The Great Pumpkin - Elysian Brewing Company

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a great great beer, unique in the pumpkin ale world. it pours a shining orange to new copper color, with a skinny white head that fades fast. the nose is spicy, but not cinnamon, more clove or even ginger or something. there also plenty of vanilla sweetness and of course pumpkin. the flavor is different, its made with pumpkin seeds, and you can definitely taste the nutty earthy almost salty vibe they bring to the table. vanilla sugar and spice is also present, and so is the alcohol. there is a medium body, a little heavy because of the light carbonation, and a lot of alcohol warmth. this is a great beer, i feel like the pumpkin lends itself better to imperial ales, rather than smaller brews. it just provides such a big base. its a huge canvas on which to paint, and this elysian beer creates a clever work.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 20:29:27 | More by StonedTrippin

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle of Imperial Pumpkin greatness. Clear orange with a small white head.

Nose is bursting with spice notes. Cloves and nutmeg, allspice, light cinnamon in there. Brown sugar sweetness.

Equally spice dominant. Nutmeg and cloves, sturdy malt backbone, caramel sweetness, pie crust.

Semi thick feel complements spice flavors

This is how I like my pumpkin ales. Good for one or two but way over the top with sweetness and spice. Give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 16:51:40 | More by TheMultiYeast

Immortale25

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Special thanks to SatlyMalty! Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. No freshness date.

A- Pours a solid orange-ish amber color with a 1/4 inch head that soon plummets down to a thin ring around the edge of the glass and a thin sheet of surface foam. Above average lacing.

S- Lots of clove, cinnamon and allspice come forth from the bouquet. Smells nearly identical to pumpkin pie right down to the creamy aspect.

T- The flavor is also spot-on pumpkin pie right down to the aftertaste. Plenty of sweetness and spice mixed in with some vegetal pumpkin flavor. Alcohol is also well-balanced and nicely hidden.

M- The body is smack dab in the middle of the spectrum. I feel lots of pumpkin beers tend to be too heavy on the malt and it can drag down the overall experience, but not this one. Lightly carbonated while still maintaining crispness.

O- Wow. One of my new favorite pumpkin beers. Has the sweet/spicy/gourd ratio down to a science while also having a nice kick, yet is still smooth.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 02:03:53 | More by Immortale25

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My third 'Great Pumpkin' of the season (well, fourth... if you count a same-named gaffe by Millstream, my third from ELYSIAN) - this is a 22 oz.bottle poured to a pint glass, served straight from the cellar (cool, not cold). Label lists an even 8% ABV,

It's the bottom of the 7th, Game 7 of the Giants-Cardinals NLCS series... an orange & black labelled 'Giant' beer seems most appropriate.

A: Pretty caramel orange pour, slightly haze but minimally carbonated - just a stray strand or two. Nice head at first, a fizzy finger-and-a-half, light buttercream. Doesn't last long, fading to a slim ring, a mottled skim patch and few flecks of lacing.

S: Big, nose-tickling pumpkin spices. Lots of clove and nutmeg - even a zingy ginger and pepper. Something akin to fennel/licorice creeps up for brief moments. Have had these colder and wasn't as impressed - therefore, I *highly* recommend pouring at 55-60F!

T: Something like spiced apples right away; as with the nose cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. Caramel maltiness. Finish gets earthier, drier, almost ashy. Great way to balance the initial sweetly spiced fruitiness with brassy bitterness, even a hint of tang.

M: Feel is rather soft, gently carbonated - creamy(?). Starts medium and grows bigger, even a little sticky. Has a latent warmth and, as such, is a nice sipper. At times, seems akin to a doppelbock.

O: I really like pumpkin ales a lot... the style is one I look forward to and seek out every year. The Elysian beers (they make several others) are always among my favorites - this is no exception. Just a touch sweeter (AT TIMES) than I like for a pumpkin beer - then a dirty bitterness would rein it back in. Terrific, overall, and definitely one I'll keep drinking and recommending.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 02:52:14 | More by msubulldog25

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at City Tap House, Philly, PA

For a hyped-up pumpkin ale, I found this a bit lack-luster. Poured a somewhat cloudy copper-orange color with a small white head that receded to a ringlet. Aroma was pretty soft and mellow, with light notes of pumpkin and a bit of cinnamony spice. Taste was similarly mellow, not an in-your-face blast of pumpkin pie, but everything you'd expect is still there: pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, sweet bready malts. Medium body, and quite easily drinkable. Overall not bad; about on the same level as DFH's Punkin Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2012 13:38:56 | More by Rifugium

snaotheus

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle split into two big snifters

Pours brownish orange with very little head. Smell is spiced and yeasty. Lots of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Taste is pumpkin and pie spice, and some kind of bitterness that I don't quite recognize. It makes me think of unsweetened pumpkin skin, but I'm not sure I've ever tasted it, so that could be totally imaginary.

