Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

jdklks

Nevada

1.55/5  rDev -60.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

a thin haze running through a deep amber orange body with a small and very thin tan white head. smells of the most diverse spices. cloves are dominant, as they tend to be. cinnamon and nutmeg are present in their own capacity, but "where is the pumpkin?" i ask incredulously. there are possibly some fruity notes, or maybe the neurons in my brain curiously linked to my palate are wishfully thinking. we'll see.

Yikes! what is this filth? very spicy up front, with nothing but cloves through the middle and the flavor of san pellegrino (carbonated mineral water) with lemon that leaves your face puckered well into the aftertaste. drain pour, through and through.

mouthfeel is disgustingly carbonated and hot on the palate. the drinkability may soon breach absolute zero, which will be a breakthrough for science, but a catastrophe for the craft beer industry. with every sip this brew sets back the world of beer at least 10 years in its development. absolutely awful.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2009 03:44:41 | More by jdklks

bierguru

Florida

1.75/5  rDev -55.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

A -
deep dark mahogany color thick foamy head however it laces out fairly quick

S -
slight nutmeg and even more slightly is there a smell of pumpkin but there is a hugh all spice smell its really overpowering

T -
slight nutmeg hugh all spice taste very very slight pumpkin taste and its on the very back end you real really have to search for it

M -
feels like spicy water sry but its very light on the tongue and the allspice is ridculously overwhelming

D -
from my comments you can tell i wont get this beer again the allspice was to powerful if they toned that down flavors may pop more and then they may have a good beer

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 02:52:23 | More by bierguru

bkilpatr

Oregon

1.85/5  rDev -52.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. 09/25/08.

Pours a clear orange amber color with a half finger of beige head. The head quickly disappeared to almost nothing. Aroma is a bit odd. On one whiff I'll get pumpkin, cinnamon, and clove. On another all I get is cherry cough syrup.

Taste is similar to the aroma. Sometimes I get light pumpkin, cinnamon, and other spices (lots of clove). But most of the time I get a gross medicinal cough syrup flavor mixed with band-aids. Not pleasant at all.

The feel is probably the only good part about this beer. It's well-carbonated and not too heavy. No lingering aftertaste, which is good considering the taste itself isn't good. Drinkability suffers for that reason. The alcohol isn't noticeable.

I really can't recommend this. Other reviews seem pretty favorable so maybe I got a bad bottle. But the rest of this one is going down the drain...

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2008 03:27:35 | More by bkilpatr

Kooz

New York

2.23/5  rDev -43.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass. Dark copper color with little head--slightly opaque. Looks enticing.

Smells overpoweringly of cinnamon and nutmeg. I don't get any pumpkin--or any other scent--from this. It's a bit unpleasant. It's like inhaling cinnamon/nutmeg powder. It lingers in the back of the throat.

Slightly bitter--not a hoppy bitter; something else. This beer is just too spiced. It's unpleasant. Everything about the beer is overpowered by the cinnamon/nutmeg spice. There's a third spice too that I can't place. It's not helping.

Mouthfeel is dry and powdery, with a slight bite. Not entirely good. Good body to it; somewhat creamy.

This was a fairly expensive beer ($12/4-pack), and unfortunately, is disappointing. I wouldn't buy this again. I will sit on a bit and see how it is in a month or two. If it's any better, I'll revise.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 01:44:05 | More by Kooz

martymc

Ohio

2.3/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Dark pumpkin color. Looks heavy. Thin head and lacing.
S: Malts with a hint of pumpkin. Pretty boring.
T: Allspice dominates what is a true muddling of spices. Gritty pumpkin notes. Too heavy on the cloves for me. Ever smoke a clove cigarette?
M: Thin and highly carbonated. Gone in a flash.
O: The only saving Grace for this beer is that it sports an ABV of 8.0%. I shouldn't have preceded this tasting with a Southern Tier Pumpking!: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/38394

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 03:37:36 | More by martymc

Dithyramb

Maryland

2.42/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

750 purchased from hampden
you'd think the imperial one would have enough power to subjugate the masses, but no
the imperial one is all style without much substance
an ale with spices added
pretty with light brown toasted pumpkin pie shade
enormous off white head with retention, lacing, and added carbonation
aromas of ale with spices
flavor the same. Mainly spice laden.
not bad overall, but a little tiring once it starts warming up. Light mouthfeel, with more spice than body.

