Upslope Pumpkin Ale - Upslope Brewing Company

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I have to sheepishly admit that I have fallen behind on my backlog of CANs, but I am now in the process of getting caught up. Blargimus sent this to me a while back and it has been refrigerated since. I am looking forward to it!

From the CAN: "Hand-Crafted Beer"; "Limited Release"; "Ale brewed with Pumpkins and Spices"; "Ingredients [-] Snowmelt[,] Malt[,]Baby Bear Pumpkins[,]Hops[,]Yeast[,]Spices"; "Specs [-] Hand-Crafted[,]Aluminum CAN[,]Portable[,]Recyclable[,]Good"; "Brewed and CANned by Upslope Brewing Co. Boulder, Colorado Pumpkins Grown and Harvested by Munson Farms".

The C rack revealed a brimful craft CAN and as the anticipation was growing, I went with an aggro pour to get the ball rolling. I quickly had a finger-and-a-half of thick, tawny head with good retention. Color was a deep-copper with NE-quality clarity. Nose was somewhat sweet and big with the added spices. Man, this took me right back to the fall, which happens to be my favorite time of the year. Lots of CO2 bubbles in evidence, so the delay does not seem to have harmed it in terms of carbonation. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite enough to be creamy, but close and the taste was really cinnamon-like. I was reminded of chewing a stick of Big Red gum. Whew! The finish was not quite so heavy on the spices, allowing some of the malt and sugar from the pumpkins to come through, but it was a pretty intense beer for the style.

Serving type: can

04-13-2013 01:53:11 | More by woodychandler

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.49/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to drumrboy22 for the can. Tasted 13 January 2013.

Pours a clear rust color; deep, very reddish brown, maybe more of a cherry wood color. Quarter-finger of yellowish head. Peering through it with light behind, I can make out a few bubbles creeping up. Color is really nice, but the rest of it isn't.

Smell is as it should be, rich sweet full juicy pumpkin. Some woody spices in the background, like nutmeg. Quite good. The highlight of the beer, IMO.

Taste is flipped. Instead of pumpkin up front, wood in the back, this is dominated by woody malts, with a sprinkling of pumpkin and spice. Not bad, not great.

Mouthfeel is, well, flat. Medium-heavy, almost oily. Like drinking flat soda. Not good, and definitely detracts from the beer. Everything just sits there, and it really needs some buzz to keep the flavors moving.

An okay pumpkin ale. Mouthfeel is blah, and taste is just okay. Smell keeps it up, lifting everything out of the doldrums.

Serving type: can

01-14-2013 03:19:17 | More by zeledonia

KajII

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

[Suggested Glassware: Lager Glass]

The pour was a clear reddish orange with a head that was on the light side of average (1-2 finger), with an off white fizzy head that diminished totally after a few minutes and had poor lacing.

The aroma was of a light bread malt and a doughy yeast with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and clove.

The taste was a light malty sweet with a touch of pumpkin and nutmeg early on, becoming lightly bitter with a hint of cinnamon and a slightly spicy note of clove at the finish. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow, being mostly of a light sweet spiciness that faded away rather slowly.

Mouthfeel was light in body with a watery texture and a mild carbonation.

Overall this was a decent tasting Pumpkin Ale and did possess a good drinkability, but as this style goes it was nothing overly special...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: can

11-26-2012 14:46:39 | More by KajII

GilGarp

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint can served cold into a pint glass.

Upslope's Pumpkin is a beautiful redish orange hue with some thick but short-lived head.

Aroma has a nice caramel-richness with undertones of the pumpkin and pie spice.

Flavor is similar and really nicely done. It has balance so the pumpkin, spices, and malts all compliment eachother nicely.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated. It would probably be just as good or better if it was served a bit warmer.

Overall an excellent pumpkin beer and very enjoyable on a cold autumn night.

Serving type: can

10-26-2012 02:50:33 | More by GilGarp

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Great looking pumpkin ale. Deep orange/pumpkin hued.

S: Smells like autumn. Cinnamon along with some allspice, nutmeg and clove. Pumpkin in there too.

T: Great tasting brew. Follows the nose with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. Light on the clove (which I like...I don't enjoy clove heavy pumpkin ales). Fleshy pumpkin. Some brown sugar as well. Blends together great.

M: Fairly easy drinker. Alcohol is well hidden but does sneak up on you a little bit. The "tall boy" can made this a one and done for me for the night.

Overall, this is definitely in the upper tier of pumpkin ales for me. I picked one up on a recent trip to Colorado on a whim and am glad that I did. It closely resembles Schlafly pumpkin to me (my favorite pumpkin ale) but across the board is just slightly more muted in taste and aroma that one. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: can

10-24-2012 02:28:31 | More by bcostner1

chugalug06

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Duvel Tulip

I won't review this brew towards the price I paid... $5/16oz can... Needless to say, Upslope is a bit proud of their gold medal.

Wonderful clarity in the golden amber hued brew. Head is murky orange with lots of fluffy browns and yellows. Brew pours slowly at first then speeds up quite a bit.

Tons of pumpkin, nutmeg, spice, roastyness, caramel, sugar, and tons of cinnamon.

Holy cinnamon! Smooth deliverance of the ABV, no heat and tons of big flavor. Medium carbonation nicely compliments the strong pumpkin and cinnamon flavors. I could do with a bit less nutmeg and belgian sugars though...

This is the Mother of all Pumpkin brews... A must try, if you can avoid the $5/can price tag... It's worth ~3.5/can, IMO. Don't be surprised to see another gold go towards this brew.

Serving type: can

09-29-2012 00:27:47 | More by chugalug06

beergoot

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice, ruddy orange with a decent creamy, off-white head. Soft pumpkin and associated spice smells (e.g., allspice, nutmeg) make up the dominating smells; kind of like a pumpkin cookie or sweet bread; bitter finish; nice malt sweetness undertone; small hint of alcohol heat in the background. Light-medium body; clean and dry finish.

