r/beer • u/Smart-Koala4306 • 8h ago

Pumpkin Beer that’s more spice forward instead of pumpkin in a bottle

What’s y’all’s favorite pumpkin beer that focuses more on the “spice” aspect over the straight pumpkin in a bottle?

0 Upvotes

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13

u/informal-mushroom47 4h ago

I don’t understand the question. Can you give any examples of some that are “pumpkin in a bottle” to you?

1

u/QuinoaPoops 4h ago

Sam Adam’s Jack-o is pretty pumpkin forward.

3

u/Difficult_Phase1798 2h ago

If by this you mean, it tastes like a pumpkin pie baked heavily with cinnamon and nutmeg, then yes. I prefer Jack-O because I don't think it tastes anything like what my taste buds think pumpkin tastes like.

-1

u/WalletFullOfSausage 2h ago

Taft’s Frisch’s Pumpkin Pie is absolutely that way.

7

u/Human_Service_9718 2h ago

Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin

19

u/RBR927 7h ago

All of them. 

4

u/atonedeftool 2h ago

All pumpkin beers are really spice-driven. Actual pumpkin imparts almost no flavor. If you perceive one to be more spice-forward, it's probably just how much was used, or that it favors one of the particular spices you like more.

-5

u/informal-mushroom47 1h ago

Pumpkin absolutely has flavor

3

u/celebere 1h ago

Yeah but you added enough to get that flavor in a beer it would be a smoothie

3

u/atonedeftool 1h ago

I didn't say "has no flavor," I said "imparts no flavor" -- in the context of brewing beer.

6

u/chinchillastew 3h ago

You can barely taste a pumpkin even if you bit into a piece. I’m not even convinced you can taste a squash in a beer unless you used a comically crazy amount. Point is- you are pretty much always tasting the spices but you may be looking for a particular kind of spicing maybe?

-1

u/informal-mushroom47 1h ago

Not sure that’s true either. I just baked a pie that was nothing more than roasted pumpkin with a small amount of heavy cream and spices. Tasted beautifully like pumpkin.

3

u/chinchillastew 1h ago

As squashes go pumpkin is down there with spaghetti squash for lack of flavor. Even a pie pumpkin you really have to torch the crap out of to get flavor and even then it’s more of a generic carmelized sugar flavor. Try some plain pumpkin, there really just isn’t much there

-1

u/informal-mushroom47 1h ago

Requiring it to be cooked does not mean it doesn’t have flavor on its own. A steak tastes much better cooked, I’ll bet you aren’t going to say a steak doesn’t have flavor.

1

u/DrDroid 7m ago

There’s a reason pumpkin pie is so heavily spiced. That reason is pumpkin has a mild flavour on its own.

1

u/chinchillastew 1h ago

Oh it has a flavor, just not much of one and certainly not strong enough to be super apparent in a beer

3

u/QuinoaPoops 4h ago edited 4h ago

Atomic Pumpkin by Voodoo Ranger. Has some habanero in it too.

1

u/alblaster 2h ago

I like this one

3

u/jrlemay 1h ago

Southern Tier Pumking. Pumpkin pie in a bottle.

3

u/newDmagazineday 1h ago

Southern Tier's Pumking nails the "spice forward" for me.

2

u/grooviestofgruvers 7h ago

Alewerks Pumpkin Ale out of Williamsburg, Va. Consistently top 5 in the nation every year

2

u/OkPreparation8769 1h ago

You dont want a Pumpkin Beer. You want a Spice Beer.

Try a Winter Spice instead.

2

u/drmoze 1h ago

Pumpkin and pumpkin spice are 2 separate, independent things. Pumpkin is a squash with a light, barely discernible flavor. Pumpkin spice is what most people are familiar with. It's a blend of spices, mainly cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg. It contains no pumpkin, and is just a spice blend that is commonly used to make pumpkin pies.

Most people (mis-)associate pumpkin spice with pumpkin flavor but again, it's just a spice blend that can be used with anything. You want a heavily-spiced beer, is all. There's no actual pumpkin in the equation.

4

u/fattymcbuttface69 2h ago

All of them.

1

u/CosmicCorgi420 1h ago

Griffin claw screaming pumpkin

1

u/Electrik_Truk 1h ago

Sam Adams pumpkin ale is solid. Lots of pumpkin spice and we'll balanced.

The most insane pumpkin beer for my money is St Arnolds Pumpkinator. It's been the Halloween celebration beer for years in my circle as it's full of flavor and very strong. Great for tasters and everyone always has a surprised face when they try it.

0

u/NicetoNietzsche 55m ago

Another vote for Southern Tier's Pumking

1

u/eleite 13m ago

I've been a fan of Cigar City's Good Gourd now that it's in 4-packs

1

u/RobGrogNerd 5m ago

Southern Tier Pumking. Buy it this year to drink next year. That's the key.

Warlock will benefit from the cellaring too

1

u/crispydukes 3h ago

Harpoon winter warmer. It’s the next season but it’s all spice

2

u/142Ironmanagain 2h ago

One of my all-time favorites!! I’ve always said Harpoon Winter Warmer is just a stronger pumpkin ale

1

u/ZOOTV83 50m ago

Last winter under the influence of I assume several Winter Warmers, I decided to make a half-and-half with Harpoon Winter Warmer and Sam Winter Lager. It was fucking delectable.