Autumnation - Sixpoint Brewery

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sixpoint : Autumnation

Pours a hazed, unfiltered bright golden copper with a fizzy, white head with decent retention and lace. Aromas of piney hops, cereal grains, citrus, and herbal elements. In the taste, nice piney bite with grapefruit zest flavor and lots of resinous hop oils making for a nice bitter. Pale malt backing, low sweetness level, grainy and light bodied. Mild vegetal notes, with alittle spice and lots of bitterness. Crisp sting of carbonation coupled with a hop bite gives the Autumnation a semi-dry finish. Overall, a tasty hopped up brew from Sixpoint, this one is solid. Is this really a pumpkin beer though? It came out very much like an IPA, and is graded as such.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 18:08:36 | More by Stinkypuss

KickbacksSteve

Florida

2.2/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Best by 3/14/12. Poured from can into Amadeus goblet. Low head and retention. Zero lacing. Aroma seems to be a mix of citrussy hops, pumpkin pulp, with slight tire rubber/pencil eraser and fusel alcohol. Chalky mouthfeel, taste is slightly bitter, not picking up any autumnal flavors. I feel bad because someone I really like shared this beer with me.

Serving type: can

01-08-2012 05:50:36 | More by KickbacksSteve

mdaschaf

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange color with a one finger white head on top. Decent retention and leaves behind a good bit of thin lacing all around the glass.

S: A bit of spices up front, mostly some pepper, with a little bit pine and light citrus. Not sure I get much pumpkin though.

T: Comes of like a Belgian IPA for the most part actually. Spices up front with some pine and citrus. For the spices, mostly cloves and some pepper.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O: I like the beer, but as for it being a pumpkin beer..I just don't see it. Not sure really how to score it.

Serving type: can

01-07-2012 01:55:30 | More by mdaschaf

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a pilsner glass.

A: Pours an orange/amber with 1 finger of head that dissipates slowly giving way to webbed lacing. Good clarity and moderate carbonation.

N: Huge grapefruit and caramel malts along with some light lemony citrus.

T: Grapefruit, caramel, lemon citrus and pine upfront. Mid-palate the pine becomes more resinous. Finishes with lemon and orange zest.

M: Medium bodied, crisp, clean, dry and bitter.

O: There is pretty much no pumpkin or pumpkin spices to be found. I'm at a loss for how to rate this. It's either a mediocre Fresh Hop Ale or a Pumpkin Ale that completely fails. I've noticed that Sixpoint likes to cram two styles together a lot. Fresh Hop IPA/Pumpkin Ale sounds like a good combo but this completely falls short.

Serving type: can

01-02-2012 16:36:57 | More by justintcoons

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy golden orange with a tight white head that leaves large chunks of lacing.

Smells of some light ginger and pumpkin notes.

Tastes of the ginger with some herbal hop notes. Light spice notes lead off with ginger, white pepper, and a bit of allspice. Pumpkin along with some light caramel malts come through in the middle where the malts add in some bread depth. Sweetness is very mild. Ends with a grassy note that is combined with some herbal notes as well. Everything feels quite light handed to my tongue.

Mouthfeel is medium with a slightly crisp amount of carbonation.

Overall, this has potential. I see a lot of flavors I like, but they are not bold enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 22:39:36 | More by ocelot2500

larryi86

Delaware

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16 oz can poured into a snifter

A- A hazy pumpkin orange with a two finger white head.

S- Hops with ginger and some pumpkin, some wet grass.

T- Pumpkin and spices come out a little more and wet grass is not there as much, earthy hops upfront, citrus hops in the finish.

M- Smooth, crisp, medium body.

O- Not bad, but not great. Pumpkin IPA is the easiest way to describe this beer, and I don't feel that the pumpkin ales should be this hoppy. Probably will try it again next year.

Serving type: can

12-19-2011 02:24:55 | More by larryi86

WMEugene

Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can into a nonic-style pint glass.

A - Pours a somewhat hazy orange color with a thin head and good lacing.

S - Ginger and hops are the most dominant. I can smell some faint notes of pumpkin as well. Maybe I just don't like the smell of ginger, but I'm not a fan of the smell here. Almost soapy/cleaning solution-esque.

T - So it tastes a bit better than it smells, but I'm not sure quite what's going on here. I've picked up the hoppyness/bitterness of a milder IPA, the pumpkin/spice flavors of a normal fall seasonal, and the ginger. It's tasty enough - just it isn't all that well-balanced. Though you can tell it's meant to be a fall seasonal.

