Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin (Pugsley’s Signature Series)

Brewed by Shipyard Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Portland, Maine USA

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

The third stop on my tour of this years pumpkin beers, this is another brew that I’ve been waiting for, the Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale. When I was introduced to this one last year, the representative explained to me about the creation of the Smashed Pumpkin. From what I understood, the Pumpkinhead has become so popular, that altering the recipe would be impossible. But, they wanted to kick the pumpkin up a notch, and what was born was the "Smashed Pumpkin." The Smashed Pumpkin pours out a darker shade of burnt orange, to almost a tawny or rust color. The foam is lighter in color than the Weyerbacher, more of an old lace hue. The foam is much more lively though, a full two-fingers, with plenty of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass. There’s actually so much carbonation that I’m surprised a screw-cap holds this beer back properly. I take a wiff, and oh yes, that’s nice. Lots of sweet pumpkin aromas on the nose, but fairly mild on the spice side of things. For a 9% abv, I can’t smell the alcohol at all; it’s completely over-powered by the pumpkin. I can get some hints of typical pumpkie pie spices, but they are very subtle. And after taking a sip, I’m still enjoying this experience thoroughly. Following suit with the aromas, there’s quite a bit of sweet pumpkin on my palate, but very little spices. The pumpkin is not intense though, it’s a very soft, smooth, sweeter style of pumpkin flavor. There is still a touch of spices there, but hard to pick out. Like the smell of the Smashed Pumpkin, it’s as if someone was just cutting into a fresh pumpkin pie. You know, for that minute or two before you bite into it, when you can smell the pumpkin, but barely detect the spices. As the beer warms up to room temperature, the spices are a bit more evident, but still hidden behind the pumpkin itself. In conclusion, by third stop on the Pumpkin Brew trail has been a very nice stop. The Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin is a pumpkin-dominated big-boy beer for the folks that really love pumpkin beer (like me). It’s a little sweet, relatively easy drinking, and a pretty good representation of pumpkin beer. If you see one on the shelf, give it a try!

Bottle--found in the back of the frig, so it became brew #1 of 2012. Pours a pumpkin color, seriously! A soft, medium, white head with aromas of pumpkin and biscuit. Well rounded pumpkin taste with biscuit, soft cinimmon and a small note of caramel. Finish is the same with an alcohol feeling on the back of the throat. I’m pleasantly surprise!!! Produce place.

Golden orange color with just a bit of white head. Aroma of pepper and cinnamon. Tastes like liquid pumpkin pie with nutmeg, cloves and honey.

Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a vibrant golden color with a trace white head that faded instantly and left no lacing. The aroma was sugar and faint pumpkin pie spices. The flavor was sweet and tangy sugar, cinnamon and faint nutmeg. The finish was medium length sugar and spice. Fairly full bodied. Ok.

Very good pumpkin brew from Shipyard. Has a lot of pumpkin taste, as well as hints of spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. Finish is very spicy and makes for one of the better pumpkin beers I’ve had

Finally got around to trying this, what people call the rival to Pumking. Pour out of 22 oz bottle is clear orange with nice lacing white head, aroma has notes of all pumpkin, the flesh, seeds, all of it, with hints of sweet caramel, hints of slight spice, some grass in there as well. Like a perfectly spiced pumpkin. Taste is really nice mix of sweet pumpkin/gourd like flavors, hints of slight cinnamon and clove, hints of sweet vanilla, biscuit and toffee notes, that finishes fairly sweet but drying as well. Very different from pumking, not the pie type but a really nice version of pumpkin in a beer.

One of the best pumpkins I’ve ever had. Ages well, great and readily available during the season. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

650 ml. bottle. Pours a thin, short lived, off white, head over a clear orange amber (SRM 7) with colors reminiscent of a Saison, body....nose is heavy nutmeg, lighter ginger, hints of sweet pumpkin.....taste is heavy nutmeg, lighter pumpkin, hints of ginger, allspice, with sensation of sweetness, ending lightly astringent.....mouth feel light, alcohol contributes light heat, carbonation adds gentle foaminess. This is an interesting Pumpkin Beer. It is much more subtle than many in the genre which often are the same as smelling and eating a Pumpkin pie. The nutmeg is present, as is the Pumpkin, but both are intertwined with other aromas and flavors making for a very beguiling beer. BJCP 7/3/13/4/7