Blight Pumpkin Ale | Elysian Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Elysian Brewing Company
Washington, United States
elysianbrewing.com
Style: Pumpkin Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.40%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by harrymel on 09-24-2012
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 26 | Ratings: 80
4.5/5 rDev +11.9%
Bottle.
Appearance: copper. Mostly clear. Super thin head. Super thin lacing.
Smell: cinnamon. Nutmeg. Clove.
Taste: same as smell, with a little alcohol backer.
Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium body. Slightly sweet, mostly dry.
Overall: great pumpkin beer. And I don't like pumpkin in my beer.
★ 312 characters
Bottle.
Appearance: copper. Mostly clear. Super thin head. Super thin lacing.
Smell: cinnamon. Nutmeg. Clove.
Taste: same as smell, with a little alcohol backer.
Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium body. Slightly sweet, mostly dry.
Overall: great pumpkin beer. And I don't like pumpkin in my beer.
★ 312 characters
3.74/5 rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bomber bottle, w/o freshness/bottling info that I can find.
Pours clouded dark orangy/brownish amber, minor hear that goes quickly and leaves next to no lace on the glass.
Cinnamon all over the nose.
Healthy amount of pumpkin and even more cinnamon on the palate. Carbonation seemingly on the low side. Smooth and enjoyable cinnamon provides a nice zestyness to the the finish.
A bargain and certainly worth trying at only $2.49 at Pioneer market on the UWS of NYC.
★ 471 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bomber bottle, w/o freshness/bottling info that I can find.
Pours clouded dark orangy/brownish amber, minor hear that goes quickly and leaves next to no lace on the glass.
Cinnamon all over the nose.
Healthy amount of pumpkin and even more cinnamon on the palate. Carbonation seemingly on the low side. Smooth and enjoyable cinnamon provides a nice zestyness to the the finish.
A bargain and certainly worth trying at only $2.49 at Pioneer market on the UWS of NYC.
★ 471 characters
4.12/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle courtesy of Dana pours a murky orange color with a small collar of bubbly head.
Smells like cinnamon honey! Like toast in the morning with butter, cinnamon and pie spices. Smells really good.
Tastes like a bowl of Golden Grahams with some raisins and honey drizzled on top. A unique (and sweet) take on the style...low on the clove/nutmeg spices and big on the cinnamon and honey. I liked it quite a bit...went down very easily.
★ 443 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle courtesy of Dana pours a murky orange color with a small collar of bubbly head.
Smells like cinnamon honey! Like toast in the morning with butter, cinnamon and pie spices. Smells really good.
Tastes like a bowl of Golden Grahams with some raisins and honey drizzled on top. A unique (and sweet) take on the style...low on the clove/nutmeg spices and big on the cinnamon and honey. I liked it quite a bit...went down very easily.
★ 443 characters
4.01/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: Clear rich burnt orange. Head is small and wispy with almost no retention. No lacing with a moderate carbonation.
Smell: Loaded with spicy cinnamon. Some softer typical spice profile, including cinnamon and allspice. Nice push of squashy pumpkin. Malts are lightly sweet with a slight biscuity and caramelized undertone. Minimal hopping, slight hints of citrus and earth. So much cinnamon, but it's spicy sweet, rather delightful.
Taste: Nicely balanced approach. Malts are lightly sweet with come caramelized malts. A tiny but bready with a soft hint of earth from the hops. Squashy pumpkin runs through the back with a nice compliment of nutmeg and allspice. Cinnamon plays up front here, but it's spicy sweet, almost like a Red Hot candy, but not quite that sweet. Warming drops out some of the cinnamon, leaving a heavyish spice profile over a mellow squashy pumpkin. Mild sweetness throughout.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a slightly below average carbonation. Clean and easy drinking.
Overall: Scorch the earth and come back for more.
Oh hey, Elysian can make pumpkin beer. Always and forever. The cinnamon is unique and well placed.
★ 1,157 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: Clear rich burnt orange. Head is small and wispy with almost no retention. No lacing with a moderate carbonation.
Smell: Loaded with spicy cinnamon. Some softer typical spice profile, including cinnamon and allspice. Nice push of squashy pumpkin. Malts are lightly sweet with a slight biscuity and caramelized undertone. Minimal hopping, slight hints of citrus and earth. So much cinnamon, but it's spicy sweet, rather delightful.
