Pumpkin Lager Beer - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Capital Maibock pint glass.

Appearance- A hazy orange with a half finger of off white head.

Smell- Lots of cinnamon and pumpkin with some all spice.

Taste- Taste just like a cold October day. Lots of b,ready crust like flavor with gobs of pumpkin, some clove and smokyness.

Mouthfeel- A medium mouthfeel with a great warming sensation that almost giveaway you a fresh pumpkin pie mouthfee.

Overall- Lakefront does another quality job with a spiced beer. They give me a pumpkin lager that gives me a spot in representation of a warm pumpkin pie. The slight warming is a magnificent touch.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 18:27:02 | More by BrownAleMale

blackearth

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased from Three Cellars in Franklin, WI. Pours an clear, orange-amber body with a thin white head that leaves a decent cap. Aroma is spicy with pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger the most discerable scents. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. This beer is sweet and malty with the pumpkin and spices coming through in the finish. Good drinkability on this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 17:42:55 | More by blackearth

Hutson

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First of all, I have to say I love fruit/spiced beers. And this is my favorite pumpkin beer. It does vary a little bit between batches, some being better than others, but usually it is very good. The aroma is nice, with the spice coming through. The pumpkin flavor is nice and balances well with the spices used. Kind of like a slice of pumpkin pie.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2006 17:13:39 | More by Hutson

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle at Four Moon Tavern, Chicago, 9th anniversary party. Dated: September Wk1. $2.50.

Poured a hazy orange, with persistent lacing. Good foam that remained for the duration of the glass. Spice aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon, but not overpowering. Clean aroma without getting too funky or spicy.

Dry finish is memorable, the nutmeg and spices takes centerstage, but is balanced by light caramel in the taste. Pumpkin is there, not only alluded to with spices, but in natural pumpkin "squashy flavor" as well. Better than many, in terms of authenticity, certainly more balanced than DFH Punkin. If this wasn't my 4th beer, I would have drank the hell out of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2008 04:50:40 | More by emerge077

filabrazilia

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliant hazy orange with a small khaki head that settle into wonderful lace. This is a lovely looking beer.

The beer has a nice pumpkin pie like aroma--fresh pumpkin mingle with the spice of the pie to create a feast of aromatic pleasure.

There is a number of different flavors in the taste--pumpkin, carmel malt, nutmeg and assorted spices. This is like a liquid pumpkin pie that isn't nearly as sweet as the genuine article. This is a beer that has layers of flavor that assault the taste buds.

This is a mid bodied beer that is easy to drink. That being said, it is a bit chewy and complex. This would not be a thirst quencher, but certainly a nice sipping beer. The touch of hops and spice finish the beer nicely.

I really liked this beer and look forward to trying more of the style. There is a great deal of complexity possible in this style and I believe this beer does a nice job of accomplishing this.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2004 02:43:18 | More by filabrazilia

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Received in trade from midwest mussel-mangler mnwags (aka Schlitzboy). Thanks Nick!

Poured into a John's Grocery tulip glass, received a somewhat cloudy dark orange with a small head that didn't retain very long.

Lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in the nose, the usual pumpkin pie spices but very little real pumpkin despite many deep whiffs. That's okay, it smells good anyway.

Spices are many, with nutmeg and ginger up front, some white pepper, some allspice. Again, not a whole lot of actual pumpkin coming to mind/tongue, but don't most pumpkin ales lean heavier on the other spices than the pumpkin itself? Such a great idea for a beer style, but so few achieve true pumpkin-ness.

Love the finish, a firm desserty spiciness, even a subtle nuttiness, and, yep, finally, there's the pumpkin. Spreads out far and wide, and the carbonation is moderate to generous.

Apparently this one varies wildly from batch to batch, and this particular batch (bottled second week of Oct. '06) seems a solid version of the style, but still would like to feel like I licked the inside of a pumpkin guts-and-all. Real good, but still searching for that perfect pumpkin ale...

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2006 21:59:37 | More by Metalmonk

johanvond

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

From The Dead Man's Chest
Nov 12th 08

There's a light cream head stitting on an amber body. Strong sent of spices. There's a light to medium body with some strong maltyness. The spices are not a strong as the inital aroma suggests. The All spice cinnimon and ginger contribute to the toasty munich malt and meaty pumpkin flavors. Every flavor has it's moment on your pallette. Over all this beer is highly drinkable and easy to enjoy. Try with a baked squash or corn sufflet.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 21:35:12 | More by johanvond

redmosquito

Michigan

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Orange in color with a brown tinted head. Lightly spiced, and sweet aroma. The big and malty flavor holds the spices in check and the body makes this feel like a meal. The smoothness makes me feel like I'm drinking a regular beer. This is very well balanced. One of my two favorites in the pumpkin beer category.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2004 16:19:02 | More by redmosquito

ibashmuck

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The nice lady at the local liquor store was going to pitch a sixer of this (as it was May), and asked if I wanted it. For free? Sure, give it a try.

