Best pumpkin beers.

FW's El Gourdo pumpkin sour beer. Its in a class all its own. No stale spice flavors at all. Straight clean pumpkin acid.

 

Question for you folks that like Warlock. Have any of you tried aging it?

 

I couldn't get past the coca cola flavor in Smashed Pumkin when I tried it last year. That's all I tasted. Gross. Won't be buying that again.

I did have a brandy barrel imperial pumpkin by lakefront on Sunday night, that one is terrific (my first pumpkin beer of the year). I'll likely revisit that one, CW Headless Heron (which is always great), Wasatch Blackolantern (like that one waaay better than Warlock for pumpkin stouts), and will probably crack and have a Pumking this year.

 

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin is surprisingly good. It reminds me of my favorite pumpkin brew, Cambridge's Great Pumpkin - creamy and mild yet seasonally spiced.

 

A new entry from Ballast Point is worth considering. This modified Piper Down Scottish ale has pumpkin and spices but retains good balance.

 

I've only seen Pumpkin Batch by Sam Adams this year - what happened to the Harvest Pumpkin (which I thought was significantly better than PB)?

 

I tried a 2013 earlier this summer that I aged and I'm glad I did so. I found it to be even better than fresh since the spices had a chance to mellow out. I do have a 2014 that I'll try some time next year and will be putting away a few fresh ones for later.

 

Stevens Point Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale is really drinking great this year.

 

Fat Head's Spooky Tooth...first time trying it and was very impressed.

 

Was very impressed with Good Gourd. I tried it for the first time last night.

 

Cigar City Good Gourd
Southern tier Pumking
shipyard smashed pumpkin ( not pumpkinhead)
Schlafly
Great south bay candelabrum
Sam Adams Fat Jack
Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Uinta Brewing Company

 

Maybe not the best, but I really liked the DuClaw 62 Imperial Pumpkin... really surprised.

 

Crown Valley (a brewery that most people have never heard of outside of Missouri) has a beer called Smashed Pumpkin Stout, absolutely incredible. Also, I think Lakefront's Brandy Barrel Pumpkin is great - of course Schlafly, Pumking, and Good Gourd should be on the list.

 

You just reminded me, so I thought I'd share. A coworker of mine years back was running to Starbucks and asked if I wanted anything. I told him to get me a blumpkin spice latte, obviously as a joke. Apparently he had no idea what a blumpkin was, and the resulting stare/commentary from the barrista got me cussed out pretty good. WELL worth it. I'll never forget the look on his face!

 

+1 for Whole Hog.

 

A different take on a pumpkin beer, I liked this one...