This post comes courtesy of Williams-Sonoma associate and beer enthusiast Dennis Ayles.
Finally, it’s time to round up my reviews of all the pumpkin beers I tasted this season. I went into the tastings with my eyes wide open, discovering that most selections fell into three categories: sweet as pumpkin pie; roasted and a bit savory; and lastly, eggnog, move over.
Click on the links above to see my reflections on the other categories, or continue reading for my eggnog-like samplings.
 Southern Tier Pumking AleThis light amber beer was a bit of a surprise. With my first few sips I tasted a familiar flavor that I couldn’t put my finger on. Luckily it was a 22-ounce bottle, so I had some time to figure out it was nutmeg, the spice I always taste in eggnog. I thought the nutmeg was very overpowering, but if you’re an eggnog fan, you’re going to love this one.
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 Shipyard Pumpkinhead AleThe initial aroma on this brew told me it was going to be sweet and full of pumpkin pie ingredients. Unfortunately, that was not the case — nutmeg was the predominant flavor. Since the beer is on the light side, the flavor was unbalanced, and I couldn’t get past the overpowering nutmeg.
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 BONUS: Woodchuck Pumpkin Hard CiderWhat a clever idea. I’m not sure about you, but I always have some mulling spice and cider brewing on the stove during Thanksgiving. I was surprised I only saw one pumpkin cider out there. From the start I could only taste the apple, but as I sipped more, I picked up a nice roasted pumpkin taste. I really enjoyed this selection and found myself wishing for a roasted turkey in the oven. |
Well, I’m off to the store to grab a few more of my favorites so I can enjoy them later on this fall. Cheers!
About the author: Dennis Ayles, from Inventory Management, is our resident beer expert here at Williams-Sonoma. He keeps everyone up to speed on the latest trends, his favorite brews and what we should be drinking.