Taste: Nicely balanced approach. Malts are lightly sweet with come caramelized malts. A tiny but bready with a soft hint of earth from the hops. Squashy pumpkin runs through the back with a nice compliment of nutmeg and allspice. Cinnamon plays up front here, but it's spicy sweet, almost like a Red Hot candy, but not quite that sweet. Warming drops out some of the cinnamon, leaving a heavyish spice profile over a mellow squashy pumpkin. Mild sweetness throughout.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a slightly below average carbonation. Clean and easy drinking.
Overall: Scorch the earth and come back for more.
Oh hey, Elysian can make pumpkin beer. Always and forever. The cinnamon is unique and well placed.
★ 1,157 characters
4.14/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: Pours a hazy orange amber in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some copper highlights. The beer has a half finger tall light beige head that quickly reduces to a medium sized patch of very thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate to strong aromas of cinnamon with lighter notes of other pumpkin spices (nutmeg) and just a hint of pumpkin.
T: Moderate flavors of cinnamon dominate the taste of this beer but that is over the top of lighter notes of pumpkin and just an hint of nutmeg. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish which fade very quickly.
M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: As someone that really enjoys cinnamon, this beer did a great job of showing off the flavors and aromas of the cinnamon in a pumpkin beer without being overly sweet. I really enjoyed this one and would gladly have another if I ever find it again.
★ 977 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: Pours a hazy orange amber in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some copper highlights. The beer has a half finger tall light beige head that quickly reduces to a medium sized patch of very thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate to strong aromas of cinnamon with lighter notes of other pumpkin spices (nutmeg) and just a hint of pumpkin.
T: Moderate flavors of cinnamon dominate the taste of this beer but that is over the top of lighter notes of pumpkin and just an hint of nutmeg. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish which fade very quickly.
M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: As someone that really enjoys cinnamon, this beer did a great job of showing off the flavors and aromas of the cinnamon in a pumpkin beer without being overly sweet. I really enjoyed this one and would gladly have another if I ever find it again.
★ 977 characters
4.07/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
A: The beer is hazy yellowish amber in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that quickly died down, leaving lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of pumpkin spices are present in the nose - cinnamon seems to stand out in particular.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but the cinnamon flavors are a litte subdued and there are also notes of pumpkins.
M: It feels nearly light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this beer because it wasn't sweet and had really pleasant flavors of cinnamon that weren't overdone.
★ 676 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
A: The beer is hazy yellowish amber in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that quickly died down, leaving lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of pumpkin spices are present in the nose - cinnamon seems to stand out in particular.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but the cinnamon flavors are a litte subdued and there are also notes of pumpkins.
M: It feels nearly light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this beer because it wasn't sweet and had really pleasant flavors of cinnamon that weren't overdone.
★ 676 characters
3.75/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass. For whatever reason, I did not get a hold of Blight back when it came out in September 2012, so this is the last of the Apocalypse series I've tried. I must admit I'm looking forward to it. Elysian tends to do up their pumpkin brews right.
Appearance: lightly hazy orange hue with a light effervescence and plenty of floaties in the body. Head is a finger of frothy tan foam with a hint of an orange cast. Not bad!
Smell: sweet aroma with lots of cinnamon and a hint of pumpkin undertones. I must admit the overall effect is one of cinnamon-laced breakfast cereal; indeed, the suggestion is almost apple-cinnamon. Very interesting; weird, but not bad.
Taste: wow, at first taste I wasn't entirely impressed but as the flavor develops, I kind of like it. The aftertaste, especially, captures a wonderful cinnamon character with just a hint of pumpkin (and perhaps not a little of the aforementioned suggestion of apple). A bit sweet, but the sweetness is appropriate here.
Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and a reasonable creaminess. Not bad.
Overall: this is a beer about which I'm not sure how to feel. On paper, it's certainly a "meh", but this cinnamon character is absolutely intriguing. Definitely worth a try if you come across it.
★ 1,302 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass. For whatever reason, I did not get a hold of Blight back when it came out in September 2012, so this is the last of the Apocalypse series I've tried. I must admit I'm looking forward to it. Elysian tends to do up their pumpkin brews right.
Appearance: lightly hazy orange hue with a light effervescence and plenty of floaties in the body. Head is a finger of frothy tan foam with a hint of an orange cast. Not bad!
Smell: sweet aroma with lots of cinnamon and a hint of pumpkin undertones. I must admit the overall effect is one of cinnamon-laced breakfast cereal; indeed, the suggestion is almost apple-cinnamon. Very interesting; weird, but not bad.
Taste: wow, at first taste I wasn't entirely impressed but as the flavor develops, I kind of like it. The aftertaste, especially, captures a wonderful cinnamon character with just a hint of pumpkin (and perhaps not a little of the aforementioned suggestion of apple). A bit sweet, but the sweetness is appropriate here.
Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and a reasonable creaminess. Not bad.
Overall: this is a beer about which I'm not sure how to feel. On paper, it's certainly a "meh", but this cinnamon character is absolutely intriguing. Definitely worth a try if you come across it.
★ 1,302 characters
3.85/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle opened on 2.22.13
Number 9 in the series.
A - Pours a very dark orange-red with a small light tan head that is gone fast.
S - Ginger, spices, very malty.
T - Gingerbread and strong at that.
D - Low carbonation with a light body.
O - Pretty gingerbread heavy, not sure what else you could call it at this point.
★ 322 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle opened on 2.22.13
Number 9 in the series.
A - Pours a very dark orange-red with a small light tan head that is gone fast.
S - Ginger, spices, very malty.
T - Gingerbread and strong at that.
D - Low carbonation with a light body.
O - Pretty gingerbread heavy, not sure what else you could call it at this point.
★ 322 characters
3.38/5 rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
220z bottle poured into a tasting glass. Amber orange in color with a thin white head barely covering the top.
Lots of cinnamon comes out in the aroma. Notes of pumpkin pie spice, cloves and sweeter brown sugar all come out. Cinnamon is a little overwhelming but it's pretty good overall.
The taste shows even more of the spice, especially cinnamon. The cinnamon becomes a little hot in the finish. There's some sweeter malts and brown sugar trying to come through but the spices just seem overdone and dominating unfortunately.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. It was a decent beer overall but the spices were overdone and dominated the other flavors too much for me unfortunately.
★ 711 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
220z bottle poured into a tasting glass. Amber orange in color with a thin white head barely covering the top.
Lots of cinnamon comes out in the aroma. Notes of pumpkin pie spice, cloves and sweeter brown sugar all come out. Cinnamon is a little overwhelming but it's pretty good overall.
The taste shows even more of the spice, especially cinnamon. The cinnamon becomes a little hot in the finish. There's some sweeter malts and brown sugar trying to come through but the spices just seem overdone and dominating unfortunately.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. It was a decent beer overall but the spices were overdone and dominated the other flavors too much for me unfortunately.
★ 711 characters
3.6/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
22 oz. Bottle purchased for $8.59 + Tax @ Chuck's 85th Hop Shop, Ballard, Seattle, Washington. Very thin lace trace white head.Pretty clear thin bright orange gold color. Spicy Vietnamese cinnamon mild pumpkin front. Peppery thin textured mildly sweet toasted brown sugar mild pumpkin fruit body. Dry lingering hot cinnamon pepper end. Spicy throughout but relatively well balanced.
★ 382 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
22 oz. Bottle purchased for $8.59 + Tax @ Chuck's 85th Hop Shop, Ballard, Seattle, Washington. Very thin lace trace white head.Pretty clear thin bright orange gold color. Spicy Vietnamese cinnamon mild pumpkin front. Peppery thin textured mildly sweet toasted brown sugar mild pumpkin fruit body. Dry lingering hot cinnamon pepper end. Spicy throughout but relatively well balanced.
★ 382 characters
3.8/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Harrymel sent this one to me. Thanks Harry! I'm getting ready to send you another monster box in return.
Served in the very Elysian tulip that Harry sent.
A: Much more clear that most pumpkin ales, yet it was a dark orange, chill hazed, but with a slight, white ring around the liquid.
S: Lots of marshmallow in there, and definitely a bit more than a dash of cinnamon. Totally cinnamon! Sort of a buttercream infused cinnamon.
T: Lots of the same as the taste, but still great. Cinnamon heavy, for sure. Tasty!
M: The cinnamon stained the palate and then some. I didn't get much booze in there, if at all. the lacing was slight.
O: I personally dug this one. My question: What did this cost in the Washington region?
★ 724 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Harrymel sent this one to me. Thanks Harry! I'm getting ready to send you another monster box in return.
Served in the very Elysian tulip that Harry sent.
A: Much more clear that most pumpkin ales, yet it was a dark orange, chill hazed, but with a slight, white ring around the liquid.
S: Lots of marshmallow in there, and definitely a bit more than a dash of cinnamon. Totally cinnamon! Sort of a buttercream infused cinnamon.
T: Lots of the same as the taste, but still great. Cinnamon heavy, for sure. Tasty!
M: The cinnamon stained the palate and then some. I didn't get much booze in there, if at all. the lacing was slight.
O: I personally dug this one. My question: What did this cost in the Washington region?
