Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale - Buffalo Bill's Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This brewery apparently has been craft brewing before the recent explosion and so is worth a try on that basis alone. Greg, crwills brought this one and thanks. Cinammon and nutmeg is pronounced in a lager, orange with a white head. Astringent and fizzy carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2006 20:18:06 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Medium orange-amber with a soft white head that quickly dissipates to near nothing and leaves minimal lace. The beer smells like freshly baked pumpkin pie (fragrant allspice and baked pumpkin). It's a wonderful aroma that holds great promise. Too bad the taste doesn't measure up to the nose.

The flavors are, again, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, but the beer is too sweet. There's also something mildly unpleasant in the finish that I can't identify. The mouthfeel strikes me as unsupported and verging on watery.

At least the label is nice and festive. It put me in the mood for a good autumn brew. The smell is enjoyable, but beer is made for drinking. Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale doesn't quite make the grade.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2003 04:01:15 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +39.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A – Poured nice orange tinted amber. This was very cloudy and hazy which kind of surprised me to be honest. Had a nice overall spiced look to it. A good two inch or more of white foamy lace formed as a head on top and actually had some really good retention as it was still around a good couple minutes later. This gradually settled down and formed a thin film of lace across the top. Lots of carbonation could be seen streaming up from the bottom of the glass, and this lasted until the end. A decent amount of side glass lace could be seen down the glass and lasted again until the end.



S – Aroma was highly spiced but yet not overpowering as you see a lot with these pumpkins. They usually put too much of everything and try to force home the point of what it is, but this seemed to be very nice and subtle. It had a lighter overall smell then some, lots of nutmeg, and cinnamon and a good amount of fresh grass or even a tree like smell to it. Lots of spice running through it though and I could pick up even on some apple in there as well. I thought the aroma was very well put together overall.



T – Now see I normally am not the greatest fan of these, but this one was very good I have to say. The first thing I noticed was a nice grainy almost yeast like back to it which really served to lighten it up. This was followed by loads of fall spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, lots of spiced apple, just a good all around mix. There was a noticeable hoppy presence and this definitely could not be hidden. Great finish left you wanting another sip almost right away and there was just really an overall light and vibrant feel and flavor to this. Again very well put together.



M – Super light but yet smooth at the same time. Very nice carbonation led itself to this and really helped to push the flavors out at you. This was full of the little carbonation bubbles if that makes any sense at all. It really made it feel silky like and had a great smoothness to it. I was actually quite impressed with how light it felt, but yet at the same time how full and robust the flavors were. This was very nice.



D – Very very good, I mean for something I do not normally like, I could really have gone for another of these almost right away. It just had that great feel to it and a great full flavor. It was not too heavy and was actually quite refreshing. I really enjoyed drinking it and regret I did not have another right away.



Overall I was very impressed. I have never like pumpkin brew, but now I realize I may have just been trying the wrong ones as this was great. I will really go out of my way now to try and find some more I like before the season is over. Really an outstanding light selection here and something that could easily be a good fall session brew. Look out for this if it’s around and give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2007 00:46:57 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

2.28/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

The infamous Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale...how exciting.

A: The beer pours a rather pale orange/amber color with a short live off-white head.

S: Tart apple cider mixed with garbage and some pie spices. A pretty good summary of the aromas on this beer. Quite watery with a touch of straw, maybe some lemons.

T: Flavor is better, but not good. Some bread and malt sweetness with a little spice flavor. There's also a strong tea and bad apple cider flavor.

M: Very light, watery, with medium carbonation.

O: Not nearly as awful as I feared, but not good.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 04:06:47 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.33/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a copper brown color with a very thin off white head. The nose brings a ridiculously overloaded amount of spice. Taste brings ever so slight hints of caramel and sweetness sitting behind ginormous amounts of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, clove, and probably every other spice man has ever found. Way too spicy and a bit thin overall. Poor drinkability. The epitome of what not to do with a spiced beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 02:28:17 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Hop City in Atlanta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a clear, orangy body with a short-lived, fizzled, white head.

