It must startle those who don’t drink beer when the beer geeks on the site start extolling the virtues of pumpkin beer. Those who are not familiar with craft beer and the multitude of styles must be wondering if we’ve gone insane and entered into some Schultzian fantasies of Great Pumpkins.
I greatly enjoy reading other beer geeks discuss their views on pumpkin beers. These beers generally make their appearance in the Autumn. Along with the Octoberfest beers, they make the season extra nice. Pumpkin beer works well for Halloween or Thanksgiving. I also find myself seeking these beers out during Autumn. One of the more famous of the style is Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale. It is put out by Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in Hayward, CA. I will note that the label states it is brewed and bottled by Portland Brewing Co.
The debate over contract brewing is an old one. My thoughts are simply that I want a beer to be good. I also feel that if the info is on the label then there is no issue of false advertising. So let’s put that aside and get to the beer. This is the first pumpkin beer that I ever tried many years ago. For that reason I have a special affection for it. It has been surpassed by numerous brewpub pumpkin ales but this is still a decent beer. Gilded Otter in New Paltz, NY and Boston Beer Works across from Fenway Park come to mind.
Drinking it again this year was a treat. I was the capper for a Thanksgiving evening that saw all the right teams win their games. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale is an easy beer to pour. It is not highly carbonated and doesn’t form a monstrous head. The spices in the beer tickle the nose before you begin pouring though. I noticed a nice amber to slightly orange hue for the beer. There was a small, adequate head. The aroma smacked of pumpkin pie. They use cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in this beer along with pumpkin. This gives the beer a very pleasant fragrance.
The beer was a little dryer than I remember it being but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It has a light to medium body. This is not a heavy beer by any stretch of the imagination. The pumpkin flavor comes through clearly in the flavor. I also pick up hints of the spices used. The cinnamon asserts itself well. This is a great dessert beer. It is a sweet treat without being cloying. It leaves a nice light lingering taste.
There is minimal hop presence in this beer. I did not even pick up any hop bitterness in the finish. I guess they either used a very minimal quantity of hops or the hops just get thoroughly bullied by the pumpkin and the spices. This is not an everyday beer but it’s great for the season and great for occasional consumption. It weighs in at 5% abv so it’s average in strength.
There are better pumpkin beers out there if you go to brewpubs but that doesn’t help the person who wants to drink one at home. This is one that will be fairly available in stores depending on your locale. It is similar to Post Road Pumpkin put out by the Brooklyn Brewing Co. More adventurous drinkers will seek out Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. This one is still a good one and well worth seeking out.
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