Scratch Beer 79 - 2012 (Master Of Pumpkins)
Tröegs Brewing Company

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From:
Tröegs Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Pumpkin Beer
ABV:
8.4%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.99 | pDev: 8.52%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
14
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 15, 2018
Added:
Nov 01, 2012
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
It had to happen sooner or later. We’re referring to our Pumpkin Scratch Beer, of course! Realizing this monumental endeavor should not be taken lightly, our brewers explored the nether regions of the Pumpkin Ale spectrum to brew a serious beer suitable for the harvest season. Starting with a heavy fifty-pound load of neck pumpkins from Strites’ Orchard, we roasted them to perfection right in our Snack Bar. To infuse the essence of fall, we added traditional pumpkin pie spices, cane sugar, honey, and vanilla. The use of French Saison yeast intensifies the spicy dryness of the ale and interplays nicely with the malt sweetness. The result is a masterful Pumpkin Ale that will have you crawling faster to Tröegs. Taste it you will see, more is all you need. Dedicated to how I’m drinking you. Obey your Master of Pumpkins!
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Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.71/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Burnt chestnut brown with lighter edges and a thick, fluffy dense head with a slight ridge around the glass.

Smell is quite spicy, but it's not one of those pumpkin ales where one spice sticks out over all the rest, but instead a good blend of pumpkin pie spices, while an aroma of toasty pie crust is also present.

There is more squashy pumpkin in taste, as well as a softening vanilla cream dollop, but it also has a good woody bitterness and a dry toasty finish via the medium-light, crisply carbonated body.
Oct 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4.36 by bgill21

Oct 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by IPAchris from Pennsylvania

Dec 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by RozzieBoy from Rhode Island

Nov 04, 2013
Photo of thain709
Reviewed by thain709 from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Catching up on my reviews.

A - Served with a glowing orange body that had some amber hues to it...the head was small and white in color...it didn't last long and settled into just a thin ring around the top...there wasn't much lacing left behind

S - The initial aroma provided a lot of fresh, earthy pumpkin pulp...as the beer had a chance to warm, the pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove) came out...there was a touch of honey towards the back end

T - Again, the initial flavor is earthy and full of pumpkin pulp...the intensity of the spices build as the beer warms...those pumpkin pie spices pair well with the yeast strain used as it has a chance to add some spice...the vanilla isn't as prevalent as I would have liked...but I did like the addition of the honey...it has a chance to cut the spices and add a different level to the beer

M - Medium bodied...smooth going down, touch of spice, sweetened by the honey

O - This was a good first attempt (and probably last) with a pumpkin ale...I really enjoyed the use of the yeast strain and honey...but I would have liked to have tasted more of the vanilla
Jan 21, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by mallison245 from Pennsylvania

Jan 15, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Rojada1988 from Pennsylvania

Nov 07, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by Bieregod from Pennsylvania

Nov 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by Bdel34 from Pennsylvania

Nov 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by TheNightwatchman from Pennsylvania

Nov 04, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jagada from Pennsylvania

Nov 04, 2012
Photo of chefhatt
Reviewed by chefhatt from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I poured it from the growler it has a nice copper body with a small 2' white head that hangs around for a minute. The smell is pungent of spices, mostly clove and nutmeg and also has a nice hint of pumkin. The taste hits you palet with a spice bomb first,strong spice of nutmeg, ginger, nutmeg, but as it warms up a little the pumpkin come through on the middle to back of the tonuge. Mouth feel is real good, nicely carbonated and overall i really enjoyed their pumpkin beer and hope they brew it again next year.
Nov 04, 2012
Photo of orangesol
Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

3.97/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served on-tap at the Brewery. I really have very little to add on the name for this one, other than I have always seen it referred to as "Pumpkin Ale," which is what it is listed under at the Brewery.

A - Pours murky copper orange with a small half finger tall off white head leaving spotty streaks of lace down the top portion of the glass. My glass went completely still about half way through.

S - Smells of fresh pumpkin pulp, nutmeg and other thanksgiving spices, vanilla, honey, clove and some light earthy funk from the farmhouse yeast. This is one spicy pumpkin ale but it dies down a little bit as it sits in the glass.

T - Starts off with a big spice note - mostly nutmeg and clove and then the ginger - giving way to some fresh pumpkin pulp, toffee sweetness and some mild earthy funk from the saison yeast. A little spicy initially growing more balanced as it sits in the glass. Finish is pretty dry, lingering on the palate long after the finish. The spice is a little over the top at times, threatening to overrun all of the other flavors.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation. Smooth, spicy feel with a dry finish.

O - This is Troegs first attempt of a pumpkin beer and I think they did a pretty good job. It has a good amount of pumpkin flavor to it, maybe a touch too much spice, but all in all a nice first attempt. If you like pumpkin beers I am sure you will like this one.
Nov 01, 2012
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Side note: The Troegs' newsletter calls this "master of pumpkins." Their website does not directly jump right out and call this anything other than a scratch pumpkin ale. However, in the details of "whats fermenting" on their website, the description is a parody of the song this brew is named after.

Thanks to BA wishuwerebeer for the growler hookup. Poured into a matching Troegs pint glass the brew appears a clear amber to burnt copper color. Sitting atop is a rich 2 finger froth of yellowish tan consistency and creamy texture. As the cap fades, it leaves patches of lace sticking to the glass. A few rising bubble support the cap with decent retaining powers. When held to the light, there is a lighter color of golden to yellowish look about the edges.

The aroma of this brew is quite spicy with the expected pumpkin pie spices. There is an underlying fruited quality somewhat like lemony ginger mixed with the fruited quality that is sometimes present with french saison yeast strains. A hint of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and an overall earthiness is present. Initially there was a bit of metallic or carbonic quality but as the brew warms up, that completely fades out of the picture.

The taste has a very mild vegetative quality somewhat reminiscent of pumpkin. Hints of caramel and toffee provide a soft sweetness before the spices come in and dry things out. Just like the nose led on there are flavors of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg that brings in an earthy quality that focuses a bit more on mild pumpkin flavoring and that earthy to fruity yeasty aspect. Whereas the aroma initially opened up with some mineral or carbonic elements, I find that absent in the flavor initially. However, as it warms up, some of that comes out a bit and clashes with the rest of the profile. Once the brew gets up to temperature and I have a second glass...there is a familiarity about this brew. Its almost like Troegenator was the base recipe for this brew. But whats strange is that there is a buttery finish to this typical of a lager. However, this isnt a lager, it is a pumpkin with saison yeast. Right?

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It opens up a bit awkward but as the experience continues this really grows on me. Troegs first attempt at a pumpkin beer??? Color me impressed. The spicing is bold but it is not overdone. The usage of saison yeast was a nice call but almost brought more of a fruity quality to the package instead of a complimenting spiciness. For more than 8% abv, it is hidden initially but as you finish the glass you know this was no little brew. Nicely done but overall there is something sketchy going on here. While those buttery and toffee flavors work here with the pumpkin spices, how didnt the saison yeast dry this out? Id be interested to learn more about their process for this brew.
Nov 01, 2012
Scratch Beer 79 - 2012 (Master Of Pumpkins) from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 14 ratings