Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Company

jtierney89

New Jersey

1.3/5  rDev -65%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Ill be honest, im one to judge books by their covers, and I always hated the artwork on every smuttynose bottle I've ever seen including this one but I decided to try since I've been surprised before.

It looks as you'd expect a pumpkin ale to appear, golden amber in color with nice lacing. It smells very floral and earthy which I found pleasant. It was the taste I thought was lacking. It tastes slightly like pumpkins initially and remains that way the whole way through. There is a slight hop bitterness after swallowing but this bitterness builds with each sip which I find unpleasant. after all is said and done my mouth tastes of spices which I didn't taste while actually drinking the beer, sorry but don't make mine a smutty

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 00:21:49 | More by jtierney89

Number967

New York

1.45/5  rDev -60.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Drinking this out of the bottle. Main smell here is earthy with subtle pumpkin and spice. Take one sip of this beer and my mouth is attacked by bitterness. not something i expect from a pumpkin ale. After having Pumpking a few days ago this brew tasted like i was drinking battery acid. I immediately thought i bought a bad batch but the Best before date was Dec 2011. Seems like this beer tries to be a pumpkin ale and an IPA but doesnt get either right. If i want a piney, hoppy bitter I'll reach for an IPA. Im surprised by the high grade this beer received but to each their own.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 21:26:23 | More by Number967

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

1.95/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - golden yellow with a rocky light tan head, a few streams of carbonation

S - weird, almost a non-aroma, slight spice aroma, nondescript malt aromas, after a few swigs and more room to swirl, i well up a more distinct pumpkin aroma, more like allspice-esque aroma, its fleeting though

T - taste is metallic, with added spices that dont really amass to pumpkin, theres an earthy note, very surprised this isnt very good

M&D - metallic, sharp, i am very surprised and disappointed, i think i will try another bottle another day, Smuttynose knows how to make good beer

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2009 01:21:50 | More by sinstaineddemon

WVbeergeek

Ohio

1.95/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Appears a dark clouded orange copper hue with a light off white head, fine speckled lacing. Aroma has a bright pumpkin flesh with pumpkin spices to follow. Bottle gushed when I first opened it and flavor slightly sour with bitter spices another horrible beer I'm not trying to hate on spiced pumpkin ales but these suck, next I'm going to try Weyerbacher and DFH versions. outhfeel is bitter dry vegetable rind, carbonation is strong and overberaring. Drinkability is terrible way to hard to finish twelve ounces, god I'd rather throw up than drink these god awful pumpkin ales.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 15:39:00 | More by WVbeergeek

bob3701

New Jersey

2.03/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I like a lot of Smuttynose's products and maybe it is just this year but I found this to be unpleasant at best. Nice orange amber color with nice lacing. Very bitter taste almost metalic and no real pumpkin spice detected. Seemed to be unfiltered (didn't know that with first bottle).

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 22:54:38 | More by bob3701

Carlton1964

New York

2.03/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours up nice....excellent color...I was real excited to drink this.
It was all down hill from that point. Bitter, metallic, dry, and nasty are the first few adjectives that come to mind.
I had to gargle with Iron City to get the taste of this nasty stuff out of my mouth.
I've heard good things about the folks at Smuttynose and may try another brew...but this was NOT a good start.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2009 23:33:25 | More by Carlton1964

bnewall3

Connecticut

2.08/5  rDev -43.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

My review is short, but not to sweet. Smuttynose dares to be different. I don't understand what would make them think strong bitter hop flavor is good for a pumpkin beer. The nutmeg and cinnamon were almost non existent, and it is extremely bitter throughout with a very nasty aftertaste left from that.

Since I had it at fridge temp at first I gave it the benefit of the doubt and thought the pumpkin and spice flavor would show more as it got closer to room temp but I was wrong, it stayed non existent. It drives me nuts because I like smuttynose and love a good pumpkin beer, but this gave them and the pumpkin category a bad name.

