Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.69/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Understated pumpkiness and carbonation from a few weeks past expiration date. Extra in trade, because I had missed its more limited distribution. Yellow orange bodied. Very drinkable, a but saison like, and even appealing to sip by the ladies. Pumpkin at the end, its really the spices that was its appeal. Easy mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 03:50:58 | More by northyorksammy

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.51/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

"Early New England colonists were nothing if not resourceful. Lacking traditional malts, they added pumpkin to their brews, & the first pumpkin ales were born. This modern adaptation uses 4 different malts, and over 17 lbs. of pumpkin per barrel, for a rich depth of flavor & unmistakable character. Cheers!" Harvest Pumpkin Ale is brewed in the style of a Pumpkin Ale. Available as part of the Harvest Collection Twelve Pack as well as a limited release in 6 packs. Date on bottle is ticked mid-January 2013.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served north of 48º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a thick copper creamy head of a creamy frothy consistency and slightly above average retention. Body color is a deep red-orange, mostly translucent with trace sediment and spritely carbonation. It's a bit darker than most pumpkin beers. No lingering lacing. There's nothing too exciting about this aspect, but I've seen worse. 3.25

(Smell) Common for the style, the aroma is led by a spice blend; nutmeg and cloves are most dominant, with cinnamon and pumpkin taking a back seat. The pumpkin is slightly raw, not terribly understated in the aroma, but certainly overshadowed by the spice characters. Mildly dry from the spices, but some trace bready malt sweetness keeps this from falling sharply out-of-balance. Despite some mild caramel husk tones, there is a non-intrusive malt profile. Hop profile is mild, slightly herbal and spicy. The spice aroma is nearly at the maximum for my personal tolerance, but the aroma would be so much more accessible with a slightly sweeter and pumpkin-led aroma. 3.5

(Taste) Pumpkin and spice are better balanced in the flavor, although the pumpkin is still shallow in comparison. Malt profile is full on characters, both good and off notes. Slightly thin malt profile, could use a bit more sweet malt character. Some mild acidity and grain alcohol is the only complication from an otherwise clean finish. The bready and toasted roasted malt conclusion is a somewhat unique finish for this style. Pretty short on the pumpkin character and a notch on the malt sweetness, although some rough-edged huskiness is a welcome variation to the style. Mild dry finish- the spices are kept in check with this one but still play a major role in defining the overall flavor impression. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Mild carbonation level, with a mild smoothness. Medium body for Pumpkin ales, medium body overall. Alcohol presence is medium for the style, a bit accelerated by the grain alcohol notes. Mild dry finish from spices and malt grain astringencies. A pleasant carbonation profile give this a slight upper-hand. 3.75

(Overall) As compared to other pumpkin options, Samuel Adams' Harvest Pumpkin Ale is on the mark for body and carbonation, short on pumpkin character and high on spice character dryness and rugged grain notes. Despite its huskiness, the drinkability remains high. It's tough to say I'd recommend this, as I prefer a cleaner and more pumpkin-forward sweet beer, and this beer, while shallow on those aspects, meets my expectations halfway. It's a tough style to master, so this is worthy of a try while you're looking for "the one". 3.5

Boston Beer Company's
Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
3.51/5.00

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 03:17:21 | More by Jadjunk

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.64/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Rich, malty aroma has a strong overtone of cinnamon and a firm pumpkin hint. Pours a clear, dark copper with a thick, fine-bubbled, persistent light tan head. Flavor has a core of malt and pumpkin with strong cinnamon and clove notes and just a hint of caramel. Quite satisfying and tasty, almost like a liquid pumpkin pie. Smooth texture has good body and fizz. A darned good beer for saying farewell to Summer and hello to Autumn.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:27:39 | More by Cyberkedi

neophilus

Massachusetts

4.26/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Light chestnut colored ale. Aroma is heavy on spices with nutmeg taking the lead. Body is thin with moderately-high carbonation.

Ginger and Nutmeg balance each other out well in the finish. The beer is crisp, light and very drinkable. Pumpkin beers are really about the spices, which in this beer are obvious but at the same time fulfill expectations. A pumpkin beer I could easily drink several of, and that is saying something.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 18:30:30 | More by neophilus

