With pumpkin beers in sight, Monday is never a bad day for us. We always have something great to look forward to! Hanging with the bestie AND PUMPKIN BEER tasting!!! Tonight decided to compare the following six different Pumpkin Ales all with the exact same ABV of 5%.
Small Patch PUMPKIN Harvest Ale by Tommyknocker Brewery: Idaho Springs, CO
If licorice and molasses flavor is your pint of beer, then this is the brew for you! With a bitter aftertaste that subsides as the beer gets closer to room temperature, this beer actually gets better as it sits. Lacking an obvious pumpkin flavoring, this more closely resembles a autumn beer. Score: 13/30
St-Ambroise Pumpkin “The Great Pumpkin Ale” by McAuslan Brewing: Montreal, Quebec
This offering from Canada, at first taste, resembles a light cider with it’s bubbly mouthfeel. With average pumpkinality, this ended up as our favorite of the night. Better when it’s colder, the ratings started sliding as this warmed on us. (Note currently this is our #2 rated beer this season) Score: 16.5/30
Pumpkin Autumnal Ale by Rivertown Brewing Co.: Lockland, OH
A friend brought this back for us after a recent trip to Ohio, THANK YOU HOLLY! This beer is light and drinkable, we could have multiples of this on a night out. Alysia said that at first this smelled like dirty feet to her, but surprisingly it ended up as her favorite of the night! First impressions do not necessarily last. With average pumpkin flavoring, this is decent, but it’s not necessarily memorable. Score: 15/30
Punk’n by Uinta Brewing Co: Salt Lake City, UT
Our first “Organic beer” of the season, listed as made from 3% organic ingredients! Points for uniqueness! With some apple undertones, this is crisp and refreshing with a raw pumpkin taste. Lacking in spice, oddly, there is something in this that keeps you coming back for more! Score: 15.5/30
Pumpkin Ale by Smuttynose Brewing Company: Hampton, NH
The aftertaste is like inhaling hairspray mist. If you can handle that, or if you break out your beer bong, you’ll won’t even notice that ole Smutty was brewed in a hair salon! Just kidding…but seriously…the aftertaste… Score: 12.5/30
Post Road Pumpkin Ale by The Brooklyn Brewery: Utica, NY
Our least favorite of the night, there is zero aroma and leaves you with a dry mouth. It has a familiar taste that we were unable to pinpoint. Besides being left with a feeling of “where are the pumpkins”, this would be a beer that Melissa would enjoy if she were not on the quest for The Great Pumpkin Beer! As for Alysia, this beer is not even worth buying…EVER! Score: 9.5/30
End of Week 2, and we are still on the upward hill, or so we think! Based upon last year and the shelves stocked at our house of pumpkin beer, we know that our readers won’t be disappointed in the weeks to come. We have a special arrival coming this week…stay tuned!
2girlsandapumpking 