Sea Dog Pumpkin Ale - Sea Dog Brewing Company

kmcnair

California

2.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours into a goblet and makes a clear deep yellow to copper color and makes a really thick fluffy white head that fades into white lacing on the sides of the glass. Aroma is dominated by nutmeg, clove and a hint of biscuit malt, smells like an overspiced pumpkin pie. Flavor mimics the aroma in that it is very one sided, spicy! Gobs of nutmeg, slight malt sweetness, no hop bittering/flavor. Light bodied, crisp carbonation, clean dry finish. Not that bad, but not that good either. Its not really worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2006 08:29:15 | More by kmcnair

granger10

Wisconsin

2/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Best before March '06, so this wasn't an old bottle.

Pours a dull golden color with no head whatsoever and no bubbles and no nothing. Aroma is very spicy, some pumpkin but mostly ginger and nutmeg and cinnamon. Taste is same but with less pumpkin and more spice. Ridiculously spiced. No hops but still very dry. I need atleast some sweetness and some hop flavors. This might have been a bad bottle but it was a sad effort all in all.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2006 02:15:24 | More by granger10

BeerManDan

California

3.98/5  rDev +49.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

When poured it showed a light golden yellow, with very little foam. There was a mild smell of hops with a sweet spicy aroma that filled the nose. Upon the first taste of this pumpkin ale, I could taste "allspice" in the flavor of this ale. Also, a mild hop flavor, but, that allspice is what stood out! Kind of a surprise that I really cared for the flavor. Not overpowering, just well balance for my palate!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2006 23:53:40 | More by BeerManDan

charlatan

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I have never had a pumpkin ale before. I'm not sure what a beer with so few reviews from the other coast was doing in Trader Joe's down the street from me for a buck but I thought I would try it.

The colour is a rather disappointing dark straw and the head started fluffy and white but has vanished rapidly. It smells of spices; nutmeg, ginger and clove.

It begins deceptively cleanly with a metallic taste before the spices take over with nutmeg to the fore. At this point I no longer feel like I am drinking a beer. The question at hand is whether I like the spice. It is interesting, but would be better in the background rather than as the dominating feature. I wouldn't want to tackle more than 12oz of this.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2006 07:34:24 | More by charlatan

jhu1995

Maryland

2.13/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Served from a bottle and poured into a pint glass.

Color was very light - almost like a pilsner with a touch of honey color. Minimal head that disappeared quickly with no lacing. Carbonation was fine. Their was very little nose to this one - some spice but not much - thought I smelled a faint touch of hops. No pumpkin smell at all. Taste was mostly very faint pumpkin spices with not much else going on. Not much going on in the mouth either. Drinkability is okay - it's not the worst beer in the world but it is not a very good version of a pumpkin ale. I am inclined to think that the brewers took a pilsner or other light ale and just added some pumpkin spice to the brew. If you are looking for a pumpkin ale, look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2005 10:53:40 | More by jhu1995

nomad

Kansas

1.8/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Urine yellow and sparkling but some sort of infected if this carbonation is for real. Three, four, inches, of exploding head piling up but not sticking around - but only on one bottle. The others ranged from flat to live but not possessed.

Smells of weird moldy wheat over plain, bland malt and something odd - could that be the pumpkin? Hard to choke down due to a strong chemical character, the fakeness begins and ends this beer. For flavor I get vegetal notions and a sweetness that could be pumpkin, though the flat bottle tasting more of "pumpkin." Reminds of old Natty Light kegs in college with some spice added.

Seriously, what are they thinking? This is blonde ale with wheat and some cheap pumpkin essence. Trader Joe's customers, you're getting ripped off something fierce.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2005 21:56:21 | More by nomad

SwillinBrew

California

2.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Wow, a pumpkin ale other than Buffalo Bills. I didnt even know this existed. It was given to me at my nephews bday party.

Ap - This is a very light yellow/golden color like a pils and with a little head. I would expect a little more amber to the color.
Sm - definitely pumpkin pie spices here, leaning towards the cinnamon and maybe nutmeg.
Tst - The is what you may expect from the aroma ie many pumpkin pie spices but on the watery side. Not much depth. I couldnt really taste any pumpkin and there were very subtle notes of a medicinal nature at the end. I didnt care for that.

