10 Pumpkin Beers Worth Trying
Your favorite menus are usually hit by the pumpkin bomb this time every year, so it’s hard to know which pumpkin ales are worth venturing out for, and which ones will leave you wishing you’d stuck to your good old faithful beer. We did the work for you: here are 10 pumpkin beers worth trying.
Schlafy Pumpkin Ale
If you’re looking for a dessert beer, this is it. That amber color comes from the caramel in there, then you have cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and a slight kick of alcohol flavor. It sort of tastes like pie crust, which is obviously delicious.
Source: Beerfm.com
Cape Ann Fisherman’s Pumpkin Ale
This beer’s flavor has been likened to a Thanksgiving pie, but it’s not too intense, so it’s a great sipping beer. It also has notes of coffee, and is slightly creamy. It got an 84 on Beer Advocate.
Source: Beeradvocate.com
Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin
The beer has the word “smashed” in the title for a reason—it has 9% ABV. The beer tastes and smells a bit like pumpkin bread, so it doesn’t taste too boozey. It has a big bold flavor, is malty, and it’s recommended you have it not too chilled or the spices become too dominant.
Source: Drinkcraftbeer.com
Punkin Ale Dogfish Head Brewery
You still get a nice malty aroma you want from a dark beer, but you also get a scent of real, roasted pumpkin (instead of fake, sugary pumpkin.) The beer is woody, with a hint of vanilla, and medium-bodied.
Source: Beeradvocate.com
Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Another beer that might have you calling a cab, this 8.5% ABV got a 96 score on Beer Advocate. It has some of the expected flavors like cinnamon, but it also has Jamaican all-spice, giving it a slight zest.
Source: Beeradvocate.com
New Holland Ichabod Ale
This beer won Chicagoist’s “Beer of the Week” and is a light to medium bodied beer with 5.2% ABV. It’s brewed with real nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin and the pumpkin aroma comes through, but it also has some nice hops.
Source: Chicagoist.com
Pumple Drumkin
Boston.com says this Nantucket-based beer nails it when it comes to pumpkin ale. It’s a medium body, has “mid hop bitterness” which balances out the sweetness of the spices well, and is slightly spicy and tangy like a really good pumpkin pie—the type you make from scratch.
Source: Boston.com
Rumpkin
In case you haven’t noticed yet, pumpkin beer is the way to go if you just want one small drink and a big buzz. Rumpkin boasts 18.10% ABV. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s actually aged in rum barrels, so it has a great roasted flavor, and it’s spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.
Source: Beeradvocate.com
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat pairs all the zesty, bright flavors you want of Shock Top, with a slightly nuttier flavor of pumpkins. It also has cloves, so it smells like the holidays.
Source: Ratebeer.com
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Proof pumpkin beer isn’t just for someone looking for a dessert beer, this one boasts 8% ABV. The beer has flavors of caramel and spices, but still has enough of a roasted flavor to not be too sweet. It has a slightly herbal finish and a Grand Marnier aroma.
Source: Ratebeer.com