Boxcar Pumpkin Porter - Starr Hill Brewery

droomyster

Virginia

2.83/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours black with one finger of light tan foam with decent retention. Aromas are entirely pumpkin spicy (cloves, cinnamon, etc.), but not the slightest whiff of anything that would tell a blind man he was sniffing an ale, which is a total failure in my book. Flavors are roasty and pumpkin pie like, with a typical porter finish. The majority of pumpkin ales that I've tried taste better than this, as do the majority of porters. In the end, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Downplaying the spices and/or an intensifying of the primary malts would greatly enhance this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 13:31:32 | More by droomyster

ramseye4

Virginia

4/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This has been getting great word of mouth in Virginia. I grew up down the street from starr hill, and they finally knocked one out of the park. Pours an appetizing dark brown color with a big creamy white head. Aroma is of nutmeg , cinnamon, and toasted malt. Taste is complex, with the roasted malt bringing out the pumpkin spices. Not as tasty as the smell, but still good. Mouthfeel is perfectly balanced to bring out the flavor. Overall this is a resounding success for starr hill. Great job guys and gals

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 22:26:02 | More by ramseye4

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.7/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Notched: Purchase before 2012 for brewery fresh taste.

A: Looks totally like a good porter: Dark, dark brown, with a slight mocha head that didn't have any staying power whatsoever. Kinda odd actually that the head disappeared a few seconds after the pour.

S: Sort of a charred, malt concoction, kind of buttery, with pumpkin spices: Nutmeg, cinnamon, and a slight hint of the gourd itself.

T: A light-medium bodied, without much "pumpkin pie" mixed with the roasted malts. Sort of a grainy finish, and this one didn't exactly scream, "Welcome to the harvest season!"

M: Kind of light, with lots of prickle... too much in my opinion, which leads me to believe that the carbonation is way off. No lacing on the glass whatsoever.

O: The idea of this brew was definitely better than it's full realization. Still, it's a nice brew and an interesting take on the pumpkin ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 23:11:54 | More by Chaney

pzrhsau

District of Columbia

4.53/5  rDev +37.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Great dark brown color and a large foamy coffee colored head.
S: Roasted brown malt aroma with some nice hints of sweet pumpkin.
T: The beer has a nice subtle roasted malt flavor with some slight hints of pumpkin. Bitter and slightly spicy with hints of cinnamon and all spice.
M/O: very well balanced beer. The pumpkin flavor has some nice flavor but the pumpkin really smooths out the bitterness of the porter. Great tasting and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 23:07:00 | More by pzrhsau

Spider889

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to bobertkuekn for this extra in our trade. I have been wanting to try a pumpkin porter; in fact, I am currently toying with the idea of making one for an upcoming homebrew...

Appeared to be a twist off cap, though I needed an opener to get it off. Yep, screw top bottle at least. The label is notched with Jan '12 as the best-by date.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. Definitely appears to be a porter, black, a bit thin looking, with a short beige head.

The aroma is big on pumpkin pie spices - especially nutmeg, though not overly complex nor necessarily invoking outright pumpkin. Faint, but also present are the porter aromas of roasted barley and baker's chocolate.

I would have loved to have experienced an epiphany moment upon tasting this beer; I really want this style to be tasty, one I would be happy to make myself. However, the flavor falls a bit flat for what the intention is. As in the aroma, some spices are there but they are more subdued than in the aroma. The porter base is much more heavy in the flavor. Coffee and some charcoal bitterness mingle with pumpkin pie sweetness.

Lighter body on this one, but appropriate per style. Lighter carbonation as well. Dry, and a bit sticky.

Overall an interesting brew. I would really like to see these guys push the envelope a little farther. Namely, I want more real pumpkin flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 10:14:50 | More by Spider889

homebrewer88

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: dark brown with a tan head

S:light roasted malt pumpkin and spice (cinnamon, nutmeg)

T: pumpkin and spice but not super sweet, light roasted malt flavor

it was a good beer i was expecting more of a sweet pumpkin and spice taste but it was well balanced. I will buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 20:30:53 | More by homebrewer88

ebby82

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown into a pint glass with little head.

Aromas of pumpkin spice, especially nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet with a very light roasted aroma beneath.

The pumpkin flavor is primarily on the back of the tongue, while the initial flavor is more of a light porter. The roasts are not as dark as some porters.

The body is fairly light for a porter, in fact the beer is lighter than expected.

A tasty porter, which would be even better in the fall.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 22:25:26 | More by ebby82

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Exploded upon un-capping. That's a minus.

Thinnish tan head, essentially opaque brown body. Decent surface memory.

Smells like a dark, malty porter, with a trace of pumpkin. Second pour in a better glass yields a nose with some nutmeg and pumpkin pie smell.

Taste is somehow watery. There's the porter for sure, and also some pumpkin, and neither is bad. This would be a good sweetish porter, but somehow the pumpkin is accompanied by water.

Mouthfeel has carb that's probably killing the taste-- could be part of it.

Pumpkin porter has been done before-- this one is unexceptional.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 01:28:22 | More by zaphodchak

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On cask at Rustico during this beer's Northern Virginia debut. Served in a tulip alongside the free Starr Hill pint glass.

Pours a very deep brown with a two-finger tan head and some strong spotty lacing on the way down. Thin collar throughout. The nose carries a good amount of spice, though it's balanced by some nice roasted malt and dark chocolate. Pumpkin character comes through a bit, though it's more from the spicing. The flavor carries some roasted malt and pumpkin-pie spice. Also there is a good amount of dark chocolate. Medium body with a nice cask carbonation. Slight spice in the finish. Well done.

Serving type: cask

06-29-2011 01:54:42 | More by Thorpe429