With Halloween here, beer drinkers across Gainesville will undoubtedly turn to pumpkin ales to satisfy their holiday sensibilities. But which of the many should you buy for yourself and your costumed associates? In an ideal world, all of them! Without an endless budget, however, you will have to make some choices.
To help you make those tough decisions, I decided to drink it out. I assembled four popular pumpkin ales and a friend, and then I got drinking. The results were surprising!
Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale - Michelob Brewing Co. - St Louis, Missouri
Jack's was a strange experience all around. I could hardly detect any pumpkin in this one at all. The aroma was reminiscent of Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum (seriously), and the taste carried a little bit of that over.
Besides a lack of pumpkin, Jack's was a decent tasting beer, although more summery than autumnal. It was highly drinkable. The head retention was pitiful, but it looked pretty nice, and was one of the darkest looking beers. Overall, there just wasn't much going on with Jack's.
Pumpkinhead - Shipyard Brewing Co. - Portland, Maine
Pumpkinhead was everything I expected Jack's to be. It was light yellow and had the aroma and taste of sweet, delicious pumpkin pie. The beer taste, however, seemed almost an afterthought.
It was heavily masked by pumpkin and even then seemed to be something on the order of Coor's Light: There wasn't anything turning me off, but there wasn't much of anything at all. Overall, a great beverage to serve at a party when you are looking for theme over refinement.
Pumpkin Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Portsmouth, New Hampshire
While Pumpkinhead was screaming "I taste like pumpkins and it's Halloween so drink me!" Pumpkin Ale was calmly trying to prove that it also tastes like pumpkins. The bottle art tells the story here, with a photograph of a pumpkin on a plain background, with "Cucurbita Pepo" written underneath.
Where Pumpkinhead goes spicy, sugary and light, Pumpkin Ale has deep, rich pumpkin flavor and aroma. It is darker in appearance as well, with wonderful head and a great autumn beer taste backing it up. After a few tastes the bitterness really starts to linger pleasantly on your tongue. Overall, a good tasting beer with a strong pumpkin taste that you cannot miss.
Harvest Moon - Blue Moon Brewing Co. - Golden, Colorado
Harvest Moon has a nice, clean smell with wisps of pumpkin and spice floating around in the ether. It tastes like standard Blue Moon, but instead of fruity notes, it gives you something a bit darker. Again, the pumpkin doesn't reach up and slap you; you really have to look for it.
The look of Harvest Moon knocked everything else out of the water. The beer was a beautiful amber color, and down near the stem of my glass (it was a wine glass) it was an equally nice hue of yellow. Somewhere in between the yellow, red, and orange, you can't help but think of the changing fall colors. If you don't live in Florida, that is.
Final Word
To the serious beer drinker who still wants serious pumpkin, I recommend Pumpkin Ale: 4/5
To the serious beer drinker who wants a great fall beer, I recommend Harvest Moon: 4/5
To the casual drinker who wants some tasty sparkling pumpkin pie, I recommend Pumpkinhead: 3.5/5
I do not recommend Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale: 2/5
Where to find the beers
Harvest Moon, Pumpkinhead, and Jack's should be just available just about anywhere.
Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale is available at Ward's Supermarket. The Alcove is rumored to have Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, but I haven't seen it for myself. It's almost the end of Pumpkin-Beer Season, so get these before they disappear.
Don't forget, if your favorite store doesn't have what you're looking for, just ask!