Smell: Ever so slightly sweetish, ever so slightly spicy, with a vague impression toasted pumpkin.

Taste: Sweetish sugar-cinnamon flavor over a mild inclusion of pale malts. Modest pumpkin taste, along with mild hints of earthy nutmeg and spicy clove. Nil hop character, bitterness. Remains sweetish, lightly spicy, and with a small amount of vegetal pumpkin quality into the relatively crisp finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation, hinting at fizziness.

Overall: BB's is one of the first pumpkin beers I had years and years ago alongside Post Road. It was a simpler time, really. Years later, it's now one of the more milder, easy drinking of the bunch, with its relatively lighter tastes, particularly the spices, and the effervescent body. While not bad, it seems most are leaning towards the bolder in the growing style, like Pumking or Weyerbacher's version. I can't say I blame them.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 01:22:55 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a carrot colore body with a nice head and good lacing

Smell: Overwhelming whiff of pumpkin pie spice on the nose

Taste: As was presaged by the aroma, this is all about the spices; very little pumpkin flavor and no hop balance; finishes sweet

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with lots of carbonation

Drinkability: A bit too sweet and pumpkin pie spicy for my palate

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2005 23:31:59 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

2.65/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy orange with a 1 inch extremely fizzy off-white head that fades to nothing. No lacing whatsoever. Smell is of some malt, spices, and maybe a vegetable pumpkin-esque aroma. Pretty tame overall. Taste is of spices up front with a pumpkin-like malt flavor on the finish. The aftertaste has hints of pumpkin pie. Way too carbonated however, with a soda-like fizzy feel in the mouth. Overall, not a very good pumpkin beer at all. It may be "America's Original" but that doesn't mean it's anything worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 01:43:00 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.05/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

My girlfriend talked me into buying this one. After not wanting to, I tried one with her and was plesantly suprised. Not a world class beer, but one of the better pumpkin beers out there. A strong, but not dominant, pumpkin and spice aromas and flavors. A decently creamy texture and no vegetable or grain flavors. Mildly sweet and easy on the palate. Finishes fairly clean. I'd probably drink another with Thanksgiving dinner.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2005 12:21:05 | More by BEERchitect

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

I remember having this a long time ago, during my Purdue years, so I figured I'd revisit it whilst filling one of my newest mixed sixers. It pours a mostly clear orange-amber topped by a finger of off-white foam. Plenty o' particulates float about, suspended in mid-beer. The nose comprises cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, brown sugar, pumpkin pie filling, and honey. I wouldn't mind having a candle with this scent. The taste holds notes of clove, light black pepper, pumpkin seeds, flowers, and some light greens. Not only does this flavor combination not really follow the nose at all, it's decidedly weaker, blander, and mildly bitterer. The body is a straight medium, with a moderate carbonation and a kinda oily feel. Overall, a meek and meager pumpkin beer, one that I really don't feel like having again.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 09:58:49 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I've always been fond of this particular brew, and have looked forward to it every fall. What's not to love about an ale style once homebrewed by George Washington?
Appearance: bright, burnished orange, looking like an autumn leaf,with a head that's slim, short, soon to depart.
Aroma: all yum, the very distillation of a fresh-baked pumpkin pie, scintillatingly spicy, vibrant, richly delicious and roasty.
Taste: nice, tasty texture, some small hoppiness, then fading....nice mouthfeel, swimming about the cavern of the senses, lip-smackingly tasty. Body is light to medium, but the flavor dominates and hides any thin-ness....for a while. Nicely spicey, though not too meaty.
It's a cute novelty, not as fantastic as I remember, but a nice treat once a year.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2003 01:42:48 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy dark gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a mild pumpkin scent along with the usual cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. The taste is decent. It has a unique flavor that I'm not sure is good or bad. It has a decent pumpkin taste, but the spices are screwed up. There is an intense clove flavor that really sticks out. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate/good carbonation. This is a decent drinking pumpkin ale. If they get the spices figured out, this could be something to look forward to each year. As it stands, I'll pass next year.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2005 01:23:05 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The original.