Mouthfeel is slightly heavy, and surprisingly fizzy for something that looked like it had no head. Overall, I'm somewhat underwhelmed. It's not bad, but it's not magic.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 02:45:52 | More by snaotheus

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very cloudy, dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a half finger off-white head that immediately fades into a thin ring. Minimal spotty lacing.

Sweet and spicy pumpkin pie aroma with sweet malts, pumpkin puree and autumnal spices. This is the only other pumpkin pie beer that equals Southern Tier Pumking's liquid dessert aroma. Pumpkin and caramel malt sweetness along with clove, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and graham cracker. Amazing!

Full bodied with a zesty spice presence up front that lingers over the pumpkin and sweet malt notes into a slightly dry finish. Strong clove, cinnamon, brown sugar and allspice notes followed by pumpkin puree, caramel malt, vanilla and nutmeg. Very dessert like and lacking the earthy vegetal quality that makes so many pumpkin beers so unappealing. Still, the strong autumnal spices and sweet malts make it feel like a beer. The high ABV is excellently masked without a trace of alcohol, making this complex beer extremely quaffable. One of the better pumpkin beers I've had. Up there with Pumpking and older batches of Southampton Pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 07:33:39 | More by corby112

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear copper, with a couple fingers of foamy white head. This retains with a smooth creaminess, with a sudsy cascade that quickly slides down the side and leaves back some moderate lacing. The aroma smells of ripe pumpkin meat, which literally jumps right out of the glass at you. This is rounded out by notes of light sweetness, some fairly strong pumpkin spices and a gentle floral tinge on the edges. That higher ABV shows itself with a slight underpinning of heat as well.

The taste is very similar, with pumpkin and sweetness up front and the overall freshness of that pumpkin really coming out towards the back. This also has a leafy bitterness to it and more of a moderate spiciness than the nose had. The finish is dry with a light lingering combination of spice and bitterness. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a firm and sprightly carbonation in the mouth that does blow up some but is nicely undercut by a bit of slickness as well that helps keep this relatively smooth in the mouth. Alcohol is present, basically amplifying the sweetness and spices in this but things do even out nicely after this warms up.

This is definitely one of the better Pumpkin Ales that I’ve had. I’m usually not as much of a fan of the Imperial style and I thought early on that the alcohol here was going to get this one in trouble but I was impressed how this pulled itself together once it sat for a while and the overall evenness of the flavors an d freshness of that pumpkin character really carries this through to the end. I was pleased to find that this one delivered.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 19:09:41 | More by Kegatron

ianjsullivan

Maryland

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ST: 22oz poured into a pint glass

A: Light, cloudy orange with a half-a-fingernail of white head. The head dissipates to half its size and sits on top for well over a minute.

S: Canned pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg and allspice.

T: Earthy pumpkin and nutmeg up front and alcohol and vanilla at the end. This beer really reminds me of pumpkin pie. Even the dollop of whipped cream seems to come through in the middle.

M: Medium and sweeter

O: A fine pumpkin beer that is worthy of your money and, perhaps, your Thanksgiving table. Sweetness is balanced by alcohol and spice, and the aroma is excellent.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 21:50:52 | More by ianjsullivan

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Semi hazed Orange hue with about a finger of yellow tinged head that resides quickly. Gingerbread cinnamon and clove on the nose. Cinnamon raisin bready malts and some pumpkin.

For an imperial pumpkin pretty light bodied and really smooth. Sweet ginger bread some vanilla and cinnamon raisin bread. Big pumpkin semi spicy finish. Well blended concise and tasty. Is it really the original imperial pumpkin? Who knows but it is a pretty good one.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 17:06:38 | More by jtierney89

Roose13

New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

A: A golden color. Very solid color. Half-inch head that disappears quickly.

S: Smells like pumpkin pie. Nutmeg, brown sugar, cinnamon.

T: Pumpkin is prominent, but not too prominent like weaker pumpkin beers. I also taste licorice, which really took me by surprise in a pumpkin beer.

M: Not too heavy, crisp and lightly carbonated. Absolutely love how easy it is to drink.

Overall: As of right now, only Dogfish Head is in the same level as this (until I have my first try of the fabled Pumking on Halloween). Amazing beer, and a steal for the $7.99 price I bought it for.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:22:15 | More by Roose13

Gerasimos

Tennessee

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber from LetsPour. Enjoyed in a La Trappe chalice.

