Aging pumpkin beer?

Had 42 different pumpkin favored beers this past fall. Can't think of one that wouldn't fade or taste better with age on them. I am cellaring a Rum barrel aged Pumking as I didn't find it all that great fresh so giving it a whirl.

 

I have never aged pumpkin before but Id would believe that like other fruit beers, the fruit would fade very quickly and depending on beer style, it may not be good...

 

I've kept some pumpkin beers for over a year w/o success. Those include Southern Tier Warlock, Pumking, schlafly, & Pumkinator. I have enjoyed them more fresh as he pumpkin flavors have dissapated . I have some Avery Rumpkin and PumKyn that I'll sit on for a bit longer.

 

I still have a Weyerbacher in the fridge from either last year or year before. Guess I got sick of pumpkin beers before I got to it. Maybe I'll crack the stupid thing open and review it on this thread sometime in the near future. Can't imagine it will be very good though. Based on what it's like fresh, I'll go with bitter in an astringent sort of way and any spice left will be awkwardly sweet. We'll have to see how close it tastes to my prediction....

 

They tend to be malt forward so aging shouldn't be an issue but most are brewed with spices that will fall off in flavor over time.

 

Cape Ann brewing fishermans imperial pumpkin ages ok.

 

I have 2-3 pumkings left from last year so I'm looking forward to seeing the difference in a few months. So far its my favorite pumpkin beer. Schlafly is right there with it though. Hopefully i have one of those as well. I think they would age differently. Pumking is more sweet and schlafly is more spice to me.

 

Pumking is pretty good with some age, the 'graham cracker crust' is enhanced a bit, but it loses most of it's spice. Warlock was about the same.

Alewerks Pumpkin Ale ages better than any other pumpkin beer I've had with a year on it. It's malty to begin with, and the spicing seems to just mesh with some age.

 

I'm trying it with Avery's Rumpkin and PumKyn as we speak. Was thinking a year would be the longest I'd go.

 

It depends on the beer. With some, the spices mellow and blend together nicely, bringing more graham cracker, brown sugar and vanilla notes into the mix while others completely fall off and die. Shlafly, Pumking, Oak Jacked, Elysian Great Pumpkin and other big ABV, malty Pumpkins should age well.

The rule with aging beer is: you never know until you try it. You might like what everyone else hates. That's why I age my IPAs.

 

Trying this out with Bruery's Ignus Fatuus. Hopefully it'll be good.

 

SA pumpkinator gets better with1-2 years on it.

 

Haven't had anything too old. After enjoying the GreatER Pumpkin I was surprised with one as an extra in a trade a couple weeks ago. Holding on to that for a bit to see what happens to it with a yr+ on it.

 

I'm sitting on a couple of each of these as well; with that much booze and sweetness fresh (both delicious mind you), I am thinking they will do as well as all of Avery's other high gravity brews. I also have two bottles of ST Pumpking left from last year that I forgot about so I guess I am again them as well haha.

 

Harpoon has a pretty amazing imperial pumpkin. I had it fresh a few months back and I remember thinking it might be good with maybe 6 months or so on it.

 

I have some 2 or 3 year old Frogs Hollow from Hoppin Frog that I probably wont open ever because I dont even like pumpkin beers.

 

+1

2 bottles have been in the fridge since early November

 

Last fall, I cracked open a two year old Pumking. Spices and pumpkin were still present, but the complexity had significantly lessened. Not terrible, though, as oxidation hadn't really set in yet. I believe they've changed the recipe since 2012, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

That season, I also tapped a one year old Point Brewing Whole Hog pumpkin ale, which suffered a lovely infection. There should be more spiced pumpkin wild ales.

 

I picked up a case of Southern Tier Warlock last fall which I've been cellaring. While there has not been a noticeable improvement in this stout there also has not been any falling off either. It was decent to begin with and remains decent.