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint glass. Beer is orange and has a slight haze to it. Froms a diffuse white broken head of small bubbles.

Aroma is cinnamon and allspice.

Beer is thin and has almost no bitterness at all. Spices up front, carbonation in the mouth is fine. Drinkability is moderate, not really my favorite even pumpkin beer. I don't think I would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 23:59:08 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours an orange color with a small white head. The aroma is grain and cinnamon, with a few other assorted spices thrown in. The flavor is similar. I get a lot of nutmeg and cinnamon notes, as well as a hint of cinnamon. Overall, the beer is lacking in the aroma and flavor and doesn't stand up to the better pumpkin beers. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 05:56:32 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a golden orange color with a tan, soapy, one-finger head. It did not leave any lace.

S - It smelled of pumpkin and nutmeg. There was also a faint cinnamon nose.

T - It tasted of pumpkin, light malt and some nutmeg.

M - It was crisp and sharp. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty good pumpkin ale. Not the best, but certainly better than others.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2007 17:16:28 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

2.85/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: The beer poured hazy light orange in color with a finger high off white head. A moderate amount of carbonation is visible from the rising bubbles.
S: The aroma isn't that strong but has some notes of pumpkins and spices.
T: Flavors of pumpkin spices dominate the overall taste, the pumpkin flavors themselves aren't that strong.
M: It feels light-bodied and a bit thin and watery on the palate. There is a medium amount of carbonation.
D: The beer is drinkable and goes down easily, but there's nothing interesting in the smell or taste that would make me want to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 17:30:56 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a copper orange color and pours with a cream colored thin head. It smells strongly of pie spices, strong nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice aromas. Quite a dry beer, not much sweetness at all. The spices in the beer are mostly evident as an aroma as one is tasting, though they also come through a bit in the finish. A fairly light beer, which is basically a vehicle for the pumpkin pie spices. The spices seem to add a bit of astringency in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2003 17:04:08 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

2.63/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light orange/gold color, with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains pumpkins, spices, light malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out a little sweet but a little fruitier than most others in the style. There are the typical flavors of pumpkins and spices but there also seems to be some other fruits. The malt character is very thin and there's a very faint hops presence. As a result, there isn't much balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: A little crisp and a little smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Kind of flavorful, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, not the best representation of style, the sweetness and lack of hops doesn't bother me with this beer because it's a Pumpkin Ale. I think the only thing that separates this beer from others in the style is the much lighter malt character. However, for this style, that is a very significant and detrimental difference.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 02:26:22 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This poured out as a pretty nice looking amber ale, the head was ever pretty thick leaving some lacing down the glass. The smell was overwhelming, I couldn't believe how strong it smelled of pumpkin and spices. This place doesn't mess around when it comes to flavoring beers. The taste is pretty strong as well. There wasn't too much of a balance really found it hard to get anything else out of it. The mouthfeel wasn't too bad but overall this beer is average to say the least.

I would like to try the Imperial Pumpkin from them just to see the difference.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 01:10:06 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Brewed by pyramid for these guys..

Pours a hazed amber with a slight white head. Hints of lacing & NO head retention, but efferevescent throughout

S: Nutmeg, cinamon & a little pumpkin

T: Cinamon & nutmeg with hints of canned pumkin up front. Some caramel & more spices as this warms. Finished a little dry with some more caramel & more spices & some pumpkin taste

MF: Light/medium bodied with lively carbonation

Drank pretty darn good for the style. I'm of the opnion that Pumpkin ales are better with more guts & abv for starters, so I'm suprised this scored as high as it did. This kicked the crap outta pumpkihead for sure. Try it, if you like this style, otherwise try it if your just curious like me, cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2007 03:41:58 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.85/5  rDev +32.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 5

12 oz. bottle, with an autumnal picture of a harvest pumpkin on the cover/label,

A: Pours a nice, cloudy, orange colour, but after the initial head is nice, it quickly dissipates to a no head brew, no lacing at all, a bit disappointing, but not terrible.

