Varieties of pumpkin ales provide festive Halloween brews

The Beer Geek: Allagash brewers concoct beers for all palates

If someone were to ask me which beer they should try to get a sense of a craft beer, a Maine microbrew, or an example of a modern Belgian beer, I would recommend Allagash Brewing for each. I'm somewhat partial here?not only is Allagash my all-time favorite beer?but I have also worked at the brewery for the past two years.

The Beer Geek: Shipyard Prelude a spicy complement to winter festivities

Shipyard Prelude is terrible. Not only does it not live up to the standards of a decent winter ale, it is simply an unacceptable beer. It is formed from the scum of beer making, and only the scum of beer drinkers would dare to admit that they like this travesty. Were I to go to a friend's party and find a 12-pack of Prelude purchased in an attempt to class up the party from the 30-rack of PBR next to it, I would politely say my goodbye, go home, and de-friend that person on Facebook. That's a flat-out lie. But it's worth a shot to discourage you from purchasing it so as to leave more for my roommates and me to drink.

The Beer Geek

Varieties of pumpkin ales provide festive Halloween brews

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

Mac Evans

Columnist

October 31, 2008

Margot D. Miller

**SPICIN’ IT UP:** Several different breweries produce seasonal pumpkin ales in the fall. The wide array of different types of pumpkin beers give drink enthusiasts many options to choose from.

In honor of Halloween and in the spirit of the falling leaves, I've decided to sit down and invest in a handful of pumpkin ales before the snow hits. Pumpkin ales are usually a seasonal beer, and are only released in conjunction with the changing color of the leaves. It is difficult to actually create a pumpkin taste in a beverage since pumpkin alone doesn't taste like anything, or at least anything interesting. Brewers, in order to circumvent this problem and create something that will sell, started adding cinnamon and nutmeg and other spices associated with the more distinctive (and delicious) taste of pumpkin pie. This leads to many different brews?more than 200 in the world. I have a more humble selection of eight to drink and critique.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale

This is a crowd pleaser?probably one of the most accessible and popular pumpkin ales available at this time. It tastes as if someone took some canned pumpkin pie mix and made beer from it. The flavor has its advantages and disadvantages. The beer itself is initially incredibly drinkable and delicious because it is, essentially, a liquid pumpkin pie. By the end of the beer, however, I feel that one's enough. It's good, but only in small quantities.

South Hampton Pumpkin Ale

This tastes very similar to Pumpkinhead, but is a step up. I taste the same sort of pumpkin pie, but instead of brewing a canned mix, it seems as though South Hampton decided to add spices and a more bitter taste. The beer tastes of both pumpkin and spices, but neither element overpowers the other. It is the same concept as Shipyard, but more complicated.

Wolaver's Will Steven's

Pumpkin Ale

This is a new one. It is an organic pumpkin ale and tastes strongly of spices and earthy malts. Picture chopping a cooked pumpkin in half, adding some spice, and eating it; that's what this beer tastes like. It is different than the cookie-cutter, pumpkin-pie-mix beers, and, as a result, might not be popular with some, but could also be just the pumpkin ale you've been looking for if you haven't found one yet.

Dogfishhead Punkin' Ale

There is something about this beer that makes it very complex...and delicious. Instead of trying to emulate a pumpkin pie, this beer tastes more like an imitation of the pumpkin itself's taste, added to a solid brown ale with spices thrown in to make it even more delightful. The taste and texture of the beer make it very drinkable. This is my favorite one so far.

Harvest Moon

Now I like pumpkin, and I like Belgian White ale, and Blue Moon does a reasonably good job making white ales considering it's produced by The Man (Blue Moon Brewing Co. is secretly Coors). So why do I dislike the combination of the two? There is not much to say about the pumpkin or spice flavor, and I can't even taste it until a couple minutes of not drinking and taking in some fresh air. The beer, however, seems to be banking on this liar-pumpkin-taste, leaving it feeling very empty. It's starting to warm now, which makes it taste more and more like vomit. I don't think that's me.

Smuttynose

At this point in the night, I can barely taste the pumpkin and spices as much as I taste the hops. The pumpkin and spices are in the aroma and the aftertaste of the beer. I'm not that much of a hops fan, so I'm not much of a fan of this beer. But I am a fan of...your mom. No, you shut up.

Weyerbacher Imperial

Pumpkin Ale

Wow. I can already tell that this is the winner for me. A good blend of pumpkin and spice flavors that makes me feel like I'm drinking a homemade pumpkin pie! This is not just a great pumpkin beer, this is a solid beer overall. A good brew with a very appropriate blend of spices and flavors. I'm tempted to get another one right now. No? Okay.

Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale

This tastes like Budweiser with a hint of pumpkin. Wait. Read the label. It is Budweiser with pumpkin taste...Let's go to SuperSnack.

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