M - The mouthfeel is this beer's saving grace. Medium-bodied, nicely carbonated, very smooth and drinkable.

O - I'll be honest, I still don't know quite what to make of Autumnation. It's tasty enough and feels great on the palate - it's just sort of a mess in terms of balance and the smell. But most importantly, I enjoyed the actual drinking and would have again.

Serving type: can

12-18-2011 03:07:43 | More by WMEugene

negroobserver

New York

2.68/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance... Mostly clear medium brown color. Pours with about a half inch of white head.

Smells... hoppy. Light pumpkin notes. Mostly hops.

Tastes... Not much going on here. The bitterness from the hops is the dominant presence here.

Mouthfeel... Good carbonation. The beer is a bit watery.

Overall... it's a bit disappointing in its complexity. Not much going on except for hoppy IPA quality. It makes for a nice everyday drink, but not one that I would recommend.

Overall Grade: C-

Serving type: can

12-18-2011 01:25:45 | More by negroobserver

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy orange body with average white head. No lacing.

Smell is grassy, bready, and a funky wet fur. It reeks a little musty.

The taste is better than the smell. The floral and grassy hops give it a crisp bitterness. I think I'm picking up allspice and fresh ginger.

Mouthfeel is crisp and slightly bitter.

Overall, it was a decent beer. I would have never have guessed this a pumpkin beer. It seems more like an Octoberfest.

Serving type: can

12-13-2011 03:11:10 | More by Vonerichs

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I used a snifter to hold in as much of the pumpkin smell as possible. I really enjoy smelling pumpkin beers as I sip them.

The coloring is deep orange, and there is a decent amount of cloudyness. It has a light foam that disappears very quickly.

The smell is decent. You get some of the pumpkin, cloves, and a slight bit of hops. The flavor is decent. You get some pumpkin, but there isn't a lot of it in there. The bitterness is very present and overwhelms other parts of the beer.

This was an interesting beer, but it really didn't hit the spot for me. I recommend the other Sixpoint beer, but not really this one.

Serving type: can

12-10-2011 02:21:52 | More by ummswimmin

tjkinate

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not much to say besides average.

A: 1+ fingered white foamy head with some retention formed atop this opaque orange bodied brew.

S: Sweet malts, grains, grass, some spice.

T: Flavor starts out better than expected, but quickly fell off with an unbalanced slightly bitter backend.

M: Fairly light, crisp, slight tingle from carbonation.

O: Drinkable, just not that enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 01:26:09 | More by tjkinate

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Color is a hazy but somewhat vibrant orange topped by an off-white soapy head. Visible carbonation bubbles abound.

S: The nose picks up a bunch of hops right upfront followed by nice solid pumpkin and malt aroma.

T: The hops take precedence over the pumpkin, which I thought was an odd choice, and I taste grapefruit. I'm guessing Cascade, which again, was an odd choice for a pumpkin beer. That said, it tastes really good. The pumpkin, like I said, is subtle, but there and comes though on the finish. Over time, the maltiness comes through as the beer warms and changes into something that I was expecting more.

M: Highly carbonated with a medium body, very crisp carbonation bite.

D: Autumnation drinks very easily, smooth like a brown ale I know, and tasty!

Serving type: can

11-30-2011 03:46:46 | More by tlazaroff

metter98

New York

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is slightly hazy coppery orange in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that quickly settled down, consistently leaving lacing covering the surface.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of citrus and floral hops in the nose along with some hints of spices.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has flavors of ginger and peppery spices along with those of citrusy hops. No tastes of pumpkin are detectable. The finish has a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This tastes closer to being like an IPA or a herbed/spiced beer compared to a pumpkin beer. Nonetheless, the combination of ginger and wet hops lends for an interesting taste.

Serving type: can

11-26-2011 19:02:23 | More by metter98

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good starting head that settles to a touch above a single layer of bubbles. Leaves some streaky lace. The color is darker gold and appears perfectly clear.

Smells more like an American Pale Ale than a pumpkin ale--plenty of hops with a good dose of dry malt. Very nice.

This is a hoppy beer with a strikingly dry, nearly astringent, malt bite. Pepper is the dominating spice. I'm not sure where the pumpkin comes in. Good body.

Serving type: can

11-19-2011 01:31:54 | More by smcolw

billab914

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

16oz can poured into my Dogfish glass. It poured an orange color that was pretty close to the same color as the can. A foamy white head filled the top two inches of the glass. Great head retention and thick lacing was left as I drank it. I really liked the color.

