UFO Pumpkin - Harpoon Brewery

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a nonic.

Pours a hazy, burnt orange (pumpkin?) colored brew with a one finger foamy white head.

Smells of pumpkin, spices - cinnamon, nutmeg and malt sweetness.

Can taste pumpkin up front followed by some nice spicing; cinnamon, nutmeg as well as some clove. The spicing works well here and although the overall spicing is somewhat mild, it is satisfying. A nice malty, bready backbone.

Smooth, medium light mouthfeel with descent carbonation.

This is a can't go wrong unfiltered pumpkin ale. It's definitely worth a try and this particular brew is well balanced in terms of spicing. Nothing stands out in terms of spicing, but in its subtlety, it makes for an easy drinking yet flavorful brew. I love this type of brew and look forward to this time of year. For those who may have not yet tried a pumpkin ale, this would be a good choice to get started.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:15:36 | More by ujsplace

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

12oz Bottle from CJ's Potsdam NY for 2$

Appearance - Hazy copper colour with an average size fizzy/frothy off-white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes.

Smell - Malts, pumpkin, all spice, lots of clove

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel, and pumpkin. There is also some clove/allspice and some bread/grains.

Overall - It has a great scent, but the taste falls a little flat. It has a bit too much clove flavour that kind of dulls the palate. Still an above average brew that is worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 23:53:45 | More by spinrsx

albertjr21

New York

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass on 9-4-12.

A: As proposed by the "UFO", an unfiltered hazy orange amber body supports a thin but existent head.

S: Bitter earthy pumpkin and a zesty blend of sweet and herbal spices. Perhaps some nutmeg and just a hint of cinnamon in the mix. Smell of pumpkin pie.

M: Body is a bit watery at first sips and seems to somewhat subdue those elements of the aroma I expected to match more on my taste buds. Pumpkin meaty sweetness hangs around the palate though and it gets added to nicely with every sip. Overall, I'd call it a good session offering for that Fall backyard party.

T: There's the jacked up, sweet, boozy candy pumpkin flavor in some brews and then there's what I'd like to call the "Honest Pumpkin Ale" with its true taste of pumpkin without the extraneous hoopla...This is an "Honest Pumpkin Ale". True pumpkin taste honored, not drowned out, with the Fall spices.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:15:59 | More by albertjr21

kylehay2004

Florida

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: half finger head with no real retention on a cloudy orange and golden body. minimal lacing.

S: aroma may be one of the best of any in this genre/style. The pumpkin, spices are great but you have added aromas of the season including sweet potatoes/yams.

T: The flavor almost has too much pumpkin moving more towards the ripe/fresh pumpkin flavor over the sweeter pumpkin pie flavoring. Not sweet enough for me, almost more tart pumpkin/fruit flavor.

M: medium body and moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: better than your average pumpkin beer, not an amazing beer but worth trying if you are going for some of these.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 00:46:01 | More by kylehay2004

iBeer16

New York

4.33/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours a hazy light golden orange, medium carbonation, 2 finger head that lingers for a short time and leaves little lace
S- Pumpkin! spices- allspice, nutmeg, brown sugar, wheat, sweet malt, caramel
T- pumpkin and the proper intensity of spices- allspice, nutmeg, cloves. little brown sugar, nothing over powering. ends with pumpkin and spice after taste like pumpkin pie.
M- full body, medium carbonation, tingly,
O- balance is key to a great pumpkin ale and it is done effortlessly here.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 21:33:28 | More by iBeer16

mdaschaf

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Jon for this one.

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange color with a small white head. Very little retention with a very small amount of lacing.

S: A nice pumpkin spice going on here, some cloves, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Pretty nice.

T: Much weaker than the aroma, and rather boring in comparison. There is some faint pumpkin pie flavor/spice but a significant amount of boring/bready malt.

M: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.

O: Another ho-hum pumpkin beer. The aroma was pretty nice, but the flavor profile left me disappointed, as usual with beers of this style.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 01:26:13 | More by mdaschaf

VoodooBear

Puerto Rico

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

Presentation: 12 oz. brown bottle with "best by" date printed on the neck. Served in a weizen glass.

Appearance: Dark gold, almost orange color, fairly cloudy. Two fingers of head that almost instantly go away. Very little lacing left behind.

Smell: Very subdued, this is not an aromatic beer. Smell is dominated by pumpkin. There's a hint of yeast as well.