★ 724 characters
4.34/5 rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a sample glass. I had this at Max's during Baltimore beer week.
Appearance: The beer pours a slightly cloudy amber color with a half finger of off white head. The head sticks around pretty well and leaves a layer on top of the pour.
Smell: I'm getting a ton of cinnamon here. A nice, sweet malt backbone with some pumpkin. The cinnamon with the fruit reminds me a bit of an apple crisp. I'm also getting some brown sugar.
Taste: Not as sweet as the smell led me to believe. Lots of cinnamon and brown sugar notes along with some pumpkin. The grain flavor mixes well with everything else. Still reminds me a bit of an apple pie like dessert.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with some tingly carbonation and a finish that's a bit dry. This was my least favorite aspect of this beer.
Overall: The smell of this beer is absolutely wonderful. This is a very nice dessert beer without having too much alcohol in it. The pumpkin was a bit overshadowed. I'd have more of this in the future.
★ 1,004 characters
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a sample glass. I had this at Max's during Baltimore beer week.
Appearance: The beer pours a slightly cloudy amber color with a half finger of off white head. The head sticks around pretty well and leaves a layer on top of the pour.
Smell: I'm getting a ton of cinnamon here. A nice, sweet malt backbone with some pumpkin. The cinnamon with the fruit reminds me a bit of an apple crisp. I'm also getting some brown sugar.
Taste: Not as sweet as the smell led me to believe. Lots of cinnamon and brown sugar notes along with some pumpkin. The grain flavor mixes well with everything else. Still reminds me a bit of an apple pie like dessert.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with some tingly carbonation and a finish that's a bit dry. This was my least favorite aspect of this beer.
Overall: The smell of this beer is absolutely wonderful. This is a very nice dessert beer without having too much alcohol in it. The pumpkin was a bit overshadowed. I'd have more of this in the future.
★ 1,004 characters
3.5/5 rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Not a fan of this beer. Served in a snifter.
Beer is brown and hazy with basically no head, moderate to low carbonation.
Aroma is sweet, mild roast, some pumpkin some spice.
Beer is medium in body and pretty sweet, mildly gourd flavor, mild everything except sweetness. Not a repeat for me.
★ 293 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Not a fan of this beer. Served in a snifter.
Beer is brown and hazy with basically no head, moderate to low carbonation.
Aroma is sweet, mild roast, some pumpkin some spice.
Beer is medium in body and pretty sweet, mildly gourd flavor, mild everything except sweetness. Not a repeat for me.
★ 293 characters
4.04/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a caramel orange color without much of a head on it. Nose has sweet cinnamon and pie crust bursting out of the glass. the taste starts off with sweet spiciness that moves on to a lot of cinnamon. Pumpkin gets added into the mix and ultimately finishes with some cloves and nutmeg. The cinnamon is by far the biggest player in the beer's flavor profile. The mouth is a little thing but decent. Overall, this is a good pumpkin beer; one of the better ones I had this night of pumpkin beer tasting. If you like cinnamon spiciness in your beers, you need to try this one.
★ 573 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a caramel orange color without much of a head on it. Nose has sweet cinnamon and pie crust bursting out of the glass. the taste starts off with sweet spiciness that moves on to a lot of cinnamon. Pumpkin gets added into the mix and ultimately finishes with some cloves and nutmeg. The cinnamon is by far the biggest player in the beer's flavor profile. The mouth is a little thing but decent. Overall, this is a good pumpkin beer; one of the better ones I had this night of pumpkin beer tasting. If you like cinnamon spiciness in your beers, you need to try this one.
★ 573 characters
4.42/5 rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Much appreciation to SatlyMalty for this guy. Poured into a Saint Somewhere wine-style glass. No freshness date.
A- Pours a dark amber color with a 1/2 inch of off-white head that retains slightly before degrading to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a sliver of bubbly surface foam. Thick, resilient lacing adheres to the glass.
S- Can you say "cinnamon"? Lots and lots of it. Like sticking your nose in a container of it. Yep, cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg and booze.
T- Tastes like apple crisp. All of the cinnamon rushes in with a nice malty sweetness to back it up. Gingerbread, heavily spiced pumpkin pie, brown sugar and some clove. Alcohol is certainly there but doesn't get in the way.
M- Decent body that's not too thick. Some vibrance from the spice and medium carbonation.
O- Recommended only if you really like cinnamon. It's the main attraction of this unique "pumpkin" beer. I kind of think it fits more into the herbed/spiced beer category but who's to say? Good, no matter what it is.
★ 1,017 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Much appreciation to SatlyMalty for this guy. Poured into a Saint Somewhere wine-style glass. No freshness date.
