REVIEW: Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

If you'll remember, My first time with a Smuttynose beer was a decidedly positive one. I loved their Shoals Pale Ale, it was delicious. One of the better pale ales I've had in quite some time. With that experience in my back pocket I was quite excited to try out their Pumpkin Ale. I've got high hopes for this one. To the beer!

Smuttynose Pumpkin pours a slightly hazy bright orange in color. Very pumpkiny (That's not a word is it?) looking. It's topped off by a tall layer of frothy white foam.

Traditional pumpkin ale aromas are all over this one. A spicy, toasty, graham cracker like maltiness leads the way. Notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice join the party as well. There's also a very slight vegetal note in here as well.

Smuttynose Pumpkin as fairly light in body with a nice creaminess. Rather lively carbonation gives a punch right off the bat. Bready, spicy, pie crust notes follow. Everything is going all right up until now. It's tasty, if a bit unsubstantial. Unfortunately once the enjoyable pumpkin and spice flavors fade they're replaced by a quite unpleasant, almost acrid bitterness. All of which leads to a very disappointing finish.

I didn't enjoy this one. Even before all of the messiness with the bitter finish I wasn't quite enjoying it. My friend alex and I were discussing pumpkin ales the other day. We both agreed that the best pumpkin beers need to be big hearty beers. They seem to make a better canvas for all of those spicy seasonal flavors. If you've got a hankering for a pumpkin ale this weekend, go find one of those. Not this one.

HD