Great Divide Pumpkin Spice Yeti

College football is officially back, so it's okay to start drinking pumpkin beer again.  I know the stuff actually dropped a few weeks earlier this year, but you gotta have standards.  Anyway, one pumpkin beer i had not enjoyed before is the Pumpkin Spice Yeti from Great Divide, the Fall-themed take on their classic imperial stout.  The 9.5% brew pours a thick, dark black with a light brown head and smells of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg along with notes of roasted coffee and some light hints of vanilla.  The flavor is an almost creamy mix of said spices and coffee with some caramel and some earthy pumpkin notes.  It's all very well balanced, with no taste overpowering anything else, so about as well rounded a pumpkin stout as you're likely to find.

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Rumpy Rum Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale

Let's get one more pumpkin ale in as the season comes to a close.  Rahr & Sons make it even livelier by making it extra boozy.  Finishing off a strange but still fun Halloween comes Rumpy, a rum barrel aged pumpkin ale.  The 9% ABV brew pours a goldish brown with a quickly dissipating white head and smells of rum, pumpkins, and spices.  The flavor is similar to the aroma, plenty of rum and pumpkin spice to go around, with some additional hints of brown sugar.  A wonderful Autumn brew.

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The Monkster Mash Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin ale season is in full effect, and really has been for a few weeks now.  One of the latest i've been able to get my grubby little hands on is the The Monkster Mash, and 5.2% ABV pumpkin ale from Spencer Trappist Brewery in Spencer, Massachusetts.  The beer pours an orange-ish gold with a white, quickly dissipating head and smells of pumpkin and pumpkin spices (naturally).  The flavor is slightly more pumpkin than spice, but pretty nicely balanced with maybe a hint of caramel.  All in all, a nice clean pumpkin brew.

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Cherub Rock Imperial Pumpkin Porter

It's that time of year again, when every trip to the grocery store ends with me bringing home six packs of pumpkin ales and Oktoberfests.  And...since COVID has basically annihilated any chance of attending an actual Oktoberfest celebration, i'm going to drink the shit out of these two wonderful styles at home, and there's nothing you can do about it.  So far i've managed to bring home a couple of old standards and a couple of newbies.  One of those newbies is the delicious Cherub Rock Imperial Pumpkin Porter from the good folks at Brazos Valley Brewing over in Brenham, Texas.  The 8.5% brew pours a lovely brownish black with a tan head and smells of chocolate, coffee, and pumpkin spices.  The flavor is a malty mix of chocolate, coffee, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg with some hints of clove and licorice.  It's a wonderful and balanced mix of sugary sweet and pumpkin spice.  I hope to be drinking this one all Fall.

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Martin House Half Baked

Fort Worth's Martin House Brewing probably makes some of the best and most complex beer here in Texas, and i've got to tip my hat to them as their Half Baked Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Pumpkin Pie Ale (that's a mouthful) was an excellent dessert beverage post Thanksgiving dinner a couple weeks back.  The 12% ABV beer pours a dark black with an off white head and smells of oak, whiskey, and pumpkin spices.  The flavor is a heavy mix of said whiskey and pumpkin spices, along with some actual pumpkin notes and some hints of vanilla.  Wonderful stuff.

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Rahr & Sons Den of Sin Pumpkin Ale

They're vanishing from the shelves now, giving way to Christmas and winter ales, so i figured i should get one more pumpkin ale on the books before 2019 eventually wraps up.  And the Den of Sin Pumpkin Ale from Fort Worth's Rahr & Sons is a wonderful example of the style to end on.  Pouring a dark brownish amber, the 7.8% ABV ale smells of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin.  Flavors of pumpkin and holiday spices abound with notes of brown sugar and malt, a sweet libation to ride out the fall season to.

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Southern Star Cygourd

I feel like there are not a lot of Texas breweries that do pumpkin ales, so when i find one that does, i tend to jump on it.  And so i enjoyed some libations from Southern Star Brewing out in Conroe, Texas over the weekend with their delicious Cygourd.  The 6.3% ABV pumpkin ale pours an amberish brown with a white, quickly dissipating head and smells of the usual suspects: nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice, and pumpkin of course.  Some pumpkin ales go heavy on the pumpkin and some go heavy on the spices.  Cygourd splits it right down the middle, an even smattering of both pumpkin and pumpkin spices in light bodied and easy drinking brew, with the spice lingering a bit on the tongue.  Great stuff and just in time for the season.