Left a very dry, spice laden taste in the mouth, much like a saison. Not overly woth having a few.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2005 03:33:01 | More by Dithyramb

maek228

Pennsylvania

2.45/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: amber colored ale with a decent looking head...some cling...but not much

Smell: smells of fall spices....kinda bready smell

Taste: starts off good...it tastes like a heart old school ale with pumpkins spice but let me tell you - the aftertaste is brutal. the aftertaste is that of a steel reserve 40. it leaves you with a skunked and sour taste in your mouth. awful

Mouthfeel: just doesnt feel right

Drinkability: ehhh no this is not easy to drink. that aftertaste is a mother. avoid this one

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2006 00:04:16 | More by maek228

CAP1868

North Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A-This brew poured an orgish/amber color with a small head with little to no lacing in the glass. The actual bottle itself has a cool design with the Pumpkin King leading a charge.

S- This brew smelled of nutmeg and cloves with little to no pumpkin flavors. This was the point where I knew I probably wasn't going to enjoy it.

T- The taste is overwhelmingly of cloves with a little nutmeg mixed in. It's very dry but refreshing if you love cloves.

M-The mouthfeel was rather light, but not watery, the brew gave you the feeling you were indeed drinking a well-crafted beer, I just wish the taste was more to be desired.

D- Light enough to drink quite a few, but I surely wouldn't want too. Awful expensive for such a sub-par brew, I would never purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2008 16:52:50 | More by CAP1868

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Just coming off the Autumnfest beer, I'm a little worried about this one, but here goes.

A: Clear dark brown copper colored with decent 1.5 finger head that slowly fades (similar to Autumnfest but a little darker)

N: Eh, lots of nutmeg, cinnamon, spice, a little pumpkin, and sugar, that's about it

T: Blech! Again, lots of nutmeg, cinnamon, some pumpkin, artificial flavor taste, extract taste, some malt background at least, a little watery again, however, the more I drink it the more it's becoming drinkable. It's still very spiced and watery.

M: Lots of carbonation and pretty light and watery

F: The strong spices linger for a while and just won't go away, I'm almost tempted to chug it so I will only have to taste it for a few seconds, slight bitterness, semi dry but still kinda sweet

Final thoughts: Another one of those wicked (yes I'm from MA) overspiced pumkin beers. It's pretty water, spicey, and extract tasting. Another beer from Weyerbacher I'm not very happy about. I should write them and complain! Better yet, I'll start a BA thread!

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 00:55:32 | More by jlindros

francisweizen

Australia

2.55/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This one kinda blows! A shame too as it sounded so good. I always give these new Weyerbacher brews a whirl, but they so often dissapoint me horribly. It's a shame too as this brewery really is hit or miss, and when they are on, they are on (like at the last open house!). Anyways, a dull glowing orange/amber with an off-white dirty dishwater head that dies quickly and leave minimalistic lacing. Aromas are like vegetable soup, DMS abounds, and some spices try to cover it up, but fail badly. Like DFH punkin' ale when it is a year old and has been bathing in the sun. Taste is not much better. Thin with an artificial sweetness and spiciness as well as those vegetal notes. Mouthfeel is thin and not too appealing. Drinkability is blah. I'll always try new Weyerbacher brews, as sometimes they really impress...However, sometimes, their new beers are nothing to speak of. This is one of the latter. Try it once to quench your curiosity...and than move on...move on...

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2005 00:42:24 | More by francisweizen

hellbilly

Arizona

2.58/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

tasting via supergrowlerdave70...

cooked pumpkin pie color... go figure!... with a minimal off white head.