A- Pours a dark amber color with a 1/2 inch of off-white head that retains slightly before degrading to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a sliver of bubbly surface foam. Thick, resilient lacing adheres to the glass.
S- Can you say "cinnamon"? Lots and lots of it. Like sticking your nose in a container of it. Yep, cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg and booze.
T- Tastes like apple crisp. All of the cinnamon rushes in with a nice malty sweetness to back it up. Gingerbread, heavily spiced pumpkin pie, brown sugar and some clove. Alcohol is certainly there but doesn't get in the way.
M- Decent body that's not too thick. Some vibrance from the spice and medium carbonation.
O- Recommended only if you really like cinnamon. It's the main attraction of this unique "pumpkin" beer. I kind of think it fits more into the herbed/spiced beer category but who's to say? Good, no matter what it is.
★ 1,017 characters
3.34/5 rDev -16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
16oz draft at Belmont Station.
A: Reddened copper with a cloud-covered head. Looks fantastic.
N: Cinnamon graham crackers with extra cinnamon. Hints of nutmeg. The pumpkin is hidden underneath.
T: Cinnamon sugar, bread, and alcohol. Some cola flavorings. Not quite up to Elysian’s normal standards as the spices dominate the pumpkin.
M: Somewhat thin, relatively speaking. Wish the pumpkin lent more body.
O: Recommendable for the pumpkin completist or those who like cinnamon hearts. Everyone else will probably be disappointed.
★ 541 characters
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
16oz draft at Belmont Station.
A: Reddened copper with a cloud-covered head. Looks fantastic.
N: Cinnamon graham crackers with extra cinnamon. Hints of nutmeg. The pumpkin is hidden underneath.
T: Cinnamon sugar, bread, and alcohol. Some cola flavorings. Not quite up to Elysian’s normal standards as the spices dominate the pumpkin.
M: Somewhat thin, relatively speaking. Wish the pumpkin lent more body.
O: Recommendable for the pumpkin completist or those who like cinnamon hearts. Everyone else will probably be disappointed.
★ 541 characters
4.1/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22 oz bottle into a tulip glass.
Pours a clear copper, with a ½ finger of slightly off-white looking head. This maintains a thin foaminess that leaves back some robust spotty lacing. That cinnamon jumps right out in the aroma, mingling with some other spices, while a light underpinning of pumpkin and sweetness sits underneath. The combination of that hot smelling cinnamon and brown sugar character really stands out though; giving the overall nose a sweet and smoky feel that it not unpleasant.
The taste starts out very strong with the spices, but they do start to even out more as this warms, allowing notes of caramel, candied sweetness and some green pumpkin flavor along the back to emerge. Cinnamon returns in the finish, which is mostly dry feel with some lingering heat. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a lively carbonation that seemingly blows up all of those flavors onto the palate. The feel does smooth out a bit though the longer this sits in the mouth. There is some alcohol warmth to this that does strengthen the flavors here somewhat but it too soothes out some as this hits room temp and turns into an overall steady sipper.
I guess if there was any brewery that could turn out a Pumpkin Ale like this, it would be Elysian. There is a good bit of intense flavors and complexity going on with this but they never gets out of hand and run over the pumpkin character or lets its higher ABV get in the way. Just let this one warm up and balance itself before diving in and you’ll be treated to a tasty fall sipper for sure.
★ 1,554 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22 oz bottle into a tulip glass.
Pours a clear copper, with a ½ finger of slightly off-white looking head. This maintains a thin foaminess that leaves back some robust spotty lacing. That cinnamon jumps right out in the aroma, mingling with some other spices, while a light underpinning of pumpkin and sweetness sits underneath. The combination of that hot smelling cinnamon and brown sugar character really stands out though; giving the overall nose a sweet and smoky feel that it not unpleasant.
The taste starts out very strong with the spices, but they do start to even out more as this warms, allowing notes of caramel, candied sweetness and some green pumpkin flavor along the back to emerge. Cinnamon returns in the finish, which is mostly dry feel with some lingering heat. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a lively carbonation that seemingly blows up all of those flavors onto the palate. The feel does smooth out a bit though the longer this sits in the mouth. There is some alcohol warmth to this that does strengthen the flavors here somewhat but it too soothes out some as this hits room temp and turns into an overall steady sipper.
I guess if there was any brewery that could turn out a Pumpkin Ale like this, it would be Elysian. There is a good bit of intense flavors and complexity going on with this but they never gets out of hand and run over the pumpkin character or lets its higher ABV get in the way. Just let this one warm up and balance itself before diving in and you’ll be treated to a tasty fall sipper for sure.
