Kennebunkport Pumpkin Ale - Federal Jack's Restaurant & Brew Pub

RJUGA03

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-Very orangy pumpkinish clear color with a 1" head settling after 5minutes to a laced rim.

S-Somewhat bready and much like pumpkin bread.

T-Strong seasonal tastes up front with a simple (somewhat lacking) finish.

M-Thick and frothy at first diminishing into a dry slightly bitter aftertaste.

D- In a deserted situation I would go for another, but if there were other beers available beyond craptastic macro's ... I would seek another beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2009 05:54:21 | More by RJUGA03

hoegaardenhero

California

2.95/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

a: straw body; clear with vigorous upward movement; light head

s: pumpkins; gingerbread spice; sweet yeast; a real spiciness; pumpkin pie; molasses and honey

t: strong sweet honey; molasses; pumpkin gingerbread; yeastiness

m: very agressive and very watery

d: very disappointing and thin in flavor and body but still drinkable because of the sweet pumpkinness

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2008 01:04:06 | More by hoegaardenhero

hellbilly

Arizona

2.35/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

bottle BB april 09. damn pumpkin beers get the better of me... bastards!

pours a bit emaciated... clear orange with a small white head which doesn't want to stick around.

lots of spice in the nose though little to no actual pumpkin to speak of... sweet (maybe grains but not really. just sweet.), nutmeg, fake plastic-y floral smell and a lager yeast aroma akin to the cheap stuff.

the palate is quite dry given the sugary aroma. again, it's really spicy with mild/sparse pumpkin/earthiness, faint caramel-y malt and that same plastic-y taste on the finish. light bodied with prickly carbonation which makes it acidic and a bit harsh.

i tried to like this, i really did.
4/3/4/2/9/2.2

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 04:01:30 | More by hellbilly

Tone

Missouri

3.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden color with little head that dissipates quickly. No lacing. A spicy pumpkin aroma, along with the cleanliness of a lager. Clearly a pumpkin ale, but it is a weaker version than I am used to and enjoy. Average carbonation with a strong pumpkin flavor. The flavor is definitely not overpowering and instead is rather weak. Overall a smooth beer but weaker than I would normally expect for a good pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 02:17:06 | More by Tone

jwinship83

Illinois

3/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- very lager like. golden colored body with very active visible carbonation and a 1cm quickly falling white colored head that leaves no lacing behind.

S- pumpkin bread, yeast, cinnamon, and some grainy malts.

T- similar to a pumpkin pie. couldnt taste any of the yeast that i thought i could smell

M- light bodied with a high level of carbonation. probably too much.

D- this just isnt for me. if you love pumpkin pie, and hate beer, this one is just about right for you. the bottle was pretty hard for me to finish, and im glad this one was left at my place rather than something i bought.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 20:54:54 | More by jwinship83

nsmartell

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I enjoyed this beer from the comfort of my own living room. From the 12oz bottle to a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a golden yellowish/orange color with a thin white head that disappears quickly. Not a very inviting look.

Smell: Pumpkin spice, nutmeg and cinnamon. A huge improvement over the appearance.

Taste: Spicy pumpkin nutmeg. Not much aftertaste. This is surprising, considering the amount of spice that hits up front.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated and thin-bodied.

Drinkability: Not nearly as bad as the previous reviews led me to believe. At the same time, this isn't my favorite pumpkin ale and could definitely improve in the look and taste department. Wouldn't seek out again, but wouldn't kick it out of bed either.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 02:28:11 | More by nsmartell

HalfFull

California

2.73/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, this beer pours a golden straw in color with a touch of haze, and offers a half inch head that doesn't linger for long. Quite light in color.

Lots of cinnamon on the nose with some nutmeg notes. Some underlying rice as a backbone.

Taste/feel is light in body and has a lingering cinnamon and sugar flavor. A bit like a churro. Cinnamon again on the finish with perhaps just a hint of pumpkin meat and with a quick close. A bit artificial in a way but hard to pinpoint. There is a certain oddness to the spice notes in that I sense they are additives or finishing spices vs. something that actually spent some time in the boil. Drinks pretty easily given its light body, but would become tiring due to its one-sided approach.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2008 08:44:47 | More by HalfFull

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

2.23/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Purchased as a single (good thing) at Trader Joe's in Glendale.