Appears - golden pumpkin, red-orange; half-finger quickly receding head

Smells - nutmeg & pumpkin pie; fall spices

Tastes - nutmeg & pumpkin pie; licorice!; alcohol folded into the back

Mouthfeels - medium light & airy; just heavier than crisp

Overalls - I'm not a pumpkin/fruit beer lover, but I loved this beer; sweet as pumpkin pie but in a refined presentation; stomach-warming alcohol complement; great stuff

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 22:39:25 | More by Gerasimos

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: cloudy rust body, finger off-white head, very little lacing

S: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, big honey

T: same as nose, but earthy/mild bitter finish

M: med body, smooth mouth

O: Bottle listed as Imperial Pumpkin ale, but
feels more like a pumpkin ale. ABV well hidden.
Would have again, but not essential.

VERY GOOD, NOT MUST TRY!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 18:48:22 | More by BeerLover99

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip.

Appearance
Slightly hazed golden orange with low carbonation. Two fingers of tight white head with good retention.

Nose
Allspice, ginger, black licorice, cinnamon and peppermint. Some caramel and candy sugars. Not really any pumpkin in the nose.

Taste
Very spice forward. Allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and mint. There's this weird black licorice character to it. Pumpkin rind and stem. The malt is taking a backseat with notes of caramel and candy sugar. Some brown sugar and toast. The finish is slightly bitter and earthy.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp, clean and dry.

Overall
Very easy drinking. Well hidden abv. I personally don't think this can stand up against better Imperial Pumpkin Ales such as Schlafly, Williamsburg AleWerks, ST Pumking or CC Good Gourd. A little too spice forward for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 20:39:10 | More by justintcoons

smakawhat

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Ok.. so... you are not a pumpkin beer fan, yet.. here we are... the top rated pumpkin ale on BeerAdvocate (as of this writing). Lord hates a coward.. it's this or a wagon for our hero..

A bit of a slightly dull, but cloudy orange amber body. A very nice head at three fingers, off white in color, with very nice pinhead bubbles and slowly falling. Not bad looking, the head is very creamy and whipped too.

Nose is classic pumpkin style ale. Mashy, brown and mushy, with clove, nutmeg, there is a good earth and dank quality here though. A real emphasis on spice here than sweetness, with some airy quality.

Palate brings a real nice balance. A light bodied feel for a high abv. Mix of malt richness and pumkin spice hinted on the nose. Mild brown sugar on the finish, but the one thing missing is here that I have never found on a pumpkin beer, and this is a good hop profile. THere is a real nice astringency here, which gives me the impression of an actual beer than a sugar rush. Nice tight sharp aftertaste with the hop profile, giving to earthy dirt also which matches a pumpkin fall field nicely. There's even a little bit on anisette and licorice quality on the tongue here on the finish.

Overall a wonderfuly well crafted ale, it's all here and done real nicely. The pumking killer indeed. I don't like pumpkin beers, but I am really enjoying this one. I also like the fact that this doesn't come off that sweet in taste, but has all those nice sweet aromas.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 00:33:54 | More by smakawhat

andrewinski1

Maine

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Derek for sending this one! Poured into a wine taster. The color is hazy orange. There is a small off-white head. This isn't great looking, but it doesn't look horrible either.

The aroma is full of nice pumpkin without being too spicy. There is a nice vegetal aroma aided by a little malt sweetness.

The taste is mildly sweet with a hint of caramel. The vegetable flavors of a pumpkin really show on this beer so we can tell it's made with real pumpkin from the flavor.

This is medium to full bodied. There is soft carbonation. This is a nice take on pumpkin beers that doesn't overly rely on spice but instead real pumpkin flavor. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 03:55:10 | More by andrewinski1

metter98

New York

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is slightly hazy yellowish orange in color. It poured with a thin off white head that dissipated almost instantaneously, leaving only a thin film covering the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of pumpkin in the nose along with some hints of spices.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has lots of pumpkin flavors along with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. There is a slight amount of sweetness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this beer because it seems to provide the perfect blend of pumpkin and spices without being overly sweet or tasting like pumpkin pie. No alcohol is present in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 04:07:16 | More by metter98

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a soft orange-amber color with a nice rich head. Quite a nice look for a pumpkin ale. 4.0

Unique toasted pumpkin seed aroma with mild spices. Nutmeg, allspice, and a caramel malt. Pretty nice. 4.0

Allspice, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin meat, kola nut, light vanilla, and a hint of wheat malts. Definitely a zippy alcohol note. Surprisingly tasty. 4.0

Moderate carbonation to accentuate the spices. Medium in the body. 4.0

Great pumpkin ale. Would love to try more from the Elysian lineup. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 12:43:04 | More by thecheapies

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a copper tinted burnt orange, moderate cap of off-white froth, some decent lacing. Scent strong on spice, caramel and alcohol, lots going on and took a bit before individual components could be isolated. Same with scent, strong spice and caramel up front. Spices slightly overpower as it becomes hard to isolate cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger etc. Heavy malting and high ABVs also mask much of the muted gourd flavor. Some floral hoppiness to it. Medium to full bodied. A touch too much going on here for me to enjoy it all.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 19:24:48 | More by rfgetz

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a lightly hazy golden orange trending toward copper in color with minimal amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a very thin (less than an eight of a finger) sudsy off-white that quickly reduces to a ring of thin film around the majority of the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices (including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamon). Lighter notes of caramel malts and toasted pumpkin seeds. This beer smells really good.