Medium foamy head on a cloudy amber. Smelled fruity and floral, didn't pick up too much pumpkin. But I found it in the taste, very nice blend, pumpkin with spices...nutmeg? Allspice? Hint of that floral? All there, and as I said, blended nicely in a smooth, easy to drink beer.

I've had two pumpkin flavored beers (Blue Moon's Harvest Moon the other), and this is far and away the best of the two.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 02:02:31 | More by ibashmuck

rkinsella

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a nonic glass.

Appearance - Beautiful orange yellow color with perhaps a very slight haze. Fluffy white 2 finger head held for half of the glass! A half finger head for the rest. I was impressed! Above average lacing.

Smell - Very fresh and clean. Mostly a pumpkin fresh fruit smell with a little nut and spice. The smell really gets you interested.

Taste - Impressively smooth! Sweetness balanced with a little tangy nutty spice. Finish is no where near bitter. More on the sweet end. A delicate hop quality.

Mouthfeel - Creamy and soft. Medium to lower carbonation.

Drinkability - Very drinkable because of it's refreshing quality.
But what is the ABV? Can't find it anywhere.

This is the best pumpkin brew I've tried. And I find it very interesting that it's a lager. That explains the rich smooth quality. Very different from a pumpkin ale. Doesn't have all the complexity that you can get with an ale. Instead the quality of the ingredients and the simple character really shines.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2008 00:57:27 | More by rkinsella

horshack7

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It pours a hazy copper color with amber hues. On top is about two fingers worth of of white head.

Aroma: A tremendous amount of pumpkin spice way up front. Notes of allspice, clove, cinnamon and even a little bit of a cider aroma. Only a slight breadiness towards the back.

Taste: Spice on top of more spice. Cloves, cinnamon, apple peel a floral hop bite and a nice dry finish. The mouthfeel is a little crisp with a buttery texture.

Notes: It's spiced so well all the way around what a tasty beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 05:14:33 | More by horshack7

mummbearsfan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The aroma of this beer first hits you as a real spicy and sweet beer. Quite the opposite. This beer has a real light mouth feel but the hint of sweetness is just of enough to have one beer per night.

This beer is not too sweet and not too savory this beer can go well with savory foods such as turkey and be a great dessert beer or just to drink around.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 01:28:32 | More by mummbearsfan

thebrood1987

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I get pumpkin spices, vanilla and a tart ginger. I get the ginger full on in the taste with hints of cinnamon and vanilla on the back end of the taste. The ginger is a great taste but becomes tart at time almost wine tart.

I get some caramel malts in there as well reminiscent of an Oktoberfest taste. Each times I take a sip I can smell the ginger in the nose. It really reminds me of the ginger sauce you find in Japanese restaurants. I'm not getting too much pumpkin just a vegetable pumpkin taste which is always good.

The spices outshine in this one and the ginger really in my opinion shines the most. Its good but just wish it was a bit less tart. It was an interesting beer that'd I'd have again next year at Halloween time no problem.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 01:00:14 | More by thebrood1987

mattcrill

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Bottled in Aug '04 notched on the side of the bottle.

Appearance: Pours a clear carmel with hazy yellow edges. Carbonation cascades up the glass. Kind of cool. A nice silky white head forms.

Smell: pumpkin pie spice, a touch of cinnamon, and a yeasty, wheat bread-like smell predominates.

Taste: Raw pumpkin with a grassy, hop-like finish. Biscuity undertones are present throughout the entire sip. There is a lot going on here. Very multi-dimensional.

Mouthfeel: medium and silky.

Drinkability and overall: I found this one very quaffable. I haven't been a big fan of pumpkin ales but this one works well for me. A nice seasonal offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2004 19:52:31 | More by mattcrill

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear golden amber with 2 fingers of foamy white head. Ok retention and some spotty lacing. Smells of bread and lots of pumpkin pie spice. Tastes of light citrus up front then bread, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Medium light in body with good carbonation. Good pumpkin and spices, malty yet balanced. Not too intense on any of the flavors, but nicely paired. Pleasant, easy to drink and not tasting too high in alcohol, making for a very nice sessionable pumpkin ale for the fall season.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2008 02:36:28 | More by HopDerek

WakeandBake

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes Oct 12, 2008
Bottle from Pauly's. Orange in color with a minimal white foam head.Ginger,cinnamon,and nutmeg spice aromas. Tastes like grandma made pumpkin pie with some lager in the mix, very nice very subtle. Nice mouthfeel, some lacing. Solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2008 18:58:26 | More by WakeandBake

