Non-spiced pumpkin beers?

The reason why most of the responses indicate few if any pumpkin beers without spices is that pumpkin in and of itself has very little flavor, especially uncooked pumpkin. I challenge anyone who responds that this or that pumpkin beer has a lot of pumpkin flavor to get a pumpkin, cut it open, cut out a hunk of pumpkin flesh, taste it, and then say it has much if any flavor.

To get pumpkin to have flavor, it has to be cooked. And trying to brew with cooked pumpkin creates a huge mess.

 

See, I totally agree with the Smuttynose recommendations here. All the reviews for it talk about the spices taking the lead...but I never got that. I don't care for the "pumpkin pie in bottle" taste you're describing either! Smutty is great as it just seems like a hoppy, pumpkiny, beery bottle of wonderful. God damn...is out yet? I gots ta gits me summa dat!

 

If I don't drink pumpkin beer for a while, I get the spice notes from Smuttynose. I didn't care for the beer all that much until recently when I hadn't had a pumpkin beer for a while. Tried it and actually enjoyed it somewhat.

IMO, if you want pumpkin with no spice, go with Brooklyn Post Road. Quite frankly, I don't like the beer at all because it does nothing for me, but if you want the pumpkin style with zero spice. This is it. That and Pumple Drumkin.

 

I just finished a bottle of Tyrenena's version of pumpkin beer. It has a nice mellow sweetish flavor up front, but then all I taste is that clove/cinamon/nutmeg Thanksgiving flavor. Overall I like this stuff and usually buy at least one sixpack every fall. But the spice just becomes to cloying and intense after a while. Are there any pumpkin beers that are just pumpkin and leave out the spice? I think that's something that would interest me. Cheers!

 

Yes. That's why they suck.

 

I agree with the op. I love pumpkin. Some spice is OK but I don't want it to dominate. I had the Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale last year and all I could taste was ginger - gross.

 

Most of the flavors people associate with Pumpkin is going to be the spice. The pumpkin itself does not have a very strong flavor, there would be little reason to brew with pumpkin alone.

 

I agree. The original question could be paraphrased - are there any pumpkin pies made without spices?

 

I always love an IPA without hops too.

 

Ofrenda by Calavera is a tripel brewed with pumpkin and no spice. Not sure if that gets imported in the US though.

Some guy posted something about Brooklyn Post Road not having spice. It in fact does have spice, but it's tastefully made. That guy's palate must be wrecked if he can't taste spice.

 

I don't like overly roasty stouts. But I love stouts.

 

While not actually a squash, if you get the chance, try Cigar City's Cucumber Saison. It's a summer seasonal, but worth tracking down or trading for when it's available. Fresh cucumber flavor balanced perfectly with an excellent saison base. No spices (other than the yeast).

 

Its true I miss the 2009 Pumking. Way toned down with the hops and a spiced wonderland. Like velvet gold. Now the only thing that comes close was the oak aged version and that was a one time deal.

 

1. Cut open a pumpkin.
2. Grab spoon.
3. Go to town.

 

Autumnation.

 

Enjoying a night owl at room temp and it's really impressing me right now.

 

Autumnation is not just "non-spiced", it is also "non-pumpkin" - having been converted to Sixpoint's wet hop beer:

 

Its a good thing I didn't say overly roasty.

 

Fisherman's pumpkin stout. I'm not sure you'll find it in PA but I know for a fact they distribute to much of New Jersey if you're over that way.

 

WOW!
this is news to me. loved it last Fall.