Southampton Pumpkin Ale

Not a bad pumpkin ale, but not as great as the scores indicate in my opinion. Aroma was on the weak side, but with the nose in the glass, you can pick up pumpkin and nutmeg. Pour was the standard caramel colored affair with a one finger white head that leaves quickly. Taste was a tad thin and watery with the pumpkin taste in the background as an afterthought. Nice carbonation. Could pick up the good spices and cinnamon as it warmed, but nothing like my favorites (Pumking and Weyerbacher’s)

22 oz bottle. I had this at GABF and thought it was awesome. My bottle was not as good as the stuff I had out there. Pour a great looking amber color with a light head and plenty of carbonation. Musty pumpkin aroma with clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg type spices. The flavor has light pumpkin spices with noticeable real pumpkin presence on top of what seems to be a nicely made amber ale. Easy drinking and good. Carbonated mouth feel that is generally light but mustiness lingers. Again, nothing wrong with this one, it just wasn’t as good as I recall from the samples I had at GABF.

Pours out a clear orange with a frothy off-white medium head that leaves almost no lacing and fades to a thin spotty film. The aroma is pretty authentic in its immitation of pumkin pie. a nice blend of spices comes through, with nutmeg, cinnimon, brown sugar and pumpkin. The flavour is exacly the same with a mild bitterness and a mild malty finish. Well balanced and medium bodied.

This beer pours a nice bold head initially but fades over time, and has a clear redish amber color. It has a nice fall spice smell containing nutmeg, allspice, and some pumkin. As you drink it the initial flavor is very spicey, but over time it is rather sweet and toffee like. The palate is very fragrant with a sweet nutmeg and toffee blend that lasts for quite a while.

THOGUTHS: I am very criticle of Pumpkin beers because after trying Weyerbacher and Dogfish Head’s versions, I know their potential. While this smells and tastes like a pumkin pie, ther isn’t too much beer to it. Too much spice, not enought malt or hops; in other words beer. A little thin too. When I think pumpkin done right, I think rich and full. A nice beer, but not great. Well made, but could be better. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, light to medium amber with nice carbonation and a small to average, off-white head that mostly diminished and left fair lacing. The aroma was some caramel malt with allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. The Initial flavor was moderately sweet, while the finish was heavily sweet with a short duration when it came to the sweetness and average duration when it came to the spice. The flavor was mostly the spices from the aroma. Ther is also some caramel malt, but it is drowned out by all the spices. The light to medium body was watery and also dry because of all the spices. It had slightly fizzy carbonation with a dry spice finish.

22oz bottle. Got from Dubra, sweet aroma suggesting hints of cinnamon spice and pumpkin. creamy head that looks like a remarkably like a latte when pours, possibly due to nutmeg? taste is too plain and lacking pumpkin flavor. nice palate, poor flavor. Ok. Rerate: sept 09 - I disagree with my old rating of flavorless. Decent amounts of spice and pumpkin are detectable making this a pleasant pumpkin brew but palate is a hair too thin

I’m a fan of the pumpkin beers that actually taste like pumpkin and this one hits that sweet spot. Aroma is slightly spicy with cinnamon. The flavor is where the pumpkin really comes through. Looks clear and has a copper color. Smuggled this one back from NC last time I was up there.

Pours a clear reddish orange with a fizzy white head. Has hints of pumpkin, spice, some simple sugars. Finishes with a vinious thin pumpkin taste on the palate.