VERY spicy aroma with cardamom coming to the front. cinnamon, nutmeg and grass are all noted as well. there is a vegetal earthy sweetness but not necessarily pumpkin in the background.

the flavor is overly spiced... malty caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove are all there but get swallowed up by the cardamom. it tastes medicine-y with spice. pumpkin is faint. the finish is dry and mildly bitter. body is medium to full and a touch sticky.

someone should have told these guys that a little cardamom goes a long way. who puts it in pumpkin pie anyway?
6/4/4/3/9/2.5

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 22:25:41 | More by hellbilly

mjc410

Virginia

2.6/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

The pour into my Trois Pistoles glass raises a a thin layer of light tan foam that quickly bubbles away. The slight lace manages to stick a bit. The body is a hazy ruby-copper. The nose has a lot of the usual pumpkin pie spices floating around, and they're definitely leading the pumpkin aroma. The taste is highly spiced, with cinnamon and nutmeg being primary. Again, the pumpkin is mild. The mouth is too carbonated. I've really had much better pumpkin beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2007 02:10:37 | More by mjc410

hopsaplenty

Virginia

2.63/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

22oz. brown bottle, no date information, but it is the 2006 release.

Shimmering flamed amber. Towering, dense head of fine washed caramel colored bubbles. Settles slowly, leaving bands of thick lacing. Two lonely carbonation streams laze towards the surface. Ample aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves dominate, and there is a faint hint of some toasty malt. Hints of cinnamon and cardamom open things up before the alcohol arrives in a distinctly noticeable way. The alcohol is raw and adds an astringent aspect to the finish which also has some nutmeg and a bit of clove. The malt is barely noticeable. Nutmeg and cardamom flavors linger on the tongue, and in general the spices add a raw heat and do not seem to hang well together. Medium body with a thin mouthfeel, this beer does not strike me as “imperial” anything. There is nothing rich and full about the body and it is on the dry side overall. The spices were also kept on the minimal side which would have worked in a beer not labeled as “imperial”. Compared to this year’s special release of Schlafly’s Pumpkin Ale, this beer pales in comparison. The body is on the weak side and the alcohol lends a hot, astringent note. It was a struggle to make it through the entire bottle.

I don’t understand what all the hype is about with this beer. If you are looking for an Imperial Pumpkin, pick up some Schlafly.

Thanks to sacfly for the DFH bocce weekend trade.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2006 12:35:59 | More by hopsaplenty

KenC

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

A- Dark orange/brown, cloudy color. Aggressive pour to a pint glass revealed a half finger of tan head that disappeared immediately. Zero lacing as expected by style & ABV.

S- Cardamom. That’s it cardamom. Where is everything else?

T- Cardamom and pepper. There is just nothing else to say. From start to finish, one boring taste. All the spices that go into this style and nothing came through.

M- Feel is medium to heavy. It’s the one redeeming quality in this bottle. An imperial should have stand-up mouth feel and this has it. Right on target.

O- I hope that this batch or bottle was just no good. All the complexity I had hoped for was dashed. It was just this side of a drain pour. I’ll try another bottle, as Weyerbacher, in general, usually brews something I like.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 14:13:50 | More by KenC

TheycallmeTim

New York

2.68/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

12 oz. bottle into an Ommegang chalice. No freshness date listed.

A--Orange-ruby body, surprisingly red-toned, with no head. Like, nothing. But that's not totally out of character for higher ABV, low-hopped beers.

S--Lots of cinnamon and clove. As it warms some nutmeg pulls through, which is my favorite pumpkin pie spice. It also smells, oddly, like Coke. Seriously. Coca-cola.

T--Um, ok. Spice bomb up front, with the aforementioned cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, which is fine (especially if you like, as I do, DFH Punkin). But then you are drinking Cherry Coke. It's a dead ringer. (another sip) That's deeply unsettling. No hops, really, and no vegetal pumpkin taste, either. In a word, no pumpkin, and no beer. I don't know what happened but I don't want to drink spicy soda. This tastes like a disaster. People like this?

M&D--Mouthfeel's fine. Carbonation is medium and it's thin per the style. Drinkability? Yeah right. You get a headache after drinking what tastes like a soft drink, and not from sugar withdrawal.

