Night Owl Pumpkin Ale - Elysian Brewing Company

57md

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy copper with a honey colored hue. Two big fingers of head, but it dissipates quickly leaving only a trace of lacing. The nose certainly has pumpkin notes to it. The taste is pretty straight-forward pumpkin-like.

The bottle claims the presence of various pie spices, but they are hardly noticeable other than the definite clove notes on the finish. The finish is also semi-dry.

As a special treat, a very subtle touch of sweetness begins to come out as this offering warms.

A solid straight-up pumpkin ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 03:03:11 | More by 57md

RenzoD

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

FYI: My rating of this beer is specifically relative to other pumpkin ales

Bought a six pack of this stuff. Poured from a bottle into a pounder glass. The beer is a nice looking dark orangish color which is perfect if you are feeling festive for Autumn. Quite a bit of cloudiness as you get to the bottom with sediments, not in a bad way but in a way that makes you look forward to a brew with lots of flavor. Nice small to medium head leaving a nice lace on the glass. The smell is probably what most impressed me. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, chai teaish scents with some cinnamon and nutmeg. This thing smells like the real deal. My first drink was a bit bland and dissapointing but it had been sitting in my fridge all day while i was at work so i allowed the temperature of the brew to warm a bit to bring out its flavors a bit more. Im glad i did. It progressively got better and better. Good flavors of pumpkin seed, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. There was something just slightly flat about the mouth feel which kind of throws off the aftertaste but if you get past that its a great beer and as a puget sound native I am happy to say that Elysian has made my favorite pumpkin ale yet.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 07:24:27 | More by RenzoD

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a 12oz bottle which was good because a bomber or a sixer would be way too much. Orange color with good lacing but it also has a lot of particulate floating throughout. Strong smell of the typical pumpkin pie spices. Flavor is pumpkin, nutmeg, spicy. This is good but I really don't want too much of it, kind of overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 21:51:16 | More by ArrogantB

mfavoino

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bomber poured into a pin glass.

Appearance: Amber-orange color with a fizzy 1 finger head that settled quickly.

Smell: Nutmeg, licorice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Smells sweet.

Taste: Sweet, but not overwhelming pumpkin flavor. Gets more spicy and herbal with noticeable cinnamon and nutmeg. Finishes with spicy flavor that I can't quite put my finger on.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with just a touch of carbonation. Nice mouthfeel.

Overall: Good pumpkin ale that is not quite on par with Elysian's Great Pumpkin and Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale. Looking forward to opening a bottle of Great Pumpkin soon to compare.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 04:55:07 | More by mfavoino

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a nice clear orange brown with a 1/2 inch of opaque colored head.

S - Smells quite mild yet balanced getting some sweet spices and not very vegital pumpkin. Malts and hops seem level.

T - Wow very nice as other stated it balances the line of pumpkin and beer very well with just the right amount of cinnamon and allspice to keep it from being too vegital. Malt forward is also a plus for the style.

M - Like Fegley's Devious only more sessionable with a light to medium body make for easy drink ability.

Overall it either this or Devious but I am looking to get a case of this stuff. Good pumpkin ale indeed.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 02:24:01 | More by DrDemento456

jtierney89

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

nice clear sappy hue with a bit of off white head. smells like heaven, like fresh pumpkin pie.

Wow good show! combines drinkability with amazing pumpkin flavor. Body remains consistent and doesnt water down at all, evenly spiced with some pumpkin flavor remaining. Medium bodied, high enough in ABV to catch a buzz but low enough to session. A pumpkin beer thats a bit heavier on cinnamon than others but it's a rather good beer. This beer has a good reputation for a reason.

combines the flavor of the imperial pumpkin ales with the drinkability of the session pumpkin ales.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 23:49:46 | More by jtierney89

bstave

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into Dogfish Head Tulip Pint Glass

Pours a brilliant orange leaving little head and minimal lacing. This beer smells like pumpkin pie. Big allspice and nutmeg on the nose. Taste doesn't quite live up to the smell, but pulls through quite nicely. Mouthfeel is medium. Slight bitterness in the back end. Overall, this is a nice pumpkin beer and probably one of the best examples. I like the new six pack option. Seek out for those who enjoy the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 03:23:05 | More by bstave

vkv822

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on-tap @ Elysian Brewery.
taster glass.
from notes.

