Pumpkin Beers: Squashy vs. Pie Flavors

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale has the best pumpkin pie flavor in a beer I can think of.

 

Point whole hog pumpkin gives me glimpses of the whole flavor of the pie, pumpkin itself, spices, bready crust, and even some sweet topping. Pumping does too, but is slightly more sweet and more alcohol flavored to me. Trying to think back, I think smuttynose pumpkin may have been more spices based?

 

Southern Tier Pumking sounds like its up your alley. Schlafly is also an excellent recommendation, but I'm not sure Schlafly gets out to Penn.

 

Just had this and it's a great balance. Not too much of the insance sweet pie/candy flavor but strays aways of the veggie taste with minimal spice, nice graham cracker/buttery flavor and DOES NOT drink like 8%

 

if you are from PA like I am. May i recommend weyerbacker? it has the spices you need.

The only one I know of to stay away from is buffalo bills pumpkin beer. No spices all squash.

 

I agree. Many have a raw pumpkin flavor that I just can't stomach (see Saranac). However, Good Gourd and Alewerks are quite good (taste like pumpkin pie).

 

I'm the opposite. I can tolerate a little cinnamon and nutmeg (no ginger or clove please!) I don't like spices in beer. I feel the same way about "winter warmers". I do like robust complex malty flavors than can come from adding pumpkin. That's what I want, a Pumpkin beer that is like a pumpkin dopple bock.

 

Brooklyn Brew Post Road is really good which is pretty readily available. It's a little bit on the bread / spice ( cinn, nutmeg ) side. But you can't go wrong with it.

 

I am a huge pumpkin beer fan and Pumpking is my favorite by far. Good Gourd is delicious as well as the Warlock beer from Southern Tier.

 

I have had over 60 pumpkin beers over the past few years......

Pumpkin - or "squash" of other types, does not really add a lot of flavor to beer by itself....it adds body or mouthfeel, and some fermentable sugars, but not much in the way of "flavor"

Most ALL pumpkin beers, be they regular ales, stouts, porters, etc derive their "pumpkin flavors" from the spices that are added to the brew, not the pumpkin or squash itself.....try eating a spoonful of pumpkin puree or plain cooked squash and you will see what I mean.....brewers add lots of various spices, as well as vanilla, molasses, etc to these beers to enhance the "pumpkin pie" flavors people typically associate with the autumn season.

 

Smashing Pumpkin

 

I had no idea there were pumpkin beers out there with a prevalent 'squashy' flavor. That sounds Awful. I had pumking for the first time last year and look forward to revisiting it and hopefully getting to try warlock.

 

Seconded. O'Connor's makes a "Punkel-weisse" that's damn good if you haven't tried it yet.

 

Tastes like pumpkin pie.

 

Thank god there are still brewers with conviction who do not toil in this candyboy "style". Beer that tastes like pie...are we children or are we men?

 

Post Road is far and away the worst pumpkin beer I've ever had. To me, There is Pumking and then everything else is at least 2 levels below. I really don't know why anyone drinks any other pumpkin beer.

 

Really? "Buffalo" Bill Owens created the modern "pumpkin ale" - he was the first one to add pumpkin pie spices (to save an otherwise bland, tasteless "pumpkin" ale) and originated the idea of deleting the actual pumpkin as an ingredient and only use spices...

The True Story of the First Pumpkin Beer! "...the original “Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale” didn’t have any pumpkin in it."

Apparently the recipe has changed since the original release, since their website now claims "America’s Original Pumpkin Ale was first brewed in 1985. Made with real pumpkin, it has a golden amber color, and the sweet aroma of pumpkin pie."

 

IDK I had it and it really tasted bland to me. I mean when you have drank DFH and other versions, i guess it could have just gotten lost in my taste buds.

 

The reason I avoid pumpkin ales is the same reason I make fun of Samuel Adams. Spices ... I'd rather have a squashy-tasting pumpkin ale rather then what most are. I do like Schlafly. Perhaps the high alc. content offsets the spice rack.