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Harvest Pumpkin Ale opens to a sweet, pumpkin pie-like aroma, heavy on spices and squash. Immediately apparent are strong notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and pepper, as well as vanilla and hints of molasses, these blending in with what is obviously a large amount of pure pumpkin (17 lbs. per barrel, according to the neck label). The malts bring a pie crust feel, with toast crust, biscuit, and floury baguette aromas. Together these notes are nice, amounting to a slightly heavily-spiced store-bought pumpkin pie. Additional hints of apricot, orange, and cherry, as well as brown sugar, add further complexity. The aromas are a bit light on the beer side, the beverage dominated by pumpkin and spice, but even those exist in only medium strength. They are, however, very well blended together, and the recipe has obviously been tinkered with for quite a while to achieve a good balance.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a pumpkin and spice blast that is a bit heavier on the spice than it is on the pumpkin. Nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, clove, and black pepper add a nice bouquet here, with the pumpkin sort of struggling for attention against the spices, but still adding a nice cooked squash note. Touches of molasses and brown sugar mix with the breads, which add biscuit and toast crust, forming a toasted pie crust sensation. Very light apricot fruit esters add additional layers. The pumpkin flavors grow over the course of the mouthful as the initial sugars and spices die off, ending up dominating the aftertaste, which is a bit too much like biting into a chunk of raw pumpkin, and lingers for a long time. Mouthfeel is an oily medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is a decent pumpkin-flavored ale, and there’s much to like in here, including a nice selection of spices and a bevy of pumpkin flavors. The underlying beer seems to suffer a bit from these additions, lacking distinct characteristics, and the aftertaste is unfortunately lingering and overly raw in pumpkin flesh, leaving a mildly unpleasant flavor on the tongue. But subsequent sips of the beer do much to relieve this aftertaste, and at an easily-drinkable 5.7% ABV, this is a nice lunch beer for sunny fall afternoons.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 18:29:52 | More by jondeelee

dbossman

Nebraska

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep reddish copper with a thin but steady head; okay lacing

S: Lots of spice--allspice, nutmeg, pepper with of course pumpkin, but not-overpowering; there is a toasty bready undertone but mostly pumpkin and spices

T: Quite spicy up front but those spices fade nicely into a bready malty finish; of course the pumpkin is at the core here but those spices (nutmeg, allspice in particular) take the forefront early

F: A touch thin--especially on the back end but decent overall mouthfeel

O: This is a decently spicy but easy-drinking pumpkin beer

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 03:37:10 | More by dbossman

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a nice amber pour, a finger of head which quickly diminished. smells of pumpkin pie spices.. bread crust. the flavor is honestly a bit bitter and tea like for a pumpkin ale.. which is a relief. tired of the sweet pumpkin pie spice flavor on these beers. also, this is probably due to letting this sit for a few months.medium body, nicely carbonated, slightly creamy.

not a bad pumpkin ale.. almost a blend of an amber and pumpkin spices..

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 02:24:36 | More by facundoCNB

Boto

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle: This one pours a fairly clear reddish, darker amber color. There was very little off-white head on it. It did not linger nor leave any lacing. The aroma is pretty much pumpkin pie-like spices. Nutmeg is most prevalent. Taste is good. Taste of lighter pumpkin, some (but not overpowering) spices. Fairly clean and refreshing finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 16:40:46 | More by Boto

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle, no bottled on date present.

A - Nut brown ale color, light tan color head which starts out big but recedes very quickly into nothing. Very dark body, looks pretty clean.

S - Banana bread. Toasted malts. Some roasted pumpkin and cinnamon & nutmeg.

T - A subtle smokiness flavor is what jumped out at me initially. Cinnamon and spices. Roasted pumpkin, but very faint. Would have liked it to have been stronger on the pumpkin flavor.

M - Mostly a very clean mouthfeel, slightly carbonated, and a little bit of a spice lingering taste happening.

Overall, not my favorite pumpkin beer at all. It was about how I expected it would be, slightly on the boring side. I tried the Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale earlier this year, which is obviously a better beer than this. Start out with this one and then work your way onwards, I say.

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale ---3/5

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 22:40:03 | More by mfnmbvp

DavidS88

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A surprisingly light and refreshing pumpkin ale, Harvest Pumpkin would be a great introduction to pumpkin and spiced ales. I've had this out of 12oz bottles in the Samuel Adams Harvest pack and on draft at a local bar, and both times I loved every sip. It's a light orange-gold color with minimal white head on it, but good lacing as I drank it. The smell was lightly spiced with some sweet cinnamon and other fall spices. The taste was largely the same, which is why I think this would be a great introductory pumpkin ale. Flavors of pumpkin pie and spices come through with a clean, refreshing mouthfeel. A good balance between the two extremes I've found in pumpkin ales that are usually all spices or all vegetable flavors. Overall, I really enjoyed every Harvest Pumpkin I've had. It's a great fall brew that leaves the drinker wanting to dive into more complex beers. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 17:27:57 | More by DavidS88

StJamesGate

New York

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bright ruby with an orange-tinged double cream yellow head.
Caramelized brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice on the nose.
Caramel, spice and earthy root veg thing then some noble spice but generally just dies.
Apple crumble finish and dry fruit skin linger.
Light, greasy, crisp, thin.