Clear orange with a low, white head.

Clove and pumpkin upfront. Highlight with nutmeg, and a light note of cinnamon in the finish. Malty base.

Average body, medium, prickly, bubbly carbonation.

A well done pumpkin beer. Easy to distinguish the style and pumpkin and spices used, but they were not overwhelming as can easily happen in the style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2012 06:47:03 | More by vkv822

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today. Can't believe it's pumpkin beer season already.

The beer pours a copper amber color with fairly good head retention and light lacing. The nose is rather amazing though, as I get considerable pumpkin, clove, alspice and vanilla. The flavor profile replicates the nose, and the amount of pumpkin flavor is astonishing. It blends well with all the spice, leading to a moderately sweet beer, which end with a dry, spice filled finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and the finish is long and spice infused.

Probably one of the better pumpkin beers out there, but I confess I'm just not a big fan of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2012 20:52:05 | More by johnmichaelsen

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 10/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a red-orange amber with a slight off-white head. Light lager aroma with light malt. A light malt flavor with a distinct pumpkin finish. Not too complex, but a nice spicy, light flavor and pleasant pumpkin aftertaste. A nice, light pumpkin ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 20:29:50 | More by LiquidAmber

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to 5000 for sending me this bottle. Reviewed from notes.

The beer pours a hazy orange color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of pumpkin and some cinnamon, as well as a light amount of tartness. The flavor is similar, only there is not tartness. I get some pumpkin as well as some nutmeg and allspice. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 03:33:51 | More by Mora2000

TheEarl

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I’m reviewing this from notes I’ve taken throughout numerous pours of this beer. I’ve had Night Owl from 22oz. bottles, on draft at the Elysian pub, and from a horrendously botched growler fill that left the beer completely flat (the bartender filled the growler by pouring from filled pints…).

Appearance: This beer pours an opaque brownish/orange color with a white head and lots of lacing that really sticks around.

Smell: The aroma is dominated by roasted pumpkin and spices but, as some other reviewers have noted, not exactly the pumpkin and spices smell of a pumpkin pie. Rather, Night Owl has a slightly more earthy smell than most pumpkin ales.

Taste: The taste is sweeter and more pie-centric than the aroma suggests. There are initial pangs of brown sugar and cinnamon, fading into pumpkin and a general fruit sweetness, and finishing with ginger spiciness and some crispness.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is probably lighter than the average for the style. You definitely don’t get the sense that you’re swallowing a mouthful of pumpkin puree.

Overall: Night Owl is a great seasonal beer that I look forward to every year and, while I appreciate that this isn’t exactly orthodox, Night Owl served from a frosted pint glass is one of the best things about October in Seattle. That said, I have noticed, as have other aficionados I’ve conferred with, that Night Owl exhibits no small degree of quality variance from year-to-year and maybe even batch-to-batch.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 21:23:07 | More by TheEarl

dkoehler42

New York

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This pumpkin beer features a cooked pumpkin taste as opposed to pumpkin pie taste. The color looks as though someone dropped a pumpkin into the glass/bottle. The smell and taste are consistent with the cooked pumpkin theory. This is one true American style beer picking up.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 02:37:51 | More by dkoehler42

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: This beer pours a completely opaque and dark burnt orange. A nice, inch-thick, off-white head sits on top and very slowly dissipates while dozens of bubbles shoot to the top. Lacing is absolutely gorgeous. Very thick.

SMELL: That is a pumpkin ale. Roasted pumpkin and allspice are the only thing the nose can pick up. This has a very assertive aroma and it smells delicious.

TASTE: With a whiff before a sip, a lot of the big, rich nose comes with, but it thins as it goes down. This is one of the most legitimately pumpkin tasting beers out there. It's not pumpkin pie spices, it is actual pumpkin flavor. That said, some of the sweetness that is often expected with this fall seasonal isn't quite there. It also is not as rich as the nose suggests. That said, strong example of a pumpkin ale.

