4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20It’s funny how when I see it in the stores, it just starts to feel like autumn and when I crack it open, it immediately makes it autumn and takes me back to my college days. I hope my wife doesn’t read this review but you know how something just evokes a thousand memories - of crossing the San Mateo bridge in my old top down Jeep to see my girlfriend at CSU Hayward (oh, sorry - CSU East Bay now). I can taste the salt air from the marshes and then picking up at her place behind the school, nestled in woods like it’s Truckee or something. While Hayward was all 1960’s strip mall falling apart, there was that one cozy place - Buffalo Bill’s - great fresh beer of every kind - stout, pale ale but pumpkin was always worth waiting for. It was like if we could down a few more, we could hold off winter - and then of course, we moved on - she got a great job offer back East and then Germany - she still emails me asking if I still go to Buffalo Bill’s - I do but don’t hate me, I never take the wife, I just go with my buddies and pumpkin ale takes me back - they got a great clean tasting and unique flavor down - I’ve tried others but it’s no pumpkin ale from Buffalo Bill’s.
2.5 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
THOUGHTS: Pretty bland compared to the current norm, but this must have been a real shocker in the 80s. Definitely a beer first and then a pumpkin flavored beverage second. Almost more of savory pumpkin flavor than most.
TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a light, orangey amber with nice carbonation and an average, slightly off-white head that mostly diminished and left virtually no lacing. The aroma contained light caramel; very light hops; hints of brown sugar; hints of pumpkin pie spices; and a cross between fruity and vegetal pumpkin. The initial flavor was lightly sweet and slightly bitter; while the finish was moderately sweet, lightly bitter and slightly sour with a short duration. There was light caramel malt, sour and vegetal pumpkin, sweet an fruity pumpkin, and slight pumpkin pie spices (if any spice stood out it might have been ginger). The light to medium body was watery and then dry with fizzy carbonation and a dry finish.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Pretty good pumpkin ale. Good pumpkin taste, and nice sweetness. Little thin.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
I looked a long time for a great pumpkin ale that actually tasted like pumpkin. Buffalo Bills actually tasted like liquid pumpkin pie and ale mixed. It had the right amount of seasoning and wasn’t bitter. It will the cornerstone of my Fall lineup.
2.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
Pours copper brown with almost no head. Tastes pretty tame. Not much to it. Definitely smells better than it tastes.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
3.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
This pours a semi-cloudy copper color with a slight, off-white head. The scent is mild with prominent tones of pumpkin and spices. The texture is fairly watery, but at least there is a good deal of pumpkin and spices in the flavors. This is hardly Pumpking, but if this all that is left or it’s the only pumpkin beer you can find in your area it’s not too bad.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Drinking from the bottle. Tastes very spicy, almost a Pumpkin Spice ale. I have to wonder about the labeling, says they are America’s Original. I actually enjoyed this, taste like pumpkin, not pumpkin pie or pumpkin roll, just plain pumpkin.
3.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
This is one that I would have poured out if not for the fact that pouring out beer is alcohol abuse. Amatuer flavor in a bottle.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
12oz bottle. Burnt orange color, small head fades, no lacing, clear. Aroma is strong, sweet, and I get nutmeg more than any other spice. Taste has hints of pumpkin and spice, not overpowering. Well blended, more refined than others I’ve had. A little thin on the mouthfeel. Solid entry in this crowded and overrated category, I think Bill’s been doing this style longer than others.
4.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
i love to put some in the freezer for 20+ min and get-em slushy, i can not find them in TX, but they may be here,
2.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 11/20
Courtesy of Simon, from Cave à Bulles, Paris
Amber color, medium sized creamy head. Mild aroma of biscuits (the spices probably). Simple flavor, some simple caramel and easy spices. Simple final too, correct bitterness.
Another boring pumpkin beer.
|