T: Great flavors of caramel and toasted malts upfront with lots of pumpkin. Lighter notes of toasted pumpkin seeds with strong flavors of pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamon). Light sweetness initially and light bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp.

O: Extremely well balanced - not too sweet, not too much pumpkin, not too many spices, alcohol is well hidden... This is just a very good beer, the best I have had in the style. Enjoyable and easy to drink, a great beer to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 22:55:04 | More by dbrauneis

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a clear gourd colored orange with an elegant, creamy white head that laces. The beer's nose is modestly spiced with unexpectedly potent notes of sweet yam/pumpkin. The taste doesn't disappoint either with heavy pumpkin sweetness and subtle spices making it like liquid pumpkin pie. The alcohol is very well masked except for a slight burn on exhalation. The beer is very well balanced with the pumpkin and spice harmonizing on each sip followed by a slightly pine/mint/licorice bitterness. Very enjoyable beer and a worthy pumpkin beer indeed. Completely worth trying and I appreciate the bottles unknown person I received them from!

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 03:23:12 | More by ThePorterSorter

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Great clarity, nice pumpkin amber color with little to no head.

S: Pumpkin (GO FIG) flesh, toasty pumpkin seeds. The typical spices are there but slightly restrained, this doesn't smell like that mass-produced supermarket pumpkin pie (normally what I get from this style).

T: Sweet and spicy with plenty of pumpkin flavor. Nutmeg/ginger/cinnamon are all here but again dont take center stage. Nice restraint, tasty beer.

M: A bit sweet and thick, suitable for the style but not my preference. One bottle is enough.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 01:04:47 | More by mattsander

beergoot

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pumpkin yellow-orange body topped off with a thin but rich, creamy head. Aroma emits fresh-baked pumpkin pie scents. Smoothly carbonated; medium body; clean and dry. Taste is spicy, bitter, sweet malts and, of course, pumpkin; Noticeable alcohol flavor, too.

Flavorful if somewhat unbalanced (bitterness and boozy tastes a bit too sharp for my tastes for this style of beer), yet I certainly like this brew. Better than the sum of its parts...

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 00:15:34 | More by beergoot

oline73

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy orangish amber color with a half finger of off white head. The head fades to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Definitely getting some pumpkin and spice, but the spice isn't overwhelming at all. Some sweet malt with a hint of brown sugar. Quite smooth.

Taste: This is a very smooth beer. I'm getting a bunch of pie spices, but as in the smell, they're not biting or overly powerful. Some nutmeg and cinnamon along with the mildly sweet pumpkin. The finish is just a tad bitter, but it goes well with everything else.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with carbonation that is quite smooth and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a very smooth and full flavor pumpkin ale. Great fall beer, I'd definitely have more.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 18:53:43 | More by oline73

OktoberfestMunichSurvior

4.55/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I discovered The Pumpkin King in Elysian's Pumpkin Patch four-pack. The Pumpkin King pours a slightly cloudy copper gold, one might even call it pumpkin orange. Like a lot of pumpkin ales that I've tried, it pours with very little head, so pour vigorously if you prefer some foam. The smell is strong pumpkin, pumpkin spices, and hops... exactly what I want a pumpkin beer to smell like. The flavor is surprisingly light on the spices, hidden behind the malts and hops, though they are still there in the form of background notes which I think adds to the perception of complexity in the flavor. The Great Pumpkin is definitely more nuanced than other "beat you over a head with one spice or another" pumpkin ales that are a lot of fun to drink but not what I would describe as particularly delicious. At 8% ABV there is a distinct medicinal taste on the back end, although this is not unexpected and therefore not concerning, to me at least. Of course what defines a pumpkin ale is the actual pumpkin itself, and I'm happy to say that the pumpkin flavor is front and center. It helped to rest my pallet for a few minutes before dipping in for a few more sips so that I could experience the full pumpkin flavor over and over. Unlike a lot of pumpkin beers that I've tried, the pumpkin flavor was fresh and not too vegetablely. I think that the additional hops in the imperial style compliments the pumpkin flavor greatly, not only to mask some of the strong spice notes, but the floral and citrus flavors from the hops genuinely compliment the pumpkin. Imperial is the way to go for pumpkin ales, in my opinion. I highly recommend this beer as it is #1 on my list of pumpkin ales, for now at least.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 04:31:48 | More by OktoberfestMunichSurvior