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

OverToad

Texas

5/5  rDev +41.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What a wonderful surprise to see this offered this year.

Pours a deep orange color with nice head. Lots of lacing. The taste is fantastic and the best pumpkin beer I've had. Nice spices and I didn't have to look for the pumpkin in this brew.

I really really hope SA makes this in a 6 pack next year, but I do not want them to drop their Oktoberfest either. Oh how I love the fall beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 15:19:08 | More by OverToad

CuseItUp

New York

4.9/5  rDev +38.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - Dark amber pour, a good solid foam sitting on top after a proper pour. Excellent start.

Aroma - light pumpkin, slightly spice smell. I like it.

Taste - malts and pumpkin and pumpkin spices hit in tandem. Fine unison, these flavors. On the swallow there is a light astringency cutting through the sweet, the malt, and the spice. Aftertaste has a touch of abv and the finish reprises the flavors nicely. Impressive flavor for a beer under 7%. Most pumpkin beers only get this big when the abv ramps up some.

Mouthfeel - very smooth, a bit heavy, but perfect.

Drinkability - YES! I'm glad that this has earned its own six-pack release.

Overall - one of the best Pumpkin beers I had to date. SAM did a great job with this.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 00:06:26 | More by CuseItUp

JDK

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +37%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An excellent fall beer, and I only like the SA Octoberfest better

Beautiful, clear amber pour with a 2 finger head. One of the best beers to really appreciate the Sam Adams glass as you can really see the swirl of bubble created by the etching in the glass coming up in a "tube" throughout the whole beer

Light lacing and the carbonation was spot on

I could smell cloves and pumpkin spice, very nice with not one thing over powering something else.

Medium mouthfeel with with a balanced taste of pumpkin, clove and spice. Leaves a very nice after taste that will last a very long time.

Very good overall seasonal beer, just wish I didn't have to buy it in a 12 pack seasonal box.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 01:32:18 | More by JDK

mattkoon

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +34.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

let me start by saying that I love pumpkin ales. This pumpkin from sam adams is fantastic. The color is a rich brown orange. The smell is packed with ginget and pumpkin spices. The taste is of brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and molasses. I think the marriage of pumpkin pie and beer is a no brainer... And this harvest pumpkin from sam adams is no joke. I got this in a variety pack but I would love to find it on it's own- a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 02:06:15 | More by mattkoon

Wilkster

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +32.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've tried other pumkin ales, but this one far exceeds all others ! The head is very small but maintains its presence glass after glass. Sam did a superior job on this one ! Prosit !

I bought this variety pack at a local wine and cheese outlet in Richmond,Il. I can't wait to taste the Double Pumkin Ale !

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 21:22:53 | More by Wilkster

McNealc31

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +31.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A gorgeous orange and tan color and delicious spices. While I did taste some pumpkin, it was mostly in the background. But those warm, delectable pumpkin pie spices were right up front. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, they're all there. It was still refreshing and crisp, too. And even though it is heavily spiced, it is fantastically well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 02:10:23 | More by McNealc31

Estarrio

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

From the Harvest pack:

Clear, copper color with deep auburn in the mix. Full tan head dissipates into grainy lacing around the rim.

Pumpkin, clove, Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, butter, and sweet dough in the nose...very balanced, no one smell overpowers.

The spices are perfectly balanced in the taste. This allows for the sweet malt and buttery pumpkin flavors to come through. Mild bitterness in the finish begs for another sip.

This is one of the most flavorful, yet balanced pumpkin beers that I have had in a while. Kudos to Sam Adams for making a highly drinkable, very tasty pumpkin brew. They really got the spices spot-on. I also prefer the taste and body imparted from real pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 01:58:21 | More by Estarrio

CaptJackHarkness

New York

4.53/5  rDev +28%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle freshness dated january 2011

First off you notice the aroma the moment you open the bottle, it smells just like your grandmother's pumpkin pie!

It is garnet red/orange in color, heads beautifully!

The taste is great, a perfect blend of malt spice and pumpkin, ginger seems the predominant spice note.

Do not wait for Halloween to try this one!

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 14:48:47 | More by CaptJackHarkness

Zraly

Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a semi-deep amber with a toffee colored head. Nice lacing and head retention. Subtle notes of nuts, squash, and spice in the nose.