Taste: It's quite strong in the spice department. Lots of allspice and ginger with a nice amount of pumpkin in there. It would seem they were aiming for a pumpkin pie kind of taste and they accomplished it. There's yeast and malt in there (albeit very little of them) to remind you that you're drinking a beer.

Mouthfeel: Creamy with almost no carbonation.

Overall: A nice beer but not one I'd drink by itself. It's something nice to have around Thanksgiving. This would go great with some turkey, stuffing, gravy, pumpkin pie, and all the "traditional" foods of that holiday.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 23:41:19 | More by VoodooBear

Momar42

Maryland

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

12oz bottle into standard pint glass

A - slightly cloudy medium orange color with virtually no head remaining after initial pour. They advertise unfiltered but this is pretty close to clear.

S - syrup, nutmeg, pumpkin spice maybe some clove and ginger, almost an orange sweetness as well. This of a spice assault than most seem to be these days.

T - pretty clean tasting for a pumpkin and the sweetness is most pronounced at the back end of the palate. The nutmeg and other spices are understated for this style and thats welcome.

M - there is a yeasty feel to this beer and the high carbonation make for a medium mouthfeel.

O - for an easy drinking pumpkin beer this is above average. Nothing too complex or crazy but solid. Not on the tier of Weyerbacher/Schlafly etc but still a decent option if you are looking for pumpkin beer that goes down easy.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 22:37:03 | More by Momar42

alpinebryant

Connecticut

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

A: Pours a slightly hazy pumpkin color with a thin white head

S: aroma of light clove , pumpkin lots of cinnamon, and a decent brown malt aroma

T: Taste of light Pumpkin pie slices, a healthy strong dosing of cinnamon that slightly stings the tongue. The clove is very light but still there. Pumpkin is nice and earthy in flavor although I do not know if actual pumpkin Is used here, the spices come together to represent a good mixing of flavors. Light muted brown malt

m: light to medium mouthfeel for a pumpkin ale , but a very good offering from Harpoon, one of my favorites from them and one I will definitely get again.

O: this really is a great beer coming out of Harpoon. I enjoy most of their beers but feel that this really goes up a notch from some of their other seasonal ales. I will definitely be getting this again and love the price point on a 6 pack here.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:40:12 | More by alpinebryant

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a darkish golden-amber body, fairly clouded, and with a small, white he--oh, it's gone already.

Smell: Pumpkin-scented nose with the spices coming through, notably the cinnamon ahead of the basic, bready German base malts.

Taste: Lightly sugary, bready Malts, scantly toasted. Cinnamon, nutmeg, but also something with a warm accent to it akin to clove or possibly ginger. Light bitterness aided by the spice and carbonation. Spicy, solidly carbonated finish with the spiciness lingering out into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: For me, nothing says mid-August in the sweltering heat of Georgia like an Autumntime pumpkin beer??

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:17:44 | More by ChainGangGuy

jaasen64

Massachusetts

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

12oz bottle from a 6-pack. Poured into Founders snifter.

A- Pours a slightly hazy yellowish orange with about a quarter finger of white head that recedes fairly fast. About average carbonation. Lacing quickly recedes.

S- Pumpkin, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, spices, some malts. Smells pretty good for a Pumpkin ale.

T- Pumpkin, cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg, brown sugar, spices, fairly sweet but not overly so. Pretty well balanced.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, easy to drink.

O- There isn't much special about this beer, however it is one of the better pumpkin beers I've had but far from the best. Nice pumpkin flavors that balance well in the beer. Easy to drink. Would recommend trying this if you like pumpkin beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 04:45:01 | More by jaasen64

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My second pumpkin brew of the season, after the always underwhelming Pumpkinhead. Decided to cap off a pretty solid weekend with this.

Poured this into a Sierra Nevada balloon glass. Dark orange in color with a terrific pumpkin aroma..pumpkin spice with a hint of cinnamon. Nice foamy head.

This one has a much more complex flavor than Shipyard's. A nice, mild pumpkin pie taste with some good bitterness at the end. The pumpkin taste lingers for quite a while as well.

I'll definitely have a few more of these this season. The best UFO offering from Harpoon.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 15:55:01 | More by Celtics76

Dools9

Massachusetts

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

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Hazy orange amber color, finger of egg shell colored head that retains nicley. Moderate amounts of ring lace.

S: Sweet pumkin cookie dough, pumkin flesh, light spices of nutmeg and cinnamon.