A: Pours a pale orange color with a frothy, two-finger head that quickly fades to a thin rim of lace that fails to stick.

S: Cinnamon with notes of metal and smoke.

T: Thin-bodied and heavily carbonated with no appreciable malt or hop character. Mild pumpkin pie spicing. Bland without any bitterness. Finishes with a vague herbal quality. Basically, like drinking carbonated soda water with a dash of cinnamon. Egad.

M: As thin and over-carbonated as it gets.

D: Avoid. Not worthy of celebrating the harvest.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 00:53:52 | More by CaptainIPA

edchicma

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a medium yellow gold with a quickly dissipating head. Smell is mainly spices with a vague malt note. Taste likewise is mainly spice with a slightly redeeming light creamy malt undertone. Mouthfeel is creamy yet with a slightly tart pleasant finish. Because of the above qualities the drinkability is good.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2008 22:33:01 | More by edchicma

Offa

California

1.85/5  rDev -35.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I am not sure if this is the same thing as Pumpkinhead from Shipyard, part of the same brewing family as Kennebunkport. Some people and websites claim that it is, and it certainly shares some basic similarities, but to me this was very different in taste and feel, and I like it a lot less. Then again, the only Pumpkinhead I've had recently was a left-over bottle I found from last year. It seemed quite good, so either it is good and better than this stuff, or it simply ages really well. Moreover, this Kennebunkport ale also does not resemble either my independent memory or my notes about Pumpkinhead from last year.

Pale, hazy orange with dust, it has a thin, fizzy off-white head quickly thinning to a ring and wisps, with no lace. This is similar to Pumpkinhead but this is more orange and more hazy and dusty.

The aroma is light grain with cinnamon, a hint of grass, a faint general pumpkin-pie aroma, and a hint of orange juice. This is a little bit like pumpkin head, but with more cinnamon, less pumpkin/pumpkin pie, and with orange.

The taste is quite different. It's light, on the fizzy side, and has pumpkin-pie spices
and some grian in the finish, like Pumpkinhead. However, the grain element is lighter, more cracker-like, less robust in feel. It also is a lot sweeter than Pumpkinhead, which transitions between sweetness and dryness. It also, unlike pumpkinhead, tastes a lot like watered down orange juice mixed with soda water with aa dash of cinnamon, with the only grain element being a light perfume in the finish. I actually found this too sweet and too much like watery orange soda pop to finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2008 16:46:13 | More by Offa

asabreed

New York

2.93/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Clearly marked best-by date notched of March 2009.

Appearance: Not much carbonation or head retention to speak of, and a golden yellow color that should probably be a bit darker. Or at least I hoped it would be.

Smell: Malty sweet base with an interesting mix of cinnamon and nutmeg, and some seemingly real pumpkin in there. A little hint of metal and sourness.

Taste: More of a pumpkin-pie-in-a-bottle beer, but it does indeed taste like beer. The pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla are pronounced, and a bit spicy, which I like. But it doesn't have a long finish, and could use some tweaking and maybe some more hops.

Mouthfeel: A bit too cloying and medium-bodied, and lacks carbonation.

Drinkability: I think this could be a pretty solid pumpkin ale with some TLC. As it stands, I think I enjoyed it more than my review maybe lets on, but it has some things that are really lowering its potential, like the appearance and mouthfeel. Not as bad as the reviews say, and worth a shot. I wouldn't want to have more than maybe one or two at a sitting, but it did go down fairly easy.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2008 03:44:35 | More by asabreed

hunteraw

China

3.08/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First pumpkin beer of the season this year!

Appearance: Thin head, golden amber in color (rather less orange than I would have expected). Poor retention and no lacing.

Smell: Pumpkin pie spices, especially ginger. Some spicy hops and caramel malt.

Taste: Pumpkin-y, but slightly acid and artificial-tasting. Mineral water finish.

Mouthfeel: Spritzy carbonation, light/med body

Drinkability: Decent pumpkin beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 02:45:08 | More by hunteraw

BeerSox

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into nonic.

Clear pale amber hue with a mild orange tint. A very thin and fizzy head quickly settles to a flat rim along the glass.

Grainy malts along with some light spices from pumpkin, and a little bit of raw pumpkin aroma.