Rich, approachable, and expertly balanced, this is a very good pumpkin ale. Sweet malts with a hint of chocolate in the back, along with subtle spices (think nutmeg and cinnamon) linger around the palate. These work wonderfully with the "meatiness" brought about by the pumpkin. Smooth, creamy finish. A hint of nuttiness and fruitiness roams about, and the finish is not at all cloying -- something I find predominates a lot of pumpkin ales.

This is one fine pumpkin ale. It has none of the assaulting (although fun and enriching) qualities that some of the big pumpkin ales carry. Personally, I would buy a six pack of this without hesitation. The most sessionable, approachable pumpkin ale I've ever come across. Sam Adams wins big here.

This would actually make a fine Thanksgiving day beverage. Turkey and the fixins', of course, followed by a piece of pumpkin pie!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 22:41:20 | More by Zraly

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pumpkin ale poured a dark amer color with a nice head. It smells like pumkin and has a strong malty smell. The taste is heavy, very malty and very strong pumpkin flavors. Easy to drink. Overall very enjoayble wis it came in a six pck. I would deffently get it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 00:55:05 | More by vette2006c5r

Star80

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a deep copper, almost mahogany color. This is a darker pumpkin ale than I am used to! Smells like rich malts, and some very subtle pumpkin spice in the background. Tastes like some rich pumpkin, and some faint spices in the background. I taste some solid maltiness in there to bolster the brew, and some finishing hops to round it out. This is a really interesting brew from Sam Adams, and very nicely done. Definitely a more balanced Pumpkin Ale than most offerings, and actually this could be setting a standard for me for the style. It tastes like pumpkin, but the spices and the pumpkin flavor do not mask the ale. So far, I have tried two other pumpkin ales, one that was quite spicey,(ichabod) and one that was a delicious but really rich, amped up pumpkin ale, (Punkin'), and this one fits nicely right in the middle. Very tastey, very drinkable, and hits all the marks. Maybe they should introduce this one in it's own 6-pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 20:06:50 | More by Star80

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

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

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
"For brewery fresh taste drink by" Jan notched on label. no info. (5.7% ABV)

A - The gorgeous crystal clarity allows the roasted amber-pumpkin orange color vibrancy that's topped by a creamy, dense pile of foam. All it's missing is the lace for a picture-perfect fall brew.

S - Freshly lobotomized Jack 'O Lantern comes out stronger than the spice in this pumpkin ale. Clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg all play a fantastic role in this seasonally awesome nose. Lightly sweet caramel malts and Vienna toast provide an excellent base.

T - Sweet caramel and toasted Vienna malts add a touch of toffee to this brew's flavor. Malt-heavy with a background of pumpkin and spice. It's very well balance and nuanced.

M - Creamy and smooth, the moderate carbonation is there but steps aside in feel. Sweet-ish but not cloying, spicy but mildly so, and it finishes with a great fall crispness.

O - Damn if this beer isn't a perfect companion for a cool fall day. The upfront spice and pumpkin in the aroma is perfectly reserved in flavor which makes it quite sessionable. It's one of the only beers of the style I could have multiple pints of without growing tired out quickly. Smooth and crisp, I think I found one of my new fall favorites!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 01:49:50 | More by BeerFMAndy

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

steinlifter

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a clear amber...big foamy 1 inch head, that reduced to a 1/4 inch collar.
nose was of sweet pumpkin spice.
Taste is very satisfying, creamy full mouthfeel, nice pumpkin flavor,but not overwhelming, some roasted malts round this out nicely, DFH pumpkin ale is my fave, but I would put this one as my runner up, very well done...good stuff! :)

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 19:39:01 | More by steinlifter

stckhndlr

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- A rusty amber red with a orange pumpkin like hue to it. A 1 finger head that disappears too quickly (only lasted about 20 seconds or so.) Carbonation bubbles gently climbing up the glass from the bottom.

S- Great pumpkin smell up front with a nutmeg spice on the back end. Smells like a fresh baked pumpkin pie at thanksgiving.

T- A great sweet pumpkin taste up front. The spices come through after that with the hops finishing it up on the end. The Spice really comes out after you swallow.

M- Smooth, medium body with a soft finish.