This ale had a nice carbonation and was light, in body and taste. This pumpkin ale may be fine for the macro drinkers but not for those who are use to better brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2005 00:26:40 | More by SwillinBrew

pjwilson

California

1.1/5  rDev -58.6%
look: 1 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

impulse buy at check-out at trader joe's. have a feeling it's going to be bad and already regret the purchase by the time i get home.
Appearance: huh looks like a lager. 'bout like budwieser with less head. that head run's for the hills and it's gone in 10 seconds...
smell: night quill and cinamnin...no pumpkin to be found. like fake cookies or something...not so pleasant
taste: now that's bad. god ### i have a six pack of this?!? i think i'll give this away to trick or treaters or something. i've had some decent pumpkin ales before. this is budwieser with cinamnin. again no pumpkin flavor anywhere in this brew. and it's worse than bud...this is no ale btw
mouthfeel: at this point who cares but yeah it's thin.
drinkability: low because it's horrilbe tasting. this is a bad joke. i would drain pour this but i'll just plug by nose and drink it for the buzz.
the 5 bucks spent on this sixer could been spent on a 12 packs of hamm's and i would be much happier. this is my new worse beer ever.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2005 03:05:28 | More by pjwilson

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

2.42/5  rDev -9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Picked up a sixer at Trader Joe's in Cambridge, MA.

Poured a pale gold--almost adjunct lager color. Big fizzy head with lots of tiny carbonation bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Spots of lace quickly slide down the inside of the glass.

Nose is pumpkin pie spices sans pumpkin.

Flavor is spicey but the pumpkin tastes rather filtered down. Malts are present but very light and just there to provide some balance to the spices.

Mouthfeel is incredibly light. Very thin. Not much body to this beer at all.

Easy enough to drink but hard to pick up another of these with so many better samples of the style on the market.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2005 23:23:39 | More by MuddyFeet

smcolw

Massachusetts

2.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A- Clear, golden yellow, very small head, no lace.

Smell-wise, I detect more citrus and apple cider than anything else. Reminds me of a white beer. I don't notice any pumpkin or pumpkin pie-like spice which is typical to this style. Still, the aroma is appealing.

Crisp and refreshing qualities in the flavor. Here, a little pumpkin shows up. There's also a touch of Juicy-Fruit to the taste. Thin bodied and highly carbonated.

This beer falls into the "eh?" category. It's perhaps the mildest of the pumpkin ales and resembles the classic lawn mower beers. In a flight of pumpkin ales, I imagine that this should go first and would likely be blown away by the richness and full flavors of the others.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2005 20:34:24 | More by smcolw

macpapi

Maryland

2.85/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

My first Pumpkin Ale of the season. In the past I've been sort of 50-50 on this style of beer. Usually not the strongest or most flavorful, but still alright for a change of pace.

This one pours a pale yellow color with hints of orange when seen through a light. It has a fizzy white head, and no lacing to speak of. It smells pretty weak. There is some malt aroma followed by a mix of spices--nutmeg, cinnamon and a bit of pumpkin. Nothing special to speak of though. Likewise, it is pretty watery on the tongue. The nutmeg taste is alright at the end of the swallow, but there is no hop and little malt presence to speak of. It is relatively highly carbonated, but there is no crispness or sharpness. Again, disappointingly light and watery.

Overall this beer is disappoints. It lacks flavor, body and overall drinkability. There is no complexity whatsoever and nothing to recommend it for future purchase. I may not be inclined to buy another of this style for the rest of the season.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2005 02:51:39 | More by macpapi

putnam

Michigan

1.73/5  rDev -35%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Yellow. Beery head.
Aromas are not especially pleasing. It smells exACTly like a box of cookies and peanut-shaped marshmallows. Rubbery reductive notes join in too. Tart, light and astringent with flavors of raw chaff along a very engineered tasting, fried pastry flavor (like elephant ears or Taco Bell's Cinnamon Crispas.) Overall, dry.
This is flavored, mediocre, very light ale. Best to avoid. Perhaps the worst pumpkin beer I've ever tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2005 21:26:58 | More by putnam

RBorsato

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +57.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light yellow gold with a decent white head and decent carbonation. LIght pumpkin aroma with a touch of the requisite spices. Tastes more spicy than it smells with a nice cinnamon and nutmeg flavor. Light-medium bodied and smooth with a nice spicy finish.

Fairly light pumpkin character for the style but easily drinkable and affordable from Trader Joe's...

Per label: Ale with Pumpkin Flavor Added

Enjoy By: Feb '05
Tasted: 12/03/04

($4.99 / 6-pack)

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2004 18:49:20 | More by RBorsato

ybnorml

Rhode Island

3.3/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer has a clean yellow body with orange highlights. No head at all. You can smell the nutmeg and pumpkin from a foot away. The flavor is full of spice, nutmeg, allspice and maybe something else. The pumpkin flavor only comes in at the end of the taste, slightly sweet but clean finishing. I belive this is made specialy for a resturant in Maine, Trader something or other. This beer definitly reminds me of pumpkin pie. Which I guess is the idea.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2004 21:55:45 | More by ybnorml