Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale - Stevens Point Brewery

BB1313

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a murky burnt orange. This is clearly unfiltered with some minor sediment. Small white head fades pretty quickly, leaving little lacing and nice retention. The aromas are full of caramel malts, similar to the candy caramels. There's also a touch of maple syrup. I can pick up some squash and other vegetables. It also has an apple aroma. To sum it up, it smells like a caramel apple, but malty. The spices aren't very present in the aromas at all. The flavors come out of left field. I wouldn't expect these flavors based on the aromas. It starts off with your typical sweet brown sugar and nutmeg, but then you get slapped with some tasty cinnamon and sugar. And not the yucky powdered cinnamon, but fresh vibrant tasty cinnamon from a stick. The finish is a huge blast of flavorful spices. There's a touch of vanilla. It basically tastes like a cinnamon sugar cookie. Mouthfeel is the fuller side of medium-bodied. The carbonation is pretty active and prickly, but it's smooth and slightly oily. The alcohol goes completely unnoticed.

This is a really nice pumpkin ale. It has some qualities I've never come across in the style. It's traditional with a unique, original twist. The best part about it is that it tastes very good.. which is always a good thing. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 23:41:03 | More by BB1313

NJBeer265

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +18.2%

05-22-2013 16:01:50 | More by NJBeer265

Tjvan2

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

05-02-2013 23:08:03 | More by Tjvan2

Bowers-Brew

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

04-21-2013 22:11:02 | More by Bowers-Brew

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

03-29-2013 02:34:53 | More by t0rin0

dbossman

Nebraska

3.68/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Orangish copper hue with a steady one-inch head--it fades eventually; not too much lacing

S: Lots of pumpkin, cloves, and other spices--nutmeg, allspice, etc.--but the cloves and pumpkins are the stars; there is some toasted malt presence on the back side, which eventually comes to the forefront

T: Pumpkin and spice aren't over-powering but they are there; I wish there was a stronger bready malt base--pretty pumpkin forward and yet somewhat simple

F: A touch thin on the back end with some creaminess up front that does kind of make up for it

O: A pleasant, straight-forward pumpkin beer; decent option though there are better options out there--but considering the price point, this will work

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 01:56:54 | More by dbossman

Chevelle66

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

03-08-2013 05:09:46 | More by Chevelle66

hailster

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

01-30-2013 23:03:14 | More by hailster

wiscokid920

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A- Amber with orange hues. One finger head which fades fast to a ring around the glass.

S- Pumpkin pie! Nutmeg, brown sugar, pumpkin pie filling.

T- Fantastic pumpkin flavors. Featuring caramelized sweetness, nutmeg and spice. Ends with a bit of a heat which helps exemplify the spicy notes.

M- Smooth medium bodied brew complemented with a spicy bite and heat.

O- Hands down, the best pumpkin ale I have had. This one ACTUALLY tastes like pumpkin. I will definitely be having this beer with my thanksgiving meal this season. For those you who are down on pumpkin ales, give this take a try and it might change your opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 04:37:12 | More by wiscokid920

APB

Nebraska

3/5  rDev -25.4%

12-18-2012 07:29:05 | More by APB

JohnK17

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

12-11-2012 19:29:48 | More by JohnK17

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours clear, copper colored, and with a thin head that melts quickly to a white ring. A thin layer of yeast or sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Sweet malt and spice in the aroma. Not an overwhelming spice profile like some pumpkin ales I've tried.

Great flavor. Reminiscent of a graham cracker. Cinnamon, ginger, and plenty of sweetness. I was not expecting the flavor to be so delicious!

Smooth, heavy bodied beer with a very wet lingering finish. A nice, sharp carbonation.

The appearance and aroma was a little misleading. But, this is a really great pumpkin ale. Bold, heavy, sweet and flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 16:56:47 | More by UnderPressure

FUwolfpacker

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

11-17-2012 00:45:15 | More by FUwolfpacker

kkmiller76

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +18.2%

11-15-2012 02:59:17 | More by kkmiller76

jkchristy

New York

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

11-04-2012 21:44:17 | More by jkchristy

atone315

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

10-29-2012 22:03:05 | More by atone315

nikbullet

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

10-27-2012 03:29:24 | More by nikbullet

JeffTheJuice

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

10-22-2012 05:18:58 | More by JeffTheJuice

DukeX13

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.5%

10-22-2012 03:47:07 | More by DukeX13

WDJersey

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

10-20-2012 06:10:47 | More by WDJersey

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this pumpkin in a shaker pint.

