Pumple Drumkin Spiced Ale - Cisco Brewers Inc.

falloutsnow

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

From: Binny's, Des Plaines
Date: "2332 08:30" stamped on bottle
Glass: Tulip

Cisco's pumpkin ale is an interesting version of the style, relying more on hop and herbal flavors to complement the malt and pumpkin bill. While intriguing, I found the flavors somewhat off-putting, while the weak mouthfeel does little to make me want to sip more of this. In general, a pumpkin beer I'll avoid in the future.

Pours a nice, 2cm head of off-white foam composed of small bubbles. Recedes to a thick ring around the glass with some whispy foam lingering atop the body of the beer. Lacing is moderate, with a few choice swatches along the glass' edges. Body is a transparent copper color with medium-intensity carbonation, streaming up from the bottom center of the glass.

Aroma is moderately hoppy with an herbal tinge, vegetal, a bit compost-like, along with a biscuity, bready aroma that's heavier in the background. An interesting aroma, definitely different from the sweeter, pie-spiced, but perhaps too vegetable and herbal like, and not bready or pie spice enough.

Taste is overall kind of like a pumpkin-y, herbal-hoppy, slightly watered-down caramel malt soup. There's a distinct lack of pie spices here, instead herbal hops are the dominant spicing candidate. Tasting opens with toffee-like malt sweetness with a bit of bitterness and a slight Mid-palate is herbal, modestly bitter, and slightly sweet. Back of palate is more bitter with continued herbal undertones. Aftertaste is somewhat bitter, a bit grainy and sweet, with small hints of herbal flavors.

Beer is medium to medium-light bodied with medium to medium-low level carbonation. The resulting mouthfeel is a fairly smooth, somewhat creamy and foamy beer, but it is also disappointingly watery as the glass wears on. Finish is semi-dry.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 05:03:19 | More by falloutsnow

beernads

Florida

2/5  rDev -44.1%

05-08-2013 09:13:37 | More by beernads

notchucknorris

California

1.61/5  rDev -55%
look: 1.25 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 1.5

A: Pours a murky reddish brown color with a one finger tan head. Looks okay at first, but when I hold it up to the light, I notice huge green floaties swirling everywhere. Eventually, they settle to the bottom, leaving a thick layer at the bottom of the glass. Uggghhhh.

S: So....it's a rum barrel aged pumpkin ale that smells like a bag of hops. Okay... A weird vegetal smell that smells like acorn squash, iron-y malt (seriously, it smells like blood), and some ammonia. Great!

T: Oh my sweet lord. What the hell is this??? Tastes like someone dragged a pill of aspirin through a litter box. Bitter with a truly horrible chalky yeast meets pet dander flavor. Leaves a gross, rotten vegetable flavor on the tongue that I don't forsee going away for at least the remainder of tonight. What a mistake. Stay away my friends, stay far, far away!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:08:06 | More by notchucknorris

ericdupont

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

04-21-2013 04:59:09 | More by ericdupont

Mike

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +11.7%

04-20-2013 02:02:22 | More by Mike

ediaz

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

04-19-2013 01:04:36 | More by ediaz

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

04-14-2013 18:13:01 | More by Celtics76

THECPJ

Delaware

3/5  rDev -16.2%

04-01-2013 02:15:48 | More by THECPJ

jp312

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16.2%

03-02-2013 17:29:10 | More by jp312

davey101

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -30.2%

03-02-2013 07:19:42 | More by davey101

EFR94

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +11.7%

02-28-2013 00:40:13 | More by EFR94

pintofparadise

South Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -23.2%

02-18-2013 02:47:30 | More by pintofparadise

Metal4Breakfast

Florida

3/5  rDev -16.2%

02-05-2013 02:17:31 | More by Metal4Breakfast

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Draft at The Pour House in Westmont, NJ.

Pours a very dark ruby red/copper color with dark orange edges and a half finger off-white head that immediately dissapears.  No lacing.