The aroma shows some citrusy, slightly juicy hops with some grapefruit and orange flavors coming out. I get some ginger mixing with just a bit of pumpkin pie spice. Some malty sweetness with some caramel notes are there as well. I liked the aroma, it had a lot going on but everything came together pretty nicely in it.

The taste shows a lot of the citrusy, hoppiness throughout the flavors. Some juicy orange notes mix with some bitter grapefruit towards the finish. I get some of the ginger up front, while the pumpkin pie spice barely comes out in the finish.

The mouthfeel felt a little thinner and more watery than I would have liked. Carbonation was moderate. Overall it was a pretty interesting and decent beer. The wet hops seemed to be the main attraction in it, while the other things seemed to give it a little unique, interesting flavor at times. Things came together pretty well in it. It wasn't an outstanding beer, but it was a pretty good one.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 00:45:50 | More by billab914

adman08

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Sidebordz for this one!
A-Pours a hazy, pale gold with a good amount of white head that leaves a lot of lacing.
S-Very fresh, green aroma of grassy herbal hops. A very vegetable aroma overall, pumpkin comes through a little with some spices.
T-Very unusual flavor, lots of herbal hop bitterness, surprisingly bitter for a pumpkin ale. The pumpkin and spices, especially ginger, do come through as the beer warms.
M-Fairly dry and light. Lots of carbonation.
Overall, not at all what I expected. It might be more accurate to call this a pumpkin IPA. There's a lot of hop flavor, the hops dominate in my opinion. The pumpkin and spice flavors take a bit of a back seat. It's not a bad beer I just don't care for it when you consider the style.

Serving type: can

11-17-2011 01:36:05 | More by adman08

BeerVikingSailor

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hmmm, a fresh hopped Pumpkin ale, I like the idea!

Fresh can poured into pint glass....nice color and head with some lacing, smells pretty grassy and earthy, not very squash-like...

This tastes interesting, a totally different take on a pumpkin ale, and since I like hoppy brews, it works for me, I like this a lot. Typical SP distinctive yeast aroma and good mouthfeel, medium carbonation, and goes down easily....the alcohol is not at all noticeable in this one. Not getting a lot in the way of spices or pumpkin, but an earthy hoppy easy sipping harvest hop pumpkin ale....

Overall, I like this one a lot, and will pick up another 4 pk if I see it back east, along with some other Sixpoint brews, like the newly canned Diesel! Kudos Sixpoint!

Serving type: can

11-16-2011 19:12:10 | More by BeerVikingSailor

seesnow3

Connecticut

3.28/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

March 2012 freshness, imperial pint glass, $2.75/pint can

Pour-Pours a thick, white creamy head that slowly fades into a thick film with a thick ring of foam around the inside of the glass. It’s a cloudy medium orange color. There is a lot of effervescence/carbonation of a medium size all throughout the liquid. The lacing is fizzy and runs slow, leaving even small spotting all over the glass.

Nose-While pouring it has a wheaty smell to it, some orange peel, and not really a lot of pumpkin or spices at all.

Palate-Not really sweet, just a little bit, a lot of sour and a good amount of bitter.. The sour and bitter definitely dominate. As far as the actual taste goes, there is an overwhelming taste of grapefruit peel. There is a hint of pumpkin there and a little bit of spicy hops though I’m not able to get any specific spices. I do get a sort of wheaty taste as well, though I’m not sure why there would be, so I might just be associating this with something else. This seems a lot like an American I.P.A. almost, though again I’m not an expert, but it has the bitter citrus tastes of an I.P.A. made with American style hops.

Body-Light, drinkable, seems like a beer you could have a few of, but the alcohol content should be taken into mind. Definitely a dry finish.

Final Thoughts-Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent beer but I’m not sure it’s really what I would want when I think pumpkin beer. Again this seems a lot like an I.P.A. to me with little of the characteristics of a pumpkin ale. If I wanted a pumpkin ale that had less sweetness and pumpkin flavor, I would prefer the Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale instead. Again it seems like a decent beer but I don’t think it’s necessarily a good example of what it is, so that's why I knocked it down on the overall score.