T: Sweet pumkin spice, cinnamon and spicy nutmeg, baking pumkin pie.

M: Medium light, semi crisp, smooth.

O: Not much of a pumkin ale fan but this was pretty decent. Hard for me however to have more than one or two in a single session as the sweetness and spices tend to become a bit cloying and unappealing for me at least.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 02:43:44 | More by Dools9

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark orange in color with a deep unfiltered haze. Poured with a dense off-white foam that slowly reduced to a wispy cap. Aroma is well balanced with sweet pumpkin and spice. Starts off with a thin watery feel that quickly thickens as the rich carbonation rolls through the middle. Sweet pumpkin pie like flavors that are well balanced with spicy clove throughout. Finishes with a touch of hop bitterness and spice. I'm not a huge Harpoon fan, but this one was pretty impressive.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 17:17:57 | More by IronLover

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle purchased in a 12pk at Market Basket in Somersworth. Pours a murky orange-amber with little to no head. Pumpkin pie spice intermingles with nut and clove. Pumpkin pie spice hits the palate first with nut, banana, and clove and lemon notes. Medium to light in body with moderate carbonation. Overall, not bad. An unexpected combination that works really well together. Super drinkable. I'll definitely be getting this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 22:47:58 | More by MrHurmateeowish

kenito799

New York

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Light brown brew with off-white head that recedes and leaves little lace.

Aroma is extremely fragrant cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and brown sugar. Some cutrusy hope notes hiding in there. For the style, a great smell.

A spicy and rich brew that still has a very nice balance, not sweet and with some undelying hoppy bitterness. Quite drinkable, one of the better pumpkin brew for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 02:10:31 | More by kenito799

Pegasus

Texas

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

Appearance: Moderately hazy golden orange in color with a staggering, dense, and persistent off-white head, which retains superbly. Scattered, patchy lacing adorns the glass walls. No carbonation seems to be present, although there are numerous very small suspended particles.

Aroma: Classic pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice notes, not as over-the-top as some examples that I have had, but clearly recognizable as a pumpkin ale by its aroma.

Taste: Prominent pumpkin pie spices up front, lots of pumpkin flavor also. As the taste progresses, the pumpkin and spices intensify, with the pie spices ultimately winning out. There is a bit of herbal hop bitterness at the close, which vie against the spices. Also a mild, lingering herbal and medicinal bitterness after the close of the taste.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft,full, pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: A very nice, quite drinkable example, would be superb with Thanksgiving dinner..

Presentation: Packaged in a twelve-ounce brown glass long-neck bottle with a pry-off crown, served a standard Pilsener glass.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 03:55:11 | More by Pegasus

homebrew311

Illinois

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

A: poured into snifter, appears orange with an unfiltered haze, slightly tan head, nice billows of frothy head, good retention

S: nice pumpkin spice up front, cinnamon, graham cracker, and nutmeg come through, some dry biscuit malts in the background

T: taste starts out slightly sweet with notes of maple and pumpkin, pumpkin spices come through nicely and provide a nice punch of flavor, finish features plenty of pumpkin

MF: thin body, moderate to high carbonation

O: this is a nice feature of pumpkin pie flavors with a decent malt profile in the back. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 07:17:00 | More by homebrew311

TheCorkStopsHere

Connecticut

2.03/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Harpoon's UFO Pumpkin is the first of the pumpkin beers to arrive this fall. I was really excited for it, because I'm a huge fan of the pumpkin beers like Pumking and Punkin'.

Pours a nice medium-amber color, with a slightly off-white foam. The foam is fairly thick at first, but fades pretty quickly, and leaves behind only a very small amount of lacing. For being part of their "UFO" series, it's pretty clear and not hazy at all really.

It smells exactly like pumpkin pie, if someone were sitting at the other end of the table eating pumpkin pie that is. You can definitely pickup hints of pumpkin and spice, but it's not overwhelming, definitely on the milder side.

It tastes, well, like someone on the other end of the table was eating pumpkin pie. There's definitely a touch of pumpkin, just a hint of cinnamon and spice, but that's about it. It reminds me very much of the Pumpkinhead from Shipyard, but just slightly better.

I don't find anything wrong with this beer, except that it's not impressive really. Great pumpkin beer, if you're not really a big fan of pumpkin beers. Or, if you are a big fan of pumpkin beers, and your favorite pumpkin beer is the Shipyard Pumpkinhead. Because let's face it, the Pumpkinhead smells like pumpkin, but doesn't really taste like much of a pumpkin beer.