O- I waited until the temperature outside was at least 55F before I consumed this one. It is truely a wonderful fall beer and one I will look forward to next year.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 02:28:56 | More by stckhndlr

JamesS

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice orange-copper color with a bit of nice head, but no lacing to speak of. Nice scent, a slight sweet maltiness with the barest hint of spice, and with a wonderful gourd-like sweetness. Very nice taste, a nice malty beer with a bit of spice to make up for low hops, but a very nice pumpkin flavor that's not overstated and not cloying like some can be; this is not a pumpkin pie pumpkin ale, thank goodness, but a wonderful ale with pumpkin attributes. Goes down very nicely and will make a great fall beer if they'd release it in six packs or cases, instead of two per fall specialty pack.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 23:10:10 | More by JamesS

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle purchased as part of this year's Fall mix-pack. Pours a deep crystal-clear dark copper with nearly an inch of off-white head that dissipates rather quickly. Pumpkin pie spice shares the aroma equally with caramel and bready malt and a hint of pumpkin. Tastes like pumpkin pie spice with caramel and toasty malt notes to balance and just a hint of pumpkin. On the fuller side of medium-bodied with ample but not overwhelming carbonation. Extremely drinkable. As far as Pumpkin ales go, this one is a bit ahead of the middle of the pack. It's not a spice-bomb, it's not overly slick or vegetal. This one is smooth and balanced - not in your face with the flavor, nor is it simplistic or subdued. Very good. Glad to see this in the new fall pack!

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2010 23:23:16 | More by MrHurmateeowish

EPseja

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Being a sort of "aficionado" of Pumpkin Ales, the news that Sam Adams was going to be introducing one in their Autumn lineup was awesome news. I approached this review with excitement and great trepidation, having tasted so many other Pumpkin Ales running the gamut from deliciously fantastic to mouth-assaultingly antiseptic. Here's what I found...

Served from a 12oz bottle (exclusive to the Harvest Collection 12-pack at this point) in my SABL glass at between fridge and cellar temperature.

A - Clear, deep brown with a bright orange-amber aura like a late-afternoon Autumn sun. Head is sandy in color, riding a full inch and settling ever so slightly to a creamy, dense meringue (I actually tested it with a fork and was able to sculpt it... heh heh). Lacing comes in full, cohesive sheets and head retention is excellent for this style. I can find no flaws at all in the beer's presentation.

S - Invitingly roasty caramel maltiness and freshly baked dark bread (definitely from the English Hop varieties used) with notes of sour squash and sweet pie spices. Excellent nose -- all spices are well dosed without overpowering the wonderful English breadiness. The scent of this beer makes me salivate instantly. Very tantalizing. I love the way this beer smells.

T - Just like the nose, the taste is a great example of balance. Toasty malt sweetness up front followed closely by a splash of ginger, cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg (roughly in that order of power). The spices rightfully play a supporting role here, as they should. As the beer hits the middle of the tongue, the must-have telltale sign of every Pumpkin Ale that's actually brewed with enough real pumpkins becomes readily apparent -- the awesome squashy tartness that compliments the spices. The finish is a bit sweet and desserty compared to some of its peers, but very satisfying nonetheless.

M - Thankfully, this style nicely benefits from a shade *less* carbonation than others, and Sam Adams decided to follow that route. Lightly tingly on the tongue without being prickly. Expanding slightly to become thick and chewy. Swallow is creamy and throat coating.

D - I am pleased to say that Samuel Adams has finally developed a 12-pack seasonal sampler that contains not one questionable beer, now that their Harvest Pumpkin Ale passed my personal scrutiny. This beer's only shortcomings are largely a matter of personal taste: I find it just a bit too sweet. It could stand for a little bit more in the bittering hop department to keep the finish crisp like the Autumn air. It's got quite a filling mouthfeel and body, which isn't a detriment per se, but it certainly turns it from being an awesome all-day drinker to a two-bottle at a time max. That said, almost every other aspect of this beer is simply fantastic. Kudos and cheers to Samuel Adams for continuing to produce top-quality beers without compromise.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 01:34:36 | More by EPseja

HockeytownBrew

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep amber color is instantly noticed as this brew is poured. A great, long lasting head. Minimal lacing left behind.

S: Pumpkin and roasted malt. Nice scents of cinnamon and spices as well.

T: Very well rounded. Non-overwhelming pumpkin, cinnamon, spices, and a bit of cloves make for a very impressive mix. Nicely balanced with a bit of a malty finish.