Because I had high expectations and they were immediately shot down this quickly turned into one of my least favorite beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 03:00:13 | More by bnewall3

Avantyawn

New York

2.17/5  rDev -41.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This is the only Smuttynose beer that I have disliked, ever. And boy did I dislike this beer!.

A: Looks really nice, big deep orange hazy , with a huge sticky head. Very Nice.

S: Some light pumpkin and spice scents. Not very sweet at all.

T: Ack...This is really bad. The pumpkin flavor doesn't meld with the oddly hoppy low malt profile. It tastes like a metallic hoppy pale ale with some pumpkin slopped in. The beer is way too dry and the flavor turns totally flat and oddly bitter at the close. Nothing lingers besides a flat bitterness.

M: Much too thin a mouthfeel for the style. I want big and sweet with a pumkin ale. This is meek and thin.

O: Overall, this is by far the worst pumpkin beer I've tried. I am a huge fan and supporter of Smuttynose, but this is a clear miss. I don't understand why they bottled this. It just is not good tasting in anyway in my opinion. I don't get it! I can't even finish this let alone the rest of the 6-pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 22:10:53 | More by Avantyawn

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.23/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Reviewed from notes.

Pours an orange color with a tad bit of a white head and not much lacing. The nose is just completely overloaded with spices to the point where it's almost like a tea. A teensy amount of pumpkin in there if you really try to find it. The taste is even worse, with the spices clashing with one another and just not working in general. Feel is over-spiced with some carbonation to carry them away. Not one of the better pumpkin brews out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 00:06:17 | More by Thorpe429

cynical1027

Ohio

2.28/5  rDev -38.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Aroma: smells soapy and bitter.

appearance - Orangish brown, light foam and lacing on glass.

Taste - tastes like soap and herbs, with subtle hop undertones. Missing the hazelnut, cinnamony, clovey, malty goodness I would expect in a pumpkin ale. if it were classified in a different category I may not have thought it was so bad, but this is not a good representation of the style.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, subtle carbonation.

Overall - any beer is worth TRYING, but not all are worth drinking an entire bottle. If you're going to try this, have a buddy or two to try it with!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 01:36:33 | More by cynical1027

GeeL

Massachusetts

2.35/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I'd go through the whole A S T M D thing, but I'm not going to waste my time.

This is easily the 1st Smuttynose beer I had a hard time drinking. I only drank it because I just came back from a jog on a warm sunny day and was totally in the mood for a beer.

I was hoping for some pumpkin flavor. What I got instead was kind of like liquid pumpkin pie.

The difference you ask? Pumpkin tastes great. Pumpkin pie spice blends are overpowering. I love the spices individually, as well as blended, but I almost always feel the spice blend is too far in the forefront of the flavor profile and too overwhelming.

I feel this way about this beer. It was hoppier than I had hoped. It's like a mild IPA meets pumpkin pie spice blend. The subtle flavor of pumpkin would do better with a wheat or pilsner base, I feel. In fact, I may try to brew one with that base, but that's a different BA department...

In short, if you like the pumpkin pie spice blend, you'll like this beer. It is a fantastic representation for this class of beer if that's the ideal flavor profile.

However, if you like the subtle sweet and earthy taste of pumpkin, you won't like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2009 18:35:28 | More by GeeL

TheBigBoy

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Over the counter order from bar in a 12oz bottle.

I have enjoyed many Smuttynose beers but I found this one to come up short.

Let me preface this review by saying i am not a big pumpkin beer fan, but I am not necessarily turned off by the typical fall spicing in beers. I do enjoy a good flavored pumpking for a beer but cannot really do more than one or two

I found this one to not have much of a pumpkin taste but more of a commercial faint pumpkin & spice flavor.

If you are looking to enjoy a flavorful pumpkin, you can look elsewhere. Based on positive reviews there must be a crowd that is looking for this flavor. I won't be having another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 02:53:08 | More by TheBigBoy

crwills

Ontario (Canada)

2.38/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

The first Smuttynose beer that I've genuinely disliked. Sample glass from tasting with northyorksammy, grub, and biegaman.

