Pumpkinhead Ale

Tasted following Thursday's class. This was yet another I found in the cooler at work and the first of the Shipyard brewing line-up

Appearance: A lot lighter than expected. poured a normal golden amber color with complete clarity. Aggressive looking carbonation as some accumulated within the beer on the glass. Head is quite minimal, only amounting to a white bubbly ring.
Aroma: Sweet and pumpkin flavored with much of the sweetness originating from a brown sugar scent. Some earthy spices that follow most vegetable squash beers as well as some light spicing at the very end. Some phenols and fruit esters accompany the smell.
Taste: Zippy and sweet with a mild tartness and a bold brown sugar and honey malt profile. The pumpkin predominantly surfaces in the mid to aftertaste in corporation with spiced undertones. Cloves and ginger present, but not overwhelming. Some diacetyls at the finish leaving the tart flavor of apples and apricots that was a little deterring.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is high and quite fizzy to the tongue. The remaining elements of this category are light body, refreshing but very dry on the palate as it washes down.
Overall Impression: Pretty sweet, but does obtain the pumpkin profile well without too much spicing. Perhaps there was too much reliance on the accompanying sweetness of the sugar and honey. The beer did however have an artificial aspect to it as well as candied sweet and oxidation. Not the best, but certainly not the worst. I think it should be in the line-up of any pumpkin ales that people are desiring to try.


77/100