I’ve still got a backlog of beer review notes, so why not grind through more of the pumpkin beers (plus a cider)? Here are three more reviews on the various pumpkin brews I enjoyed last fall.

Abomination Brewing – Midnight Snack

From what I can tell, Abomination Brewing is a roaming contract brewer that is currently housed at Twelve Percent Beer Project in Connecticut. Among other things, the brewery produces dessert-infused pastry stouts (perhaps themselves abominations to those who don’t like them) and Midnight Snack is one of those.

Billed as a “Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake” variant, it’s a 14% ABV imperial stout with cheesecake, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, and pumpkin spices (which is why I’ve included it in my pumpkin beer review roundup), which by any measure is over the top.

Appearance: Black and oily, opaque, great legs. Thin brown head.

Smell: Smells like chocolate cheesecake, with a bit of fudge and vanilla. Super rich, cloying, it’s a dessert, not a beer. I really don’t smell any pumpkin spices.

Taste: Giant boozy chocolatey stout and there’s a cheesecake flavor but the tang of cream cheese (or the fats?) give a slightly weird character into the aftertaste. There are spices apparent in the flavor, though they’re muddled in with the vanilla and chocolate. Boozy but not hot. It’s definitely a dessert, almost fudgy.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, creamy, slick; there’s a textural thing with the cheesecake fats though.

Overall: It’s good but frankly it’s pretty ridiculous.

Trader Joe’s / JosephsBrau – Howling Gourds Pumpkin Ale

Another year, another six-pack of Trader Joe’s house brand pumpkin ale, Howling Gourds! The JosephsBrau label, actually brewed by Gordon Biersch Brewing of San Jose, California, handles a number of these TJ’s brands and I could resist getting the pumpkin again this season.

(And it just occurred to me that after Abomination, this is the second contract brewed pumpkin beer in the same review… hmmmm.)

Howling Gourds is 7% ABV with 24 IBUs, brewed with pumpkin and spices. The description says:

When you hear (or read, as it were) the words “Howling Gourds,” your mind most likely conjures the ominous image of a headless horseman. At Trader Joe’s, Howling Gourds is something far less scary and, unlike a horseman, decidedly drinkable — namely, a Pumpkin Ale!

This crisp and refreshing, only-at-TJ’s Ale offers balanced notes of pumpkin, fall spices, and a subtle sweetness, making it the ideal brewed beverage to enjoy alongside Mother Nature’s ushering in of cooler temps and color-changing foliage.

Appearance: Crystal clear, orange colored, with a nice off-white head.

Smell: Really nice array of cinnamon-led spices that almost remind me of mulling spice. Sweet caramelization and pie notes. Smells like the holidays!

Taste: The flavor doesn’t hold up to the aroma, with more cinnamon bark than spice, and it comes off a bit potpourri-like. There are some harsh notes because of that, over-spiced to the point of almost roasty and astringent. (Perfumey.) I do like the pumpkin/squash flavor I’m getting, which complements the toasty malts well.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and a touch thin; dry finish with those harsh spices.

Overall: I love the aroma but the overall presentation is deeply average.

Trader Joe’s / Hard Pressed Cider – The Gourd Tree Pumpkin Cider

This was the first year I’d seen a pumpkin cider from Trader Joe’s so we picked it up. It’s another contracted brand though I can’t definitely tease out the actual origins; Untappd says it’s a subsidiary of JosephsBrau (which could just be on paper), another site indicates a company in Vermont.

Regardless, it’s a cider with pumpkin puree and spices added, with 5% ABV and 160 calories.

Appearance: Pale yellow color, slightly unfiltered. A bit of fizz, semi active.

Smell: Definitely get raw pumpkin, it’s lightly earthy and kind of reminds me of carving pumpkins. Lightly tart cider notes with a whiff of orchard. Subtle spices.

Taste: Semi-sweet apple with light spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) and subtle vegetal, squashy notes. A bit of malic acid at the back and a bit of sweet potato sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Light, lightly tangy-sweet with subtle spices in the finish.

Overall: There’s a good expression of pumpkin here, resulting in a nice cider.