Aroma is completely unexpected -- soapy, perfumy, and floral. Taste is bitter and surprisingly hoppy, with far too much fake cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and very little pumpkin. Nose is relatively spicy. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth, like eating powdered spices.

My first example of the style, but definitely will not be purchasing again.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 22:59:47 | More by crwills

morayeel

Pennsylvania

2.45/5  rDev -34%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Apperance- Nice golden color

Smell- I thought this ale was a little week on the pumpkin and spice smell

Taste- The taste was OK I was expecting a little more from this ale.

Mouthfeel- I thought this was a very dry taste at the end.

Drinkability- Not an ale I would recomend.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2006 16:40:55 | More by morayeel

Brunite

Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -34%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Starts out OK. A hazy orange with tan head.

S: Hmmm. Not much going on. No real spice notes.

T: WOW! Vegetal and bitter. No spice notes detected. Just bitterness and tart. Like unsweetened grapefruit. No pumpkin noted. Lots of bitter noted.

M: Medium

O: Disappointed. Being a Smutty fan....this left me wanting no more.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 03:27:36 | More by Brunite

gameface23

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Not Your Average Joe's on 10/19/08. I am hoping that the bottled version was much better than the tap. Muted smell, completely lacking any pumpkin notes and almost lacking any smell whatsoever. The taste was a little spicy, but once again lacked any pumpkin flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2009 17:18:59 | More by gameface23

apbarwood

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured a hazy orange color with a nice creamy white head. Plenty of lace sticking around throughout. The smell was pleasant but light. Definite spice notes of nutmeg and cinnamon dominating. The taste lost it for me. The spice was still there and the pumpkin flavor was in the mix but there was a sterile, metallic hop flavor that showed up on the finish. I didn't find it appealing at all. It tasted like drinking water out of an old hose connection on the side of your house. For me, it really lacked the robust flavor that made other pumpkin beers (like DFH Punkin Ale) truly drinkable. I actually poured half down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2009 13:05:50 | More by apbarwood

moosejaw7

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

This beer lacks flavor. If I'm drinking a pumpkin beer, I want to taste pumpkin and spices. I can appreciate subtleties, but this is too subtle.

There's a faint whisper of pumpkin in the background but then it fades to an odd, off-putting, indistinguishable pumpkin spice before disappearing entirely.

As a general ale it's not bad, but even then, the tiny bit of pumpkin that's there also ruins the hop aroma and characteristics. I'm all for a pumpkin beer for beer drinkers, but this isn't it. This is a pumpkin beer for beer drinkers who don't wanna drink pumpkin beer.

Definitely not taking care of my pumpkin beer fix (yes, there's such a thing).

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 05:49:23 | More by moosejaw7

tlazaroff

Virginia

2.55/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: BIG tan head on this beer, 3-fingers worth. Its frothily and fluffy like a cloud. It sits on top of a somewhat cloudy beautiful orange beer, visible carbonation though the haze.

S: I know I've used this moniker before, but it smells like they took a pumpkin pie and liquified it. They have somehow managed to get the aroma of that gram-cracker crust into the nose as well. Brilliant.

T: Unfortunately this is one place where this beer falls short. I taste pumpkin, but nothing else that I get out of the smell. It is very bitter, but not in a good way, it's border-line offensive.

M: Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation and a bad bad bad astringency. Not pleasant at all.

D: I may have gotten a bad bottle, but I only bought one bottle so this is what I have to go by. I'm sorry Smuttynose, this is the first beer that has ever gotten the drain pour from me. :(

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 00:51:57 | More by tlazaroff

grub

Ontario (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

tasting party sept 11/06 with northyorksammy, crwills, biegaman and me (grub). everyone threw in a few bottles and we had an interesting mix of beer and mead. not sure of exactly who contributed what, so i'll just thank everyone.

pours a golden yellow colour with a big white head.

aroma is interesting. cinnamon, clove, nutmeg are all noticeable. a bit of sweetness. big floral scent, almost perfumey.

taste is perfume. strong floral component, with lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. has a nice malt backbone and a decent level of bitterness. the flavour is a little hard to place at times, and it might be ginger.

mouthfeel isn't great. medium body. astringent. carbonation feels a little sharp.

drinkability isn't great on this one. didn't really enjoy it. the strong floral and spice components came across like perfume or bath salts or something. definitely not a component i'm looking for in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2006 15:01:33 | More by grub

ToddT

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A- Hazy pale orange topped with a fluffy off white head. Head falls slowly and leaves some nice lace on the glass.

