Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Brewed by Saint Louis Brewery
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Maplewood, Missouri USA

Bottle: Orange hued amber, fairly clear, moderate to thin sudsy off-white head, dies quickly, spotty lacing, very little carbonation.   Nutmeg, all-spice, and pumpkin pie filling on the nose.   The tongue yields some clove, nutmeg, cinnamon (minor), pumpkin (minor), and cereal like malts.   Very slight heat to this one.   8% ey?   Could use a little bit more malt, but not bad.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate.   Heavier malts would certainly help.   Finish is a little lackluster.   Flavor drops off pretty quick from the start.   However, tiz fairly clean.   Slight cereal like malts after the finish.   Loved the nose, but could use a little work on the tongue.   Otherwise for a non Imperial Pumpkin, its quite good.   Thanks Matt for sending me a few of these!

10-24-07 bottle.
see through copper amber. Pumpkin malt aroma - with hints of apple cider in there too. More like an apple cider with alcohol than a pumpkin by any means. Creamier than most other "pumpkins". Not watery, but has high carbonation. Very decent overall. Average!

Pours amber with a mostly receding off-white head. Aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, toffee. Taste is spicy, phenolic, toffee, gingerbread, nutmeg, and cinaamon. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Not bad, but pretty spice centric.

The last of the pumpkin beers that I was able to try this season. Sampled at the Power Plant Strong Ale Festival on 12/8/07. Pours a slightly hazy amber-orange with a thin, creamy, beige head. Medium-bodied and slick with a toasted and spicy, yet clean, finish. I’d say that this "tastes like pumpkin pie", only it doesn’t. It’s better. This is a very well integrated beer with the fruit and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg & a bit of clove) coming together in splendid harmony. This is the best pumpkin beer that I’ve tried to date. I guess that, this year, I saved the best for last.

22 oz bottle at Logan’s Pre-GABF party. Lots of pumpkin and spice on the flavor and the aromas. Very good. One of the best Pumpkins I have had.

12 oz bottle acquired via trade with Acknud. Pours a deep copper color with a small white head. Pretty decent lacing too. Aroma was overwhelmly of pumpkin. This is one of the stronger tasting pumpkin ales I’ve had so far. Like liquified pumpkin pie. Pumpkin flavor and cinammon spice, along with some malty sweetness. Fairly high abv, 8%, for a pumpkin ale, though the alcohol is well hidden.

I asked for a sample of this at the taproom because I didn’t think I could stomach an entire glass of a pumpkin ale (not my favorite style or taste really, but sometimes I enjoy pumpkin flavored baked goods). Aggressive for a pumpkin ale at 8%. tase is as expected: sweet pumpkin and spice with hint of alcohol burn. I think making this sort of a "bigger" pumpkin beer was a good idea. The higher gravity allows the spices and pumpkin not to overwhelm the beer.

Pours orange with quick dissapating head. Aroma of cinnamon and ginger. Taste cinnamon and spices with a little hop on the finish.