I’ve got more holiday beer reviews on the way but I still have pumpkin season beers to write up as well—good thing that pumpkin beer is absolutely a fall and winter seasonal category! Enjoy these next three reviews, they all span different styles of pumpkin-inspired ale.

Prairie Artisan Ales – Pumpkin Kerfuffle (2021)

This one from Prairie had been sitting in my fridge since last year (oops!) so technically this is a review of the 2021 version. It’s an 8.2% ABV imperial (“pastry”) sour ale, brewed with pumpkin pie spices and toasted marshmallow flavor; however, I don’t know if there is actually any pumpkin in it. The brewery says:

Pumpkin Kerfuffle is one of the first “imperial” or “pastry” or “high ABV” sour ales that we did back in 2021. It’s like a tart, liquid, pumpkin pie! Perfect for carrying around while you watch your dumb kids trick-or-treat. It’s a seasonal we intend to bring back in the late summers into the fall!

Appearance: Orange and murky-translucent. Fizzy head that fell immediately.

Smell: Some pumpkin spices emphasizing cloves, allspice, and nutmeg, and there is a note of toasted marshmallow. Nothing in particular hinting at “sour.”

Taste: Minimal lactic acid tartness with an artificial sweetness and mild spices (the nutmeg gives it a creamy note, but it’s mellow). Is there a salt flavor here (i.e., gose)? After letting it sit for so long I may have dampened the spices, but it’s the artificial note (probably the marshmallow flavoring) that’s iffy.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-light body, with a slight lactic sourness and spice character in the finish.

Overall: Eh, I’m not sure this needed to be a thing.

McMenamins – Lord Gourd Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Stout (2022)

Here’s another that may not have any actual pumpkin used in the brewing of this beer; it’s an annual release from McMenamins, and according to the label on the bottle it’s a blend of the company’s Black Widow Porter with its Longest Night Barleywine (the description I pulled from the website, below, says barrel-aged Imperial Milk Stout however). Pumpkin pie spices are added presumably.

It’s 8.3% ABV and spoiler alert—this is a really, really good beer. Here’s that description:

Lord Gourd, the merry prankster, will lure you into the wood with his mischievous ways and delightfully toasty aromas of vanilla and pumpkin pie. This blend of our oak barrel-aged Imperial Milk Stout and Longest Night Barleywine Ale conjures the crunching of leaves, autumn bonfires and warm gatherings.

Appearance: Dark brown pour, opaque, with a tan head that has terrific legs.

Smell: Lovely, appealing aroma with vanilla, pumpkin spiced syrup, caramel, and alcohol notes that are pure barleywine—warm and lightly boozy and with light floral esters. I can’t stop sniffing it!

Taste: You can taste the barrel aging here, and it’s punching above its weight with the boozy notes, and it’s good. The spices complement the flavors perfectly, present and balancing, kicking up a little heat of their own, and it’s got a sweet caramelized sugar character finished with a flambé of rum. It’s lovely.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full-bodied with some nice alcohol heat and an almost-syrupy character with a satisfying, subtly spiced finish.

Overall: This is a “5” on Untappd and my favorite pumpkin beer so far this year.

StormBreaker Brewing – Pumpkin Pedaler Pumpkin Ale

Portland’s StormBreaker takes the theme in a uniquely Portland direction with it’s headless bicycler carrying its pumpkin head (I thought at first it was supposed to be the Unpiper — IYKTYK). Pumpkin Pedaler falls under the “classic” American pumpkin ale style, that is, an amber(ish) ale with spices.

The Pumpkin Pedaler rides into Portland with warming aromas of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Perfectly balanced flavors of pumpkin and spice with hints of maple sweetness lend way to a creamy mouth feel. With a bright orange color and a thick white foam head this autumn treat is like pumpkin pie in a glass. Just get out of his way if you see him coming.

It’s 7.3% ABV with 13 IBUs. For some reason, I wrote “Maple?” in my notes, so I’m not sure if this is supposed to contain maple as well, but it’s not listed in the description.

Appearance: Bright orange-copper ale with good clarity. Off-white head that didn’t last long.

Smell: It’s lighter than expected with some toasty, bready malts, aroma of fresh pumpkin (puree), spices that lean on cinnamon and cloves. Some light caramelization plays well off the spice.

Taste: Crackery malt with some graham cracker and toffee, roasted pumpkin, spices that are a bit indistinct but I do get nutmeg. There’s a sweet note but not like maple to me, more like caramelized brown sugar.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, thinner than I’d like but slightly creamy.

Overall: Nice example of a pumpkin ale, with restrained spices and good flavors.