S- Pumpkin, all spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Nice balance in the nose but somewhat subdued..

T- Bitter upfront, not what I was expecting at all, pumpkin and hops mix together in not that pleasant of a flavor. Some subtle spice mostly nutmeg, all spice, and cinnamon follow, flavors mellows out here and becomes more pleasant. Finish is dry and medicinal again back to a weird spice and hop mix.

M- Medium in body and decent carbonation, finish is clean and dry.

D- I don't think I can get down more than one of these, the ABV at 6.0% is not the problem it's the weird taste.

Normally I love a well done pumpkin beer but there is something in this one that I don't care for. The spices are very subtle, not overdone, but there is a weird mix of pumpkin and hops that misses the mark with me.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 04:14:58 | More by ToddT

hopking311

Florida

2.68/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours a rich copper orange 1 inch head dissapates to heavy lacing

smells mostly of cinnamon.. some usual pumpkin spice.. meh..

well carbonated.. spicy mouthfeel.

Immediately detecting burn of cinnamon spice on the tongue... but weak pumpkin flavor

Is Smuttynose outsourcing??...Keg says brewed by Matt brewing co... hmmm...

Overall just average.. nothin to write home about here.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2011 23:59:04 | More by hopking311

womencantsail

California

2.68/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at American Craft

A: The pour is a hazy golden amber color with a finger of off-white head.

S: Strong aromas of ginger and sage, perhaps some mint. It's oddly savory, too. Lots of bread and toasted malt without much in terms of the usual spices like cinnamon or nutmeg or all spice.

T: Also an odd flavor. Almost chalky and medicinal. Again, there is a strong flavor of ginger to this as well as some sage sort of notes. Minimal cinnamon and nutmeg flavors.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Sort of chalky as well.

O: Not a very good pumpkin beer and not a very good beer, period.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 14:27:26 | More by womencantsail

kkipple

South Carolina

2.7/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Single bottle purchased in town upon release here.

A. Semi-cloudy dingy dusty orange. 2 finger head, about the color you'd expect on a pumpkin ale. Creamy lacing as the head falls.

S. Not entirely appealing... there's some strong pumpkin spice going on here, maybe overspiced... clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, nearly a soapy scent here... pepper... bitter citrus hops, not enough malt to balance it out, IMO. And, what's this? Anise? Bizarre!

T. Hmm... a semi-sweet, spiced basic malt ale. The spice runs rampant here, it IS the flavor rather than being complimentary. Pumpkin plays second fiddle to pumpkin-pie spice, which is wrong. Hops are pretty big too, a nice citrus dollop, although this really needs some more caramel and roasty malt sweetness... getting just a little DMS, too... overall not terribly pleasant, but does open up as it warms.

M. Semi-dry, medium-light body, finish is clove, nutmeg and a dry bitterness. Not all that great, needs some smoothness and... well, you know. Finish is bitter, clove-y and rather unpleasant.

D. Low. There does not need to be this much spice in a beer this light. A little nutmeg goes a long way, this is nearly drowning in it. I love Smuttynose, but this needs a rework. And it pains me to say that.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2008 04:54:33 | More by kkipple

hardy008

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Hazy orange with a two finger light tan head with good retention. The aroma has pumpkin, rind, hops, and cloves.

The flavor has pumpkin, rind, cloves, and biscuit malt. Tastes like an unsweetened pumpkin pie with the crust. This is somewhat bitter, and not as good as sweet as expected for the style.

Nicely carbonated, smooth, bitter, and a bit hoppy at the end. Not a bad beer, but not what I expect in a Pumpkin Ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 01:59:47 | More by hardy008