MOUTHFEEL: This is very rich feeling, smooth and creamy beer, but the carbonation is strong enough. This will tickle on the way down.

OVERALL: I feel like this beer fills an important void in the craft beer, fall seasonal world. It is genuine pumpkin, as I mentioned above. It isn't just pumpkin flavored bubble gum or pumpkin pie spices overwhelming the actual pumpkin. It is pumpkin. And there should be a place for that.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 08:38:21 | More by StoneTSR

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 22 oz. bottle. Has a mahogany color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is bursting with fresh baked pumpkin pie. Taste is mild by comparison, some pumpkin, malty, a bit of spice. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 20:04:17 | More by tone77

BeerCentralWA

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Rich but not overpowering. Excellent well rounded mouthfeel. Pumkin flavor is present but not overdone or artificial. Warming, rich, satisfying and heavy.
A- orange reddish amber, rich and opaque
S- malty richness, slight spice
T- tasty pumpkin and hearty spice. Pumpkin but not. Tastes life fall. rich musty malt
O- a favorite fall northwest beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 02:27:10 | More by BeerCentralWA

jsanford

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Pint Glass.

A - Pours a slightly hazy burnt orange with a creamy khaki head that settles to a slight ring and haze.
S - Sweet aromas of pumpkin, toffee, and spices (typical blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove).
T - More sweet pumpkin, toasted brown bread, toffee, and spices make up the flavor profile. Nicely balanced between the pumpkin and the spice, and quite drinkable.
M - Smooth and a touch creamy, with a medium mouthfeel and decent carbonation.
O - A solid Pumpkin Ale that does everything right, but doesn't stand out from the crowd much.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 04:58:11 | More by jsanford

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 22oz bomber to Bruges hybrid glass on 12/27/11
*From notes

A: It looks like a ruby hued pumpkin. Clean. A good pour yields a three finger head. Solid retention and lacing.

S: Another all-spice bomb (que rolling of eyes).

T: Shocking. More all-spice with minimal pumpkin qualities to it. Not that it's a bad thing, just not the most creative venture.

M: Packs the proverbial punch, as it's big and bold.

O: Elysian's Night Owl is yet another in a long line of decent yet unspectacular pumpkin ales. Though it isn't a bad beer, it's nothing to get worked up about, and not something I'll seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 20:07:47 | More by Rhettroactive

Phelps

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared by ottovon and whiterascal, poured into some Russian River stemware. According to the label, this is brewed with seven pounds of pumpkin per barrel and spiced in conditioning with nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.

Mulled cider brown. Great color, with near perfect clarity. A half-finger of fizzy, pinkish head pops away to a thin ring, leaving no lace.

Smooth and aromatic. Lots of roasted pumpkin flesh and apple cider. Fruity, with a hint of tartness and spices: lots of cinnamon, some clove, nutmeg.

The flavor's a lighter version of the aroma. Fruity and sweet, with hints of roast pumpkin, lightly toasted bread and touches of caramel. Lots of ginger and cinnamon as well, both of which linger for a long while. Flash of cranberry at the swallow.

Smooth medium-light body; a bit fizzy; light, massaging bubbles. There’s no alcohol; just some lingering tartness and spice esters.

Night Owl isn’t as good as expected, but it’s not bad either. A smooth blend with no outstanding flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 22:44:58 | More by Phelps

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep reddish brown with a finger of sticky off-white head.

Smells like actual pumpkin. Some all-spice is present, but spices are subdued for the most part.

Starts off with some cinnamon spiciness. Some body and real pumpkin flavor are detectable and finishes with a distinct peppery spice.

Mouthfeel is medium along with carbonation.

