Pumpkin Beer 2012

Here it is, folks.  The official tasting of pumpkin beers for 2012.  All in all a great year for pumpkin brews.  Many choices, few were crap.  Most were good.  A few were great.  My order of tastiness:

1. Southern Tier Pumking
2. Laurelwood Stingy Jack Pumpkin Ale
3. Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
4. Elysian The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale
5. Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale
6. Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
7. Elysian Dark O’ The Moon Pumpkin Stout
8. Pike Harlot’s Harvest Pike Pumpkin Ale
9. Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale
10. Uinta Brewing Punk’n Ale
11. Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
12. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale
13. Shipyard Pumpkinhead

The short of it, Southern Tier takes the crown again.  Elysian slips a bit.  Sam Adams and Blue Moon surprise the hell out of me.  More notes after the pic.

Pumpkin Beer Tasting – Sept 14, 2012

• Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale
  • Light pumpkin nose.  Light body, no head, nice orange clear color.  Barely any pumpkin. 5.7% ABV.
• Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale
  • No head, barely orange.  No pumpkin in the nose.  Can’t taste the pumpkin.  5.2% ABV.
• Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
  • No head, slight orange color.  Light pumpkin nose.  Spicy body with little pumpkin flavor.  7.0% ABV.
• Uinta Brewing Punk’n Ale
  • Nice head, cloudy orange color.  Smooth, easy drinking.  Not a lot of pumpkin.  Hints only.  4.0% ABV.
• Shipyard Pumpkinhead
  • Yellow color, no head.  Light pumpkin nose.  Body is light, but unremarkable.  Tastes like high end budweiser… now with pumpkins!  4.7% ABV
• Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
  • Beautiful beer.  Deep burnt sienna color with creamy head.  Minimal nose.  Toasted flavor in the body, spices for sure.  Very light pumpkin.  5.7% ABV.  17 lbs per barrel.
• Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale
  • Cloudy orange color.  Nice little head.  Nose is sweet and spicy.  Not really pumpkin.  Yeasty.  9.0% ABV
• Laurelwood Stingy Jack Pumpkin Ale
  • Nice dark, copper/orange color.  Big head.  Sweet, creamy body.  Light to moderate pumpkin flavor.  Sweet is a bit overpowering of the pumpkin.  7.5% ABV
• Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
  • Light orange color, nice short lived head.  Spicy nose.  Body is light, more spice than pumpkin.  5.9% ABV
• Elysian Dark O’ The Moon Pumpkin Stout
  • Dark, dark pour.  Quick little head.  Chocolate malt nose.  Very little pumpkin notes.  Good stout, though. 6.5% ABV
• Pike Harlot’s Harvest Pike Pumpkin Ale
  • Dark pour.  Light head.  Hearty ale taste.  Light pumpkin.  Ok body.  8.5% ABV
• Southern Tier Pumking
  • Light yellow color.  Light, sweet, candy pumpkin nose.  Taste is sweet but not too sweet… if they could make candy out of this, it would be awesome.  8.6% ABV
• Elysian The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale
  • Light yellow color.  Small light head.  Spicy nose.  Spicy body.  Light on the pumpkin, not as creamy as past years.  8.0% ABV.

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