Whole Hog Bourbon Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale
Stevens Point Brewery
- From:
- Stevens Point Brewery
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- Pumpkin Beer
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 10.66%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Oct 02, 2025
- Added:
- Nov 06, 2013
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 6
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
3.46/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
[Reviewed from notes taken in 2015.]
Served on-draught into a goblet at the Draughthouse Pub & Brewery, Austin, TX.
7.60% ABV. "Whole Hog Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale." I have high hopes since I'm fond of regular Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale.
HEAD: None. No lacing.
BODY: Dark glowing murky orange-copper with amber hues. No yeast/lees particulate is visible within.
Generally appealing for a pumpkin ale, but not unique or special in terms of appearance within the style.
AROMA: Rich fragrant pumpkin pie spice (allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove), and brown sugar are the first notes I notice. Molasses. Pumpkin gourd. Pumpkin pie. A hint of sugarcane.
This aroma evokes more of a rum character than a bourbon barrel character,but I do pick up on some light alcohol and vanilla. The spices are wonderful and the fresh pumpkin couldn't be more inviting.
A pleasant aroma of average strength.
No overt yeasty or off-note aromatics are detectable. I can't wait to try it.
TASTE: Pumpkin gourd, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, allspice, clove, cinnamon), and a hint of sugarcane. No oak, bourbon, vanilla, or wood sugars come through. If I didn't trust the Draughthouse's staff, I'd be wondering if this was actually the barrel aged version - where are the barrel flavours?
It's incredibly well-balanced, and the complex build delivers on the pumpkin ale premise, but aside from the faint noticeable alcohol warmth, I find no differences between this and the base beer.
That's fine, I guess; I'm a big fan of the base beer.
Average flavour duration and flavour intensity.
Fairly shallow for a barrel-aged brew. Build is cohesive but fails to amount to a gestalt whole of a beer.
TEXTURE: It's warmer and less full-bodied than the base beer - not sure how that happened. Smooth, wet, and a bit wanting in terms of thickness and heft. Needs a fuller deeper presence on the palate.
This mouthfeel is a nice companion to the taste, but it doesn't accentuate specific flavours or elevate the beer as a whole.
OVERALL: How long did this spend in barrels? A day? No barrel notes emerge, and it's actually worse than the base beer (or at least, based on my memory; perhaps a side by side is in order). I had to triple-check this was truly the barrel aged version.
Damn drinkable for 7.60% ABV, but not worth seeking out even for fanatics of the base brew. A big disappointment given how good this sounded.
High B- (3.46) / WORTHY
May 25, 2017Served on-draught into a goblet at the Draughthouse Pub & Brewery, Austin, TX.
7.60% ABV. "Whole Hog Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale." I have high hopes since I'm fond of regular Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale.
HEAD: None. No lacing.
BODY: Dark glowing murky orange-copper with amber hues. No yeast/lees particulate is visible within.
Generally appealing for a pumpkin ale, but not unique or special in terms of appearance within the style.
AROMA: Rich fragrant pumpkin pie spice (allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove), and brown sugar are the first notes I notice. Molasses. Pumpkin gourd. Pumpkin pie. A hint of sugarcane.
This aroma evokes more of a rum character than a bourbon barrel character,but I do pick up on some light alcohol and vanilla. The spices are wonderful and the fresh pumpkin couldn't be more inviting.
A pleasant aroma of average strength.
No overt yeasty or off-note aromatics are detectable. I can't wait to try it.
TASTE: Pumpkin gourd, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, allspice, clove, cinnamon), and a hint of sugarcane. No oak, bourbon, vanilla, or wood sugars come through. If I didn't trust the Draughthouse's staff, I'd be wondering if this was actually the barrel aged version - where are the barrel flavours?
It's incredibly well-balanced, and the complex build delivers on the pumpkin ale premise, but aside from the faint noticeable alcohol warmth, I find no differences between this and the base beer.
That's fine, I guess; I'm a big fan of the base beer.
Average flavour duration and flavour intensity.
Fairly shallow for a barrel-aged brew. Build is cohesive but fails to amount to a gestalt whole of a beer.
TEXTURE: It's warmer and less full-bodied than the base beer - not sure how that happened. Smooth, wet, and a bit wanting in terms of thickness and heft. Needs a fuller deeper presence on the palate.
This mouthfeel is a nice companion to the taste, but it doesn't accentuate specific flavours or elevate the beer as a whole.
OVERALL: How long did this spend in barrels? A day? No barrel notes emerge, and it's actually worse than the base beer (or at least, based on my memory; perhaps a side by side is in order). I had to triple-check this was truly the barrel aged version.
Damn drinkable for 7.60% ABV, but not worth seeking out even for fanatics of the base brew. A big disappointment given how good this sounded.
High B- (3.46) / WORTHY
Reviewed by donspublic from Texas
3.92/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured into tulip, 1/2 finger head recedes rather quickly. Dark brown in the glass, little to no light passes thru. Smells faintly of bourbon, and pumpkin spice. Taste pretty much the same,. Getting a faint bourbon taste on the front, that fades int muted pumpkin spice, mouthfeel kinda weak on this. The base is a better beer.
Nov 03, 2016
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois
4.04/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Draft serving in a goblet.
Color is a very dark brownish orange, only appearing orange when backlit. Compact surface layer of creamy white foam, with a velvety texture and lacy collar around the edges. Clarity is good when held to the light.
Softly sweet pumpkin pie aromas, slight buttery graham cracker crust.
Taste is similarly buttery, though it works within the style. Spices are present but somewhat muted, pumpkin pie flavors are robust, with a little bit of wet wood slickness there as well. Vanilla present, but not really an overt taste of bourbon or whiskey heat. Slick and smooth, somewhat sweet but not cloying or syrupy.
A nice fall weather sipper, though it was one and done for me, it was definitely an enjoyable beer, one of the better Point beers I can remember.
Nov 06, 2013Color is a very dark brownish orange, only appearing orange when backlit. Compact surface layer of creamy white foam, with a velvety texture and lacy collar around the edges. Clarity is good when held to the light.
Softly sweet pumpkin pie aromas, slight buttery graham cracker crust.
Taste is similarly buttery, though it works within the style. Spices are present but somewhat muted, pumpkin pie flavors are robust, with a little bit of wet wood slickness there as well. Vanilla present, but not really an overt taste of bourbon or whiskey heat. Slick and smooth, somewhat sweet but not cloying or syrupy.
A nice fall weather sipper, though it was one and done for me, it was definitely an enjoyable beer, one of the better Point beers I can remember.
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