A solid pumpkin ale overall. Good flavor, decently balanced across the taste spectrum.

Serving type: can

09-21-2012 00:38:56 | More by beergoot

spoony

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 16 oz can into a pint glass.

A-Pours a deep amber color with ruby highlights. Kind of an interesting color because it really looks like pumpkin in a way. There is thin, dirty-tan head that quickly recedes. Very little visible carbonation.

S-Sweet smelling. I picked up nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and hint of burnt sugar, a touch of malt, and pumpkin (lots of pumpkin). You know this is going to be a pumpkin beer.

T-Mostly follows the small, only sweeter. I get malty pumpkin pie with the crust included. There were some graham cracker flavors and a hint of chocolatey malt, but the dominant flavor is pumpkin and spic. Alcohol is pretty well concealed, but as the beer warmed, I picked up a strange (in a bad way) flavor that I trace back to the alcohol; the flavor wasn't a warm or spicy character, but more chemical.

M-Pretty thick and syrupy. There is a whiff of carbonation, but I could have used a little more bubble to balance the sweetness and pumpkin/spice flavors.

O-If you want a heavier, pumpkin-flavored ale with an emphasis on fleshy, sweet pumpkin flavor, this is your beer. It was a little too sweet with too much pumpkin for my taste.

Serving type: can

09-17-2012 05:20:07 | More by spoony

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

one of the more enjoyable pumpkin brews ive had in a long time. this one pours a rich copper to yam orange color with a one inch white head that slowly fades. gentle carbonation is rising to the top, and its emitting aromas of butternut squash, brown sugar, and toffee. there is almost none of that nutmeg/allspice/cinnamon spice that used to enhance these beers but has now mostly come to plague them. the flavor confirms that. its sweet roasted pumpkin and caramel malts, straight up. a touch of vanilla in the conclusion, but this isnt a sweet dessert beer, its a well balanced autumn drink, perfectly sessionable. i really like this a lot. the feel is great without much sweetness. its fuller bodied and well carbonated. the only flavors left at the end are pumpkin and alcohol, which work nicely together. overall a great pumpkin beer, and some of upslopes best work to date.

Serving type: can

09-16-2012 22:06:25 | More by StonedTrippin

denver10

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A burnt red with a nice khaki head. A nice and balanced aroma; pumpkin and some spices - cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon - dominate but without being too sweet or aggressive. A little alcohol shows itself in the finish. Tasted like liquid pumpkin pie, again without being too sweet or aggressive in the spices . Pumpkin fillig, vanilla whipped cream, and some spices.A fuller, creamy mouthfeel but could use some carbonation. Overall, a solid beer. Not a huge fan of pumpkin ales and this one won't change that, but glad I tried it and definitely enjoyed it.

Serving type: can

09-16-2012 00:17:25 | More by denver10

theblackrook

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16 oz can.

A. Darker than most pumpkin ales...nice almost reddish brown.

S. Spices and pumpkin come through but not overwheming.

T. Very smooth, great flavors.

M. Again smooth ..not much carbonation feel in mouth.

O. A very nice pumpkin/autumn ale.

Serving type: can

09-13-2012 13:07:12 | More by theblackrook

alexipa

Colorado

4.93/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Clear red with a thin tan head that dissipates pretty quickly. Great color.

S: Smells of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, just amazing. I want my house to smell like this.

T: I now know what the perfect pumpkin ale tastes like. Make no mistake, this tastes like pumpkin through and through. Some bitterness from the fresh pumpkin used, along with the spices listed above, and a nice malty back bone.

M: This is full bodied, yet well carbonated, and has a nice alcohol bite. The perfect mouth feel for a cold fall day.

O: This beer can't get any better. I don't throw around 5's at all, but I really don't see how it could get any better. Finally a pumpkin ale that doesn't hide the pumpkin!

Amazing.

Serving type: can

09-13-2012 00:24:58 | More by alexipa

znichols

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A= pours a dark amber with a small off white head. Head is gone in seconds. Decent lacing. Very clear. Excited to get into this.

S= soft spice aroma with a touch of sweetness. Actually smells like beer unlike a lot of pumpkin ales. Solid biscuit malt and subtle hop nose. Light pumpkin guts. Not strong smell but balanced and pleasant.

T= wow very nice balance here. Starts with soft pumpkin notes. Good spice flavor in the middle. think allspice and cinnamon with hints of clove and nutmeg. Substantial bitterness for a pumpkin beer but it balanced the higher alcohol content. Very well composed and drinkable beer.

M= medium body with a creamy finish. good amount of carbonation. A touch of alcohol on the tongue. Not bad.

O= just a great representation of the style. Lots of smooth beer flavor with subtle hints of fall spice and pumpkin. A home run in my book. Enjoy with autumn food and a bonfire on an October night.

Serving type: can

09-08-2012 00:41:36 | More by znichols

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at Freshcraft, heard this won a GABF medal which surprised me. Orange color, scant head. Aroma is faint but I can detect nutmeg, cinnamon, holiday spices you would expect in a pumpkin ale. The taste was really odd, maybe it was the yeast but I couldn't figure it out. Definitely has more spices and a pumpkin aspect. Overall not bad but not something I would revisit even if it was Thanksgiving.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2011 04:29:58 | More by ArrogantB

emmasdad

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We shared a glass of this one today at Hops & Pie this afternoon. Poured a medium brown color with a little tan head. Aromas and flavors of roasted and pureed baby bear pumpkins and a blend of six spices. Reminiscent of the flavors of autumn. And I add more.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2011 02:08:15 | More by emmasdad