Appearance- The body has a nice dark amber with look turning into orange hues in the light. The head sat at about a finger's width before the tawny cap dwindled to pencil width. Some carbonation is jetting up from the bottom of the glass.

Smell- This basically smells like pumpkin pie. No, not even basically, it smells like pumpkin pie! It smells like pounds of pumpkin pie filling were used to make this. I ain't even mad. Of course, that means the flavors of nutmeg, brown sugar, and sweet pie crust are oozing out of the glass.

Taste- I am almost tickled to bits to say that the taste is an almost exact copy of the nose! The reins have been pulled a bit to slow down the flavor, nevertheless, that great pumpkin pie flavor comes through. There is a slight heat in the finish, but it isn't doing any damage to the overall flavor. I also appreciate a mineral water flavor throughout.

Mouth feel- Very smooth feel and a nice medium body, I wish it stuck a little more to the cheeks. That way the pumpkin pie flavor could be relished long after the drink.

Overall- What a surprise this pumpkin was! Maybe I really am just looking for pumpkin pie in a glass. I suppose that isn't a bad thing. Talk about a beer that goes well with the season, and tastes great to boot!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 03:39:02 | More by Pintofbrown

lauries444

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -31.6%

10-20-2012 00:12:34 | More by lauries444

TonyTalon

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -0.5%

10-17-2012 03:12:59 | More by TonyTalon

MaximalC

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a thick, murky caramel color with a minimal khaki head that soon dissipates. The aroma smells EXACTLY of pumpkin pie, and not in the contrived, artificial way that is so often the case. Probably the most authentic smelling pumpkin ale I've tried. Traces of raisin and alcohol manifest as well as the beer warms.

Flavors are subtle and complex, slowly progressing from start to finish. Pumpkin, hops, gingerbread, and some caramel malt present up front. This is followed by a dose of pumpkin spices that tickle the back of the tongue, awash in pumpkin and mild hop bitterness. Alcohol hits at the finish in a way that is slightly more caustic than I would prefer, and the hops overstay their welcome a shade as well, but these are fairly minor grievances. Maybe it's my imagination, but there appear to be traces of golden delicious apple lurking near the finish as well. This is a complex brew indeed.

The mouthfeel is pretty robust for a pumpkin ale and complements the flavor profile nicely. The overall experience only enhances as the beer warms, lending even more vitality and depth of flavor. I think it would be fair to say that Whole Hog is the closest I've come to finding a pumpkin ale that embodies what I've always imagined a pumpkin ale should be: a smooth, rich, flavorful beer infused with the essence of authentic pumpkin pie. A real winner.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 01:52:21 | More by MaximalC

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Totowa hoping that a 4-pack like this would be worth the value. Sure enough, it was and for anyone who is a fan of this style, this dark and filling beer could easily hit the spot. While it wasn't as spicy as some of the others that I've had, there's enough here to enjoy, even if the alcohol is just a notch too high.

Nice, dark pour to this with lighter edges and a rich, tan head that held its own before quickly fading. As to be expected, this smelled like pumpkin pie and tasted like it too. A bit less on the spicy side - vanilla, cream, and some brown sugar could be found here and the mouthfeel was full and nicely balanced. This packed quite a taste and punch for a beer of this style and it was refreshing to have a Pumpkin Ale like this that begged for an Autumnal dessert to be paired with it.

To be fair, this was not a quick sipper like so many other beers that are out during this season. It added a bit of a warming effect as I finished this up but it didn't detract from the taste or mouthfeel. This would never dare be labelled as an Imperial Pumpkin Ale but this was right up there with the Southern Tier Pumpking on the must-haves for the season. I can't wait to finish the rest of the 4-pack!

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 20:37:55 | More by JerzDevl2000