Happy Autumnal Flavours! This year, we again have a number of great pumpkin beers to choose from. My personal top ten is as follows:
- Howe Sound PumpkinEater
- St Ambroise, Ale a la Citrouille
- Russell Brewing Pumpkin Pie Milkshare IPA
- R&B Brewing, Porch Ornament
- Steamworks, Pumpkin Ale
- Parallel 49, Lost Souls
- Philips, Crooked Tooth
- Stanley Park Brewing, Crow's Hollow Pumpkin Ale
- Yukon Brewing, pumpkin spice ale
- Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale
Number 1 and a great choice is the Howe Sound Brewing Pumpkin Eater. Unlike other pumpkin beers that are more focused on the pumpkin flavour - this one is full-on pumpkin spice, to follow your afternoon PSL, a drinkable pumpkin pie, comforting and easing you into the evening. Read this article for more about the nursery rhyme "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater"
Number 2 and my second favourite to date - St Ambroise's Ale a la Citrouille from McAuslan brewing. True pumpkin pie taste, somewhat sweet (so you kinda have to like that) at a very mild 5% and 18 IBU.
Very easy drinking and very real taste - I loaded the fridge with this one before they run out!
Number 3 Is Russell Brewing's "Pumpkin Pie Milkshake IPA", so far the only non-lager on the list. I would have ranked it number one since I like it the best - but since the pumpkin is very understated am putting the St Ambroise first as more pumpkin worthy. This IPA has a hint of pumpkin in the distance, nice and hoppy tanginess and manderin flavour.
Number 4 and also the best name award for "Porch Ornament" by R&B brewing in East Vancouver. Really liking this beer. Autumn-sun fragrance of vanilla and crushed-leaves taste of Speculaas. Smooth drinking at 6% with IBU of 20.
Number 5: Steamworks pumpkin ale came highly recommended by the staff at the Gull liquor store and is a very nice pumpkin beer. More akin to the porch ornament, reminds me of autumn spices and pumpkin spice lattes.
As number 6, if you are not into the sweet beers, try the Parallel 49 "Lost Souls" chocolate pumpkin porter. Tastes like a double with a bit of that roughness, balanced by some malty nutmeg notes. At 6.5% still pretty easy drinking. Not getting an pumpkin or chocolate though - but that could be due to my less than refined taste buds.
The last bit in the bottom of the can gets rather thick and strong - consider a wee shake.
Another at number 6 - because yes we can change the rules as we go along - is the Phillips "Crooked Tooth" nitro pumpkin ale. Some nice pumpkin spice flavour, but a lot of sweetness of brown icing sugar and not much pumpkin-pie-y-ness. 7% with rather gentle flavours.
Number 8, Stanley Park Brewing's "Crow's Hollow Pumpkin Ale" smells strongly like a root beer with three pumps of cinnamon syrup, like a peppermint cinnamon stick from the seasonal fair.
Mouth feel is a bit watery and the taste is overwhelmingly A&W for someone not fond of root beer like me.
Number 8, the pumpkin spice ale from the "unplugged" series by Yukon Brewing was an odd one. Very light taste overall, but after each sip a floral flower bomb in the mouth which quickly dissipates again. And dangerously it does not taste like a 6.7%.
Wasn't too fond of the Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale, so number 10 it is. Watery and chemical tasting with a slight cloves flavour.
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