Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

Aroma nicely blends earthy pumpkin with spices and grassy hops. Pours a beautiful hazy orange. Nice flourish of bubbles, culminating in an off-white head that leaves abundant lace. First sips are really nice, rich pumpkin, grass, cinnamon, nutmeg are all there and well harmonized. But further down in the glass, the pumpkin’s earthiness has faded, and an unpleasant metallic tang has taken its place. Fizzy mouthfeel, medium body.

Bottle. Love this stuff. Pours a dark, pumpkiny orange color with a small white foamy head. Nose is pumpkins and spices. Palate is the standard smutty, thick but fizzy, and the flavors are of pumpkins, a nice caramel malt, and some hints of nutmeg.

orange with mild head. decent spicy nose. no discernible malt flavor, some cinnamon and ginger notes with some hop bitterness at the end. probably average to slightly above average for the style, but not in the class of the elite of pumpkin ales

On tap at Not Your Average Joe’s. I am hoping that the bottled version was much better than the tap. Muted smell, completely lacking any pumpkin notes and almost lacking any smell whatsoever. The taste was a little spicy, but once again lacked any pumpkin flavor.

Pours a clear orange with a satisfying white head with half-decent retention. Aroma is very sweet and spicy, particularly as it warms. Surprising gravity and hop bitterness, present alcohol, bitter pumpkin spice & hop finish. Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves. Good carbonation, chewy and smooth. This pumpkin ale packs a bit of a kick - more aggressively beer-like than many pumpkin beers I’ve tasted, but I like that, for a change. Many thanks to jjpm74 for the trade!

Oct. 19, 2008; 12 oz. bottle fr. Smuttynose variety 12-pack. First experience with a pumpkin ale. Faint herbal aroma. Early spice gives way to a puckering sour astringency that becomes increasingly unpleasant through a long finish. Trying to keep an open mind -- I’m a fan of the brewery, just not the style.

Pours golden amber with a medium, full white head. Aroma of pumpkin, spices, and a citrusy cleaner like smell. Pumpkin flavor is very prevalent with spices in the background. A little herbal hop flavor as well leads to an overall dry feeling. Could be a little thicker to hold a sweeter body.

Has a golden brown color. I can definitely smell pumpkins and spices in this brew. Has a nice pumpkin flavor to it and a nice bite in the end. This is one of the better pumpkin beers I’ve had. Good job Smuttynose.