Pumpkin Ale - Horseheads Brewing Inc.

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.34/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22 oz bottle courtesy of Suspect pours a lightly hazed golden-copper color with a creamy cap of off-white head. Good retention and not much lace.

Nose is like apple pie....tart apples with cinnamon and nutmeg. Has a nice biscuity malt aroma that serves well as a pie crust-esque character.

Taste is more delicate than the nose would have you think. It is light and fluffy with plenty of spice to give it a pumpkin beer feel but it is not overspiced or cloying like some of the style. It throws off a little bit of clove which is interesting, and the apple flavors still play a big part. Its an easy to drink pumpkin ale that still delivers big on the spices. Good beer...one of the best pumpkin beers I have had.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:14:27 | More by twiggamortis420

PerHops

California

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Fairly clear golden orange with very little head or carbonation.

S- huge pumpkin pie on this one. A ton of spice, but also great fresh pumpkin meat aroma.

T-Almost like a liquid pumpkin pie. But actually not in a bad way. There is an almost perfect struggle between spice, pumpkin and pie crust. Almost a saltiness on the finish.

M- Good carbonation, keeps it light.

O- I like this beer. It is definitely a pumpkin pie beer, but in an inoffensive way.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 04:47:48 | More by PerHops

CloudStrife

New York

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Rimmed in cinnamon sugar.

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden copper with a 1.5 finger puffy white head. Some small bubbles seen floating up to the top. Leaves ample lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: Get a lot of cinnamon from the rim, but when poured into another glass it is mostly allspice, nutmeg and pumpkin. Very reminiscent of a pumpkin pie.

T: Very sweet pumpkin pie flavor. Full range of nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin and the cinnamon of a graham cracker crust.

M: Medium bodied with fairly low carbonation. Has a pretty creamy mouthful. Easy drinking, but perhaps a little sweet.

Overall this is right up there with the best pumpkin beers. Has all the sweetness and spice you come to expect from the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 23:59:29 | More by CloudStrife

merc7186

New York

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Golden Orange Hue, Passes Most Light, Off White Head, Some Lacing

S: Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Mild Allspice

T: Pumpkin, Cinnamon

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Drying, Mildly Sweet

Overall, a very nice pumpkin flavor with a mild spicy flavor that doesn't overpower beer and Pumpkin flavor is subtle enough to not make you want to gag either.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 02:01:02 | More by merc7186

tviz33

New York

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured in to a pint glass

A- Pours a transparent golden orange body with a two finger head that settles to a thin foam cap with no lacing to speak of

S- I can only describe the smell as homemade pumpkin pie. Pretty darn good.

T- Again, a lot like a pumpkin pie with a good deal of seasonal spices. A slight hop presence and alcohol bite.

M- Moderate carbonation and medium-bodied. Creamy and easy to drink.

O- I'm not big on pumpkin flavors in general, but Horseheads did a nice job with this brew. This is basically liquid pumpkin pie.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 02:29:20 | More by tviz33

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to merc for this bottle.
The beer pours a crystal-clear, bright orange with a loose white head that poorly laces. Big notes of vanilla and pumpkin spice dominate the nose; it's definitely sweet, but not at all cloying. The taste hits home with a big pumpkin pie spice presence, but has a weird lidocaine/cough syrupy aftertaste that changes into a lingering bitterness...not what I expected. The beer has a light body with adequate carbonation and slightly unpleasant aftertaste. Quite a worthy pumpkin beer, but not perfect.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 00:19:49 | More by ThePorterSorter

jeremyg

5/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Hands down best pumpkin ale out there! I've tried a lot and my friends have tried a lot of pumpkin ales. we all agree this is the best around. If you haven't had it yet, you better get it before its off tap. There is no way you will disappointed. Great smell great taste and great holiday beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2012 04:01:31 | More by jeremyg

atr2605

New York

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-pours soft orange amber color with an off white head that leaves a nice lace
S-pumpkin, allspice, gingerbread
T-Very well balanced pumpkin flavor with a good deal of spice, not over bearing but very evident.
M-medium bodied-
O-its more spiced than alot of other pumpkin ales I have had and I really dig it. Still balanced and smooth with tons of flavor. Well crafted

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 02:08:16 | More by atr2605

bolus14

New York

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Nice autumn orange/golden color. Clear as can be with slow rising bubbles. Had about half an inch lacing that dissipatedto sone nice lacing thay lasts for the ehole glass.

S - Spices, but not strong. Very well done with cinnamon and nutmeg most niticeable. Like othees have notes there's a slight graham crack smell there too.

T -Follows the nose. Nothing is overpowering and it all blends together. Pumpkin comes in after the spices. My only complaint is that there could be a little more pumpkin to it. Like a light pumpkin pie.

