Pumpkin Ales without added spices

Pumpkin itself really doesn't taste like much, so most of the beers will depend more or less on the spicing to get the "pumpkin pie" effect they want. Ranging from Shipyard's pumpkin that doesn't actually have any pumpkin, but has massive respect amounts of spicing magnified by the yeast strain they use, down to something like Smuttynose's pumpkin that's pretty subtle. I don't usually care for the style, so I don't know specific Brewers that do or don't spice.

 

I read that Allagash ghoulship was unspiced. Never seen it on a shelf, though, so it might be brewery only.

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1805/52548/

 

Medusa has a pumpkin stout on that was not spiced. The pumpkin lends more to the fullness of the beer there than imparting a flavor. I enjoyed it.

 

Had a great sour one, aged in apple brandy barrels at Throwback Brewery on Sat.

 

I want to say Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin has more pumpkin flavor....but that might have been from the pumpkin it was poured through ....i still remember it being more pumpkin forward

 

Cape Ann Imperial Pumpkin Stout? CBC The Great Pumpkin?

 

The Great Pumpkin is spiced but they always have lots of interesting non-spiced pumpkin beers on tap through-out the season.

 

Please go slice a raw Pumpkin & take a bite, then tell us what it tastes like. Hint : it won't taste at all like grandma's pie @ Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin flavored anything is all about the spices, especially in beer. Frankly, pumpkin in itself only adds mouthfeel. So, it comes down to how much (or less) spice you want with your Pumpkin beers.

Bunch available all over the place, from Smutty (lightly spiced) to Shipyard (heavily spiced) to a bunch of barrel/stout-ed/soured & other gimmicks. Should be able to find one you like locally - tho they started showing up in August so a lot are gone already. :0)

 

I tend to disagree with this. I generally hate spiced pumpkin beers, but love some of the non-spiced offerings from Cambridge Brewing Company. As noted by @BearsOnAcid, they have some great non-spiced pumpkin beers that really let the flavor of the gourd shine. One of my favorites is Ghost of Ghent.

I'm less of a fan of their Braaains session IPA brewed with pumpkins, but it's another example of a pumpkin beer with no spices. Old Butternuts, brewed with butternut squash, is not to be missed. Fantastic beer. I wouldn't call the pumpkin strong ale Next of 'Kin completely "unspiced," because it has pontrefact candy syrup in it, but it doesn't have nutmeg or the usual weird pumpkin-beer spices. Another favorite.

On a related note: Pumpkin is a great ingredient for more than just beer or pie. Try using it to make pumpkin chili, for example. Sounds weird, but it's pretty great.

 

I've had about 80 pumpkin beers and can't think of a single one that didn't use some kind of spicing.

 

I'm thinking I need to make one with and one without spices to see the differences

 

Ballast Point Pumpkin Down has almost no spices. It's become my favorite.

 

What if you roast pumpkin first? I bet it'll have more flavor.

 

I had a local brew pub made squash saison a few years ago that was great. You could taste the squash on the back end just enough to know it was there. No spices.

The issue I have w/ pumpkin beer is the spices are so over the top. When I bake a pie it's not that spicy.

Enjoy

 

Starbucks 2015 Pumpkin Fraps now have real pumpkin. In the past, it only had pumpkin spice. Even though it still has some of the spice, it mostly tastes like squash, particularly the aftertaste. I like pumpkin pie, but hate squash. What you are talking about is a squash beer.

 

almanac heirloom pumpkin barleywine was real good, but i cant remember if it was spiced or not. i think it was, but it was subtle

 

Not a beer, but Woodchuck Reserve Pumpkin Cider is made with apples, pumpkins, water, yeast. No spices.

I believe it is their best selling seasonal, and not very expensive, $10/6pk.

 

Southern brewing company Athens GA. 100% pumpkin.
http://www.sobrewco.com/?p=1775