It's nice they actually use pumpkin in this. I hate ones that are only spices. Spices are subdued and balanced in this one with a thicker rich mouthfeel than most other similar beers. Very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 22:33:08 | More by jmarsh123

VaTechHopHead

California

3.2/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - typical pumpkin brown, nice head and lace that lasts

S - much spicer than pumpkin aroma, lots of nutmeg and cinnamon and some brown sugar

T - Not a lot of pumpkin flavor but lots of nutmeg and cinnamon. Weird blend of spices. Would like to have tasted more pumpkin, a little watered down

M - Medium body and a little under carbonated. Spicy finish but doesn't last very long

O - Not one of the best pumpkins I've had but if one likes more spice in their beer than this is for you

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 01:25:35 | More by VaTechHopHead

robmorris31

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not my favorite but a Great Pumpkin Ale! (My favorite is from Shock Top)

from Elysian:

Style
Pumpkin Ale

Body
Light to Medium

TASTING NOTES
A very drinkable pumpkin ale—brewed with seven and a half pounds of pumpkin per barrel and spiced in conditioning with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.

MALTS
Pale, Munich, Crystal

HOPS
Lightly bittered with Magnum

SPECIAL
Both roasted and raw pumpkin seeds are in the mash, with pumpkin added to the mash, kettle and fermenter.

ABV: 5.9%

IBU: 18

AVAILABILITY
Fall Seasonal — 1/2 Bbl kegs, 22 oz bottles

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 00:39:32 | More by robmorris31

Jef59

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this with thanksgiving dinner!

Pours a cloudy dark orange with a lot of particles and a 1" tan head.

Smells like pumpkin pie. Lots of clove, all spice, and cinnamon. Maybe a little raisin?

Tastes really nice. Bigger on the pumpkin taste than the spice which is refreshing change. The spice is still there a lot of the usual pumpkin spice flavors.

Interesting mouthfeel. A little syrupy but still nicely carbonated. It's also slightly gritty but in a very nice way. Very full bodied for a 5.9% beer.

Really good. Tastes exactly how fall should.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 02:44:19 | More by Jef59

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks go out to n8dietz for picking this brew up for me.

Cloudy, copper, burnt sienna, pumkin color. Can't really make out any bubbling. Good head after the pour, and thick film of foam lasts for all 22 ounces.

Caramel toasted malts, bread, biscuits, pumkin pie spices, and pumpkin meat.

Toasted pumkin biscuits. Flavor gets thin and watery from middle to the finish. I got some more of the spices in teh middle than the pumpkin. The finish is a little thin, but does have a pumpkin meat and bread flavor.

The mouthfeel starts chewy, then finishes a little thin and watery.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 17:45:51 | More by scruffwhor

asabreed

New York

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber into a 12 oz. Samuel Smith nonic.

Appearance: A darker chestnut-colored and hazy orange-copper hue, with a surprisingly not only retention-heavy head, but one that leaves thick rings of lacing down the bulb of the glass. Unexpected, and one that lasts and lasts. Haven't seen a version of the style from the bottle like this ever I don't think.

Smell: For all the ingredients, the key here, for this brew, is balance. Too many pumpkin ales seem to be all about "more is more," when in fact the raucous nature of the amalgam of everything makes it too chaotic, but here, the beer is the main factor, whereas the other flavors seem to work more subtly and well with each other. A lot of pumpkin aroma, yes, and a lot of malt yes, but a good balance of spices that, again, work as subtlety rather than cacophony.

Taste: Again, with the aroma, the balance comes through pretty well. It's fairly complex, where the pumpkin and spices -- mostly nutmeg and some ginger -- come through, with some vanilla on the back end, along with those rich pumpkin mash flavors also. Finish is not sweet, but highly malty, with lingering pumpkin pie spice on the tongue, and again, the key here is not the pervasive sweetness you can sometimes find on the over-spiced and under-hopped versions.

Mouthfeel: Seemingly more medium-bodied, but I think that's due to the carbonation, which is the key to providing the fluffy head, as it seems to, somehow, be perfectly complimentary to this beer. It also seems velvety in its softness, which was another surprising variable for me, considering the ABV of the brew.

Drinkability: Color me pretty shocked with this, and this is a brew also that won't break your wallet. I get any new pumpkin ales I can find that I've never had, and though I hoped to enjoy this, I didn't expect the depth of flavor and balance. Definitely try it, and pick up a few if you see it. I will if I can find it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 20:38:38 | More by asabreed