Imperial Pumpkin - Brush & Barrel Series
Long Trail Brewing Co.

Imperial Pumpkin - Brush & Barrel SeriesImperial Pumpkin - Brush & Barrel Series
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From:
Long Trail Brewing Co.
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Pumpkin Beer
ABV:
8%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.73 | pDev: 11.8%
Reviews:
92
Ratings:
433
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 22, 2020
Added:
Aug 01, 2012
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  75
Brand Name: Imperial Pumpkin
Style: English Strong Ale
Color: Dark Amber/Brown
Bitterness Units: 30
ABV: 8.0%
Date of Introduction: August 2012
Malts: 2-Row, Wheat, Caramel 80L and Caramunich malt
Hops: Nugget, Mt. Hood, Willamette
Packages Available:22oz. bottle, five-gallon “logs” & ½ Keg (15.5-gallon)
Availability:Late summer through early fall

Description: Long Trail Imperial Pumpkin Ale is the first offering in Long Trail’s new Brush and Barrel Series. This limited release seasonal treat is small batch brewed with pumpkins, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, with increased malts and a touch of bitterness for the perfect balance.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by brother_rat:
Photo of brother_rat
Reviewed by brother_rat from New York

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
Bottle, poured into a tulip. Had a Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin last night so I wanted to try this during the 1 pm games today. Solid. A: poured a very pumpkiny orange-brown, with a thick head that was creamy white on top and more orange down towards the beer. No lacing, and the head did not stick around long. S: great pumpkin flavor, but lots of spices. There was a malty sweetness, but no creaminess. T: warming, solid cold and after warming up a bit, with aggressive spice and pumpkins. No hops whatsoever, as expected. Aftertaste of some dry spices and an earthiness, like a wet grain. Tasted more bitter than sweet. Solid, but not great--mostly nice because it wasn't imbalanced like a lot of other pumpkin ales. M: mouthwatering and medium-bodied. You do feel that 8% ABV. O: Pretty good, and better than most pumpkins. Nicely balanced and not overly spiced nor super-sweet, but a bit too much astringent/bitter flavor for me, and you could taste the higher content more than other imperial pumpkins.
Sep 07, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
While home at Chez Woody in self-quarantine, I have been making a concerted effort to really clear out some of the backlog, especially the Bottle (!) Backlog. These last several have been bombers that were purchased & simply set aside in covered cardboard box. 8=( That is part of my downfall - bottled beers in cardboard boxes & CANs in cardboard 6-pack carriers: I can't see what I've got & so - out of sight, out of mind begins to apply.

From the Bottle (& the little hanging tag that came with it): "Brush & Barrel Series"; "Celebrating the Art of Vermont"; "Art by Jess Polanchek * Beer by Dave Hartmann"; "About the Beer: Imperial Pumpkin Ale is the first offering in our Brush & Barrel Series. This limited, seasonal release is a small batch treat brewed with pumpkins, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, with ample malts and a touch of bitterness for the perfect balance."; "Bitterness Units: 30 IBUs"; "Malts: Two-Row, Wheat, Caramel 80L and Caramunich Malt"; "Hops: Nugget, Mt. Hood & Willamette"; "About the Series: Each brew is specially crafted by Long Trail's Brewmaster in small batches that reflect a variety of styles. Our brewers will be brewing the featured beer with the local artist who created the beautiful imagery for the packaging. Our hope is that artists and brewers will draw creative inspiration from one another and further push the boundaries of their respective art forms."; "About the Brewmaster: Dave Hartmann joined Long Trail in 1992 as a graduate of RPI's Environmental Engineering program. He returned to school at UC Davis in 1994 and achieved the Diploma-Brewmaster accreditation through London's Institute of Brewing and Distilling. After brewing across the US and in Germany, he returned to Long Trail in 2009. Having brewed an amazing variety of styles over a course of 20 years, Dave continues to find wonder in the magical combination of malt and hops and loves the challenges, noises and aromas of an active brewery."; "About the Artist: Jess Polanshek is an illustrator from Cambridge, Vermont, who draws most of her inspiration from the wooded hills of the Green Mountain State. Her work revolves around the forest and its inhabitants, often incorporating surreal or fantastical imagery. www.polanshek.com".

I Pop!ped the cap and, having noticed some lees on the kick/punt, started a slow, gentle C-Line pour into the awaiting glass. It foamed up beautifully to form two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with excellent retention. Color was Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was REALLY spicy with cinnamon & cloves leading the way, followed by nutmeg & ginger! Mmm.

I know that Pumpkin Beers have gone out of vogue & perhaps they never achieved such status, but I always like them, for the most part. I still like to bake with my oven & I think that it hearkens back to when I saw myself as a baker, especially desserts, after high school.

This smelled like liquefied pumpkin pie! Mouthfeel was big, thick & full, like a dollop had been scooped into my mouth & onto my tongue! I just let it roll around, savoring all of the wonderful spiciness.

I have been drinking spiced Fall/holiday ales the past couple/few days & while it may seem counterintuitive in mid-to-late April, this has been a cool, chilly, windy Spring & these beers are not totally out of place. In the middle of Summer? I'd probably have set them back aside again.