M: Light to medium mouthfeel with just the right amount of carbonation.

D: Very nice. Wish this was available more often.

A very impressive brew from Samuel Adams, although I've come to expect impressive brews from the fine Boston Beer Company.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 02:58:20 | More by HockeytownBrew

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - dark orange amber pour, a good finger's worth of manila foam sitting on top. Decent resilience, nice bead from below, good lacing. Excellent start.

Aroma - light pumpkiny, slightly vegetal but in a good way. A whiff of metal on setup, but pumpkiny metal...strange. Overall I like it, though.

Taste - malts and pumpkin and pumpkin spices hit in tandem. Fine unison, these flavors. On the swallow there is a light astringency cutting through the sweet, the malt, and the spice. Aftertaste has a touch of abv and the finish reprises the flavors nicely. Impressive flavor for a beer under 7%. Most pumpkin beers only get this big when the abv ramps up some.

Mouthfeel - very smooth, a bit too heavy, my only knock on this beer. As my first glass warmed, the last sip reminded me of drinking raw eggs (I only did that once or twice long ago). The second glass is colder and doesn't feel as heavy.

Drinkability - deserves its own six-pack release, the heck with the harvest pack two bottle thing.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 04:22:39 | More by brewdlyhooked13

828beagle

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mahogany color, beige head with some nice lacing. Alluring aroma of a freshly baked pumpkin pie, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. Outstanding taste of sweet malts and spices, pecans and PUMPKIN. A solid medium-bodied brew with good carbonation. I love this time of year when all the fall seasonal brews come out. They tend to be much thicker and have more complex characteristics than most of the watered down summer beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 22:00:01 | More by 828beagle

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a sam adams perfect pint glass. Dark mahogony in color with a good-sized frothy head.

Doesn't smell as sweet as I thought it would. Smells like real pumpkin, not pumpkin sweetener.
The taste confirms the smell - the pumpkin is not super sweet. Tastes raw and laid back. enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is fairly solid, and smoother than I expected. This is one pumpkin beer I could drink lots of and not get sick of. Glad sams brought this one back.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 23:53:56 | More by jbertsch

mschofield

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This may be my favorite pumpkin beer.
Pours a crystal clear dark reddened gold or a burnished copper, huge well built khaki head.

To me it doesn't taste like pumpkin, it tastes like fall. Like heading to an orchard to pick apples and your Halloween JackOLantern and picking up some apple based baked dessert, like an apple crisp or an apple cider donut.

Tastes like it smells, sweet, fruity, spicy from nutmeg and cinammon. Baked spiced apples. Maybe because pumpkin is neutral or ferments out. Or the spices, fruitiness, maltiness and body are just triggering strong ingrained fall dessert memories.

Full bodied, a very nice pumpkin beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 23:40:13 | More by mschofield

Josiah2729

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into pint glass.

Appearance: Dark amber/brown with minimal head and decent lacing, decent bubbling from carbonation.

Smell: Pumpkin pie all the way. Spices and pumpkin are up front with a little hop and malt presence:

Taste: Pumpkin and spices, nutmeg and cinnamon. Slight malt and hop flavors to keep this one from being overly sweet.

Mouthfeel: Heavily carbonated up front with a smooth finish.

Overall: Each year I have this I like it more. I am not sure if the brew is changing or my tastes are changing as the years go by.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 22:27:23 | More by Josiah2729

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into standard nonic.

A: Pours a nearly-opaque deep amber hue, with a thin orange head on top that dissipated quickly.

S: Cinnamon is dominant. Pumpkin is distinctly present. Perhaps a touch of nutmeg as well.

T: There's a great amber/caramel-malt backbone to this beer, upon which the pumpkin and spices build. Not all pumpkin beers actually taste like "pumpkin", just spices traditionally associated with pumpkin pie (specifically cinnamon and nutmeg). While this beer certainly has cinnamon going for it, pumpkin is certainly present. More than just "present". It's prominently displayed.

M: Moderate heft. Good carbonation. The finish is not particularly dry, which lends itself to being rather refreshing.

D/O: The caramel malt backbone makes this more than just a 1-trick pony. I'd gladly have another. Definitely drinkable and certainly repeatable.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 01:56:05 | More by psuKinger