Too light and thin for an ale, with no finish, nothing doing but the vague pumkiness. A spiced ale for lager drinkers. Disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 16:11:03 | More by StJamesGate

lwillitz

Florida

4.06/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12-oz bottle into Samuel Smith "Tulip" pint glass

A - 2 fingers of medium tan head atop a crystal-clear deep orange/ruby body, small amount of visible carbonation

S - malty with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)

T - delightfully malty with fresh pumpkin; same spices as the nose; toffee sweetness; hop spice; balanced finish

M - medium-bodied, prickly carbonation

O - a good representation of the style

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 22:37:26 | More by lwillitz

Chris_Cali_2o9

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams cup

A- Reddish copper, 1 1/2" off white head

S- Spicey ginger bread, herbal

T- Ginger bread, caramel, raw pumpkin, same old spices

M- Medium body, crisp carbonation

O- Same old, same old... A pumpkin ale is never what i hoped. When i think of a pumpkin ale, i think of creamy pumpkin pie, yet all i ever get is pumpkin water, drenched in the same played out spices, designed to fool us that we, in fact, have a holiday pumpkin ale. This brew isn't bad, it's just generic.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 04:13:44 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

zeledonia

Minnesota

2.73/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Best before February (2013 I assume). Tasted 25 October 2012, reviewed from notes. Getting a little burned out on pumpkin ales, and this is the last one in my fridge.

Pours a deep, very reddish brown. Clear despite the dark color. One finer of cream-colored orange-tinged head, relaxes quickly to a thin cap, leaving little lacing.

Smell is rich and pumpkiny. Lightly sweet, but starchy and full as well. Spices are faint in the smell.

Hmm. Taste doesn't come through with as much pumpkin as I'd like. Relatively thin, moderately bitter, some squash, a bit of spice on the back-end. Just bland. I might call this a dull brown ale if I hadn't read the label. Doesn't taste bad, but doesn't taste good either.

Mouthfeel is fine, medium body, mouthfilling, decent carbonation.

Taste is a real downer. Kinda bitter, kinda bland, and just really not what I was looking for. Odd, since I actually really liked the smell.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 05:11:13 | More by zeledonia

barczar

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliant deep amber color with a solid beige one inch head that dissipates somewhat quickly.

Deep caramel malt dominated the aroma, sweet and toasty bread following, with a bit of pumpkin and nutmeg at the finish. There's a ginger note present.

Flavor reveals deeply caramelized and toasted malt, nutty and toffee like with a hint of char at the finish. It's fairly sweet, with pumpkin surfacing late, along with a cola-like spice mix of ginger and nutmeg. There's a fruitiness that is offputting.

Body and carbonation are both moderate, and there's a but of a bite at the finish.

Overall, more malt-centric than pumpkin. Better than the overly spiced versions of the style, but pretty subtle for a pumpkin beer. Good malt character.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 06:29:30 | More by barczar

ChimRichels

Wisconsin

2.95/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Deep copper body with some hints of an earthy brown. Slighty beige head is thin, yet hangs around fairly well. No lacing.

S - I would have probably guessed this was a Boston Lager if I didn't know what it was. A nice bready malt comes through, but no spices or pumpkin presence that I can decipher. Maybe a little cinnamon if I can really envision it.

T - Pumpkin is coming through a lot more in the taste, but this is a pretty bland beer overall. Some dry spices come through like nutmeg and cinnamon, but again you have to dig deep for them.

M - A little heavy on the carbonation for me.

O - A very approachable beer that sacrifices flavor for broad appeal. About what I expected, I suppose. Regardless, it's something I could drink again but would not seek out.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 01:27:16 | More by ChimRichels

gmfessen

Michigan

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, Harvest Pumpkin Ale is a red-amber color with a thick, cream-colored, pillowy head. The nose is a mixture of sweet amber malts and spices - cinnamon, cloves and all-spice. The taste follows suit with the spices coming to the forefront and the beer being well balanced, even to the point of slightly bitter on the finish - as opposed to most pumpkin ales that seem to lean more to the sweeter side of the spectrum. Mouthfeel is light in body with a minimally active carbonation and slightly dry finish. Overall, this is not a bad pumpkin ale; that being said there are many better ones out there too.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:17:33 | More by gmfessen

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

2.85/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Everyone seems to be drinking this at fall gatherings so far. Shipyard Pumpkinhead too so I guess there's that.

Dark browny orange color. Thick sheet of foam melts but never leaves. A fine looking pumpkin beer.

