Country Pumpkin - Ithaca Beer Company

asabreed

New York

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler with the first taste poured into a traditional pint glass. Sampled earlier at the Ithaca Ale House also.

Appearance: A nice copper and slightly hazy orange color to the body of the brew, with a decent off-white head that does fade a bit quickly, probably due to the transport and the wash-out of the growler before the fill. Hopefully the haze is due to some of the pumpkin and spices -- I'm glad to see that it's not too clear.

Smell: A nice balance of malt and hops initially, with the spices coming through as it warms, especially the cinnamon and nutmeg. And there's some nice pepper and vanilla going on too. A good balance of aromas all around.

Taste: A little hoppier than I'd originally anticipated, with a nice sense of sweetness from the malt, balanced by the nice combination of spices, especially the cinnamon and nutmeg, and you do taste some of that pumpkin puree and it doesn't seem at all fake. Nice lingering slightly hoppy finish with spices that go on for a while.

Mouthfeel: Nicely medium-bodied with carbonation that could be maybe a little more charged, but it works well, and is more than adequate and keeps the flavors in check.

Drinkabiltiy. Not so surprisingly, a very good one from Ithaca. I hope this becomes a fall staple. Not very expensive, and a lot of flavor that could easily turn into a session brew. Seems like this is going fast -- not sure how much they made, but get it while you can.

Serving type: growler

09-30-2012 00:59:14 | More by asabreed

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Draft at The Pour House in westmont, NJ.

Pours a very hazy, dark orange/copper color with burnt orange edges and a half finger off-white head that quickly settles into a thin ring. Spotty lacing left behind.  

Slightly vegetal pumpkin pie aroma with sweet malt, autumnal spices and floral hops.  Some caramel malt and toffee along with  pumpkin, allspice, clove and ginger.

Full bodied with a zesty spice presence that lingers over the sweet malt notes  and pumpkin purée into a slightly dry finish.  Touch of floral hops with some clove, cinnamon and allspice followed by a sweet, slightly earthy pumpkin presence.  More dessert like, however, with pumpkin pie sweetness, vanilla and nutmeg.  Well balanced with a subtle hop presence that adds another dimension.  Flavorful and very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2013 03:07:09 | More by corby112

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Tons of microscopic sediment floaties in my glass makes for a hazy beer. Color is a bright orange amber with a 1/4 inch of head that dials back to a nice sticky lace ring.

S - Smell has a bit of vegital funk but mostly sweet of the spice that I like (perfect balance of nutmeg and cinnamon) Maybe some caramel malt and gram cracker too.

T - Well it does have a nice balance of vegital and hop bitterness which I appreciate along with enough cinnamon and nutmeg to get by. Above average attempt I guess.

M - For 6.3% it drinks light to medium. Quite sessionable I guess.

Overall for the dollar I paid it was not a bad pumpkin ale. As always it could use more spice but 2x better than Punkin or Brooklyn's pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 01:41:17 | More by DrDemento456

SLeffler27

New York

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Fills a tulip glass with a hazed, rustic orange and a slight, short lived, off white crown that leaves modest lacing.

One can faintly detect pumpkin and pie spices alongside caramel malt.

Sweet pumpkin pie is light but distinct. Nutmeg is the more prominent spice, while the finish is a touch astringent and lingering. After warming the pumpkin steps up and improves the flavor substantially.

Aggressive carbonation scours the medium bodied, woolly textured beer from the palate. Alcohol is greater than expected.

This is another pumpkin beer, with nothing special to distinguish it. Allow this one to warm and it does improve.

None of the beers produced under this style, by any brewer, particular impress me. I may have reached my limit for the year. Yet hope still holds out that someone will make an impressive pumpkin beer next year.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 12:24:58 | More by SLeffler27

siege06nd

Virginia

3.08/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A. Pours a light golden orange color. Thin quarter finger of wispy white head with just a smattering of lacing.

S. Cinnamon, brown sugar, clove, a little bit of bready malt character. Not much depth, but hits most of the core notes.

T. Follows the nose with cinnamon, lots of brown sugar, some all spice. Malts are light and somewhat fruity. Spices are the most apparent flavors, with a malt and hop base that doesn't really add too much. Drinks light a very thin, light slice of cheap pumpkin bread.

M. It's pretty damn watery. Everything here is just "mild" except for the spices which are more moderate. I just like a bit more depth to my pumpkin ales and this one lacks the sweet, thick character I've come to enjoy.