If you're really interested in trying some real pumpkin beers, I'd recommend Southern Tier's Pumking, Dogfish Punkin' Ale, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale, and Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin. Let me know how it goes...

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 17:11:49 | More by TheCorkStopsHere

Dope

Massachusetts

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

A: A golden orange pour, slightly hazy. Big fluffy offwhite head. Good retention and lacing.

S: Lots of wheat with some mild pumpkin behind it. Touch of pumpkin spices that are almost too faint to identify individually.

T: Smooth and almost creamy pumpkin. I'm not even sure if this is a wheat based beer but I swear I taste it, especially in the aftertaste.

M: Smooth, simple, medium bodied.

O: Not bad, very mild pumpkin and pumpkin spices. I expected a bit more for a 5.9% beer. Very smooth and drinkable though, that salvages a lot of points.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 04:45:42 | More by Dope

Wamesit

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy orange with a thin white head that gives way to mild lacing.

S - Culinary pumpkin, mild spice. Natural.

T - Rich pumpkin. Caramel malts. Broad spectrum of hops has a strong presence towards the finish which balances out the rustic spiciness of this well-formed ale.

M - Medium-light.

O - A well-crafted pumpkin ale. Highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 04:51:40 | More by Wamesit

JizackFH

New York

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - This beer pours a slightly hazy orange copper color. There are 2 fingers of white head resting on top. The head has okay retention, and it leaves behind a little bit of lace.

S - The nose has some biscuity malt. There are some aromas of pumpkin and light spices.

T - Taste starts off with some nice malt flavors and some earthy pumpkin. There are light spice flavors here as well as a mild hop flavor. Also, there is a somewhat tangy citrus thing going on. The finish leaves some lingering pumpkin flavor and hop bitterness.

M - This has a medium body and good carbonation. It goes down easy, and it has a smooth feel to it. There is some tingling from the spice notes. Also, there is a mild hop bitterness that lingers on the palate for a little bit.

O - This has good drinkability. It has a nice flavor, and i could easily knock back a few bottles in an evening. Overall, I thought this was a pretty good pumpkin ale. It has more hop presence than a lot of the other ones out there, which I like. I recommend giving this one a shot.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 16:36:41 | More by JizackFH

brentk56

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Ppurs a cloudy pumpkin color with a thick head; nice retention and a few dancing shards of lace leaving a pattern appropriate for the season

Smell: Pie crust and pumpkin elements, though lighter on the spicing than many other examples of the style

Taste: Pie crust and pumpkin flavors, at the outset, with more pie crust than pumpkin; by mid-palate, the spicing kicks in, with nutmeg and clove predominating; nicely balanced, after the swallow, though the flavors fade rather quickly, except for the spice

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: At last, a pumpkin pie beer where the crust plays a prominent role; nicely balanced, without the spice excess that some brewers employ

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 21:10:29 | More by brentk56

Duhast500

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the tap into a pint glass.

The color is a light yellowish/amber with a finger of foamy white head and some slight lacing left on the glass.
The smell is spicy with some pumpkin in the nose but does not stay around very long.

The taste is sweet with some spicy tones mixed with some malty flavor that holding the body together. Some nice pumpkin flavor is throughout this beer but does fade a little too fast.

The feel of this beer is light and crisp with a refreshing feel to it. It goes down rather easy and males for a good fall beer .

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 14:48:33 | More by Duhast500

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

After my trip to Bavaria, I have become a (bigger) fan of the hefeweizen style beers. Had this from a bottle poured into Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen Glass (obtained at its Annual Oktoberfest 5k at the Brewery in VT in 2008)

This brew pours a slightly smaller head than a german hefe; still great quality from a bottle. Thick and foamy. The color is close to pumpkin/orange/copper, and opaque...very promising. The smell is of straight-up pumpkin and wheat, but somewhat mild and almost regular.

This beer tastes great. I feel like pumpkin beers are either great or bad, and this one is pretty great. Probably one of my fav pumpkins. No other pumpkins (that I have had) come close to the uniqueness that the hefe brings. Great, mild pumpkin and spice flavour. Its not overwhelming but very subtle and quick. I think its a great choice when buying a pumpkin brew, but probably would never drink more that one or two at a time. Well worth the purchase though.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 00:12:35 | More by DrinkSlurm