Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Co.
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Seattle, Washington USA

Tap sample at the ’09 Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival. Murky amber color with minimal bubbles. Nose of homemade pumpkin bread with even more pie spice. There is no mistaking this for anything other than a pumpkin spice beer. Tons of nutmeg, cinnimon, clove, and the other pie spices. It reminds me of my mother’s pumpkin cookies, raisens and walnuts and all. Almost too much, actually.

Pours a dark amber color from the bomber with a trim beige head. More savory than sweet, to a fault. Smells of pie spices, especially ginger. Tastes of mince meat and roasted pumpkin. Meh.

This one poured a deep amberish orange color with a thick off white head that slowly fades to a thin film. The aroma shows notes of fresh pumpkin flesh along with the typical spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. I like how the spices don’t overpower the pumpkin. The flavor follows with the pumpkin spices up front cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove to go with some pumpkin flesh. Some toasted caramel malt comes through in the back to add some sweetness. Nice sweet flavor with the pumpkin showing through. I like my pumpkin beers less on the spice side and this one did that pretty well. Medium bodied, smooth, and very easy to drink with some spice on the finish. A pretty pumpkin beer that I wouldn’t mind drinking again.

A solid pour produces a three-finger thick, light tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass. The beer is a brilliantly clear, deep amber color that has copper highlights to it, when held up to the light the beer shows a rich copper hue. Ah, the aroma brings a smile to my face, fleshy, caramelized squash aromatics are accentuated by notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I like that the actual pumpkin is noticeable here in the aroma, certainly the spice notes are a bit more piquant, but the spices are not used too overzealously and the vegetable squash notes add a nice spiciness of its own.

Fairly dry tasting, especially given how sweet the spices make this beer smell. The beer finishes with a bite of nutmeg, a flash of pumpkin meat, a lingering ginger piquancy and a touch of pepper like spice. I could use a touch more body here, but there is a touch of heft to this beer; the holiday season just sees me wanting a bit more richness in this beer (though it has a lot more body than some of the poorer examples of the style, Buffalo Bill I am looking at you). The malt contributes a hint of caramelized sweetness as well as a touch of toasty grain towards the finish, for the most part though this beer is about the spices and the pumpkin. There is enough malt to provide just enough texture and sweetness to support the more dominant flavors. The sweetness is accentuated by the cinnamon notes in the middle.

This is a good example of a "standard" pumpkin ale. The usual base beer style, but it has enough body and the touch of real pumpkin to keep me happy.

Purchased: Liquid Solutions

(22oz. bottle, courtesy of BMan1113VR) Pours a clear orange body with a small off-white head. Aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Flavor of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, caramel malt, and allspice.

Bomber thanks to Mike. Pours a clear orange color with a medium white head. The aroma is tons of spices, pumpkin, and some malt. The taste is loads of spices; nutmeg, cloves, essence of pumpkin, hell its all in there. A lot of pumpkin, very vegetable like as it warms. A smooth and creamy mouthfeel. I give this beer props because it really tastes natural and like biting a nice ripe pumpkin. Nice.

22oz bottle. Poured dark gold with a nice fluffy white head. Nice pumpkin spice aroma, really stands out. Taste is similar to the aroma, not quite a pronounced, but still there. Good pumpkin beer.

Very fragrant and pumkin-like, this is see-through yellow body with lots of lace. The carbonation is above average. The taste is primarily nutmeg and peppery, with less clove and ginger and so more enjoyable to me. Was great on winter night.Average mouthfeel.