Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out as a nice looking deep orange hue, a cream colored head on top. The head retention and lacing are moderate. The smell of the beer is spicy, not the best pumpkin spice aroma but still pretty decent. The taste of the beer is smokey, there is a good amount of smoked flavors in this one. The flavors of this are unique mostly because of the incorporation of the smoked malts. The mouthfeel was pretty good, has a nice sharp carbonation to it. The finish was sticky and dry. Overall it's not a bad Pumpkin Ale, not my favorite though either.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 03:01:20 | More by Knapp85

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear coppery gold with a smaller amount of off-white head with some lacing left behind.

S: Pumpkin, gourd, squash...whatever you want to call it, that vegetal character is strong in this one...typical spices (nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon) seem to be muted...hint of vanilla.

T: The straight-up pumpkin flavors are here too, dominant but with a noticeable caramel/toffee malt backbone with hints of sweetness to pull the vegetable/herbal character back into check a bit...faint nutmeg is detectable too.

MF: Creamy feel, lower carbonation, medium body with some dryness on the finish.

O: Feels like a 'miss' for my palate but its not a bad beer overall. Just too much like pumpkin and not enough like sweet-pumpkin-pie-dessert for me. YMMV.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 13:18:36 | More by Scotchboy

The_Blodge

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from a 22 ounce bomber in a Detroit Tigers beer mug with the Old English "D".

A: Deep amber/burnt orange color. Poured aggressively creating a two finger foamy head dissipating slowly down the glass with substantial lacing.

S: Bock-like aromas with the sweet malt hitting the nose. No pumpkin pie aromas at all (no nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice). Somewhat disappointing. No hops aroma as would be usual for this style.

T: Again, bock-like flavor with the smoked malt really making its presence known. I am getting the smoked malt and rye. I like the maltiness of this beer. Very, very subtle pumpkin pie spice. Almost unnoticeable. Almost a Belgian feel to it. Some spiciness on the finish, maybe from the ginger. No pumpkin flavor. Alcohol is nicely masked in this beer. Very good flavor, just not the pumpkin flavor I would have hoped for.

M: Thick, viscous mouthfeel. Big bodied beer.

O: Great flavor in this beer. I really did enjoy it. Unfortunately, not what I was expecting with a name like "Double Pumpkin". I thought that it show cased the malts and yeast very well, just not the spicy pumpkin and autumn feeling pumpkin beer I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 21:07:13 | More by The_Blodge

GreenGoblinCC

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

For an 8% Pumpkin beer from Sam Adams I was quite surprised! A Mild taste of Pumpkin and a dark amber color made for an enjoyable drink at a Clam Bake. Comparing to other pumpkins I would rank it right in the middle. Better than Blue Moon, Buffalo Bills,Shipyard, and New Holland.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2011 02:22:18 | More by GreenGoblinCC

Smurfsuit

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Dark amber, decent mild yellow lacing

Smell- More spicy than "pumpkiny".

Taste- Flat and uninteresting on the tip of the tongue but quickly perks up on the back end with explosion of "said" spices. Not getting a whole lotta real pumpkin taste here. Is it just me?

Mouthfeel- Velvety feel and texture, good carbonation, The high ABV is definitely disguised. Watch out.

Overall- Definitely worth a shot for pumpkin fans, but for the amount of pumpkin that is claimed to be used, I was hoping for more pumpkin and less spice.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 20:35:16 | More by Smurfsuit

beesy

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass

A - pours an awesome deep mahagony with a two finger light khaki head. Head reduced quickly.

S - graham cracker and pumpkin pie spice

T - slightly pie spicy, but TONS of caramel, some molassas and a weird profile I think is coming from the yeast. Squashy. The yeast profile tastes like something that I remember from some Jackie O's beers - I am positive its a yeast profile. Sweet. Brown sugar.

M - very viscous and creamy. Slick.

D - medium low. The high mouthfeel prevents this from being drank too quickly.

