Cottonwood Pumpkin Spiced Ale - Foothills Brewing Company

oberon

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was alsways a fall staple for me when I first moved to NC.,I had it for the first time this year on tap at MCcoul's in Greensboro this weekend.Poured into an imperial pint glass a deep copper/bronze with a thinner white head atop.Mild spiced notes in the nose,mainly nutmeg and cinnamon.A well rounded palate with the spice not being over the top,cinnamon stands out mainly,not overly sweet wich is a good thing.An easy going but flavorful pumpkin,again a regular for me in the fall here in NC.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 22:37:38 | More by oberon

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from tap into a shaker. Poured copper with a half finger slightly off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, pumpkin, spice, brown sugar, and grain. The flavor was of sweet malt, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and brown sugar. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. I have always been a fan of this brew back when Cottonwood brewed it and was glad to see that Foothills is continuing to brew it. Same flavors and aromas going on as the one that I used to drink last year, but everything is a little kicked up in intensity. Pretty nice balance going on that keeps your palate on its toes. Definitely worth trying if you have not done so with the old one or the new one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2012 13:38:06 | More by thagr81us

avalon07

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a brilliant copper color and a clear consistency. There was a small amount of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Below average lacing.

S: A big, enticing aroma of pumpkin, spices, and malt.

T: Tasted of pumpkin (of course), spices (cinnamon especially), and malt in the finish. A very well-balanced flavor that's just complex enough and easy to drink.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a prickly finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: One the better pumpkin ales I've tried. This - for some reason - isn't a style that a lot of breweries get right, but this one does the trick.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 12:11:48 | More by avalon07

tdm168

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes 10/29/11

Pours a dark, brownish amber with ¼” of bubbly head that has decent retention. The nose has notes of allspice, cinnamon, and pumpkin. The taste is caramel, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, and a hint of ginger. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated.

Overall, a nice, balanced, drinkable pumpkin. It’s nice to have a pumpkin ale that’s not overly spiced.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 02:09:56 | More by tdm168

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear deep copper to amber in color with some orange highlights and light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall light beige head that quickly reduces to a large patch of very thin film with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon and nutmeg stand out). There are some lighter notes of caramel malts with some brown sugar/molasses sweetness present.

T: Similar to the smell, the flavors of the beer are exactly what I would expect for the style - upfront there is a moderate amount of caramel malts with some brown sugar/molasses sweetness. There are moderate flavors of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon and nutmeg). Very little bitterness in this beer.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Crisp yet slightly prickly.

O: Overall a pretty enjoyable pumpkin beer and one I think got improved after the purchase of Cottonwood/Carolina by Foothills. Easy to drink with well hidden ABV, good balance of the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, and not too intense flavors/smells.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 22:51:25 | More by dbrauneis

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

At the brewpub for $3 pints, and started out with this one. My first (and probably only) Pumpkin Ale of the season. Came out a deep dark orange, with a nice frothy cap. The nose is sweet with pumkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon - not surprising. Slick feel. Sweet pumpkin, that isn't as artificial-tasting as I remember. The pumpkin is also a little more subtle, but in its place there is an overwhelming spice profile, that isn't all that refreshing. All-in-all though, it's not a bad autumn drink, but I couldn't see myself having any more than 1 of these at a time, or even more than 1 in a season for that matter.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 14:02:50 | More by Onenote81

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I was hoping that since Foothills bought out Cottonwood a while back, that this beer would improve. It has, but not dramatically enough to make a huge difference. This one pours from a 12oz bottle into a snifter type glass. The beer emerges clear and dark amber in color with kind of a small, wispy head. The head recedes into a small ring around the edges of the beer.

Aroma on this one is still nice, as it was in the olden days. Loaded with pumpkin-pie spices; cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice. A good dose of caramel malt adds some sweet aromas as well as some variety. There is a bit of sourness present but I dont think this really detracts from anything overall.

The flavor, although improved, is still not quite there. The spices are a little overwhelming in the flavor. I feel like I have a potpourri bag in my mouth. The aftertaste is long a kind of cloying. The thin body is by far the biggest disappointment in this one. Quite watery and dry.