Sweet pumpkin pie aroma with zesty autumnal spices and vanilla.  Pumpkin purée along with cinnamon, brown sugar, clove and nutmeg.  There's a subtle vegetal quality but it smells more dessert like than anything.

Medium bodies with a strong zesty spicy presence up front that lingers over the sweet pumpkin notes into a dry finish.  Slightly more vegetal than expected but still sweet with prominent autumnal spice.  Not as dessert like with lots of clove, pepper and allspice followed by pumpkin purée, nutmeg and bready malt.  ABV is well masked with no alcoholic heat making it decently drinkable.  Could be a touch sweeter but it's not a bad interpretation of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 02:50:31 | More by corby112

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle. No bottled on date present, just a code. Poured into a Boulevard tulip.

A - Pours a nice copper color with a strong one a half finger head that goes down semi-quick. Steady stream of bubbles rushing to the top.

S - Cinnamon / nutmeg smell is dominant in the beginning, followed by a more wheaty malt backbone. Very fresh baked cinnamon smell is interesting.

T - Extremely malty with the traditional Halloween spices: allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg. Not the best taste, that's for sure. Not enough actual pumpkin flavor, and too heavy on the spices. Slight carbonation tickles the tongue.

M - Tingly, carbonated mouth feel. Some spices lingering.

Overall, not too impressed, but not a bad beer at all. However, there are better balanced and more intense pumpkin brews to be had.

Cisco Pumple Drumkin ---3/5.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 03:30:10 | More by mfnmbvp

jdhasse

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

12-22-2012 19:59:15 | More by jdhasse

jpro

South Carolina

2.43/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12oz single from Total Wine. Poured into a shaker pint glass...

A: Murky, dusty copper; one finger of off white head on a stiff pour; a few splotches of lace.

S: Pie crust; pumpkin; fall spices.

T: Bleh... Watery. Not much malt or any sort of backbone; some all-spice on the end, but pretty lackluster.

M: Medium-bodied; low carbonation; no finish.

O: Never again - worst pumpkin ale I think I"ve had.

*from notes: 9/19/12

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 02:52:45 | More by jpro

slyons16

4/5  rDev +11.7%

12-17-2012 04:16:49 | More by slyons16

MEW

New York

3/5  rDev -16.2%

12-14-2012 02:43:22 | More by MEW

kylehay2004

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thin head on a bright clear copper body. Aromas of caramel malts, hint of brown sugar and little in the way of pumpkin really.flavor is boring even for the style opening with caramel and toasted malts with brown sugar moving to a more fresh pumpkin over a spiced or pumpkin pie sweetness. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Overall even for the style, this one is boring and under flavored.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:25:47 | More by kylehay2004

Trevormcraig

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

12-02-2012 23:42:58 | More by Trevormcraig

Chugs13

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

12-02-2012 01:12:35 | More by Chugs13

Proclarush

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

11-30-2012 02:43:59 | More by Proclarush

LeRose

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Meh...not much going on IMHO. Kind of an orange/amber color - pleasant enough. Aroma didn't seem like anything much - not getting the pumpkin pie or much in the way of the gourd aroma. Flavor overall seemed quite lackluster. Lacking pumpkin flavor an maybe they waved some spices over the brew kettle. Just tasted like a plain old ale. Would not buy again, would not recommend as an example of a pumpkin fall seasonal.

Understand this will be low on the curve here. My wife likes the pumpkin seasonals, so we've tried a bunch of them (at least a couple of bottles) and this one was not a fave for sure and our independent notes are in 100% agreement, strange but true :-)

Reviewed from notes

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 20:01:44 | More by LeRose

CampusCrew

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks like a dark maerzen... great looking color beer, head is a bit bubbly... lots of carbonation... aromas are slight pumpkin spice hintes that this wont be killed and over done with spices.... good... flavor is sublte as well... amber ale base with flavors of raw pumkin and spices on the back. Not an over done spiced pumpkin... which i like, but the beer lacks complexity. Decent and i dont mind drinking because it not ruined with marketing spices.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 17:34:00 | More by CampusCrew