M -Slight carbonation feel on tje tongue, but mostly creamy and smooth. I love it.

O- Hard to beat this one, a little more pumpkin and it would be perfect. Many I've tried are too heavy on the spices or watery. This is perfect for the nights as it starts to get cooler.

Serving type: growler

09-16-2012 01:25:03 | More by bolus14

suspect

New York

4.53/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A: Pure golden, crystal clear color with just a touch of amber hues making it a rich golden color instead of pale. Mildly aggressive just off center pour leads to a fizzy 2 finger head that dissipates in less than 15 seconds. Some lacing...not much.

S: Runs the gamut of pumpkin pie from the pumpin spices to the graham cracker crust and even the sweetness comes through here as well. Full nose but not overpowering. Might just be the best smelling pumpkin beer I've had.

T: Perfectly balanced between sweet and spiced. Spice shines through intermittently with the sweetness and I don't know how but the graham cracker notes even make their way in here as well. There is certainly no sign of the 6.6% ABV in the taste.

M: Crisp yet smooth finish. Perfect amount of bite at the end. Absolutely perfect amount of carbonation lifts the flavors off of your tongue and slams them back down again.

O: What an excellent beer. I think this is the best pumpkin ale I've ever had. This is *the* quintessential fall beer and I couldn't be prouder of this little brewery in Horseheads. Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 03:44:28 | More by suspect

SLeffler27

New York

3.6/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Fills a Horseheads pint glass with a clear, bright copper beer with pale orange highlights and some carbonation. The head is rocky, white and reaches half an inch before leaving rings.

As expected, I found pumpkin pie spices including nutmeg and cinnamon.

Rather sweet pumpkin pie. This one is enjoyable, but nothing special. In fact, it is rather trite. There is no discernible finish.

Crisp medium body with prickly carbonation.

Another fun seasonal that is easy on the palate. This one is better than most pumpkin beers, but still nothing more than a seasonal novelty.

Serving type: growler

02-18-2012 12:47:25 | More by SLeffler27

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a golden brown color with a thin creamy white lacing and mild carbonation.

S - Spiced pumpkin aroma, nutmeg, a little bready and yeasty, biscuity, and some cinnamon.

T - Biscuity, cinnamon, pumpkin, nutmeg, not much more going on.

M - Medium light body, a little watery in the finish, and leaves a vanilla/nutmeg/pumpkin aftertaste that cleans itself up rather quickly.

O - It's good, but after trying their Imperial Pumpkin, it's far better.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 03:40:09 | More by jzeilinger

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.83/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

very hazy looking orange liquid came gurgling out of the bottle, hitting the glass with decent enough force to throw up a nice two inch layer of off white head.

Super sweet with lots of gingerbread, and sweet cookie goodness. This was about as good as it gets. Translated over as perfectly as you could have imagined into the flavor. Huge notes of cinnamon, pumpkin spice, gingerbread, The only drawback was this was soo rich with sugar it was hard to drink too much of it as it became a little bit tough after a bit. Aside from that this was about

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 06:24:13 | More by mikesgroove

animalchin

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A dark burnt orange body with a surprisingly good head for a pumpkin beer. Spotty and thin lacing with spore-like foam clusters freckling the surface.

S - Very sweet aromas with all of the autumn dessert fixings to go along - brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and of course a very distinct pumpkin smell.

T - All sorts of fall sweetness, with the majority being brown sugar, but the pumpkin certainly is a very apparent presence. This is one of only two pumpkin ales I've had that are this sweet overall, while others rely on hops. A sticky maltiness also exists in this beer that goes along to assist the sweetness that makes up the overall presentation.

M - A medium slick body with some dense carbonation. Pretty standard.

O - I'm surprised this hasn't turned more heads of pumpkin heads. Just as adventurous as Southern Tier Pumking, and a little more relfective of pumpkin taste. Certaintly a great beer from a brewery that unfortunately is not widely distributed. Worth the search and try.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 01:56:40 | More by animalchin

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I received this via trade with rageagainst123. Thanks Ryan! Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A: A light to medium orange color with a huge two finger fluffy white head. Nice glass lacing.

S: Wow, pumpkin pie. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cream, vanilla and sweet caramel. Not getting a lot of pumpkin smell, just the creamy pie notes.

T: Follow the nose. The nutmeg, cinnamon, cream, vanilla and some pumpkin flavors mix with the heavy caramel sweetness to make a real nice beer. Not too sweet, but just perfect. This is similar to Pumking in that it really tastes like pumpkin pie. Finish is lasting and creamy smooth. Wonderful.

