UFO Pumpkin - Harpoon Brewery

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

UFO Pumpkin has an absolutely splendid label - to be sure, there are a ton of great pumpkin ale labels - but it's also a good-looking beer in its own right. The bright orange colour is what's expected of the style and Harpoon clearly makes good on their claim of leaving the beer unfiltered; it's about as clear as the plot of a David Lynch movie. In the theme of Halloween, head retention has been murdered!

When the brewery asks us to "imagine (that) a pumpkin vine wound its way in a field of barley, and a brewer harvested it all to make a beer" they couldn't be more right, about the ratio that is. One single pumpkin vine to an entire field of barley. The first thing to hit the nose is a soft, dough-y maltiness and notes of cereal grain; vegetal pumpkin not so much (which isn't really the worst thing in the world).

The 'Northwestern hops' that Harpoon boasts about on the label are likely what account for two of the beer's most prominent features: its strong earthiness and its curious, distinct mintiness. The spicing in most pumpkin ales typically takes the predictable form of cinnamon or clove, but this example smacks of lemony mint. The flavour is more like pumpkin candy than actual pumpkin.

I'm not sure if Harpoon formulates their pumpkin recipe from scratch, or whether they add the pumpkin and spices to an existing beer. I kind of suspect the latter. Pumpkin pie recipes tend to translate pretty well into liquid form - pumpkin and cinnamon and clove tend not to change their stripes, whether baked or boiled and fermented - and this is unusually light on the palate. It's almost too casually quenching.

In fact, a trace of squash and a dash of cinnamon aside, the similarity to UFO White (or other commercial white beers) is suspicious. Spices notwithstanding, the beer has a notably zippy, orange-y, sweet, cracker-y wheat profile that is undeniably reminiscent of witbier. The departure from the heavily perfumed, spicy pumpkin ale to this breezier incarnation works for me but, to be clear, it's far from the epitome of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 04:09:59 | More by biegaman

ckollias

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle beer out of a pint glass.

A: Pours a very cloudy-hazy copper-orange 1-finger white head that ends in a solid lace with no trail.

S: Pumpkin, all-spice, ginger, cinnamon aromas.

T: Similar to the smell; pumpkin, all-spice, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Interesting unfiltered pumpkin beer – worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 03:20:08 | More by ckollias

scootny

New York

2.95/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pretty nice looking beer. Good head and decent retention. A hazy amber orange. Not much lace though. Nose is the best part for me. Smells like pie. Nice blend of spices and graham tinged crust. Pumpkin aromas are sweet and well balanced with the pale malt. Cinnamon is the front player as I inhale and the nutmeg leads back to the base aromas. Very nice. Taste is a big letdown. As good as the nose is the palate is not. Spices are a bit too forward of the malt and pumpkin. The hops are well done and there are some nice buttery notes as well but overall the beer is a bit disjointed with no connecting flow to the taste. To add the final blow there is a mineral edge in the finish that gives a platform for the spices to explode in a cascade of excessive bitterness. Cinnamon, clove, and pepper. It is better as it warms. but this is just not making it for me. Feel is light and crisp with a good carbonation. Very close to a solid brew but the details are taking this one down in my book. Maybe too much was put into the aroma at the sacrifice of taste.

Serving type: growler

10-29-2012 05:32:54 | More by scootny

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a light orange color, with a very thin bright white head.

S: Aroma consists of pumpkin spice, nutmeg and cinnamon.

T: Flavor starts with a spicy sweetness from the pumpkin peel, and finishes with a peppery spice.

M: Sweet and spicy, light carbonation and quite sessionable.

O: I have only tried a few UFO beers by Harpoon which were acceptable. As relates to pumpkins, this is in the middle of the pack, but quite good overall!

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2012 00:18:29 | More by SouljaSaia17

ArrogantB

Colorado

2.83/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle courtesy of youbrewidrink, thanks man! Hazy orange appearance, cloudy really which is no surprise given that it is unfiltered. Smells of spice and spice and more spice. Flavor is the same, more spice than pumpkin and really nothing that wowed me. Overall, I am not a fan of pumpkin beers to start and this is one of the lesser ones I have tasted.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 01:35:37 | More by ArrogantB

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a hazy amber-orange with a small fizzy white head and good head retention, very fall-like.