O. Decidedly average. Offensively inoffensive. They need to ramp up the malt on this one and give me something to sink my teeth into. Not bad, but certainly not memorable.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 23:40:18 | More by siege06nd

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours medium light amber with light white foam. Some lacing. Nose is more nutmeg than anything. Some cinamon. Maybe a hint of pumpkin. Taste - mostly malt with a light spiced pumpkin throughout. Mild bitter close. Overall an upper middle pumpkin beer. Good.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 15:12:25 | More by KTCamm

dogfishandi

New York

3.4/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. Best Before DEC 2012.

pours out a burnt orange color with a bit of haziness to it. slightly less than one fingers worth of off white head that quickly faded to a thin foam ring and then eventually nothing.

pretty typical pumpkin ale aroma, nothing really impressive hear. some cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg as well as some actual pumpkin. some light alcohol esters as it warms. not much else.

pretty much the same as the aroma, typical spices with a bit of actual pumpkin.

carbonation is a little too aggresive. light to medium in body. the only thing this really has going for it is drinkability, my glass was empty before i knew it.

a little too average to be worth buying again, glad i got this as a single. tastes like every other pumpkin ale out there. i expected more from ithaca.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 23:05:36 | More by dogfishandi

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass
It has a nice bright burnt orange color body with a small white head that quicly goes down to a very thin lace. The smell has a nice malt and allspice aroma with a hint of cinnamon in there also. The taste has a sweet taste up front then the spices and the pumpkin come in to play on the middle and the finish, leaving a nice like spice film on the tonuge. The mouth feel is really good and overall a good balanced pumpkin beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 20:14:19 | More by chefhatt

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a burnt orange color with a tiny white head that fades almost instantly leaving no lacing.

Smell – The smell is a mix of roasted malt, pumpkin and some sweet brown sugar and caramel. There are some very light nutmeg and clove aromas as well. Overall sweet and roasty.

Taste – The taste starts out of sweet caramel and a bready taste. Quickly a sweet brown sugar laden pumpkin flavor mixed with a lighter spice of nutmeg and allspice come to the tongue. These flavors linger throughout the taste till the end where the roasted pumpkin and malt flavors increase. In the end a sweet-lightly roasted pumpkin flavor is left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is a little above average in terms of creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather low. While a bit more carbonation would have been good for the sweeter nature of the beer, the creamy body (accentuated by the lower carbonation) was very good for the pumpkin flavors.

Overall – Not a bad pumpkin brew. It is on the sweeter side without too much spice. Worth a try if you have a chance.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 00:33:50 | More by Darkmagus82

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Clear pumpkin-hued body under an inch of off-white foam. Ok retention, decent lace. Pretty solid.

S: Spicy. Lots of clove, cinnamon, and allspice. Not much else. Pleasant enough.

T: More complex here, with the up-front pie spices giving way to some mildly sweet toasty malt and a nice hint of gourd. Clean, lightly bittersweet finish with some pumpkin lingering on the spicy aftertaste. Pretty tasty.

M: Soft, well-carbonated medium body. Great.

O: Enjoyable. I'm not generally a huge fan of the style, and indeed I find this too be overly spiced, but compared to most of the other ones I've had I'm impressed. Definitely worth a shot if you're a fan of Pumpkin Ales.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:11:17 | More by woosterbill

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clean deep orange color with a tan head. In the aroma, cinnamon, brown sugar, and notes of maple. In the taste, quite spicy upfront, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, and a sweet pumpkin fruit in the end. A spice bite and a medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry small spice and sweet pumpkin in the aftertaste. A nice use of spice and balanced with the sweeter pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 15:26:33 | More by OWSLEY069

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - slightly hazed orange/copper color with a off-white head that left some thin lacing.

S - light earthy pumpkin with subtle spices.

T - plenty of pumpkin pie flavor with mild bittering on the finish.

F - medium bodied easy to drink.

O - good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 01:03:17 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good starting head. It settles to a single layer of small bubbles. There's some spotty lace on the glass. Hazy amber color.

The smell is pumpkin and pumpkin spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Classic pumpkin ale taste. There's a malt start with plenty of pumpkin pie flavor that show up in through the swallow. There is a mild hop bitterness in the background. Relatively low body with a typical level of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:30:59 | More by smcolw