Overall, close to being a really good beer. Its a little to caramel sweet and the mouthfeel is a little off. Addressing those two things and a solid beer exists underneath.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 02:54:40 | More by beesy

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: deep rust, finger khaki head, very little lacing

S: big allspice, nutmeg, ginger, light pumpkin

T: ginger, allspice, malt, light pumpkin, mild bitter
finish

M: med body, smooth mouth/solid carbonation

O: Not bad, not my fav but I do love the style
so gave it a go. Would recommend to die-hard
pumpkin beer fans only, the spices seem to over
power the pumpkin.

GOOD, NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 16:08:38 | More by BeerLover99

tkelley

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - dark dark amber colorwith redder highlights and browner dark spots. Very little head. In fact there was so little foam that I probably overfilled my tulip glass.

N -- smells a bit like a brown ale but with typical pumpkin style spice notes, none of which are overwhelming. It also has appropriate fruit notes with dried fruits like raisins and of course winter squash most prominent. Unlike many pumpkin ales ive tried.

T - surprisingly low on the spice taste. It has solid pumpkin flavor and is sweet without being awful. It has almost a bit of slightly old ale taste but very subtly. Its reminiscent of hobgoblinor other british browns or stock ales.i imagine this is skmilar to what colonists would have brewed three hundred years ago - if somewhat stronger. This would be good for thanksgiving day.

M - rich and thick. You can really move it around in your mouth with your tongue.

O - not something I would want all the time but it good enough for a great meal with friends or family in the colder months. Also its a nice take on the style and is different from a lot of weaker, spice oriented pumpkin ales. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 00:40:43 | More by tkelley

Kromes

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A clear dark brown with a thick tan colored head that laces the glass. Strong ginger, pumpkin and alcohol aromas. There's also some earthy peat in the smell. Flavors follow the aroma...Lots of ginger up front that gives way to a pumpkin, alcohol and smoky caramel malt flavor. The ginger flavor is a bit too much. This is full bodied and a tad syrupy, but it works. Rating it purely as a pumpkin ale, it is above average. Worth a try at $6.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 22:03:07 | More by Kromes

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a dark reddish orange, with a half inch of white head that leaves some lacing. Smell is pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Taste is what you would expect, very straight forward. Body is medium, enough carbonation, not dry, and drinkable. Now I don't love pumpkin beers, but find this to be exactly what I expect from the style. A easy drinking 8.5 in my opinion. Solid pumpkin brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 00:37:01 | More by SawDog505

Billolick

New York

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler filled at Yorktown Bev. in...you guessed it..Yorktown, NY

Pours dark mahogony amber, medium tan head, that is minor in size and staying power. Leaves a thin collar and just some minimal bits of lacing.

Powdered sugar nose, with some caramel and slight fall spices in the background.

Sugary sweet offering from Sam...dark sugar, caramel, sweet malts are what I get on the palate, with some fall/pumpkin pie spices present, but in the background.

Ehh, I've been warming to the style in general this fall, but this "2X" pumkin brew, really is not doing much to impress me...just too sweet and not enough spice...

Serving type: growler

10-26-2011 00:08:47 | More by Billolick

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-dark reddish brown with a thick light tan head

S-faint taste of fresh barley grains. Not getting too much else at all. Reminds me exactly of what a vat of fresh barley smells like, only weaker.

T-comes in with a lighter taste of cinnamon and weak dark Belgian malts. Getting a hint of ginger as well. I really can't get any pumpkin out of this. Has matching after-taste

M-medium dry carbonation with a dry finish

O-this really is a terrible pumpkin ale. However as a beer, it's not too terrible at all. It to me tastes a lot like a winter Belgian ale of anything, maybe a fall Belgian ale. It's unique for sure. An okay drinker

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 02:33:30 | More by AdamBear

babbules

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a mug. This beer has a nice rusty-orange color with aroung half a finger of cream-colored head. Great smell that promised lots of pumpkiny goodness. The flavor was a little disappointing, though. This really should be called pumpkin spice and not really pumpkin, since the nutmeg was soooo powerful. Otherwise, nice malty sweetness and good finish. I'll probably revisit this one around the holidays, but I won't miss it if I can't find it.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 22:42:35 | More by babbules

TheSixthRing

California

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a clear, deep, near ruby brown with an off-white, yellowsish two-finger head. Fair retention. The lacing is spotty a best.

Smell - Hits on strong nutmeg and cinnamon character with lesser notes of pumpkin taking a backseat. Hints at a subtle, lightly baked pie crust aroma.

