Pumpkin beer recommendations?

Alewerks Pumpkin, Schlafly Pumpkin, Southern Tier Pumking and then a bunch of also rans...

 

We can't get Good Gourd here.

 

I can't drink most pumpkin beers because brewers have this fucked up idea that pumpkin beers are supposed to taste like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and miscellaneous other BS that has more to do with a pumpkin pie than a pumpkin...and not in a good way either. I want to taste PUMPKIN...and so few pumpkin beers permit you the opportunity to do that. They're just inundated with spice cabinets worth of nonsense. It's a beer that deserves to be approached subtly, and almost always gets the heavy hand.

 

There are quite a few really good pumpkin ales comapred to 3-4 years ago. Based on the ones I have had the past few years, Schlafly and Whole Hog are in their own category though. Also, I rated Pumpking at 3.50 and felt I was being generous.

 

I had pumking in PA last month. It tasted like buttered popcorn and I'm not a fan of popcorn. I have had many better pumpkin beers this year, fatheads to name one. My home brew was much better. Btw, the west coast makes some great
ones that the east coast will never try.

 

Good observation because this is most likely why I don't like Pumpkin beers with the exception of the one I mentioned and it's probably where the medicinal taste comes from.

 

Completely agree - traveled to Tampa/st. Pete in September & was able to try this when it was first tapped. I thought the balance of spice/pumpkin was right on. I was impressed with all the beers I tried at TBBC. Also enjoyed the 'Bomb' burger (very much a tourist). Ybor was a highlight - had a terrific local cigar and coffee that morning before visiting TTBC. Cheers!

 

If you can find it, ala, you must come to Asheville, NC, Wicked Weeds, " Jack o Hammered " is the best Pumpkinish based seasonal I have had the pleasure of drinking. It is like drinking a beer pumpkin pie, yea I know, actually better than it sounds. Good luck on your hunt.

 

Hardywood Farmhouse Pumpkin was pretty tasty and not overly spiced, tried Troeg's Master of Pumpkins last night, while it is spicy, the saison yeast, high carbonation and light body made it really refreshing. Also liking Warlock, Punkocinno, and Smashed Pumpkin this year.

 

I had Ithaca country pumpkin brewed with vanilla at Buffalobrewbash. It was stellar !!

 

convinced me to open my first one saved from last year

 

I know some people have mentioned Crown Valley in previous posts, but I stumbled across them in World Market here in NC, I had never heard of them and picked up a 4-Pack of their imperial stout pumpkin beer, and I loved it. Of course Warlock, in my opinion, is probably the best mass produced imperial stout pumpkin beer to get, but Crown Valley is fantastic for a small brewery. Highly recommend it if you can get it.

 

Have to admit Pumpkin beers are lost on me. Of the ones I've had I can't tell what the base beer really is or if it even matters. Pumpkins have very little nose and taste I would assume in and by itself. So if I took a random beer and put in Cinnamon, allspice, Nutmeg and cloves I would have a spiced beer that would be identical to what's being produced. These spices are very potent and IMO overwhelm everything crossing out the Pumpkin part. To each their own I know, but I find them overbearing and one dimensional, and they give me heartburn.

 

Anybody else think its funny that many BA's hate on fruit beers and refuse to ever even taste one but then go crazy over pumpkin beers?

 

Not the easiest to come by but yeah, plenty of love for it from me.

 

I'd recommend Alaskan Pumpkin Porter.

 

Wolaver's just took the 2014 Gold Medal at the GABF amongst 52 entries for Pumpkin Ale, very solid.

 

Crown Valley Pumpkin Imperial Smash has been my favorite so far this year

 

This past weekend went to Finger Lakes Area, Horseheads Brewery, Pumpkin was great (even my wife enjoyed it). Also, went to Ithaca Beer, they had a Pumpkin Aged in ?, very smooth and tasty.

 

Whole Hog was the tops at a blind pumpkin beer tasting at our (awesome) local shop two years running... needless to say, I picked one up yesterday. I also enjoyed the hell out of Spooky Tooth.