Square One Pumpkin Ale

Rating 1074, on tap at the brewery. Light ruby golden copperish with a mediumd sized medium lasting white head. Nose lots of malts and sharp hops as compared to the pumpkin spices. The taste is initially zingy hoppy but then moves very nicely to a malty, gentle pumpkin feel. Spices are nicely blended and very drinkable. As compared to other largely distributed seasonal pumpkin beers this is much better and actually drinkable and would be easy to do in large volumes. Some of square ones stuff can be a bit different and this really resonates well with me. Strong work!

Sampled at the brewpub. Poured light copper with a wispy white head. Aroma had pumpkin and spices with some sweetness and maybe a bit of another squash variety. Medium body with quite a bit of effervescent carbonation that worked for the style. Taste starts with rich amber malt with authentic tasting pumpkin. There were some spices on the initial taste, but even more on the finish. Finish had clove, nutmeg and cinnamon that give quite a blast and then as that tapers off there is an taste that seems like a blend of pumpkin and orange peel. Until this year I liked no pumpkin beers at all, now I think I’m up to a total of two, this being one of them.

My final taster from 10/14. Filtered and golden. Trace layer of off-white head. Strong cinnamon nose. Strong cinnamon flavor. Somewhat astringent. Medium bodied. Not the best example of the pumpkin niche. Of the spices, only the cinnamon stands out, and it really stands alone. Somewhat one deminsional. Quite a let down, I must admit.