S- spicy, smells like fresh sassafras root, a bit of cinnamon, vanilla, and some raw pumpkin.

T- sweet and malty, notes of nutmeg and raw pumpkin. Finishes slightly bitter with a bit if an apple cider taste, the unfiltered gives it a bit of an earthy feel.

M- medium body, low carbonation, super creamy finish

O- Pretty good! The unfiltered makes it a bit different than most pumpkin ales. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 00:54:56 | More by Treyliff

Durge

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found on tap at the Tuscan Kitchen in Salemn, NH this seasonal brew looks clear and golden copper colored with a healthy white head and great lacing. The aroma offers a classic, tasteful blend of wheat and pumpkin with a touch of sweet grass hop. The flavor is a very solid combination of slightly sweet pumpkin grass and tangy wheat with spice/cinnamon nuances. This is a nicely drinkable pumpkin brew with medium-light body and a clean, moderately carbonated, tingly feel. Not bad at all, would gladly revisit.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2012 05:24:47 | More by Durge

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - A slight, less than a finger's worth of, crisp off white colored head that displays minimal retention that yields nothing more than a small splotch of lacing and a thin collar... The color is a light to medium orange that displays a certain vibrancy... Some light straw undertones are noticeable when back lit... A limited bit of slightly sluggish carbonation...

S - A very nice balance of sweet pumpkin and autumnal spices... A freshly opened can of pumpkin filling... A light bit of spicing featuring nutmeg with just a touch of cinnamon and clove... Some bready crust like malts lie beneath the surface... Perhaps even some roasted pumpkin seeds...

T - The pumpkin sweetness is surprisingly absent on the palate... Lots of bread and wheat notes... The autumnal spices are present but very muted... Roasted pumpkin seeds...

M -Light to medium bodied... Light prickly carbonation... The finish is a bit gritty and a bit chalky...

D - An average at best Pumpkin Ale... Unfortunately this is neither one I can recommend nor seek out again given the wealth and variety of season offerings available... A very promising aroma is the highlight and is accompanied by sheer mediocrity in all other facets... Not really what I'm looking for in a Pumpkin Ale...

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 02:10:15 | More by philbe311

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.25/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

I remember one of my first craft beers was a UFO Hefeweizen...I guess it was part nostalgia, part ticking impulse that made me pull the trigger on this one. It pours a lightly hazy amber-straw topped by a half-finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises mild pumpkin pie, complete with crust, along with some bland wheat-like notes in the background. For once, it's unnecessary to list off the constituent spices and whatnot, 'cause here they just blend together too nicely, smelling almost too much like actual pumpkin pie for their own good. If only it were more powerful, this would smell amazing. The taste, though, makes me wish the exact opposite: The pie is still there, I suppose, but everything has gone rancid, putrefied. It's an all-out blitz on my tongue, finishing with a long-malingering sting of straight clove and black pepper. Imagine just chewing on those two spices in their raw forms. Yeah. This was awful, to say the least. Not only does it hurt as I drink it, but more pain follows while I'm trying to wrap my head around the maw that opened up between my perception of the smell and the taste. Damn. The body is a light medium, with a moderate carbonation and a lightly watery, lightly grainy feel. Overall, this has got to be one of the worst pumpkin beers I have ever had. It's still got a couple months on its 12/13/12 best-by date, but it seems like it's already starting to decay in the bottle. Shit, at this point I'd rather gnaw on a human bone dusted with cinnamon than take another sip o' this monstrosity.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 15:07:55 | More by TMoney2591

jpro

South Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from Total Wine. Drink by date: 12/19/12

A: Cloudy copper / orange; fizzy white head dies down leaving no retention or lace. I'm giving this one an extra .5 for the "drink by" date.

S: Notes of allspice; clove; pumpkin (not pie - actual pumpkin); a bit toasty with a touch of cinnamon, too.

T: Definitely big on the cloves; some pumpkin and sweet spice are there; fills a bit incomplete, though... not much malt - which I guess makes sense - this is a wheat beer after all.

M: Light mouthfeel; high, zingy carbonation; a bit watery - this lends to the incomplete feeling of this beer.

