Fruit Crate Pumpkin Ale
Hermitage Brewing

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Hermitage Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Pumpkin Beer
ABV:
9%
Score:
68
Avg:
2.6 | pDev: 22.69%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 31, 2015
Added:
Oct 16, 2012
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bros:

  None found.

 
Rated: 3.38 by chrisjws from California

Oct 31, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.11/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
November 29th, 2013 - Another pumpkin beer, another consumer push, adding to the out-of-control momentum towards all things pumpkin. But as long as we're embracing this trend with honesty, I'm in. And I'm into this beer, finishing up a Thanksgiving where I had too little wine, leaving an appetite for beer. The head is surprisingly pale, but the body is a deep, mahogany liquid, clear and transparent like pure amber, distorting and vexing my view of the long dinner table, decorated with animal carcass and pleasingly emptied bowls of foodstuffs. Herbaceous and with hints of harvest, the aroma is heavy with that "brewery tour" scent, and with the exception of those botanical bits and pieces, this has all the personality of a red ale, rich with caramel, and dashed with a smear of pumpkin, plus an accent of hops over the vowel. The flavor is much more perfumed, overpowering and clumsy at first. The hop punch is strong, leading to citrus and bitterness, and served on a velvet soft, medium-light palate. And the aftertaste is long, giving a full meal and full repast. My question here is this: is there pumpkin? Maybe some spices? Not really, or sporadically even, and that is strange. But it is fine drinking, hoppy and spicy, but absent of pumpkin, and for that reason only, unsatisfactory.
Oct 14, 2015
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.53/5  rDev +35.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
500 ml bottle (1 pint 0.9 fl oz) with no bottled on date present. A new one to me from Hermitage Brewing Company, acquired this oddity at the local Binny's. 9.00% abv, 'Ale brewed with California Heritage Pumpkins'.

Poured into a clear balloon snifter.

A - It pours a very dark copper red, borderline ruby colored body. Less than a finger of frothy khaki bubbles for a head, and some dark flecks of sediment seen floating in the glass. Appears dark and full, with low carb. Looks more like a barleywine almost than it does a pumpkin ale. Looks good nonetheless.

S - A sweetened caramel aroma seems to dominate. Maybe some candied figs and some muted spicing, but nothing I would describe as pumpkin / gourd. Caramel, toffee, and indistinct spices / fruit seems to dominate.

T - Taste follows the nose: musty, yeasty, caramel, toffee. Some mild alcohol phenols. Again, nothing I would describe as pumpkin or gourd.

M - Feel is smooth & creamy. Lingering caramel / toffee. Some mild alcohol warmth. Medium-full bodied with good carb.

Overall, an average, hefty representation of the style. Not one I'd have again. I have yet to be truly impressed by Hermitage, but I look forward to trying more.

Hermitage Brewing Fruit Crate Pumpkin Ale -----3.5/5
Aug 11, 2015
 
Rated: 2.89 by avwrite from California

Dec 30, 2014
Photo of orcrist_cleaver
Reviewed by orcrist_cleaver from New York

2.72/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
A: Has an okay dense and sticky caramel color. Substantial head.

S: Predominantly metallic and makes me scared to drink it. Some nutmeg, cinnamon sneak in.

M: Not a hint of the 9.0% ABV comes through which is impressive considering the lighter body and very fine but active carbonation.

T/O: They say no spices come in and it's all pumpkin. Great, I love it the concept, but NEWSFLASH there's a reason that pumpkin spice is a thing. It's really earthy, really gourdy, natural astringency and lemon tartness shine. it breaks the mold of the stereotypical sweet pumpkin beer, and brings savory to another level. Like I'm savoring for some brown sugar right now. Just unbalanced, but this beer has very very good bones. Has pie crust malt base flavor to a tee. Better than my rating suggest and worth the try.
Nov 02, 2014
Photo of spacecake9
Reviewed by spacecake9 from Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +25%
I poured this into my trusty Pumking Goblet.

A - Very pleasing orange tinged brown ale appearance. A nice 1/2" foamy head that slowly reduced to an 1/8" thick and stayed through my first couple sips. This is a great looking beer!

S - Not a stong aroma, but what there is smells more squashy than pumpkin. No hint of any spices at all.

T- Has a straightforward mild brown ale flavor. Not a complex flavor, again no spices at all.

M - Medium mouth feel, not thin, not thick, very drinkable.

O - This is an average beer, decent flavor and drinkable. But if you didn't tell me it had pumpkin in it I would not know. Why go to all the trouble of adding pumpkins when you can't taste them? This is a great looking beers that tastes good. Next year they should kick up the pumpkins and spices and go for something special.
Oct 23, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by st9647v3 from New Jersey

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by caustin90 from Missouri

Jul 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by samtrillo from California

Jun 04, 2014
Photo of TruePerception
Reviewed by TruePerception from California

3.19/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
(Previous review, transferred from beer journal)

Hermitage's Fruit Crate Pumpkin Ale: 9% ABV; Appearance: amber; Smell: wheat, hint of hop, (edit: slight grasiness); Taste: faint pumpkin (edit: skin, waxy), light hop, easy to drink for a higher content beer, decent.

Poured into a pint glass.

Edit: updating my score from the original 2.75/2.75/3.25/3.25/3.25.
May 08, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by Kahlerbock from Kansas

Jan 29, 2014
 
Rated: 1 by SoCaliC8 from Idaho

Jan 17, 2014
Photo of MadeInOregon
Reviewed by MadeInOregon from California

2.1/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2
and so the hit-or-miss of hermitage continues...

no pumpkin and none of the standard pumpkin spices either (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.).

this takes like the beer you tried to make at home to impress your friends using barley pellets and hop extract. it's cheap and very amateur tasting not to mention a lame attempt at making a "pumpkin ale."

i'm officially done wasting my money on hermitage beers. too many bad ones. these guys should call it a day...
Dec 11, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by GraduatedCashew from California

Nov 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by jpaulsen from California

Oct 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by KevT from California

Oct 12, 2013
 
Rated: 1.75 by AlaskanYoung from Arkansas

Oct 07, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by Schlafly33 from Missouri

Oct 06, 2013
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

2.72/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
Poured out clear orange color with very little head. It smelled of fake pumpkin. Kinda musty smelling. Tasted of light pumpkin flavors with little to no pumpkin pie spices.
Oct 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Matt_Ortiz from California

Sep 27, 2013
Fruit Crate Pumpkin Ale from Hermitage Brewing
Beer rating: 68 out of 100 with 28 ratings