Again, grains sit in the background, while the light spices and a little bit of pumpkin pie flavor take the rest of the show. Light bodied with good carbonation. The pumpkin flavor lingers for a while.

An okay pumpkin ale. While this one doesn't have any bad flavors, it's pretty thin, and focuses on the spices more than the pumpkin flavor. Enjoyable, but not the best.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2008 20:31:59 | More by BeerSox

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - a watery orange-colored pour, meager show of head that barely covers the top. Not enough to create any lace.

Aroma - spicy cinnamon. Faint pumpkin. Almost a hot cinnamon, not bad.

Taste - pure cinnamon. Indistinct grain, just enough to call it a beer. A steady theme...swallow - cinnamon; aftertaste - cinnamon. Hey I like cinnamon but I could use some other flavor in there, like maybe *pumpkin*.

Mouthfeel - slightly thin; peppy carbonation. To its credit, it helps to control the sweetness factor.

Drinkability - tasty for a one-dimensional beer. Worth a few if you're into the spice.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2008 05:15:52 | More by brewdlyhooked13

Avryle

New York

2.23/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Purchased at a Trader Joe's in Vegas... Think it may be a bad bottle- its pretty funky, and not in a good way.

A- Pale golden-orange. Not very impressive for a pumpkin ale. No head to speak of.

S- Smells sour. A little bit of allspice dangling around in the back

T- Pumpkin? Spices? Where are they? Tastes like a so-so pale ale. ...Oh, wait. A little bit of cinnamon can be detected in the finish. I've been to Federal Jack's and have had this (as Shipyard) on tap & it was pretty tasty, don't know what happened here.

M- Blah. Thin bodied. Ummm, that's about it.

D- Was hoping for a pumpkin ale, got a lightly spiced pale.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2008 20:25:10 | More by Avryle

aerozeppl

New York

2.48/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Procured by the significant other.

A: One shade darker than urine after a night of drinking. No head to speak of. Zero lacing.

S: Allspice is strong. No cinnamon or clove to speak of.

T: Just bland and stale. Most likely past its prime. Really just bland. More like an ale with a little spice than a pumpkin ale.

M: Well carbonated and it feels full in your mouth.

D: Not for me. Drainpour.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2008 20:24:51 | More by aerozeppl

barleywinefiend

Washington

2.13/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

You get what you pay for and I didnt pay much for this thank goodness.
Poured dark golden with a small head. Smell is BLAH..little bit of pumpkin and skunk behind it.
Overwhelming carbonation at first, followed by sweet but genuine pumpkin flavor. Not that bodied and lacks overall flavor. Not worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2008 01:19:21 | More by barleywinefiend

BoitSansSoif

France

3.25/5  rDev +14%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours an orange-ish yellow w/thin white head. Slightly hazy.
S-Cinnamon, nutmeg, gourd, slight walnut.
T-Reminds me of a wheat beer accompanying my old neighbor's pumpkin-nut loaf, and also of a cinnamon-yam dish my wife made a couple Thanksgivings ago. Taste is a bit lighter than what I was expecting, and slightly sweet w/hints of tangelo. I originally marked this pretty low but it gets better after a couple sips, and the balance isn't too bad. Aftertaste gets a little sloppy and confused.
M-Too light for the flavors. It mixes heavy flavors w/very light texture, and although the carbonation gives it a little backbone, it falls short.
D-Actually quite refreshing, plus I got it on markdown.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2008 06:01:47 | More by BoitSansSoif

Dubbercody

Washington

2.93/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Kennebunkport Pumpkin-Head Ale Alias for Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale, purchased at Traders Joe's. 12 oz bottle. Orange-golden body. Smells like pumpkin, and pie spices. Nice smell combination. Flavorful, some bitterness, Wish I could try this on tap sometime.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2008 05:32:00 | More by Dubbercody

madtowndmb1

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What a different beer. I've had Pumpkin ales before, but this one's a little different. It pours a very yellow/straw color. It reminded me of a pop at first the way the head appears not to leave a lace and quickly dissapears. The smell really turned me off right off the bat, just smelled wrong. BUt then I took a taste and Oh my, it was pretty good! The spices really come through, way more than the smell would indicate. Mouthfeel and drinkability are so,so. I like the taste, but with every taste you do have to bring it past your nose. It has a very similar smell to New Glarus' Belgian Red.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 23:59:10 | More by madtowndmb1

OStrungT

California

3.88/5  rDev +36.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer pours a pale, straw yellow color, with a thick, white head. The head fades quickly, leaving no lacing.