I think this one has improved since Foothills has put its stamp on it, but this is not near the top of the list of pumpkin beers out there. I say pass this one by.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 23:26:56 | More by SaCkErZ9

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I do believe this is the same as the Double Pumpkin that used to be on draft at the Foothills taproom.

Bright orange body with an initially powdery white head on top.

The smell is loaded with cinnamon and allspice, but theres a good bit of caramel sweetness to back it up. I do get some sweetened pumpkin scents as well.

I really like this beer. Its definitely a really balanced pumpkin. Inititally caramelly sweet pumpkin flavors come out, but then I get some spicy cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg. Some allspice comes in, but its an afterthought, as is clove. Not to say that those spices arent there (because they definitely are), they just almost get lost. The body is light, and it tastes like a well balanced pumpkin pie to me. Not to sweet, not too spicy, not too pumpkin-y, just right.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 21:44:34 | More by VncentLIFE

GossageBrewery

Missouri

2.61/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 1.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured this Pumpkin Ale from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a clear copper color, produced a very thin white head, poor retention and it left no lacing on the glass. The aroma consisted of roasted pumpkin and pumpkin spice. Medium in body, the ale is a little off balance in my opinion, watery- thinness that gives way to pumpkin spice. With the amount of spice, I would like to have seen a heavier dose of malted grain to balance. Overall, poor example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 20:14:35 | More by GossageBrewery

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a tumbler at fridge-cellar temperature.

L – Deep amber color with a 1-finger cream-colored bubbly head that dissipates quickly. No lacing. Clear with not many carbonation bubbles.

S – Pumpkin, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a little bit of bready malt. Smells just like pumpkin pie.

T – Follows the nose to a T. Sweet all the way through with cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, and a little bit of bready malt. Pumpkin pie in a glass.

F – Medium-bodied with not much carbonation, a sticky mouthfeel, and a sweet and slightly dry finish. The taste of the spices lingers for a few seconds.

O – This is a pretty good pumpkin beer. To me, it’s more on the side of pumpkin pie side of the spectrum rather than the purely pumpkin side due to the strong presence of the spices. The mouthfeel is a little light for the big pumpkin pie aroma and taste, but the bottom line is that this is a drinkable and tasty brew that’s well-suited for the fall. Pumpkin beer lovers should check it out.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:48:55 | More by BlackBelt5112203

UnderPressure

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear, light copper colored beer with a momentary white head. Little to no lacing.

A nice spice blend in the aroma, with a sweet, malty backbone. Nice aroma.

Decent flavor. Sweeter than most pumpkin ales I've tried.

Medium-thin bodied beer with a crisp, dry finish.

This is an above-average pumpkin ale. No complaints here. It was much better than I anticipated.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 19:48:55 | More by UnderPressure

kneeland

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

If you love pumpkin beers, than this one won't disappoint. The color is a beautiful amber orange, but almost no head. It stays carbonated enough throughout, but I would prefer a little more foam. You can almost pick out the nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. They blended it all very nicely with real pumpkin flavor. I'm really liking what Cottonwood is doing. Go North Carolina!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 23:40:05 | More by kneeland

lillitnn92

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in typical Pint glass. Not huge fan of the Food and Spiced beers, but this was really good. I would definitely get this again. Has lots of Pumpkin Spice taste, but not overbearing. Very drinkable, great Fall beer. Would be a perfect choice of Turkey Day for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 23:24:17 | More by lillitnn92

pauldave1976

North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The BEST Pumpkin Beer I have ever had. Hands Down. I actually tried this on tap as well at a beer show and it was fantastic. The bottle was just as good. I would recommend anyone in the N.C. area to get their hands on this as soon as it comes out. I don't know what else to say there than give a try!! I'm really glad Foothills has taken over this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 23:16:52 | More by pauldave1976

rxhunt

4.5/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I sampled this beer for the first time this weekend at the Durham, NC BeerFest. It was the only beer that had me go back for seconds. The beer is smooth tasting, refreshing and not heavy tasting. I am very glad this is a "North Carolina" product.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 13:17:50 | More by rxhunt