★ 1,554 characters
4.35/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
First had: on tap at City Tap House, Philly, PA
Easily the best of Elysian's pumpkin ales that I've had (which I think is all of them), and one of the best pumpkin-based beers I've had from anyone.
Poured a cloudy, burnt orange, with a small but dense white head; decent retention and lacing. Pumpkin pie spice was the dominant factor on the nose, which I like. This beer was listed as showcasing "Vietnamese cinnamon." Taste was a good melding of sweet malts, pumpkin flesh, and cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice-gingerbread, all in good quantity and fairly good balance, with the spice taking a slight edge; more candy-like than vegetal, which isn't necessarily good or bad, it just is. Smooth mouthfeel, medium body, great drinker. Normally I don't need or want more than one pumpkin beer in a session, but this one is tempting enough to get me to reach for another.
★ 862 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
First had: on tap at City Tap House, Philly, PA
Easily the best of Elysian's pumpkin ales that I've had (which I think is all of them), and one of the best pumpkin-based beers I've had from anyone.
Poured a cloudy, burnt orange, with a small but dense white head; decent retention and lacing. Pumpkin pie spice was the dominant factor on the nose, which I like. This beer was listed as showcasing "Vietnamese cinnamon." Taste was a good melding of sweet malts, pumpkin flesh, and cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice-gingerbread, all in good quantity and fairly good balance, with the spice taking a slight edge; more candy-like than vegetal, which isn't necessarily good or bad, it just is. Smooth mouthfeel, medium body, great drinker. Normally I don't need or want more than one pumpkin beer in a session, but this one is tempting enough to get me to reach for another.
★ 862 characters
3.89/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I bought a bomber of Blight Pumpkin Ale at the Swamp Tavern. Poured into a pint glass.
Pours a cinnamon brown color, slightingly hazy with a modest white head.
Smell is a spice scent, weak on the pumpkin, long on the spice.
Taste is a sweet vegetable fruit flavor, but overpowered by the Vietnamese cinnamon flavor.
Mouthfeel is good enough, not as thick and cloying as it could be.
Overall a nice novelty beer. I wouldn't want to have a lot of it, but I'm glad I had this one.
★ 482 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I bought a bomber of Blight Pumpkin Ale at the Swamp Tavern. Poured into a pint glass.
Pours a cinnamon brown color, slightingly hazy with a modest white head.
Smell is a spice scent, weak on the pumpkin, long on the spice.
Taste is a sweet vegetable fruit flavor, but overpowered by the Vietnamese cinnamon flavor.
Mouthfeel is good enough, not as thick and cloying as it could be.
Overall a nice novelty beer. I wouldn't want to have a lot of it, but I'm glad I had this one.
★ 482 characters
4.17/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a reddish copper amber with a thin off white head that dissipates to a thick, creamy film and ring around the glass. Aroma dominated by pumpkin pie spice, mainly cinnamon with hints of nutmeg and allspice. Flavor is creamy pumpkin, sweet caramel malt and lots of cinnamon, possibly the most distinctly fresh cinnamon flavor I've ever had in a beer. Finishes slightly dry, spicy with slight hops. Nice creamy medium body, great mouth feel. Elysian makes my all time favorite pumpkin beer (the Great Pumpkin) and several other excellent ales using the big squash, but I'm still blown away that they are able to deliver this intensity of fresh cinnamon while supporting it perfectly with a gentle malt and pumpkin body. This is very well made and a perfect autumn beer. I may have to get another one of these even though I just got the Elysian Pumpkin Patch box set with four other pumpkin beers in it. This is going to a be an orange autumn. I continue to love this Apocalypse series.
★ 1,032 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a reddish copper amber with a thin off white head that dissipates to a thick, creamy film and ring around the glass. Aroma dominated by pumpkin pie spice, mainly cinnamon with hints of nutmeg and allspice. Flavor is creamy pumpkin, sweet caramel malt and lots of cinnamon, possibly the most distinctly fresh cinnamon flavor I've ever had in a beer. Finishes slightly dry, spicy with slight hops. Nice creamy medium body, great mouth feel. Elysian makes my all time favorite pumpkin beer (the Great Pumpkin) and several other excellent ales using the big squash, but I'm still blown away that they are able to deliver this intensity of fresh cinnamon while supporting it perfectly with a gentle malt and pumpkin body. This is very well made and a perfect autumn beer. I may have to get another one of these even though I just got the Elysian Pumpkin Patch box set with four other pumpkin beers in it. This is going to a be an orange autumn. I continue to love this Apocalypse series.