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Save The World Jonah's Relief Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Currently, i'm trying to imbibe all of the pumpkin ale i can get my grubby little hands on that i possibly can, as once we make our way into November, their numbers drastically dwindle.  And aside from the regulars i generally partake in, a handful of newer brews have popped up onto my radar to wonderful success.  One of the most recent (for me at least) is the Jonah's Relief Imperial Pumpkin Ale from Save The World Brewery out in Marble Falls, TX.  This tasty, 8.2% ABV brew pours an amber-ish gold with a white, quickly dissipating head.  Aromas of pumpkin, pumpkin spices, malt, and some subtle other fruit notes are prevalent, with the flavor being a lovely mix of said pumpkin spice notes along with some caramel and fruit, all with a slightly dry finish.  Good stuff.  I have yet to try anything less than excellent from these guys, so i think a day trip out to their taproom may be on order soon.

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4th Tap House of Torment Pumpkin Ale

We're getting closer to September, which means that pumpkin ales are now flowing (along with Oktoberfests), and i'm a happy beer drinker.  A lot of the usual gang of misfits are on the shelves, but a new one for my taste perusal just dropped from Austin's 4th Tap, a collaboration ale of sorts with local haunted house provocateurs House of Torment.  The 5% ABV House of Torment Pumpkin Ale pours a brownish amber and smells of pumpkin, yams, and allspice.  The flavor is a shade more subdued than a lot of other pumpkin beers out there, a little heavier on the roasted pumpkin and lighter on the spices.  The end product is a sweet, mildly spicy, and easy drinking Autumn brew.

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Elysian Dark O' The Moon Pumpkin Stout

Pumpkin ale season is pretty much done now, but i thought i would sneak one more in before we're up to our elbows in holiday ales.  Elysian was always one of my favorite breweries to sample when in the Pacific Northwest, and although they've become part of the evil empire, they still put out good stuff.  Case in point, the wonderful Dark O' The Moon Pumpkin Stout.  Pouring a dark, brownish black with a tan head, the (now) 7.6% ABV stout smells of pumpkin, spices, cinnamon, and malts.  Thick and smooth, the flavors of pumpkin, nutmeg, malt, and cinnamon abound, with the cinnamon notes really taking front and center, all with a decently bitter finish.

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Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

For years and years, Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale set the standard for craft brew pumpkin ales...probably because it was one of the only ones on the market, AND because it's just a great beer anyway.  But with so many different pumpkin beers from countless other breweries coming out every fall, it kind of gets sidelined in favor of new brews.  So i went back to it, and it's still great.  At 7% ABV, it's little heavier than some of its peers, and all the better for it.  Pouring a clear gold with a white head, the beer smells of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and sugar.  Notes of pumpkin and spices prevail with some brown sugar notes also on the tongue.  Can't beat an old classic.

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Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale

I was a little torn about writing about Elysian Brewing, as i'm no fan of the continued AB InBev acquisition of smaller craft breweries.  It feels like selling out the little guy.  But, good beer is good beer, and Elysian's Night Owl Pumpkin Ale is a good beer.  And we are knee deep in pumpkin spice season anyway, so i suppose it's worth noting.  Pouring a hazy, amber-ish gold with a crisp white head, the 6.7% ABV brew smells of pumpkin and your usual assortment of pumpkin spices like nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and allspice.  The flavor is slightly sweet, the spices playing well with notes of caramel and molasses in a smooth and easily drinkable beer, a perfect, albeit corporate, Fall brew.

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Lakewood Punkel

With pumpkin ale season reaching its end (though Christmas ale season is beginning!), here's one last review on a tasty brew from Lakewood Brewing, the Punkel, a pumpkin spiced take on a Dunkelweizen.  What's a little different about this beer is that there is no actual pumpkin in it, the brew being inspired by the pie more so than the gourd.  Pouring a dark and malty brown, aromas and flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice abound.  The beer smells and tastes like pumpkin pie, albeit with an extra kick from its 5.5% ABV.  This is a great one to finish off the month to.

