If you haven’t seen them yet, check out my first, second, third, fourth, and fifth pumpkin beer reviews. Otherwise, read on, and if you know of a pumpkin beer I have yet to review, let me know… it’s hard to keep track when there are so many available.

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‘FIRST GROWTH PUMPKIN PATCH ALE’ – ROGUE – Pumpkin Ale – 5.60% ABV (Eye Choir’s Choice)

Appearance: Poured a clear, somewhat dark orange-amber with a two finger, off-white head and a moderate quantity of carbonation. Very robust looking. 4/5

Smell: Primarily hearty roasted pumpkin and caramel malts, which are well-balanced by a spice palette of cinnamon, clove, and cardamom. There are interesting notes of fresh, somewhat leafy or even tea-like hop aromas, which go well with the earthy pumpkin flavors. Fantastic yet manages to show restraint. 5/5

Taste: Quite tart initially, though this calms down into a moderate to light bitterness and a mild sweetness. Evolves gradually from sharp spices and gourd flavors into a more traditional dry hops and malt. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with medium to light carbonation and a somewhat creamy mouthfeel, which matches the fresh flavors nicely. There is little no alcohol heat. 4.5/5

Overall: Not overt in how impressive it is; simply very well-balanced with a formidable spice selection and an evocative fresh flavor. 4.5/5

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‘WOLAVER’S PUMPKIN ALE’ – OTTER CREEK – Pumpkin Ale – 5.35% ABV

Appearance: Poured a moderate copper-orange with a two finger, eggshell head. There is a fair amount of fine haze, which renders any carbonation invisible. 3.5/5

Smell: Predominantly allspice and nutmeg, along with a strong, fresh earthy herbal hop presence and some light pumpkin notes and mildly caramelized malts. 4/5

Taste: Moderately tart and surprisingly bitter, giving a nice vegetable finish which shows the pumpkin off. Very little sweetness. A lot of the flavors, especially the spices and the malt are actually a little weak. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and very smooth, with only mild carbonation and mild alcoholic heat. Not enough presence to balance the strong the finish, though. 3/5

Overall: The flavors themselves are quite good, but there are some balance issues in the taste and mouthfeel which makes the whole experience seem a bit monotonous. 3.5/5

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‘DARK O’ THE MOON’ – ELYSIAN – Pumpkin Stout – 6.50% ABV

Appearance: Poured an incredibly dark/opaque brown (almost black) with a one-finger, mahogany head. There is some carbonation visible on the sides of the glass. 3.5/5

Smell: Primarily stout aromas, such as dark chocolate, roast barley, and even some dark fruit. Mild cinnamon which is actually quite subtle, but disappointingly, a somewhat weak (though certainly present) pumpkin aroma. Otherwise reasonably complex though. 3.5/5

Taste: Starts with mild to moderate sweetness and tartness, which brings in some faint vegetable pumpkin flavors, and finishes with moderate bitterness which really amplifies the cocoa flavors. A lot of the subtlety, such as the presence of cinnamon, is overwhelmed by the intense roasted flavors though. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a very smooth and creamy mouthfeel which is balanced by a light to moderate amount of carbonation. There is some mild alcohol heat as well but it is underneath layers of silky smoothness. 4/5

Overall: Much more a stout than a pumpkin beer, but at least a reasonably good stout. Pumpkin was light, which isn’t always even a bad thing, but a lack of cues from things like leafy hops or strong spices make this beer fairly plain. 3.5/5

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IMPERIAL PUMPKIN – LONG TRAIL – Imperial Pumpkin Ale – 8.00% ABV

Appearance: Poured a somewhat dark but translucent copper orange color with a two finger, light beige head. There is a small amount of haze and no carbonation visible. 4/5

Smell: An even balance of nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon, with nutty and toasted bread malts, and a mild helping of roasted pumpkin. Has a faint boozy odor as well. 4/5

Taste: Moderate to light sweetness in the first sips which coalesces well with rich toasted caramel and a slight alcoholic taste. There is a relative paucity of actual pumpkin flavor, but the moderately bitter and somewhat tart finish brings out some earthy and woody hops with the pumpkin spices. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy body, accentuated with a moderate alcoholic heat, and a thick, almost syrupy mouthfeel. Smooth with mild to moderate carbonation. 4/5

Overall: Good balance of spices and hops as well as an interesting malt character, but could definitely use more pumpkin. Still, quite good, and certainly lives up to its imperial title. 4/5