Brewed By: Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Pumpkin Ale, 6.3%
Reported IBUs: 35
I'm hoarding beers like...well, I had something for this. Hence tonight's twofer. About Smuttynose:
Smuttynose is a brewery based out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The brewery was founded in 1994 by the same folks who started the Norhampton and Portsmouth Breweries. To be a bit more exact, the brewery was founded by Peter Egelston. In 1987, Peter and his sister, Janet, founded the Northampton Brewery, which Peter worked as a head brewer until 1991. In 1991, they opened the Portsmouth Brewery, New Hampshire's first brewpub. In 1993, Peter attended the auction of the bankrupt Frank Jones Brewing Company, and purchased what is now Smuttynose. Currently, Peter and his partner Joanne Francis own Smuttynose and Portsmouth, and Janet owns Northampton Brewery. For more info, check out the Smuttynose website, their FAQ, Wikipedia, or Peter Egelston's blurb.
The Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale is a classic homage to the traditional American Pumpkin Ale. This beer features the addition of natural pumpkin puree in the mash, along with spices to give the beer some pumpkin kick. Using a malt base of North American 2-Row, Carastan, and C-60; this beer is hopped using Cascade and Liberty hops. In addition to the malts and hops, this beer features Natural Pumpkin Puree, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Cloves. My bottle says this is punching in at 6.3%, and the website quotes 35 IBUs.
The beer pours a radiant, golden-orange color, with a finger of nicely formed white head. The head has a Belgian look, with sustaining sea foam, placid bubbles, and a fantastic cauldron effect. The head also left some really nice lacing on my snifter. In bright light the beer is clearly orange, and the head is white/off-white. This beer is actively carbonated, with tiny bubbles streaming upwards.
The aroma on this beer is unique because there's a floral and lemon/grass hop character that is very distinct and noticeable. There's also a nice blast of refreshing and tart pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, and vegetal pumpkin. You get cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg on the aroma, with some hints of lemony-bready-pie crust.
The taste is a nice follow through, with some refreshing grass/lemon and tart pumpkin and pumpkin seed up front, followed up with some grain. That rolls into big nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and spice, and then you get malty-thick pumpkin, pumpkin pie crust, and pumpkin spice. The back end hits you with some more lemon and grass, and the whole thing is creamy, smooth, and well-carbonated. The finish is a touch dry, with lingering vegetal pumpkin and pumpkins seeds.
This isn't the most assertive or flavorful pumpkin beer out there, but it's a really well executed beer. If this really is 6.3%, it is stupid drinkable. The beer has a medium-light mouthfeel, with good palate depth and nice layers of complexity. The carbonation is on point, and the appearance (which I rarely have fucks to give about) is fantastic. You get pumpkin-to-grass/grain up front; spices and malts in the middle; pumpkins and floral grass in the back, with a dry pumpkin finish.
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| Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale |
The beer pours a radiant, golden-orange color, with a finger of nicely formed white head. The head has a Belgian look, with sustaining sea foam, placid bubbles, and a fantastic cauldron effect. The head also left some really nice lacing on my snifter. In bright light the beer is clearly orange, and the head is white/off-white. This beer is actively carbonated, with tiny bubbles streaming upwards.
The aroma on this beer is unique because there's a floral and lemon/grass hop character that is very distinct and noticeable. There's also a nice blast of refreshing and tart pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, and vegetal pumpkin. You get cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg on the aroma, with some hints of lemony-bready-pie crust.
The taste is a nice follow through, with some refreshing grass/lemon and tart pumpkin and pumpkin seed up front, followed up with some grain. That rolls into big nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and spice, and then you get malty-thick pumpkin, pumpkin pie crust, and pumpkin spice. The back end hits you with some more lemon and grass, and the whole thing is creamy, smooth, and well-carbonated. The finish is a touch dry, with lingering vegetal pumpkin and pumpkins seeds.
This isn't the most assertive or flavorful pumpkin beer out there, but it's a really well executed beer. If this really is 6.3%, it is stupid drinkable. The beer has a medium-light mouthfeel, with good palate depth and nice layers of complexity. The carbonation is on point, and the appearance (which I rarely have fucks to give about) is fantastic. You get pumpkin-to-grass/grain up front; spices and malts in the middle; pumpkins and floral grass in the back, with a dry pumpkin finish.
Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)
This is a Strong Above-Average, and one of the best Pumpkin Beers out there. This beer is highly functional, and quite quaffable. I'm biased because I love the style, but this is a beer I would pick up every Fall, and stock in my fridge. This beer would pair well with football games, Autumn weather, changing leaves, early October, and anything with pumpkin, sweat potatoes/yams, chili, or strong spices. This was also priced very reasonably at around 10 dollars a 6-pack. Good job, Smuttynose.
Random Thought: And now for a hoppy Brown Ale...
This is a Strong Above-Average, and one of the best Pumpkin Beers out there. This beer is highly functional, and quite quaffable. I'm biased because I love the style, but this is a beer I would pick up every Fall, and stock in my fridge. This beer would pair well with football games, Autumn weather, changing leaves, early October, and anything with pumpkin, sweat potatoes/yams, chili, or strong spices. This was also priced very reasonably at around 10 dollars a 6-pack. Good job, Smuttynose.
Random Thought: And now for a hoppy Brown Ale...
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