Punkin Ale

Courtesy of David and Suzanne Misewicz, this beer was enjoyed following a 12 mile run and the Football game/cheerleading with some takeout Harris pizza.

Appearance: A light fluorescent orange color that remained crisp and clear topped with a foamy white head.

Aroma: Slightly skunky with brown sugar  and honey overtones. Smells extremely spicy.

Taste: Like the smell, the spices take a center stage in this beer. Foamy at the tip of the tongue, followed by subtle sugar sweetness and finishing both hot from the alcohol at 7% ABV and overwhelmingly spice induced. I find highly distinct notes of allspice and brown sugar dominating the finishing flavor, followed by the others listed. The bitter aftertaste is more of nutmeg than any sort of floral hops (I think if an IPA hop could be incorporated to complements a pumpkin sweetness...THEN you would have a fine brew). There are slight sugary flavors, but all are too dominated by the added spices

Mouthfeel: creamy and frothy, yet not tacky or light.

Overall Impression: It's unfortunate Dogfish Head interpreted/created this beer to emphasize the spice additives opposed to the actual pumpkin itself. They have done extremely well balancing strange and off beat spices in the range of unique beers, but this one is very unbalanced.