Post Road Pumpkin Ale

(Bottle 35,5 cl) Pours a beautiful, clear, dark amber with a small, off-white head. Spicy aroma. Rather light body with a vague, underlying caramelish sweetness. Dominated by some rather exotic flavour impressions, I reckon it’s the pumpkins - a vegetable I have absolutely no experience with. But also a rather refined spicing is prominent - it actually reminds me of Christmas: cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Dry rather than hoppy finish. Unusual. 060306

14. A lot more mellow in flavor than other pumpkin ales. The creamy palate showcases the pumpkin flavor without allowing the cinnamon and nutmeg throw things out of sorts. There’s also some pie crust happening in the middle.

Pours a clear light amber with a tanned diminishing head. Fruity, slightly sour. Quite spicy aromas. Slightly dusty finish. Too spicy.

12 oz bottle. Clear orange amber fall foliage color. Bubbly off white head. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin aromas and flavors. The pumpkin is better detected in the flavor than the aroma. The flavors are subtle, so it is not one of those cloying pumpkin beers. Slightly sweet with a crisp finish. Pretty good.

Spiced and brewed with pumpkin. Close to a normal lager, but with some spiced notes and a bit different flavor. Nice.

Bottled. Pale yellow appearance. No significant head. Pumpkin notes are dominating the flavour. Interesting brew.

Bottled: Lys rav. Ret klar, men noget støv. Beige skum. Dør ret hurtigt, hvilket kan være sulfo. Nelliker og kraftige medicinske noter. Smagen er ret vag. Lidt sød og krydret. Har lette græskar noter, selvom det ikke er 100% indlysende. Let krop. Er maltet og frugtig i enden. Lidt kedelig øl, og ret lortet at fejre Pittsburg Steelers sejr over et tamt Seattle Seahawks med.

Pumpkin Ale has its roots in Colonial America, and was brewed by colonists as far back as the late 17th Century. When malt supplies ran short during hard times in the colonies, brewers would improvise, and use whatever adjuncts they could to brew beer. Pumpkins were native and plentiful, especially in New England. Their rich and spicy flavors worked especially well with barley malt, and were the gourd of choice for colonial brewers. Out of this tradition, modern brewers pay tribute with their versions of pumpkin ale. Most versions brewed today, go for the "liquid pumpkin pie" effect, and are heavy with spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon. I have had a few examples though, that showcase that meaty/squashy pumpkin flavor, and are not spiced. Post Road Pumpkin ale gives the beer lover a little bit of both. This beer is indeed spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, but it also has very apparent spicy/squashy pumpkin flavor. This beer has taken a journey over the years. It was first brewed for the Post Road Brewing Company (a contract brewery), by the now defunct Catamount Brewing Company, of White River Junction, VT. The label then was sold to the Brooklyn Brewery, of Brooklyn, NY, which has the F.X. Matt Brewery of Utica, NY contract brew this beer. The Post Road Pumpkin ale I enjoy today is the Matt brewed version, and it is quite excellent. That being said, I will never forget the Catamount brewed version of this beer, which I found to be the best example. Post Road Pumpkin Ale pours to a beautiful, bright, orange color with a nice white head, and a moderate amount of carbonation. The nose is the first thing that grabs your attention. Fragrant sweet and spicy aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, and malt flood the nose. The palate is very flavorful, with accents of malt, and meaty/squashy pumpkin flavor. Post Road Pumpkin Ale finishes with more pumpkin flavor up front, then ends with nice, subtle flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon, that slightly lingers. This is a very well done pumpkin ale, with a clever use of pumpkin spices, and real pumpkin flavor. The brewers are not too heavy handed with the spices, which allows that spicy/squashy flavor of the pumpkin meat to come through. This beer is a natural with desert, and is of course, the perfect beer to have with a slice of pumpkin pie, with a dollop of fresh whip cream. It would also work well with hearty soups, pumpkin soup, or squash bisque, both being naturals as well. I enjoy this beer most, by itself. It is a great beer to have on a cool, crisp, Fall afternoon, and one to relax with on a cold Fall eve.