M: Medium, not overly full but the creaminess is wonderful. Not much alcohol is detected.

O: So all pumpkin beers have to match up the the King, Pumking. This one does it spectacularly. A fantastic beer that is just a notch below Pumking, but it no doubt belongs in the same tier. I really think if more people get to try this, it will become a favorite of many...like me.

Ryan was kind enough to send me two bottles of this gem, so I still have one more. A fantastic pumpkin beer that people need to try. Great job Horseheads, you have a fan.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 14:29:54 | More by Kadonny

lovindahops

New York

4.83/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

ok, horseheads most prized specialty brew... let's see if this can stand up to my favorite seasonal style of brews...cut to the chase.... let's see where this stands to pumking

a- a flawless autumn orange with a nice whip cream head of foam that is released to a decent head... not to jump on the whole pumpkin pie scene, but the colors of the body and the foamy scene makes that comparison noteworthy

s- ok.... this is what it's all about! It's not just a spicy brew with nutmeg and cinnamin. Pumpkin ale smells like a pumpkin pie. Include the predominat pumpkin scent with graham crackers and dough themes. Horseheads uses canned pumpkins to make this a brew of integrity

t- perfect. The pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamin, spices are compiled to make the most perfect depiction of a pumpkin ale you can ask for. This is spot on for what everyone wants in this style!

m- balanced with the smoothness and necessary carbonation. Flavor is delivered right

o- this is a crafted pumpkin beer. Soon enough, people are going to get a chance to try brews like these from horseheads. A pumpkin brew that is built with all the necessary ingredients to make a winner. Pumking and Pumpkin Ale will be side by side forever. Great to see they are both from the southern tier of NY

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 18:44:25 | More by lovindahops

oberon

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Maybe the lightest pour of any pumkin ale I have had with its light to medium golden body and thinner but well sustained white head atop.Nutem and cinnamon spice really jump out at ya oin the nose,maybe a passing sweet alcohol note as well.Graham cracker crust,cinnamon,and nutmeg on the palate,its like a whole pie with crust,I like the added pie crust flavors.This is a damn good pumpkin ale,it has enough pumpkin flavor to let ya know it's not all spice,but the spice and graham cracker flavors enhance the beer a whole lot.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 22:27:22 | More by oberon

bminor7

New York

3.53/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 from beers of the world.

Pours a hazy golden brown. A nice head forms but it goes away quickly. Some nice lacing though. Not too sticky.

Tastes like Punkin' but a little sweeter and heavier on the spice. Not as bready as either Punkin or Pumking but not to say it's not bready at all. Quite nice.

Good MF...not quite an imperial but a little better than the 'standard'...

Drinkability is reasonable. A bit more to it than you'd want in a sessionable brew though.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 04:34:42 | More by bminor7

asabreed

New York

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber into a Samuel Smith 12 oz. nonic.

Appearance: Pretty light in color, surprisingly, for a pumpkin, with gold straw tints along with very minor copper highlights. A nice bright white head likes to stick around about 1/4" after leaving some nice drops of retention.

Smell: Pretty big on the caramel and the spice here, with a bit of diacetyl and biscuit going on too. As it warms there's a nice malty sweetness with hints of pumpkin pie filling.

Taste: Initially sweet, but with a nice balance of hops at the end. I'm definitely getting caramel here, along with nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, but the spices aren't out of control. And again, the hops are nicely lingering, both for bitterness and commingling with the already-present spices.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with nice crisp carbonation and good sense of mild creaminess throughout.

Drinkability: A very solid pumpkin ale, and one of the most drinkable versions of the style I've had in a while. I've had a few other brews from Horseheads I really liked that I didn't end up reviewing, so I'm hoping to be able to review a lot more in the future, especially since I'm so close to the brewery, which I hope to visit soon to pick up some more.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 02:42:13 | More by asabreed

stawn

California

3.55/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a snifter.

A - An aggressive pour yields a centimeter white head which quickly dissipated into a fine ring, clinging to the edges of the glass. The beer is sunburned copper with hazy clarity.

S - Smells just like cold pumpkin pie. All of the typical spices are there with nutmeg and clove standing out more than others. Some cinnamon comes out as it warms.

T - Taste is very artificial. Reminds me of a grocery store pie. There is something in the background I can't place...possibly diacetyl. It does have a faint buttery flavor, but is mostly covered up by the various spices. Some alcohol as the beer warms.

M - Good amount of carbonation, appropriate for style. Body is moderate and this beer seems to have attenuated quite well, as its not too sweet.

D - I've had quite a few "Pumpkin" ales and this one seems sort of in the middle of the road. The pie spices seem a little overdone, but maybe that's what they were going for. If you like store bought pumpkin pies, you'll probably like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 02:51:26 | More by stawn

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - clear brass color with a short white head that left a few trails of lacing.