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

We pour a brew of glowing pumpkin orange. It holds a two finger head of creamy tannish bubbles that stick to the glass, leaving sticky, cakey lacing. Retention is nice. There is no haze or sediment noted, and carbonation appears light. The aroma is bright with smooth vanilla cream and warming pumpkin spice. The malts are pale and lightly toasted, holding up against a hearty baker’s yeast, and very faint but fresh citric hop. The pumpkin is sweet and serious, and really steals the show. With warmth it smells more and more like a fresh baked pumpkin pie. Our first impression is that the flavoring is lighter than hoped for, but still carries the pumpkin spice nicely. As we sip, the taste opens with souring, pale malts, a light toasty yeast, and fresh spice of pumpkin, nutmeg, and bittering clovey phenol. The middle moves the pumpkin spice forward, enhancing the depth of the malts, with sweeter notes of salty caramel, and dried grassiness. That nice fresh creamy sweetness comes next, pulling to the finish, with freshly grated ginger, black pepper, drying nutmeg, allspice, and fresh pumpkin flesh. The aftertaste breathes of souring grain, mineral, light booze, metals, dried pale malts, chalk, and more of that pumpkin spice. The body is medium, and the carbonation is medium, but robustly prickly. The mouth is cooled and coated initially, with a final dryness to the palate and down the tongue. There is decent slurp, smack, and pop, but little cream to the lips. It is quenching and refreshing, without being overbearing. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the nose. There was such nice favoring throughout, with a full aromatic profile. The pumpkin was authentic, yet sweet, smooth, and creamy, while the spice was warming and invigorating. The entire thing, however, through the flavoring as well as the nose, was a bit subdued. We found ourselves wishing that things were more robust on both fronts, which was really our only complaint.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:36:28 | More by TheBrewo

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper, with finger of creamy bright-white head. This retains with a smooth ½ finger that leaves back a sudsy cascade of spotty lacing which slowly drips down the sides of the glass. The aroma leaves a ripe earthy twang in the nose of pumpkin, citric hops and malt. Notes of raw earth, pumpkin and spices stick out the most.

The taste is vegetal pumpkin, which has a fleshly brightness to it that carries things well. An earthy bitterness, green citrus and sweet malts add a bit of a crisp backing twang to the pumpkin flavor. Spicing is light and complimentary. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a smooth crispness to the carbonation that spreads out nicely and is undercut a bit by some underlying slickness.

Not bad at all. The pumpkin here came off as a bit vegetal feeling in spots but the backing flavors helped compliment things nicely and the overall feel had a smooth crispness that kept this drinking well. This is one of the better Pumpkin Ales I’ve had this season.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 15:34:49 | More by Kegatron

birchstick

Missouri

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an orange color with a white, creamy head. Nose is spices (clove and all spice) with cookie and pumpkin malts in the mix. Taste starts off with sweet caramel and cookie malts. These give way to cloves and an array of other pumpkin related spices. Pumpkin malt intertwined with more pumpkin spice finishes this beer off. The body matches the style well - full and smooth. Overall, this is a light, yet flavorful, pumpkin beer. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 14:01:36 | More by birchstick

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
6.3% ABV, Best before Dec notched on label.

Thanks to Chaney for sending this as part of the monster box!

A - Pouring a hazed, dirty apricot color, this orange beer is topped by a cream off-white head that disappears pretty quickly leaving wispy fingers of lace on the pint glass.

S - Country Pumpkin fits the fall beer bill with a big nose of pumpkin and the typical spice rack for a special aromatic treat. The beer keeps it's beer qualities though, featuring biscuit and caramel malt with light traces of earthy hops through the middle.

T - Crisp and refreshing, this ripe pumpkin beer piles on the caramel and biscuit malt with pumpkin and spice following closely. Country Pumpkin is a little hoppier than the usual pumpkin beer though, earthy notes and bitterness pulling through the finish.

M - Medium bodied and crisp-feeling, the spice flourishes over the tongue with moderate carbonation. Dry on the back end, this beer trails off with a nice balance of bitterness to counteract the sweet malt.

O - One of the better, more balanced pumpkin beers out there this season, Ithaca's Country Pumpkin is a refreshing, drinkable pumpkin beer that offers a hefty dose of pumpkin and spice but keeps it real with plenty of malt flavor balanced by subdued hops. A wonderful fall treat!

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 19:42:13 | More by BeerFMAndy

FickleBeast

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a bright orange color with a thin wisp of foam that fizzles away quickly. Aroma is strong of pumpkin pie spice... clove, allspice, cinnamon.

First sip is medium bodied with a strong cinnamon flavor and enough sweetness to hold things together. Actually, this is quite sweet, and in turn has a few layers of flavor between the crystal malts, and various spices. Mouthfeel is viscous, but it also is a bit fizzy.

One of the better pumpkin beers I've had. Glad I took a chance and bought a 6 pack.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 00:44:01 | More by FickleBeast

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours just a faint bubbly head that disappears in an instant, over slight hazy copper honey orange color.

Nose bright pumpkin, a bit of an egg nog like aroma, some cinnamon, nutmneg and hints of other spices the give the xmas egg nog or pumpkin pie like aroma. Touch of a sweet reddish malt, and little bready.