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Nitro Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin beer season is in full bloom, with a smattering of offerings available from many a brewer.  Breckenridge Brewery's Nitro Pumpkin Spice Latte pairs all of the wonderful pumpkin spice flavors with a coffee stout, essentially making an alcoholic version of that seasonal coffee so many people freak out about.  And they do a pretty good job of it.  Pouring a thick and velvety black with a foamy white head (hooray nitrogen!), the stout looks fantastic and smells of roasted malts, coffee beans, and hints of nutmeg, clove, and pumpkin.  The beer is very smooth and easy to drink, subtle notes of the aforementioned nutmeg, clove, and pumpkin, as well as some hints of vanilla meshing wonderfully with the malt and coffee flavors.  All in all, it's a very drinkable beer, and at 5.5% ABV, feel free to have a few...just don't drive later you dummies.

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Boulevard Funky Pumpkin

Finally a beer for fans of pumpkin ales and sour brews, Boulevard Brewing's Funky Pumpkin is a style unto itself, a wholly original concoction that surprised me as to how much i enjoyed it.  On paper, a sour pumpkin ale probably sounds like a terrible idea, but in practice, it totally works.  Funky Pumpkin pours a hazy gold with a light and dissipating white head and smells of bread and light spices with a tiny hint of pumpkin.  The 5.8% ABV beer is crisp and medium-bodied, sour, but not overly so with very subtle flavors of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and yeast, all in a tart little package.  Definitely one of the more interesting beers i've tried in a while, but tasty all the same.  Fans of pumpkin beers or sours should give it a whirl.

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Ballast Point Pumpkin Down

Fall is just around the corner, and you know what that means.  It means the battle for autumnal superiority begins between pumpkin ales and Oktoberfest brews.  I for one refuse to pick sides, as i love them both dearly, and will surely be writing about some of each over the next couple months.  So let's get started.  First up is a pretty tasty brew i'd never had before from the always dependable Ballast Point Brewing Company out of San Diego.  Pumpkin Down is a Scottish ale brewed with pumpkins and a very mild amount of spices to craft a delicious, but not overpowering pumpkin ale.  The beer pours a dark amber with minimal head and smells of toffee, malt, and pumpkin of course.  There are also some very subtle hints of cinnamon or nutmeg in the mix.  The flavors of roast pumpkin are very prevalent, but they compliment well with the toffee and caramel flavors from the Scotch ale, and the spices never come in too strong.  All in all, this is fine pumpkin brew, and comes in at 5.8% ABV.  Fall is here (kind of).

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Black Pumpkin Oatmeal Stout

Years and years ago, i got turned on to pumpkin ales courtesy of the very delicious, though now seemingly hard to find (in Austin anyway) version from Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, California.  Since then, i've moved on to other pumpkin concoctions from other brewers, but just found my way back to fold with the Black Pumpkin, a tasty pumpkin-tinged oatmeal stout.  (Man, a whole lotta pumpkins in that last sentence.)  The beer pours dark and thick and smells of pumpkin, spices, and roasted malts.  The flavor is creamy and roasty, with subtle chocolate notes and a whole lot of pumpkin, and at 7.5% ABV, this is a fairly easy beer to consume through the better part of a ballgame.  Gotta get my fill while the season's strong.

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Karbach Krunkin' Pumpkin

I know it's out of season, but i was able to imbibe one last pumpkin ale over the holidays, the delicious and spicy Krunkin' Pumpkin from Karbach Brewing in Houston, Texas.  The brew was a pretty standard pumpkin ale, pouring dark amber with a light, beige head, aromas of pumpkin, sugars, nutmeg, etc. prominent at first pour.  The taste was the same, with some added earthy notes, and finished crisp and sweet.  All in all, it was one of the better pumpkin beers i've had.

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Infamous Pumpkin Massacre

Another pumpkin beer.  I don't have a problem, i just know what i like.  The Pumpkin Massacre from Austin's Infamous Brewing is a tasty offering, a restrained dark, kind of reddish ale with a medium and smooth body and a 7.5% ABV.  Aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg are most prevalent, and the taste is similar, but with some roasted malts and hints of brown sugar.  This brew does not overpower.  The pumpkin and spice flavors come in gradually to make for an excellent fall beer.

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Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale

Say what you will about pumpkin spiced beers, but the Pumpkin Ale from Buffalo Bill's Brewery out of California is what started it all for me, leading me down the path of trying out different kinds of beers (particularly of the pumpkin variety), and i've never looked back.  Sure, i've had way better brews, but sometimes it's nice to go back to the original.  The beer pours auburn with a nice creamy head and gives off aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, cloves, and molasses.  The taste is relatively the same, but with some added yeast to its medium body.  This has been an old standby for me for the last seven or eight years, and has become a marker for the fall season.

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