Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

[Best served in a Lager glass]

The pour was a clear medium golden amber with a large (2-3 finger) rocky white head that was mostly diminishing and had good lacing.

The aroma was moderately heavy with toasted biscuit malt and a sweet doughy yeast with strong notes of nutmeg, brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin.

The taste was sweet and quite malty with notes of brown sugar and cinnamon in the beginning then progressed to become slightly bitter yet still extremely malty with notes of nutmeg and pumpkin with a mild alcohol finish. The flavor had really good longevity after the swallow allowing full enjoyment and a nice alcohol warming sensation.

Mouthfeel was medium to full in body and semi-dry in texture with a nice lively carbonation.

Overall and outstanding Pumpkin Ale that was perfectly balanced and very flavorful.

Serving type: Bottle

Nice copper color and tons of warm spices as soon as it's poured. Loads of pumpkin pie spice like cinnamon, clove, and allspice. Of course, the pumpkin in present, too. I'm getting more hops here than I have with other pumpkin ales, but they are spicy hops that pair quite nicely with the pie spices. Nice warmth from the 7% ABV, as well.

Pours out a burnt orange color, on the darker side of amber. The foam is quite lively, a thick, fluffy, off-white head. The foam lasts for a relatively long time, and leaves a nice sticky lacing on the sides of the glass.

The aromas are a nice combination of pumpkin and spices. The pumpkin is not over-whelming, and neither are the spices, but it's a nice over-all balance between the two. So far this year, this smells the most like pumpkin pie of all these brews, which is (in my opinion) what I'm looking for in a pumpkin beer.

The palate and the mouth-feel is perfectly in-sync with the aromas. There's hefty amount of pumpkin flavors right up front, but then progresses nicely into a variety of pumpkin pie spices. It's not super-sweet, but there's definitely a hefty presence of malts here. As the Punkin' Ale warms, but sweetness fades a bit, and the spices really start to come through.

Well this is definitely a treat, the Dogfish Punkin' Ale is the best pumpkin beer I've had yet this year! Great amount of pumpkin flavors, as well as spices, and the two are balanced nicely. I really enjoy the Smashed Pumpkin for it's heavy, up-front pumpkin flavors; and the Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin for it's heavy use of pumpkin pie spices. The Dogfish Punkin' Ale is not too intense in any direction or the other, it's balanced just right.

I'm not usually a fan of beer that includes fruit or vegetables but this one is an exception. Tried it on a dare and actually enjoyed it. Smooth, spicy, and malty. It does taste more like desert than beer but not bad if you are venturing into the fall drinking season and looking for something a bit different.

With me being the last person on earth to try this beer, there's nothing left for me to say that hasn't been said.

Poured into my snifter (I'm still really hesitant to pull out my Pilsner glass...is it time yet?), it holds a wonderful polished cherry wood color in the depths with orange accents swirling around the outside. There was a small head of off-white foam, about a finger thick, that quickly dissolved to a bubbly ring with islands in the middle. I was hardly disappointed as the little foam that lingered didn't vanish, but stuck around through the whole drink, keeping it together just right.

The aroma permeated the air around the glass almost immediately. The Punkin left a seductive trail of fresh-from-the-oven pumpkin pie, banana bread, and cinnamon toast that I continually wafted over myself in ecstasy. Closing my eyes, I imagined myself in a warm, inviting kitchen baking scrumptious desserts in preparation for a family Thanksgiving. Slinking among the amazing eruption of baked goods, I found some caramel malt, allspice, and a dash of spicy nutmeg.

To continue with the perfection of this favorite brown ale, the taste was the complete embodiment of the nose, only with the liquid sustenance. It was lightly spicy right off the bat, keeping my tongue tingling with happiness while cinnamon, pumpkin pie, and a generous amount of caramel washed over it. All of this was accompanied by nutmeg, brown sugar and allspice - all of which are extremely complimenting of each other; no one flavor tries to dominate the others. The mouthfeel was smooth with a medium body, like a heavy silk, and everything is supported by just the right amount of carbonation. It ends slightly dry with very little bitterness, and pulls everything together with a comforting warmth from the 7% ABV...which gives it an A in my book.