O: Not bad - but definitely nothing stellar; a pretty easy drinking pumpkin beer - that's really about it. Lack of complexity and mouthfeel leave something to be desired, but it still has some decent pumpkin character.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 23:25:17 | More by jpro

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy golden orange to copper in color with very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall creamy beige head that redues to a couple of small thin patches, a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer, and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of pumpkin with just a touch of spices. There is also a light note of light fruit (apple) sweetness.

T: There is a light amount of caramel malt sweetness upfront with some light amounts of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon stands out but is still pretty subtle).

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Smooth and kind of coats the inside of your mouth from the carbonation.

O: Easy to drink but not the strongest or most well-defined flavors/aromas of the pumpkin and spices. A good pumpkin beer but not a great one.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:13:01 | More by dbrauneis

Cavanaghty

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Cloudy orange with a slighty off white head.

Smell: Wheat and some pumpkins spices, mild scents.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Taste of mild pumpkin spices like nutmeg and sugars, wheat mostly.

Overall: Decent Pumpkin Ale, I would have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 18:55:01 | More by Cavanaghty

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This one pours from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Beer emerges cloudy and deep amber in color with a small and almost nonexistent white head. There is minimal retention and minimal lacing as well.

The aroma is filled with seasonal aromas such as pumpkin pie, cinnamon, nutmeg. Very rich and deep aromatics may become heavy for some but I enjoyed the aroma. It didn't seem too over the top but got the point across that this was a pumpkin beer.

Flavor profile was very nice as well. Really good pumpkin flavor here. Cinnamon and all spice seem to be the main players at the party. A bit of yeastiness pokes his head through giving a bready and tangy dimension to this one.

I wasn't expecting much from this one but I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty this one was. I would highly recommend this one, especially for the price.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 23:19:27 | More by SaCkErZ9

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not as 'in your face' as most pumpkin beers, but still sort of bland overall. Beautiful orange cloudy appearance in the glass, not much in the terms of head. Medium bodied with some slight nutmeg, cinnamon, and fall type spices. Decent finish. Drinkable and alright, but nothing compared to some of the other fall seasonals out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 20:16:06 | More by marlinsfan4

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Best By 01/19/13

A: Pours a cloudy, sediment ridden copper orange color with half a fingers worth of head

S: Spices jump out the most, with a good maltiness and some light pumpkin flesh

T: Follows the nose in terms of the spices, with those dominating. Also get some lighter malts and very light hops

M: Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly chalky, which is expected given the unfiltered nature of the beer

O: Certainly an enjoyable pumpkin that is less spiced than a lot of pumpkin beers out there, but also doesn't have much pumpkin featured in the taste or feel. Fits the season well, but is still more of a novelty pumpkin pie spice beer than anything else

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 22:31:09 | More by BEERMILER12

alexgash

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle.

Quite hazy, unfiltered autumnal copper-orange with golden edges. Thick finger of, cream, dense, light beige head. Great lacing and retention. Very big pumpkin pie nose; plenty of pie filling maltiness along with the requisite cabinet of spices (especially nutmeg and cinnamon). Nice.

Lightly toasted malts; slightly nutty. Pumpkin pie filling (squash and caramel and brown sugar) malts fill in. Nicely captured. Spices (nutmeg and cinnamon again) and a little orange citrus zest into the finish. Lingering malty pie filling and sugary crust. Medium bodied, with a creamy feel. One of the better non-imperial pumpkin ales I have sampled.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 22:26:07 | More by alexgash

Amalak

New York

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A. A hazy bronze/gold color, dull. A big foamy white head with some lacing.

S, A very nice pumpkin seed scent.

T. This is a lovely pumpkin. Has a malty taste with a heavy pumpkin undertone. This is what I look for out of a pumpkin.

M. Smooth with a mild sour.

T. A nice celery taste to it. Nice pumpkin, this is what you look for.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 23:48:45 | More by Amalak

JustinAniello

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours cloudy orange with a one and a half finger head that dissipates very quickly to almost nonexistent lacing and head.

S - Sugar mixed with a lightly sour pumpkin and spices, primarily clove. A bit like pumpkin pie.