This beer has a slightly spicy aroma. I smell some pumpkin, and some nutmeg. It has a slightly grainy aroma as well. I also smell a little cinnimon. All aromas are very subtle.

This beer tastes mostly of cinnimon. I taste some pumpkin spice, and a little nutmeg. That is pretty much it for flavor. As with the aroma, the flavor is very subtle.

This beer is a little over carbonated. It leaves a cinnimon like aftertaste.

I think this beer would make a decent session beer. I may get tired of the cinnimon flavor after a while though. Alcohol is low, so that wouldnt be a problem.

Overall: Although not my favorite beer from the style, I dont have a problem with this beer. I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2008 02:30:31 | More by OStrungT

yourefragile

District of Columbia

2.45/5  rDev -14%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle from Trader Joe's. Best by June 08 notched on label

A: Clear golden, slight amber color with a thick off white head, decent retention, not much lacing.
S: Grain, smells like a typical light beer but then in the background pumpkin pie.
T: Tastes like liquid pumpkin pie, but not overly strong. This isn't great, but is certainly drinkable, compared to some of the other beers in this line from TJ. Grainy, slightly sweet aftertaste. A little pepper spicing it up.
M: Body similar to a wheat beer. Thicker than the appearance would suggest. Not overly carbonated.
D: Not great, not terrible. My favorite of the kennebunkport beers TJ is selling. Still not anywhere near my favorite pumpkin beer, but for the price and availability I'd be tempted to pick up a few next year, especially for friends.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2008 20:43:17 | More by yourefragile

DogFood11

California

2.25/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A decent looking brew. Frothy white head sits proudly on top of a pale wheat colored vibrant body. Champagne like carbonation. Sliding lace.

Hmmmm odd. Not terrible, not good, just odd. Like an american wheat beer meets a sweet fruit beer. Except the wheat tends to jumble this up and make it too spent grainlike tasting. Sweet potatoes and cinnamon are among the slight pumpkin taste. A bit of pepper tries to sharpen things up. Lingering layer of sweetness remains on the palate.

Notes: I wasn't much for this debacle. It was drinkable but not worth the coin. Thin and lacks any complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2008 01:45:43 | More by DogFood11

younger35

Minnesota

2.08/5  rDev -27%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I cannot for the life of me remember who gave me this beer. Whoever it was, big thanks! Drank from my Big Horn Mai Bock point glass.

Appearance- Pours a light yellow orange with terrific clarity. Forms a nice half finger head that disappears very quickly and leaves no cap and the smallest collar I’ve ever seen.
Smell- Lots of pumpkin and that’s pretty much about it. Not really much spice like I’ve come to expect from pumpkin ales.
Taste- Starts with a bit of pumpkin that isn’t all that “pumpkiny”. Some grainy malt that doesn’t seem to add much. Maybe a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg (maybe) to round out the taste. Finishes fairly cloying with some “pumpkin”.
Mouthfeel- Medium to thin body with fairly aggressive carbonation.
Drinkability- Well I think that if Miller was to make a pumpkin beer, they’d base it off this little guy. It’s got almost nothing in the nose and the taste is almost as bad. Not a great beer. Thanks much to whoever sent this to me, glad to have gotten to try it!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2007 03:49:12 | More by younger35

malcontent

Illinois

2.03/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours bright gold with only the smallest amount of head. Average all the way.

Cinnamon-dominated nose with substantial clove and trace nutmeg. Yup, all the "pie" scents are there. Diacetyl is along for the ride as well...

Ick! Like slightly sour water buttressed by stale grain. It's truly a train-wreck as almost no semblance of "pumpkin" remains after sifting through the chemical and off-flavors.

Watery with a sticky finish. An absolutely horrible stab at a pumpkin ale. This is the kind of beer that makes me wary of the style. Much like ambers, I wish brewers didn't feel like this were a mandatory beer. Do it well or don't do it.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 05:00:01 | More by malcontent