S - nice spiced aroma, nutmeg, cinnamon and sweet ginger.

T - very good tasting beer, pumpkin pie in a liquid form. I was almost tempted to put whipped cream on top.

F - light/medium bodied with a refreshing feel which is a bit unusual for a pumpkin beer.

D - goes down easy, overall a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 23:05:05 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First of all, a huge thanks to steelersxl for this great extra! I always love a good pumpkin beer during this time of year and seeing as it is a cold, wet night in Southern California, what better a time to have this?

Appearance - Pours a dark golden color with about a finger of white head that recedes relatively fast, leaving minimal lacing.

Smell - Damn, what a great smelling beer. There is something different about the spices with this beer versus another spice bomb pumpkin beer like DFH Punkin. The spices here are very clean - heavy nutmeg and cinnamon with a hint of ginger. Toasty malts, a definite brown sugar aroma reminiscent of when I was a child and would steal some from when my mother was baking. Smells like pumpkin pie, no joke.

Taste - Damn again. Utter and total liquid pumpkin. I believe it is the nutmeg that really stands out here with the cinnamon right on its back. The initial burst is spicy goodness followed by caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and light pumpkin flavor. There was another flavor that was escaping me until I read the review beneath me and there really is a slight buttery note but not in a negative way - in a "it completes this flavor profile" way.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, quite creamy, and just enough carbonation to make this more quaffable than shippable.

Drinkability - Very happy I was able to try this. It just goes to show you that there CAN be good pumpkin beers out there. For how many horrible ones make it on the shelves, there are a couple that blow the norm away. This is one of those beers. A fine example of a pumpkin beer and I would have loved to have this at desert this Thanksgiving.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 01:28:22 | More by SpdKilz

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Horseheads Pumpkin Ale pours a mostly clear golden body that appears orange in the full glass. The bright white head makes a nice contrast at first, but fades away all too quickly, leaving behind only minor spots and streaks of lace.

Pumpkin spices and sweet malt are clearly present in the aroma, and that's certainly true of the flavor as well. I get nutmeg, cinnamon, and I believe, allspice. There might be some ginger in there as well, but whatever it is, it's a nicely balanced blend, and not over-done. There's also a hint of what I'm thinking of as a butter & vanilla note that helps to round it all out. I can smell it and taste it - might be from the yeast, might be from the pumpkin, might be from vanilla flavoring... who cares?! Quite pleasant!

In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently carbonated, allowing you to taste the malt and spices without too much additional 'zing'.

Surprisingly drinkable for a spiced ale! Well done!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 01:48:05 | More by NeroFiddled

naproxen

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I tried this for the first time yesterday, on tap at the brewery (3rd batch) and later on bottled with BeerTruth.

This medium golden amber babe comes included with good carbonation and an appropriately resilient white head, score!

The nose on this is really inviting. It smells of whipped cream, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin...like real pumpkin.

Yep, my new favorite pumpkin beer. This tastes to me like the filling of a pumpkin pie and whipped cream topping. To make it even more enjoyable this beer is smooth and not heavy or sticky sweet in the body. This beer is to me what Pumpking was, half as sweet and 8 times more drinkable. The focus is more on creamy pumpkin and spices and not sugar and graham cracker.

Very drinkable, I took home a growler for this weekend and 3 bottles for whenever.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2009 20:42:06 | More by naproxen

spokeydonkey

New York

2.38/5  rDev -43.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I picked this up recently while grabbing all the pumpkin beers I could find at a local beer store. I had high hopes for it after reading the reviews here, but I just can't bring myself to like this beer.

A - A decent dark-copper color with a fizzy white head. Good color, but an almost soda-like head on it.

S - Strong smell of spices and (artificial?) pumpkin pie. It smells like pumpkin spice syrup you can buy for coffee drinks.

T - Sweet. Very, very sweet, followed up by a pumpkin-pie spice kick. Just tastes artificial to me. I don't know if it is, or if its the combination of sweet and overspiced that makes it taste like a pumpkin latte, but it does. There's just enough spice and hops to keep it drinkable, but most of the complexities are just overwhelmed by the sweetness and pumpkin pie flavors.

M - Surprisingly good mouthfeel. Rich and creamy, which does go well with the sweetness and desserty-ness of this beer.

D - It's drinkable, but barely. The artificial-tasting pumpkin spice and sweetness overwhelm everything else and keep it pretty one-dimensional. There's enough hints of malt and hops to keep it drinkable, but its definitely not balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 02:32:54 | More by spokeydonkey