Taste - Follows the nose. Pumpkin flavor is subdued in favor of the nutmeg and cinnamon spice. Hints of pie crust. Finishes with a bit brown sugar sweetness and a moderate alcohol heat.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with a tingly carbonation. Somewhat creamy. Finishes fairly dry.

Overall - This is basically their Harvest Pumpkin Ale on steroids. That's not necessarily a good thing, as the Harvest Pumpkin wasn't all that good to begin with. Drinkable, but not too terribly enjoyable, and I cringe at the thought of paying the full asking price for it.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 08:20:07 | More by TheSixthRing

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deep mahogany, moderate cap of tan tinted froth, gone quickly. Scent of toaste dark malt, brown sugar, bready yeast, seasonal spice and muted pumpkin. Taste brings malts to the front - toasted, bready, caramel and brown sugar. Pie spices and actual pumpkin quite muted. Slightly boozy. Medium bodied. Decent pumpkin, needs a bit more seasonal kick from spices and pumpkin.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2012 15:38:43 | More by rfgetz

Nerudamann

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look - medium red in color, with about two fingers' worth of foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell - the spices are a little more prevalent than the pumpkin itself. Though it is a good mix. The nutmeg and allspice especially seem to shout out to me.

Taste - much like the smell, the pumpkin flavor is there, but it seems like it's mostly the spices that are calling out on the taste. It does have a bit more mature of a flavor in the middle though, perhaps from certain hops there were used, or maybe from specially spiced malts? Interesting taste in the end though.

Mouthfeel - pretty well-balanced overall, not to far on the creamy side and not too far on the watery side.

Overall - not a bad brew overall. It's obviously just a play for the seasonal, so it's a little overdone in that sense, but it's still a good tasting brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 02:44:24 | More by Nerudamann

budgood1

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours out of the 22 ounce bottle a very dark crimson/garnet colour with a light tan head...thin in nature with some decent retention after an aggressive pour. bits of lace. the smoked malts and yeasty notes in the nose are welcome. this gives it a bit of character to go along with the usual pumpkin base malts and spices. the flavour profile is basically a doubled up version of the harvest pumpkin ale...and welcome at that with the smoked malts really adding a nice nuance. it seems extra spicy but i'm assuming the thinly diguised boozy alcohol punch is accentuating the rest of the flavour profile. it definitely has a gourdy, fleshy, squashy undertone that gives it an authencity of a pumpkin ale. this characteristic carries over to the body, which seems rich and full with a mouthfeel that is sleek and smooth sans the boozy overtones. fat jack is not overly drinkable...but could be a nice attitude adjuster on a blustery, cool autumn evening.

overall i have mixed feelings about this concoction. without any other amped up pumpkin beers to compare this to, methinks this is a pretty good ale. but the overly boozy aspect distracts a bit too much, crippling the overall enjoyment. find a way to incorporate the high ABV a bit better into the taste profile and this would be a fantastic fall seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 21:54:00 | More by budgood1

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Moderate bar-poured head, but it dies very quickly to near nothingness. The beer is ruby brown, but light does pass easily. Appears clear. No lace.

Strong cinnamon with a lighter pumpkin smell.

Starts off as a homebrewed brown ale but there is smokiness that shows up quickly and lasts through the aftertaste. Thick body, almost oily; high carbonation. I don't sense "pumpkin" per se, but this may be because the beer doesn't match the typical pumpkin pie profile. I applaud this. Overall, I like the complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2012 17:14:47 | More by smcolw

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I'm not usually a fan of pumpkin beers but this is more of a beer-beer. Poured a 1.25" beige head of medium life. The clear body is deep burnt sienna brown in masstone but held to the light it's actually a very deep winey amber color. Smells mildly of pumpkin pie spice. The taste carries less of the pie spice than the smell suggested and instead is a rich malt. Body and mouthfeel are full and rich. Quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 08:34:30 | More by MoreThanWine

ksimons

New York

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-a clear deep orange ruby color with a thin layer of white head that makes a ring around the top

S-really strong pumpkin pie aroma, spices, vanilla, and alcohol

T-taste is pretty similar to the smell, expect the pumpkin flavor doesn't come out as much. I am getting a more malty flavor with cinnamon and nutmeg, sweet vanilla, and a hint of dark chocolate.