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Honestly, I think this is the first time I've seen a pumpkin lager before... Regardless, it pours a mostly clear bright brass topped by a finger of pale off-white foam. The nose comprises cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, light white bread, light caramel, sweet flowers, clove, and a touch of mildly tart orange flesh. Nice and spicy, baby. The taste brings in more of the same, with the bread coming in lightly toasted, the orange toning down the tartness, and the caramel coming in a bit stronger. There's not much actual pumpkin in here, if at all, but the spices are definitely present in spades. The body is a light medium, with a moderate carbonation and a lightly grainy feel. Overall, a surprisingly tasty and drinkable brew, one that really embraces the spicy side of pumpkin beers without going too far with it. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 03:37:37 | More by TMoney2591

brakspear

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A refreshing seasonal lager that I look forward to every year. Pours hazy orange with a soft white head with heavy carbonation. The aroma is nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spices, along with some malty notes. The taste is the aforementioned spices, blended with a faint pumpkin body and limited hop bite. The body is a bit thin, but overall this is a very good specialty lager that signals the beginning of fall in Wisconsin.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2002 16:10:51 | More by brakspear

tugdriver7

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear orange to amber in the glass, with a nice cream-colored head that dropped quickly, but left a subtle lacing on the glass. Malty spice (cinnamon/nutmeg) in the nose. Flavor was malty with the fruit and spice you'd expect, but this was unique because it offered the smoothness of a lager (rather than the ales typically "pumpkin'ed" at this time of year). As the glass warmed, the alcohol came out a bit in the flavor; but the spice kept it in check. Not bad. Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2008 01:13:52 | More by tugdriver7

NStLincoln

Nebraska

3.95/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The second you pop the top on a bottle of Lakefront Pumpkin Ale you can tell this beer isn't pussyfooting around. Spices and fruit fill the air.

The pour leaves a thin tan head with minimal lacing. It's a nice coppery red.

I get a lot more apple cider on the nose than pumpkin. In fact, it's a lot more cinnamon/apple than anything else. Which I like in a big way.

Lots of clove and an apple crispness on the palate. Some nice maltiness on the back end.

A very drinkable pumpkin beer. Perfect for a crisp fall afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2009 00:40:54 | More by NStLincoln

Rmason104

Nebraska

3.95/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was my first foray into Pumpkin Ales. Perhaps I was overly prepared for overwhelming pumpkin pie aroma and spices. I thought this was a very good dark lager. I enjoyed the earthy tones. It starts off pretty sweet before the earthiness takes over. Did not detect an overt taste of pumpkin, which was a good thing for me. Only detected slight spice, not as overwhelming as other reviewers.
Overall a pretty tasty, enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 02:34:25 | More by Rmason104

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My buddy Paul has been talking this brew up the last few falls, so I'm finally giving it a try.

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A) Amber in color, about 1/2 inch of head, which was gone before I could get my nose into the pint. No lacing.

S) A combination of beer and spices. The smell is like pumpkin pie. In fact, I said to my wife, this smells like pumpkin pie.

T) Not as spiced as the smell led me to believe. A combination of malt, nutmeg and cinnamon. It really reminds me of a cider.

M) Light to medium/light. Actually, this is quite smooth, with just the right amount of carbonation to liven it up.

O) I have found most of the pumpkin beers I've tried to be a little to spiced for my liking. This one really hits the spot. It pains me to say this, but... Paul, you were right.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 00:57:48 | More by RoamingGnome

Nezzy

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Good amount of head, and the color is close to amber with hints or orange in it.

Smell: Spices are apparent but not overly strong and is actually quite nice. Has small hints of pumpkin but not a lot, more emphasis on spices and especially on fruit.

Taste: You only get hints of the spice and pumpkin but more then anything you get the taste of fruit. It overwhelms the pumpkin and makes the beer very fragrant.

Mouthfeel: At first slightly carbonated but then becomes smooth. One thing though, it kind of stays in your mouth for a while. The beer was all over my teeth and not really going anywhere which is really odd.

Drinkability: It's definitely refreshing and a nice beer, but not what I'm looking for in a pumpkin beer. It is way to light on the spices and pumpkin, instead offering a really tangy and strong taste of fruit. I still think its a good beer, just not what I would go for as my first choice in pumpkin beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 00:44:36 | More by Nezzy

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass

Appearance - Very Dark Orange and Cloudy. Looks very unfiltered and the head is around a quarter of a head thick that turns into a filmy cover after a couple of minutes.

Smell - Pumpkin, Spices, Yeasts and some barley. It's not robust but it's alright; Very simple scent for a pumpkin beer.

Taste - Spices, Pumpkin, Barley and Malts. The malty backbone is there, but it's not too sweet which actually works in it's favor here.

Mouthfeel - It's very crisp and light. So crisp in fact that you want to savor the feel of the beer. It's very rare for me to find a mouthfeel that actually feels good on the palate. The crispness is thanks to the well balanced carbonation which helps add some flavor to the beer without being too sharp.

Overall - A simple tasting pumpkin beer with a good taste and even better palate. Check it out if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 04:13:16 | More by NuclearDolphin

Rodekill

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have tried several beers from this brewery, and wasn't particularly impressed with any of them until I bought a six pack of this one. I really like pumpkin beer, and this one strikes a fine balance between pumpkin pie spices and pumpkin flavor. It is medium-bodied and sturdy enough to support the spices and remain smooth and drinkable. The amber color reminds one of an Oktoberfest, while the flavor mixes dried fruit, pumpkin, cinnamon and perhaps some clove. All in all an enjoyable tasty brew that's perfect for the harvest season. I'd buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2005 23:13:13 | More by Rodekill