Serving type: can

11-15-2011 23:49:26 | More by seesnow3

cosmo4u

New York

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It pours a nice looking orange with a small lacing head. The aroma is very hoppy. A little bit of a malt background and detected a little pumpkin spices. Same with the flavor. Mostly hops with a bit of malt to balance. Nice hop finish, bitter and lasting. I did like it though. Not sure if it really fits into a pumpkin/spice beer, but will enjoy it again overall

Serving type: can

11-15-2011 15:05:07 | More by cosmo4u

Yagman3000

New York

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from a 16 oz. can into an oversized pint glass.

Appears a hazy orange with a touch of brown and a hint of a ruby tone.

Smells earthy, squashy, and a bit hoppy. It smells natural and at least isn't overdone with the classic nutmeg and allspice.

Tastes bitter from the hops, with no citrus times at all, and rounds out with that autumnal pumpkin squash flavor. It's understated in a good way.

Mouthfeel is dry and bittering upon the start. It has a rather long and expansive exit and left me with a graininess.

Overall I liked the sub genre more on theory than by taste. Ok but nothing I'd run to in the future.

Serving type: can

11-15-2011 03:35:33 | More by Yagman3000

smokeypeat

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I've loved all the Sixpoint beers so far and can't wait to try their seasonal. Poured from the can into a glass this beer has a hazy light amber appearance with a nice frothy head that really lingered and clung to the sides throughout.

Smell is a bit unexpected for a "pumpkin" beer. Getting a lot of grassy hops up front with some significant citrus present as well. There are definitely some spices in the background but its hard to pick them out individually.

Taste is a surprise, and not in the best way. The beer is very hop forward for the style. Definitely get hints of nutmeg, allspice, and ginger but they are muted under the prominent citrus and grass flavors. I'm struggling to make out the pumpkin, its more of an almost generic vegetable taste in the background.

The carbonation is aggressive, but honestly I think I would like the beer less overall if it wasn't highly carbed.

Overall, this beer just wasn't my thing. I've liked all the other Sixpoint beers and find myself going back to them fairly often, but I think one 4 pack of this is more than enough for me.

Serving type: can

11-15-2011 01:15:18 | More by smokeypeat

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16 oz can poured into a pint glass.

A - slightly hazed reddish orange body with some carbonation noticeable. big foamy head with very good retention and great lacing.

S - nutmeg pumpkin ginger spicing and maybe some cotton candy in the back there.

T - ginger spicing nutmeg pumpkin. grass hops in the back. seems to be too much going on without real direction.

M - medium bodied with medium carbonation. some puckering from the hops.

O - its an alright brew. nothing really too impressive though they definitely have much better beers.

Serving type: can

11-12-2011 02:52:41 | More by celticfutblclub

droomyster

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours hazy orange body with a tornado of dark yeast swirling around. Head is big and frumpy, extremely long lasting and clingy. Aromas are mostly of grapefruit and light autumnal spices, all subdued. Flavors are muddled, non-distinct, generally hop-forward but unimpressive. The ginger and pumpkin that went into it are hard to distinguish from the generic citrus and caramel mix. My first and last can of this brew.

Serving type: can

11-12-2011 02:22:04 | More by droomyster

doughanson78

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16oz can poured into a pint glass. Received from trxxpaxxs in the Locals Only BIF.

A: Medium copper color. Slight haze and visible carbonation. One finger off white head with decent retention and alright lacing.

S: A nice blend of sweet malts, spices, and ginger. A little bit of floral hops coming through.

T: Sweet caramel malts upfront taken over by oily floral and piney hops, and a huge, but not overbearing, ginger flavor. No pumpkin or spice in the flavor.

M: Medium light body. High carbonation. Oily and slick. Very dry.

O: A good beer. Wouldn't call it a pumpkin ale as I don't detect any in this beer. I'm not a ginger fan but it gives a this beer a different quality that is sorta nice and compliment the hops.

Serving type: can

11-11-2011 20:14:05 | More by doughanson78

MadCat

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: A very nice pumpkiney brown color, with a good tan head, leaves good lacing

Smell: Very hop forward, with some spice and resin to it

Taste: Again, as expected for Sixpoint, this is very hop forward, but more so than I would expect from a "Pumpkin Ale". There is not much sweetness at all to this, which caught me off guard. You can detect some pumpkin and spices mixed in, but they are subtle enough where you could easily confuse them with hop flavors. A good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, nothing is overpowering, but on the other hand, sometimes its nice for a little more pumpkin to come through. Enjoyable

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, good carbonation

Overall: A good brew, though not my favorite from Sixpoint. I do love what Sixpoint is doing, and I look forward to trying more from them.

Serving type: can

11-11-2011 03:29:34 | More by MadCat