War is waging in the beer world. The issue at hand? PUMPKIN BEER!

For some beer drinkers, October is all about the pumpkin. For the others, pumpkin beer is just something to smash on.

Pumpkin Beer is something you either love or hate. Lately, it’s something everyone just wants to debate. And the reason for this most recent debate?

A twitter war that emerged when a well known company, Beer Advocate, retweeted a snide comment about the seasonal craft beer. However, beer sales seem to support the side of the pumpkin lovers. According to Buzzfeed, craft beer’s seasonal sales always skyrocket after the second week of August (Coming in second to craft IPA beer sales). The exact numbers for pumpkin beer sales cannot be calculated due to the fact that the figures are not broken down to that extent. Despite that, pumpkin beer lands into the ever-booming, fall seasonal beer sales; proving that pumpkins are meant for more than just pie.

As a fellow beer drinker, I decided it was time I find out which side I wanted to take. I’ve never tried a pumpkin beer before, so I bought eight different pumpkin brews to determine where my loyalties would lie. After one sip, I made my decision… I am a pumpkin beer lover. Here are the five brews that had me hooked.

The Five Pumpkin Brews:

1. Tasty

Name: GOURDGEOUS

Brewer: Hangar 24 Craft Brewery. Redlands, Calif.

ABV: 8.5%

Hanger 24 describes this beer as having a multitude of bold flavors including pumpkin pie spices, molasses, rich hints of dark chocolate, sweet caramel, and pumpkin pie. GOURDGEOUS was a great porter with a sweet molasses finish.

2. Unique

Name: PUNKIN ALE

Brewer: Dogfish Head. Milton, Del.

ABV: 7%

Punkin Ale is described as a full-bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This seasonal beer has a sweet start and a dry finish, giving it a prominent and unique flavor.

3. Smooth

Name: PUMPKIN ALE

Brewer: Bootlegger’s Brewery. Fullerton, Calif.

ABV: 6.1%

Bootlegger’s states this ale is brewed with pumpkin, spices, and molasses. I found there was not a lot of molasses flavor, faint tastes of pumpkin. Overall, it had a sharp and spicy aroma and a smooth finish.

4. Bold

Name: SMASHED PUMPKIN

Brewer: Shipyard Brewing Co. Portland, Maine.

ABV: 9.0%

IN YOUR FACE is the best way to describe this beer. Out of all five beers, this beer was the one that had the strongest pumpkin taste. Smashed Pumpkin is a big-bodied beer with strong kicks of pumpkin and nutmeg.

5. Bitter

Name: FAT JACK DOUBLE PUMPKIN



Brewer: Samuel Adams. Boston, Mass.

ABV: 8.5%

Fat Jack has classic pumpkin flavors with a nice, smoky after taste. This beer was not too sweet, but definitely heavy on the spice.