I found this to be a really enjoyable drink throughout. The spiciness was warming on a chilly, windy morning with a pleasant admixture of spices. Finish was dry, thanks to the prevalence of spices in the brew. I would drink this again, but I am not sure that it is still in production. YMMV.
Apr 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigschoolrecords from Pennsylvania

Jan 06, 2019
 
Rated: 3.81 by Khaack from New York

Oct 30, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This was poured into a snifter. The appearance was a ruddy dark brown color with a slim off white foamy coating of head rimming itself around the glass. Lacing coated the sides adequately. The smell started off with some pumpkin puree’, light allspice, and a little bit of ginger. The taste was moderately sweet carrying the spice into the balance. There’s a slight sticky aftertaste leading into a quick semi-sweet finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with an okay sessionability about it. Carbonation seemed good for an Imperial Pumpkin ale and good for me. Overall, this is good. It hits all of the points for the style but somehow I had higher hopes for this one.
Jun 25, 2017
Photo of BethanyB
Reviewed by BethanyB from New York

3.71/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The white head is a thin, fizzy film, but the body is a crystal clear, ruby red lake. The delightful and strong aroma is exactly what one wants from this style: a hefty slab of pumpkin pie topped with cinnamon and rimmed with a lightly toasted crust. Cloves and candied orange peels add an air of exotic mystery. The taste, however, is less romantic. It's somewhat thin--the punchy layers on the nose are flattened on the tongue. The fruit, spice, and malty crust are all present, but in a dried out, two-dimensional cracker form. Much of the flavor seems to have evaporated, and yet, the beer is still plenty drinkable. Good, in fact. Just not as dashing as the aroma foretold. One thing to write home about however, is the whisper of cloves which lingers in the aftertaste. It's a nice inadvertent touch, a reminder of crisp autumn afternoons. The carbonation is strong, creating a dry finish which more than likely plays a part in the flavor drought. Meanwhile, the light body, while enjoyably crisp, lacks the strength needed to support any imperial ale. Overall, while decently tasty, Long Trail's pumpkin ale is too small for its imperial crown.
Feb 17, 2017
Photo of tekstr1der
Reviewed by tekstr1der from New Hampshire

3.66/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours brown with just a ring of foam. Aroma has the typical pumpkin spice mix, though no discernible pumpkin. Flavor is pretty much the same. I'll give this higher marks than the abominable pumpkinhead since they manage a higher abv, but the overall impression is similar. Only a few do this style right, not LT in this case.
Nov 04, 2016
Photo of Tucquan
Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Had this on 2016-10-30 in Columbia, PA from a 2015 22oz bottle

A - Clear orange-copper with a 3/4-finger light tan head and mild-moderate lace.

S - Vanilla, nutmeg, light cinnamon and ginger, brown sugar, graham cracker. Pleasant and sweet smelling.

T - Nutmeg, clove and somewhat-fiery cinnamon yield to rich graham cracker and brown sugar pie crust and light citrus flesh. The pie flavors continue into the finish, moderately nicely with some roasted and hop bitterness for very nice balance.

M - Medium body and carbonation yield an initially smooth presence, which dries nicely; clearing the palate for another sip.

O - This is a well-done, seasonal pumpkin brew. Good aroma and flavor without being cloying. I'll have it again.
Oct 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.68 by bkbeer17 from New York

Oct 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.7 by chrismattlin from Ohio

Oct 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.63 by John_Beeryman from Virginia

Oct 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by rjp217 from Massachusetts

Jul 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.73 by Gkruszewski from New York

Jul 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.58 by RBorsato from Virginia

Jan 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4.22 by mmoriarty from Rhode Island

Jan 04, 2016
 
Rated: 4.06 by AlarmClock314 from Wisconsin

Dec 14, 2015
 
Rated: 2.5 by Kinger86 from Maine

Dec 13, 2015
Photo of zdk9
Reviewed by zdk9 from Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A- Pours out a dark hazy orange flowing into chestnut brown. A good finger of head and lots of polkadot lacing. Looking good so far.

S- Aroma of gourdy sweetness, touch of ginger, maple syrup. A good deal of malt comes out here in a sort of doppelebock way.

T- Enough pumpkin flavor so that you notice it without being overpowering. Some spice, but again not overpowering. A decent amount of sugary sweetness in the form of maple syrup and honey flavors. Slightly oxidized, not sure if that's an anomaly or intentional.

M- Fairly thick and creamy. Nothing to complain here- it matches with the rest of the beer.

O- Very nice- pretty much spot on for what I want out of a pumpkin beer- some pumpkin and spice flavor but not overpowering. I would take a bit more classic pie spice, but still ok. The strength is a nice contrast to what you normally get.
Dec 05, 2015
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bottle marked 2015 44533 at 42 degrees into snifter
$ 7.54/bomber ($ 0.342/oz) at Consumer Beverages, Lancaster, NY
Aroma weak, some clove
Head small (< one cm, aggressive pour), off white, fizzy, gone in a few seconds leaving a partial one mm ring and some floating islands of tiny bubbles
Lacing – absolutely none
Body dark amber tending toward brown, hazy
Flavor – some cinnamon and clove with a bit of pumpkin earthiness; no hops, no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate medium, watery, soft carbonation

Appearance 3.5, Aroma 3.5, Flavor 4, Palate 4, Overall 3.75
Dec 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by rsquared59 from Indiana

Nov 25, 2015
Imperial Pumpkin - Brush & Barrel Series from Long Trail Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 433 ratings