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

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

Iamstryker

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

05-16-2013 22:16:21 | More by Iamstryker

ajtorres311

Florida

3/5  rDev -15.3%

05-16-2013 15:54:06 | More by ajtorres311

erialbill

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

05-15-2013 12:56:33 | More by erialbill

carterbt

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-14-2013 03:18:57 | More by carterbt

russwilliam

New York

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

05-13-2013 21:52:09 | More by russwilliam

jokulhaps

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-13-2013 02:43:03 | More by jokulhaps

rph97

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-09-2013 23:13:43 | More by rph97

ssimpson89

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

05-06-2013 02:46:50 | More by ssimpson89

BYOFB

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-05-2013 21:37:44 | More by BYOFB

jmmy3

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

05-05-2013 07:31:47 | More by jmmy3

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

05-05-2013 03:21:02 | More by DrunkinYogi

ZEB89

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.3%

05-04-2013 20:02:47 | More by ZEB89

Hines219

Ohio

4/5  rDev +13%

04-29-2013 17:53:00 | More by Hines219

FliryVorru

Alabama

4/5  rDev +13%

04-29-2013 17:28:31 | More by FliryVorru

bigflu

West Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

04-29-2013 14:14:07 | More by bigflu

TTripp725

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +20.1%

04-28-2013 05:15:01 | More by TTripp725

ronbo5421

Washington

4/5  rDev +13%

04-23-2013 02:29:45 | More by ronbo5421

J_Dub

Texas

3/5  rDev -15.3%

04-22-2013 22:14:38 | More by J_Dub

JHurley

Alabama

2.5/5  rDev -29.4%

04-21-2013 02:09:49 | More by JHurley

GRE680

Michigan

3/5  rDev -15.3%

04-20-2013 22:38:21 | More by GRE680

sdsimkins

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

04-16-2013 15:07:29 | More by sdsimkins

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

randylangford

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.3%

04-14-2013 01:29:12 | More by randylangford

Jetfan247

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

04-13-2013 01:38:20 | More by Jetfan247