M-medium body, light to medium carbonation, light alcohol warming

Overall a nice pumpkin beer to have on a cloudy Fall night though I wish the pumpkin was a bit stronger

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 23:10:41 | More by ksimons

keithmurray

New York

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - brownish red color with fluffy beige head

smell - nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger

taste - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pumkin as it warms, a little harsh/hot on the aftertaste

mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, slightly sweet upfront, spicy kick in the middle

overall - decent seasonal from Sam Adams, starts out well enough, but there is a weird effect with the mouthfeel that I can't quite put my finger on that makes this a step below enjoyable, not sure about a revisit, though

Price Point - $6.99/16.9 oz bottle

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 21:18:09 | More by keithmurray

scootny

New York

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 32 oz growler from DeCicco's in Ardsley. Nice clear cola color with a decent somewhat creamy light khaki head. Some bits of lace here and there. Smell is roasty with toffee notes. Pumpkin is laced with a fair amount of spice. Some dark bread and dark figgy/plum sweetness. A touch of alcohol too. Taste is a bit forward on the spice but it works with the sticky sweet pie like malt and gourd blend to come across nicely. Broad malt core gives a good bready "crust" for the pie flavors to ride on. Nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, they are all here and in harmony. As I continue with this one and it warms up the flavors really start to come together with a dark roasted pumpkin center and the spices doing a nice job of taming the fusel alcohol bits that come in the finish. The finish is clean and dry with light alcohol twang and faint graham, pumpkin, and toffee sweet brown bread. Quite drinkable in spite of the abv and spicy nature. Overall a solid player, kind of like a spicier, darker, roastier, Pumpking. The $7.99 for the growler really gives this a lot of value and I am considering another for the Thanksgiving weekend. I'll say it again, solid brew.

Serving type: growler

10-31-2011 01:55:18 | More by scootny

hardy008

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark copper with a two finger beige head, with very good retention and lacing. The aroma has plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as pumpkin, ginger, allspice, and bread malt.

The taste is heavy on the spices. Especially cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. I can also taste the pumpkin, allspice, and bread malt, but the spices overpower everything else. Not a bad taste to be sure, but the spices have been kicked up a few too many notches, to be well balanced.

Medium to full bodied with average carbonation. There is an aftertaste of pumpkin pie spices. Overall I like this beer pretty well, but wish the spices would have been toned down somewhat. Worth trying again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 00:21:47 | More by hardy008

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a shaker pint glass at The Lucky Monk.

Wow, never thought I'd see a new Sam Adams brew randomly at the Monk. Right on. It pours a murky brown-tawny topped by a finger of dirty cream-tan foam. The nose comprises cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, toasted toffee, clove, and mandarin orange syrup. The taste brings in more of the same, though with a lightly buttery caramel flavor that offsets a decent amount of the spices. The body is a light-ish medium, with a light moderate carbonation, and a lightly grainy feel. Overall, a pretty solid pumpkin beer, slightly better than the usual SA Pumpkin, but the flavor offset hurts it in the long run.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 03:22:03 | More by TMoney2591

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16 ounce pint - $5.25 at Taco Mac in Canton, Georgia.

Appearance: Served a clear, deep mahogany-hued body with a small-sized layering of yellowed beige foam.

Smell: Sweet-scented maltiness, a bit bready, a bit toasty given a crust of ground holidaytime spices and an extra mete of liquor.

Taste: Bready, toasty malts, same as last time, still with a brown sugar character, but, this time, with more sweetness implied. Large spoonful of coagulated squash. Same mix of pumpkin pie spice blend. Light accents of yeastiness. Small rebound of pumpkin prior to the warming, lightly spicy finish.

Mouthfeel: A notch beyond medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: While I enjoyed the Harvest Pumpkin from the mix-pack, I wasn't too keen on this. It delivers more alcohol and more sweetness, but not all that much more flavor than the standard-strength release, though I'm sure naming it Samuel Adams Slightly A Bit More Than Our Other Pumpkin Ale Ale would've been problematic for printing promotional materials.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2011 16:53:30 | More by ChainGangGuy