each other. Light toasty malts come through behind the sharper tastes. Finish is slightly astringent with more bittering hops and light spices, pumpkin, and semi sweet sticky feel.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb.

Overall not bad, the hops and spices don't play well and it gets slightly astringent, despite lighter side of spices which are nicer. Nice overall pumpkin and malt profiles. Maybe a bit drier on the finish would also have helped.
Oct 16, 2011
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Had on tap at brewery. Served into a pint glass

Appearance: minimal head, orange in color, clear

Smell: light pumpkin spice

Taste: toasted malt, cinnamon, cloves, with actual pumpkin taste creeping in midway through

Mouthfeel: sweet, moderate carbonation, medium bodied

Drinkability: This one is solid and above average. The best thing about this is that Portsmouth uses fresh pumpkins—as opposed to flavoring—and it really shows through. If I am up for a straight pumpkin beer, this is certainly one to consider getting couple pints of.
Oct 13, 2011
Photo of andrewinski1
Reviewed by andrewinski1 from New Hampshire

2.94/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Poured into a pint glass. Nice orangey copper color with a bit of haze. Very small head that nearly disappears.

Smells very vegetabley. Lots of pumpkin aroma, just the slightest hint of spice, but not enough to pick out specific ones.

This tastes like I'm drinking a squash, followed by a chaser of beer. Just about every sip I'm reminded of thanksgiving dinner squash, or zucchini. The spicing is hardly noticeable, as are any hops that might be present.

Not the most drinkable of brews I've tried, but definitely unique. Glad to have tried this, but I probably won't look for it again.
Oct 21, 2010
Photo of FtownThrowDown
Reviewed by FtownThrowDown from Ohio

2.83/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottled generously shared by Beachbum1975.
Pours a translucent ruby brown in color. Not a lot of head to speak of.
Not much going on in the nose. I'm having trouble picking up any spice or pumpkin in the taste. This is a really dumbed down pumpkin that doesn't have a lot of flavor. After just drinking their Milk Stout and enjoying it, this was a big let down. I've drank some really good pumpkin ales in the past month and this one doesn't even register on the radar.
Nov 15, 2008
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on tap at the Cambridge Brewing Company during their Great Pumpkin Festival on 10/31/08.

Pours a Wow!, straight up orange in my glass (this is most impressive since the coloring of this came only from the pumpkins used) with just the thinnest head of creamsickle colored foam. Retains around the edges some but doesn't leave much lacing behind at all. The aroma is a tingling and sticky mix of pumpkin pie spices and residual sweet notes. Unfortunately, I'm just not smelling much actual pumpkin.

The taste is spices that come on strong right from the start, segueing into silky malt sweetness that borders on almost being cloying at times. Some citric tang and a tingle of hops in the back round things out. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a thicker, sticky feel and poppy carbonation. This almost feels like soda pop in my mouth.

I love me some Portsmouth beers but I have to admit that this was a bit of a disappointment for me. Overly spicy and sweet with not enough pumpkin meat coming through and a bit too much of a pop in the feel. I'm glad to have tried it but one glass was more than enough.
Nov 10, 2008
Photo of pwoods
Reviewed by pwoods from Ohio

2.97/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to beachbum1975 for sharing this bottle.

22oz. brown bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a nice pumpkin orange, mostly visible. 1 finger of white head with little retention. Some wisps of lacing.

S: Nice sweet and savor pumpkin. Pretty spicy, kind of sharp.

T/M: Too much spice and not enough pumpkin. Overly spiced. Lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Pumpkin is tasty but not in the forefront. Very sharp spices. Body is medium with subdued carbonation.

D: Easy to drink but not tasty enough.
Nov 08, 2008
Pumpkin Ale from Portsmouth Brewery
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 22 ratings