S: Very nice, smelled of fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie, the smells of autumn, with some nice nutmeg, cinnamon, and mace, love that nutmeg, I'm a sucker for that spice, it just smells like the holiday season for me, the first pumpkin ale of the season just brings on that feeling for me, wow, the summer went fast.

T: Pretty much the same as the smell, not as tasty as pumpkin pie, but few things are, the spice flavour is even more overt in the taste than in the smell, the taste is basically dominated by spice, though I can taste the pumpkin notes that are there.

M: Surprisingly light, almost feels like a fall-seasonal style pumpkin soda, very spritzy, the mouthfeel could certainly be beefed up a bit.

D: Easy to drink, a tasty beer, would be great for a Halloween party, a few tweaks could make this beer great, it almost feels like a rough draft, a first brewing for what could be a really spectacular beer, still it is a fun beer to drink, it really goes for this pumpkin spice flavour, which I feel is different from a lot of the pumpkin ales out there which taste like an amber ale, mixed with a bit of pumpkin spice, so this is something that I will continue to buy each October that it comes out.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 03:21:22 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

1.3/5  rDev -55.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours copper/orange with plenty of clarity. A white foamy head descends to a disappearing thin cover.

The smell and taste are of pumpkin puree. Metallic and funky. Spicy in a medicinal/herbal way with a near-ridiculous amount of nutmeg. Pumpkin comes through in an artificial-fruit way. Some Band-Aids in the finish.

Yikes - this is awful...no "beer quality" and hardly any pumpkin pie flavor.

It's rather thin with quite a bit of carbonation that helps wipe away the flavor. Normally, that's not a good thing, but I find myself being grateful in this case.

Nasty stuff here. It's the "original" that has been outdone by many. Pass on this one - a medicinal/herbal mess.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 14:31:32 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Had a bottle on Halloween. Poured a hazy amber with a short head. The beer starts out with a big pumpkin pie flavor, heavy on the spice, with a slight sourdough tang in the background. The body is light-medium but the balance between the spices and malt are off, leaving an small, unpleasant tang in the aftertaste. Not bad, but there are better pumpkin options.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 19:46:21 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Copper amber tone with a light colored cream head, this beer contains sparse lacing not much just specks scattered. Aroma: Great pumpkin pie aromatics very solid scent of cinnamon, pumpkin, and other cream infused spices. Taste: Flavor doesn't deliver as well as some pumpkin ales I've tried but this one is not bad, just the spicing is a bit cloying here I'd much rather enjoy another Post Road from Brooklyn brewing or even a Blue Moon much smoother and still delivers the pumpkin pie esque tones. Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy but carbonation is a bit high and overal mouthfeel seems a bit thin and textureless compared to other beers of this style. Drinkability: Decent worth a shot not a pick up a case type of beer but then again maybe not even a six pack beer I wish I could have another to taste it again but I probably won't be investing anymore money on this ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2003 14:52:45 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

From notes off the 2006 production. Pours crystal clear and orange hued with a one finger head that drops while leaving no lace. The nose is spiced, kind of like pumpkin pie. Maybe a little bit like sweet potato pie too. On the palate it is thick, full, and lasting. You definitely get some pumpkin on there, but more so I think, that spice that you got on the nose. Sure it’s a novelty seasonal, but it is a pretty interesting brew. For a few sips it was cool, and then the spice got to be too much and I couldn’t finish the bottle. If I drank a third of it, that’s it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 04:00:21 | More by RblWthACoz