Howe Sound Brewing – Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Rating
Total
Overview
- Brewery: Howe Sound Brewing Co.
- Beer Style: Pumpkin Ale
- Pros:
Smooth and delicious with a big body and spicy flavour
- Cons:
Only a seasonal choice. All spice, no pumpkin.
- Conclusion:
Delicious, well spiced and slightly boozy Pumpkin Ale.
Howe Sound Brewing – Pumpkineater Imperial Ale Review
The Howe Sound Pumpkineater is an Imperial Pumpkin Ale. From the 1l, resealable bottle the beer pours a reddish-copper colour and is topped with a finger and a half of very lightly lacing head. At a high (by pumpkin standards) 8% alcohol level, the Pumpkineater pours with a strong ale sharpness next to the big pumpkin-spice aroma. Strong scents of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and of course pumpkin come through on the nose. The smell radiates autumn notes that remind me of a soon-to-be thanksgiving dinner. Tasting the beer, Pumpkin is not necessarily the first thing that may come to mind. It is definitely reminiscent but the flavour is deep and rich with spice tones such as of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pumpkin does not come in to play but the spice profile is bang on for a delicious slice of pumpkin pie. A light hop flavour shines through a spicy malt-forward body to complete the package. The Pumpkin Eater is a well-balanced, flavourful and very enjoyable, big bodied fall seasonal beer.
Alcohol – 8%
Size – 1000ml
IBU – 19
Price – $10.50 per bottle (craft retailer)
howesound.com
Last updated: September 6, 2015
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Pumpkin Ale is an acquired taste. One that I have acquired over the years. I had this ale both last night and tonight.
My first impressions last night was it was too sweet, too much clove, and too much anise. I didn’t know if for sure I was going to finish the bottle or not. It is rather on the large side.
Tonight I decided to try it again. This time using a different style and temperature of glass. I also had the the beer as the last beer of the night, not the first.
Last night, I used a 22 oz beer stein that had been in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Tonight I used a room temperature, Guinness style tulip glass. (Yes I am a beer geek, at last count I had 9 or 10 different beer glass styles)
What a difference that can make to the taste and pleasure of the beer. As the first beer or the evening, it was a little too bracing with the freezer temperature of the glass accentuating the, at the time, negative notes I tasted in the beer.
At a different temperature, with the different style of glass that allowed it to breathe more, those negative notes disappeared.
I am now on my 2nd glass of it tonight. Though, I only half filled both times.
Cheers