Taste is similar, some pumpkin both canned and fresh, spices bringing nutmeg and cinnamon again, slight nutmeg xmas-y like taste that brings those flavors of xmas, little fluffy nougat like flavor. Little toasty reddish malt, caramel, creamy even. A light hoppy flavor, some bitterness and a light floral earthy bitter hop. Finish is dry, very dry, slight earthy spicy hops, plenty of spices lingering, and a bit of pumpkin and creamy egg nog like.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb.

Overall not bad, but not great. Decent flavors,spices that remind me of xmas and egg nog, creamy, decent pumpkin, at least dry and not overly sweet, but nothing great.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 02:58:46 | More by jlindros

alexgash

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle. Best by December 2012.

Faint yeasty particles suspended in a coppery-bronze body. Small, ringy, gauzy, eggshell white head. Warm malty aromas of pumpkin pie filling, graham cracker, and caramel. Cooked carrots and spices (vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon) round out the nose.

Toasted malt and light grainy astringency up front. Pumpkin pie filling fills in along with cooked carrots and caramel. Moderate dose of spices near the finish. Nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. Lingering spices in the finish. Moderate body with a smooth feel. Not bad pumpkin here!

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 21:11:57 | More by alexgash

WesWes

New York

3.53/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dark amber color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a solid malt scent that boasts of pale and crystal malts. The pumpkin flavor is mild at best and yields to the pumpkin spices; cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The taste is decent as well. It has a dry pumpkin flavor that melds well with the crystal and pale malt base. It contains some cinnamon and nutmeg, but nothing too overpowering. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinking beer, but a weak seasonal from a brewery that usually produces top notch offerings.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 23:26:15 | More by WesWes

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a one finger head that has reduced to a thin layer. It is a pale orange color with great clarity and signs of carbonation coming up through the glass.

Smell: Sweet pumpkins and all the spices that normally go with it. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, brown sugar, and all spice. Some breadiness too.

Taste: sweet and bready malts, pumpkins, and spices. Pretty crazy for 6.3, but it feels it could be more.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, low to medium carbonation, medium bodied, lingering delicious spiciness, and a pleasant beer on the palate too.

Overall: This beer reminds me a little of Southern Tiers pumpking minus the booziness and starchiness. Still a very enjoyable beer and very happy for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 06:48:32 | More by Flounder57

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pumpkin-y color. Head collapsed to a thick ring. The foam doesn't want to stick.

Cinnamon, pumpkin, nutmeg, almost a rye-like spice element coming from the malt. Pretty simple, but delightful nose.

A bit attenuated, but some punctual pumpkin pie spice notes and a touch of floral hops round this one out. Malty with some pumpkin meat and an earthy bitterness. Finishes with some menthol and gruff grain.

Mellow, crisp, with a natural body. The carbonation is energetic. Works for an autumn ale.

A little spice-heavy, but turns out to be an enjoyable fall seasonal. Easy to enjoy, easy to finish.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2012 02:44:40 | More by thecheapies

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked this up in Totowa, not expecting much from a style that rarely impresses me. Sure enough, that turned out to be the case with this. While this was not a bad beer, no flavor in particular stood out too much and there wasn't anything memorable about this. This wasn't too spicy or full of the namesake flavor but at the same time, there was just enough here to make this enjoyable and easy to quaff down.

This had a slightly dark pumpkin hue to it with a bit of head and hardly any lacing. The carbonation wasn't there either but that was more than made up for by the alcohol, which was a bit too strong for my taste. I thought this would have some spice but aside from a bit of cinnamon, there was just pumpkin here. No clove, nutmeg, or vanilla and had the body been a bit more full, that would have been alright. There was just something missing from this and this came too close to being a "no-frills" beer.

That allowed the alcohol to stand out more than it should have. This felt like it was around 8-9% but this was not made to be an Imperial-style beer. Those who like Pumpkin Ales will not be disappointed here but so many others available on the shelf, this should probably be passed over unless there aren't any other options to choose from.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 21:28:02 | More by JerzDevl2000

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Country Pumpkin
Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 6.30 %

LOOK: Pours an orange color with a chill haze, little to no sediment. Off white head forms and leaves little to no lace. Appears like a standard pumpkin ale.

SMELL: Pumpkin spices of cinnamon, clove, and allspice are apparent right away. There is a bit of malty sweetness peeking through as well.

TASTE: Once again spices of clove, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice are upfront with some pumpkin and brown sugar notes. There is a noticeable amount of vegetable/mineral notes from the pumpkin and perhaps the hops? Not very bitter and very spicy with plenty of pumpkin.

FEEL: Medium to full bodied, smooth, and well carbonated. Drinks fairly easily.

OVERALL: A good pumpkin ale with some solid traits. The mineral notes are a bit out of place, and with some vanilla, could easily be covered up. A pumpkin ale with some strength behind it and no presence of alcohol. Would go well with a holiday meal.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2012 18:25:17 | More by Stinkypuss