I call shenanigans on this beer. Shenanigans! I have one bottle left and it's getting poured over a ham. Better than down my throat.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 01:32:49 | More by TheycallmeTim

AndoBrew

Georgia

2.7/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

*din NOT like would never buy*

app: dull copper color tarnished gold. no head sept suds

smell: normal spiced fall pumpknin beer smell, i smell spices.. where is the pumpkin??

taste: to many hops on the finish.. these over spiced pumpkin things really bother me.. i want pumpkin pie, not a haloween candle.

mf: fine.

drinkable?: nope, it is a candle, a smell to be put in the air in the fall. NOT A DRINK!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 06:42:24 | More by AndoBrew

marvin213

North Carolina

2.7/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

With almost no head to speak of, this beverage is more mud-brown than pumpkin-orange. Hardly translucent, it's more like a real brown ale--does the darkness indicate imperialism? The relatively dark tinge on an 8% imperial makes me uneasy.

The most pronounced aroma is nutmeg. The cloves are there as well. Even the cardamom reveals its presence in the nose. Maybe it's the influx of these powerful spices that provoked such worry from the look. I'm not sure how this will manifest in taste, but the spice basket smells like, well, a spice basket.

Perhaps this one's imperialism relates more to its fancy assembly of spices than the ethanol it offers. It tastes strong as in spicy, and literally spicy as opposed to more commonly spicy hot. It's imperial because you can envision sailors commissioned by royalty traveling proudly to return the spices that compose this beer. It's incredibly unique, but it's the most uncomfortably close I've come to eating a potpourri bag. Now, as I smell before I taste, I'm almost fearful. The beer is thick and indeed powerful, but more like syrup than adult beverage. There's little balance to the spiciness that is this pumpkin beer.

The mouthfeel is like sensory overload. Trying to feel all that you smell is taxing. It leaves my cheeks worn out. Halfway through my 12oz pour, finishing seems a daunting task. Though "awful" would be an unfair label, this serving may prove too much.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 00:41:07 | More by marvin213

aasher

Indiana

2.73/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I picked this up in Ohio this past Monday.

This beer pours a medium bodied deep polished cherry wood, auburn in color with no head at all and moderate carbonation. The nose is super spicy and a cardamom bomb. There is also cinnamon and nutmeg but Wowzers is there too much cardamom. The flavors too are dominated by cardamom. It has the typical characteristics of cinnamon, pumpkin, and nutmeg but the spicing is pretty over the top. It definitely takes away from the overall product. I just can't get behind this one. It doesn't have the balance that a beer of this style needs.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 02:47:28 | More by aasher

cfrances33

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

2012 bottle poured into a tulip.

Pour: Mostly clear deep amber with no head, just a film.

Smell: Some cinnamon, clove, vanilla, slight pumpkin spice. Really weak.

Taste: Light pumpkin spice and some cinnamon. Little bit of malt breadyness, a quite a bit of clove and allspice on the back. Still, not what I was hoping for.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and easily the most enjoyable part of this beer.

Overall: My first pumpin beer, and if this is supposed to be one of the best in the style, I am quite disappointed. Was expecting more pumpkin flavor and spice. Excited to see what other in the style have to offer this fall, and happy I got this one out of the way with a single now. Maybe I just don't get the style yet.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 17:56:36 | More by cfrances33

beerceller99

Louisiana

2.8/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Sharp cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin aroma. Sharp spicy flavors mirrors aroma, with a mild canned pumpkin taste on a weak malt base. More spice than pumpkin flavors here, too bad. Hazy copper color with a tan head. Light to medium body with a watery texture.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2008 01:48:17 | More by beerceller99

Kolsch

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

On tap at 3 rivers 6 pack and eatery.

Apperance: dark plum looking. No head to speak of and this was just tapped.

Smell: this is where this beer really shines in my opinion. Loads of spices that dominate the nose. Cinnamin, Nutmeg, Gloves, Ginger and oddly pepper.

Taste: here is where it fell apart for me. All of the above mentioned spices were all over the place. They just did not mesh very well. Every spice over dominated the other. Swallow was quite harsh to say the least. This is the first time I had this beer so was not sure what to expect. Highly disappointed on this one.

Overall: would not have again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2010 22:33:34 | More by Kolsch

KMcG

Virginia

2.8/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Reddish, brown, clear. Little to no head develops and then what is there totally disappears very quickly.