★ 1,032 characters
3.87/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
P: 1Pint, 6 FL ozs...brown bottle with a very cool label ... it's an apocalypse scene!
A:.Slightly hazy tawny color. Lacing surpasses our expectations with a good amount of clinging action...
S: Smells of fermented pumpkin, a little starchy and melon-like, with a tartness that meshes very well with the subtle yet savory spicing.
T: Incredibly smooth, sturdy medium body. Kicks off with a mild tartness of fermented pumpkin. Malt follows right behind with a mellow bread and faint caramel mix. Spicing slowly strolls hand in hand with the balancing hop bitterness. Nutmeg and clove seem to be the more dominant spices in their small world until the ginger comes along and plays king through the aftertaste. A little bready and toasty in the slightly dry finish...
M: On the fuller side of medium bodied, spicy, malty, but yet also bitter.
O: Elysian's follow-up to the VERY popular NIGHT OWL...Cool label messaging: "If the world were coming to an end, what would 'you' brew?!...REMEMBER: The end is BEER!"....Like the ladder, this one comes down to drinkability, as most of the style are good for on;y one serving. Sip after sip, 'BLIGHT' is a GREAT beer. Seek this beer. Enjoy.
★ 1,186 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
P: 1Pint, 6 FL ozs...brown bottle with a very cool label ... it's an apocalypse scene!
A:.Slightly hazy tawny color. Lacing surpasses our expectations with a good amount of clinging action...
S: Smells of fermented pumpkin, a little starchy and melon-like, with a tartness that meshes very well with the subtle yet savory spicing.
T: Incredibly smooth, sturdy medium body. Kicks off with a mild tartness of fermented pumpkin. Malt follows right behind with a mellow bread and faint caramel mix. Spicing slowly strolls hand in hand with the balancing hop bitterness. Nutmeg and clove seem to be the more dominant spices in their small world until the ginger comes along and plays king through the aftertaste. A little bready and toasty in the slightly dry finish...
M: On the fuller side of medium bodied, spicy, malty, but yet also bitter.
O: Elysian's follow-up to the VERY popular NIGHT OWL...Cool label messaging: "If the world were coming to an end, what would 'you' brew?!...REMEMBER: The end is BEER!"....Like the ladder, this one comes down to drinkability, as most of the style are good for on;y one serving. Sip after sip, 'BLIGHT' is a GREAT beer. Seek this beer. Enjoy.
★ 1,186 characters
4.07/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Purchased at Bier Thirty tonight... Enjoyed from my slim tulip.. eggshell white head... nice lacing despite a very short retention.... the brew is polished orange... pretty.
Nose is strong cinnamon... Asian cinnamon... wow, there is a difference from the more common Mexican cinnamon.. sweet and warming... clean distilled cinnamon.. very little else in the aromas except something that I associate with maltiness but it is lost pretty quickly in the sweet spiciness.
Flavor is surprising... I normally don't care for spiced brews, but the difference in the spices makes this one much more approachable for me.... very spicy, overblown perhaps... but it never is too much. Warm and very flavorful with some maltiness that moves the spices forward... Well done.
Asian cinnamon is the winner for me in this bottle... I am AMAZED at how much I am enjoying it... A smooth, cool, chai beer.... Damn.. I may need to rethink my "No Spiced Beer" mantra.
3.5/4/4/4/4.5
★ 963 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Purchased at Bier Thirty tonight... Enjoyed from my slim tulip.. eggshell white head... nice lacing despite a very short retention.... the brew is polished orange... pretty.
Nose is strong cinnamon... Asian cinnamon... wow, there is a difference from the more common Mexican cinnamon.. sweet and warming... clean distilled cinnamon.. very little else in the aromas except something that I associate with maltiness but it is lost pretty quickly in the sweet spiciness.
Flavor is surprising... I normally don't care for spiced brews, but the difference in the spices makes this one much more approachable for me.... very spicy, overblown perhaps... but it never is too much. Warm and very flavorful with some maltiness that moves the spices forward... Well done.
Asian cinnamon is the winner for me in this bottle... I am AMAZED at how much I am enjoying it... A smooth, cool, chai beer.... Damn.. I may need to rethink my "No Spiced Beer" mantra.
3.5/4/4/4/4.5
★ 963 characters
3.95/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured into a Sound Brewery English pint glass.
It pours a distinct pumpkin orange, living up to its name. I was surprised by the color, as most pumpkin ales I've tried don't seem to hit the mark; I'm very impressed with the color on this one, however. Ranked it down due to a fairly weak head, with only subtle lacing on the glass.