Smells like pumpkin pie spice. I can't pick out much, if any, malt.

Tastes like steely, vegetal pie spice. Watery for almost 6% or for any abv. Like the the aroma, there's a lot of malt missing here.

Tickles the pumpkin beer itch but that's about it.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 16:49:48 | More by donkeyrunner

davecavemaster

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I've found that Sam Adams can be hit or miss when it comes to their seasonal beers. Sometimes, even seasonal beers that I normally enjoy can be sub-par compared to previous years. I had never had their Harvest Pumpkin Ale, so I didn't know what I was going to get...

samuel adams harvest pumpkin ale

The beer pours a nice bubbly, tan head. The foam does not last long, and there is no lacing on the glass at all.

The color of this pumpkin ale is a really nice looking reddish amber.

This is a very spicy pumpkin beer. The nose is full of alot of the common fall spices like clove, nutmeg and allspice. Nice smell, but very little actual pumpkin.

The taste is heavy on the spicy too. Very malty beer, with most of the upfront flavors being the spices. Not as much of the pumpkin taste as I was expecting... The bottle says they use "17 lbs. of real pumpkin per barrel." The beer also has a very dry ending, and a somewhat bitter aftertaste. Not a bad taste by any means, but I've had better.

Another thing that surprised me was how little carbonation this ale has. As mentioned, the head is gone very quickly, and then the rest of the beer borders on being flat.

Overall, this is a good, not great pumpkin beer. Very heavy on spice, and a bit too flat for my liking. One positive is that it is a very easy beer to drink, you can easily put down two or three without tiring of the "novelty" of the seasonal taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:01:09 | More by davecavemaster

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz longneck
A) Pours with a finger thick head then settles quickly. Clear, amber colored body. Minimal lacing on the drink down.
S) Spices - nutmeg, cinnamon. Pumpkin.
T) Spicy pumpkin. Malty notes. Hints of toffee. Molasses. A lingering grainy and spices aftertaste.
M) Medium light body. Dry. Slight metallic feel.
O) A well crafted pumpkin / harvest seasonal brew. I'd definitely drink another.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:50:15 | More by u2carew

kshizzle101

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - dark reddish-brown with a 2 inch head. Barely any lacing down the glass.

S - pumpkin, spice, nutmeg, malty

T - Very malty, spicy. Get quite a bit of pumpkin taste

M - Very drinkable, not heavy at all

Overall - A very good beer by Sam Adams (normally, I'm not a huge fan). In my opinion, it has just the right amount of pumpkin coming through. I find that most of the pumpkin ales I try are either overbearing or too lite.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 00:28:38 | More by kshizzle101

NHGrafx

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a red amber color with 1 finger head and no lace.

Smell is spicy with cloves and nutmeg with roasted malts and pumpkin, there is also light cinnamony sweetness to it as well.

Taste is decent, like liquid pumpkin pie with malts. There is also a hint of what tastes like spiced chai tea. I was expecting more pumpkin taste considering the bottle claims they use 17lbs per barrel. Overall it is not bad, drinkability is pretty good as well.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 23:16:00 | More by NHGrafx

bboven

Texas

2.63/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Hmmm. Not what I expected from SAm Adams.

A: Nice rich brown color, very clear but no head or lacing whatsoever.

S: Big cloves right up front, vanilla.

T: Starts out typical of the style, sort of fake metallic pumpkin flavor but ends with a very unpleasant bitter phenolic roast.

M: Very undercarbonated, bordering on straight up flat.

Pass.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 14:46:26 | More by bboven

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

2.93/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: poured from 12 oz bottle (bbd Apr 13) into a pint glass, clear red brown color, tiny head that quickly dissipated leaving no lacing, flat as far as carbonation
S: surprisingly faint smell of spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, molasses, brown sugar, malt background of caramel
T: tastes of the afore mentioned spices but with a strange smokey burnt quality, there is pumpkin hiding somewhere in this mess of flavors, sweet in the middle but dry almost sour after swallowing
M: kind of flat and watery, doesn't end well
O: not my favorite seasonal this fall, the smell was exciting but the taste let me down

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 02:23:11 | More by M_C_Hampton

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a reddish amber with good clarity and a short lived head, no lacing is left behind on the glass. Medium body and carbonation levels.

Smells and tastes of the expected pumpkin pie spicing with decent amounts of nutmeg and cinnamon without being overbearing to the toasted and caramel malts. The difference between this pumpkin beer and a lot of the other ones on the market seems to be a sharp accent of powdered dried ginger in the mid-sip and a touch of white pepper dust. It's somewhat better than the average pumpkin beer at a reasonable price point.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 18:54:15 | More by WastingFreetime