Smells: Very strong on aroma – maybe too much! There are scents of nutmeg, pumpkin, spice sweet

T: The taste is very spiced and sugary. The spices overwhelm the pumpkin, which is not so easy to detect. I also get something odd like mentho-lyptus (aka Halls cough drop) in the background that I supposed in the alcohol mixed with spice. This creates a slightly sharp palate.

M: The brew has a medium body with moderate to high carbonation.

O: Too much spice and not nearly enough pumpkin for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 14:21:53 | More by KMcG

erica

California

2.85/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A Sunday afternoon drive to the local Six-Pack Shop found me with a mixed 6-pack, including this one from Weyerbacher. I have found most Weyerbacher brews generally to be grossly sweet and definitely not to my tastes, but I do like their Imperial Stout / Raspberry Stout. I also generally love pumpkin ales, and I forgot it was that time of year. So, I obviously picked this one, since it's called Imperial Pumpkin. Sounds good, doesn't it?

After a few hours in the fridge to chill it just enough, I popped the cap and poured. It poured a crystal-clear medium to dark red-orange-brown, very autumn-like, darker than expected for a pumpkin, with a fizzy off-white head that faded quickly into a ultra-thin layer of tiny bubbles. Streams of bubbles are constantly rising in the glass. If I think about it, the scene on the top of my beer from the bits of bubbles left looks like a desert mountainous landscape, one of the mountains is smoking, and there's a legless cat flying through the sky. Nice.

It smells.... Sweet! Really sweet, not nice pumpkin pie sweet, but more like 'get yer nose out quick before it turns to sugar (or whatever makes it sweet)! Along with that, there's a baking spice cabinet aroma, a cinnamon-bomb topped with cloves and nutmeg. Pleasant but over-done. And I'm a big fan of the DFH Punkin, which is nice and spicy. But not like this. There's a hint of bread or pie crust, even a slight creamy scent, but I can't smell any pumpkins in this!! In a word, I could describe the taste as Spicy-sweet. But, what fun is a one-word description? Tastes like corn muffins topped with mashed cooked pumpkin, with way too much spices sprinkled (or rather dumped) on top. Really, the pumpkin is just hiding in the background. I really think this beer would benefit from the less is more school of thought. There's a bready and almost lactic finish to this, almost like the whipped cream you'd put on a slice of pumpkin pie.

Mouthfeel is decent. Quite carbonated for how thick of a sweet taste there is. Thank god, otherwise this would be like drinking sweetened spiced molasses. Drinkability suffers here for the simple reason that there is too much sugar-coated spices that mask the pumpkin in there. I am glad I only picked up one bottle, because i am having trouble getting through it, but I also am glad I tried it.

Not sure what the problem is here, but it really just seems that all that spice was thrown in to cover up something. Were the pumpkins bad? I don't know, I don't want to know. Like I said, one bottle is more than enough. That's my curiosity satisfied.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2005 23:18:01 | More by erica

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz. bottle

Pours a clear amber color with light crimson highlights. Has a small tan haead that disappears. No lacing on the glass.

Lots of pumpkin pie spices in the aroma with a mild caramel maltiness. It smells like ladies night at the bakery.

Too many spices - an all too familiar theme with pumpkin beers. There is a slight maltiness upfront which is quickly dominated by pumpkin pie spice. The spices leave a lingering aftertaste as it finishes quite dry.

Thin body, low carbonation.

Another over-spiced pumpkin brew. I keep trying them and they keep disappointing me....

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2006 02:25:58 | More by MaltyGoodness

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

2.88/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Weyerbacher- Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Appearance- Dark cloudy orange almost brown with a thick creamy head. Lacing down half the glass.
Smell- Strong ginger, cinnamon, clove, and pumpkin.
Taste- Like a ginger snap cookie. Ginger, clove, cinnamon, and pumpkin. The flavor seems so subdued!?
Mouthfeel- Has a chemical taste and feel to it all the way through. The flavor blossoms in the aftertaste?!

Overall- I was so excited to try this but it was a let down. $4.75 for a 22 oz bomber.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 20:56:19 | More by NJpadreFan