I thought the smell was marginally underwhelming. It has a big hit of cinnamon, which while fantastic, doesn't leave much room for the pumpkin elements in the beer. Although, after a few more sips, the cinnamon is really fantastically pleasant and makes me wish this was a long-lasting seasonal into Winter, as I could see myself simply smelling this beer on a cold Pacific Northwest eve.
The taste is delicious; huge notes of cinnamon, but not the acrid fiery cinnamon you'd typically expect, but something more akin to cinnamon sugar that you'd put over toast or waffles. The pumpkin is there, but not overwhelming. Very balanced. One of the best tasting Pumpkin Ale's I've ever been privy to.
Mouthfeel is average. Nothing special there. Decent carbonation.
Overall, this beer is absolutely worthy of picking up, if you're interested in trying unique Pumpkin Ales. A previous reviewer mentioned that this beer should replace Elysian's Night Owl, and I'm in complete agreement; I'd pick this up over Night Owl any day of the week.
Will grab another bomber or two this season, guaranteed.
★ 1,428 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured into a Sound Brewery English pint glass.
It pours a distinct pumpkin orange, living up to its name. I was surprised by the color, as most pumpkin ales I've tried don't seem to hit the mark; I'm very impressed with the color on this one, however. Ranked it down due to a fairly weak head, with only subtle lacing on the glass.
I thought the smell was marginally underwhelming. It has a big hit of cinnamon, which while fantastic, doesn't leave much room for the pumpkin elements in the beer. Although, after a few more sips, the cinnamon is really fantastically pleasant and makes me wish this was a long-lasting seasonal into Winter, as I could see myself simply smelling this beer on a cold Pacific Northwest eve.
The taste is delicious; huge notes of cinnamon, but not the acrid fiery cinnamon you'd typically expect, but something more akin to cinnamon sugar that you'd put over toast or waffles. The pumpkin is there, but not overwhelming. Very balanced. One of the best tasting Pumpkin Ale's I've ever been privy to.
Mouthfeel is average. Nothing special there. Decent carbonation.
Overall, this beer is absolutely worthy of picking up, if you're interested in trying unique Pumpkin Ales. A previous reviewer mentioned that this beer should replace Elysian's Night Owl, and I'm in complete agreement; I'd pick this up over Night Owl any day of the week.
Will grab another bomber or two this season, guaranteed.
★ 1,428 characters
4.15/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a clear, ruby-tinted orange with a finger of off-white head. Aroma is a touch sweet and reminiscent of cinnamon hard candy.
Moderate carbonation and a light, slightly thin mouthfeel. Cinnamon blast up front with caramel, light molasses, and pumpkin followed by more cinnamon and nutmeg on the tail end.
Quite nice -- kind of reminiscent of chai tea in the way the cinnamon and pumpkin cooperate. Make no mistake, though, cinnamon is definitely the star of the show.
★ 474 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a clear, ruby-tinted orange with a finger of off-white head. Aroma is a touch sweet and reminiscent of cinnamon hard candy.
Moderate carbonation and a light, slightly thin mouthfeel. Cinnamon blast up front with caramel, light molasses, and pumpkin followed by more cinnamon and nutmeg on the tail end.
Quite nice -- kind of reminiscent of chai tea in the way the cinnamon and pumpkin cooperate. Make no mistake, though, cinnamon is definitely the star of the show.
★ 474 characters
Blight Pumpkin Ale from Elysian Brewing Company
4.02
out of 5
based on 80 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
22 oz bottle, 2012 version, poured into a goblet
Appearance: Pours a pretty, cloudy, deep mahogany color speckled with lots of orange highlights and a quarter of a finger of white-colored head that quickly dissolved into a thin lacing of foam that partially covered the top of the beer.
Aroma: Wow! Very aromatic! Strong aromas of pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger and brown sugar, comingled with aromas of toasted malt. Smells delicious!
Taste: Tastes just as good as it smells! Strong flavors of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger dominating the flavors up front, followed by some really tasty flavors of toasted malt and brown sugar-like sweetness. There is a slight sour note as well toward the finish, as well as a touch of bitterness which is a nice complement to the brown sugar-like sweetness and all of the pumpkin pie spices. Delicious!
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and pretty effervescent, actually. With an ABV of 7.4%, there is no alcohol on the palate.
Overall: This is a very, very delicious beer. Too bad it's not brewed anymore, as I'd certainly like to get it again!
★ 1,177 characters