T - Sweet pumpkin at first, bit of brown sugar. Spices come in hard at the swallow, but not overpowering everything else, it is a medley of the normal pie spices; cinnamon, clove, and allspice. Spices linger into the aftertaste.

M - Light body and carbonation. Should be a bit heavier.

O - Nice flavor and decent aroma, but not the best pumpkin ale. It does have the heavy spiced pie profile that I like, but it almost borders on watery and has no head to speak of after a half minute. Would have again, but not over quite a few others.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 23:32:25 | More by JustinAniello

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden orange color with a decent sized white head, not much lacing but leaves a lasting cap of bubbles for most of the beer, for something unfiltered it's not very hazy and doesn't have many floaties so that's a bit disappointing since I'm a huge fan of unfiltered.

Smell is very reminiscent of pumpkin pie, ie pumpkin pie spice, any hop presence is certainly pushed to the back because of the heavy spicing but it's not exactly unpleasant since I knew what I was getting into.

Taste starts out with the pumpkin pie spice, upfront and strong, a malt backing does rear it's head to try and even things out, don't bother looking for hops, carbonation is good and lends a decent creaminess, not as watery as most pumpkin beers can be that solely rely on the heavy-handed spicing.

Back when I was in my Pumpkinhead phase, I probably would have rated this much higher than that beer since the body is much better. For those looking for these type of beers, it's hard to complain about UPO Pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 22:07:34 | More by deltatauhobbit

Gonzo4Rangers

4.3/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Smells like the empty pie tin after I ate all the pumpkin pie. Initial like an amber or dark ale middle has a moderate earthy pumpkin taste but with not a lot of spice. The end is the same subdued with a quick clean finish. No lingering taste. Good session beer do a pumpkin beer!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 19:09:53 | More by Gonzo4Rangers

tdm168

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - dark orangish amber with a short, bubbly, off white head that has little retention

S - pumpkin, cinnamon, faint nutmeg, allspice, ginger

T - pumpkin, straw, bitter, nutmeg, alefruit, apple, faint cinnamon

M - medium bodied, crisp, a bit overcarbonated

This isn't a bad beer, but the pumpkin and spices are down played by the other flavors. This is easy to drink and somewhat enjoyable, but there are far better pumpkin beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 16:24:01 | More by tdm168

rangerred

Tennessee

2.93/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a hazy burnt orange with a 1.5 finger white head. Head fades rather quickly and leaves little in the way of lacing.

Aroma of pumpkin pie spice with a touch of caramel malt and a little bit of citrus.

Flavor is very spicy up front with nutmeg and cinnamon being predominant. The is also a little bit of floral along with some grain and caramel. Towards the finish, it all gets a little bit soapy and it really detracts from the flavor. Everything gets tired and starts to run together the farther you get into the beer.

Overall, and average to below average pumpkin beer. It is quite good at first but the flavors don't hold up throughout the entire bottle. Worth trying but I wouldn't go out of my way to seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 01:16:29 | More by rangerred

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy caramel/orangish color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of pumpkin, some spices. Taste is spicier than the smell, nutmeg and cinnamon, some pumpkin, a bit of hops as well. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 19:09:55 | More by tone77

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out the like a Colorado sunset, Denver Broncos orange, a bit hazy, with a snow cap of two fingers. Notes of nutmeg and cinnamon rise to the nose, with a hearty aroma of pumpkin flesh. It tastes sweet in the front, a bit of hop bitterness in the back. The "pumpkin pie" is more pronounced in the nose but the lightness in the flavors is good so as not to overpower the hops. Light and sudsy in the mouth, not too filling, a keg of this would work a well for some halloween beer pong.

Overall a good beer, friendly to the palate and decent on the wallet.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 21:50:23 | More by JoeAmerican77

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle served in an American Pint glass. Pours a hazy, dull orange with a quarter inch, frothy, bright white head embedded with craters. Nose expresses all-spice and a trace of cinnamon. Taste follows nose; however, it all comes off a bit watered down. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with an easy, even carbonation. However, as with the flavor profile, the body feels a bit watered down. Overall, a fairly drinkable, albeit somewhat lackluster Pumpkin Ale. That said, it's fairly quaffable in that none of the flavors come off over the top or cloying. Not bad, but there are better out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 21:07:21 | More by Jwale73