When I first heard about pumpkin beer it didn't sound too awesome. A few weeks ago I read a brief review (not of Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale, but another pumpkin beer) that described a pumpkin micro brew as tasting, "most like the inside of a jack-o-lantern than a pumpkin pie." That pretty much turned me off. I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie to begin with, though I usually end up eating a slice anyways... Honestly, the whole idea of a pumpkin beer sounds a bit too much like a Jones Soda flavor. I'm thinking of something along the lines of their holiday Yule Log flavored soda. Yum? So how was it? Well, I wasn't real sure what to expect when I tried this beer. I hadn't had a pumpkin beer before but I was hoping it'd taste like a slice of pumpkin pie, as that has really been my only exposure to pumpkins as a food stuff... Anyways, this beer pours into the glass with a nice deep orange, almost red color with a tan head that doesn't hang around for long. Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale has a nice warm flavor to it. I can't say it really tastes like a slice of pumpkin pie though... There is some pumpkin in there but it's almost overburdened with cinnamon and other spices. The flavor is pretty enjoyable. This is a great full bodied beer, if a bit strong on the spice, it isn't something you'd want to drink multiples of back-to-back. I'd say this beer tasted a bit more like a gingerbread cookie than a pumpkin ale. Not that it was bad or even disappointing. I'll definitely buy another couple six packs of this before the season is over. I enjoyed drinking this Pumpkin Ale even if pumpkin pie isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I drink it. It's a great fall beer and everyone should give it a try, well worth the price of admission.
Have you tried a pumpkin, harvest or fall flavored beer you enjoyed/hated? Leave a comment below and let us know about it!