Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout - Cape Ann Brewing Company

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(From notes)

A - Jet black and poured with little to no head

S - Spicey and herbal aromas associated with pumpkin pie with toasty maltiness

T - Nicely balanced flavors with the stout and pumpkin flavors melding together well. Ginger and cinnamon hints as well

M - Thinner than I would have like for the style, no carbonation at all (cask)

D - Just above average, but still not a difficult task to sample. I would think it's a "one and done" for me

Overall, this was an interesting take on the style, and it worked really well. I would recommend.

Serving type: cask

11-03-2008 01:06:39 | More by Nickls

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

What does a fisherman have to to with pumpkins anyway?

Poured from a 12oz. bottle with no freshness info.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown with a fizzling, bubble head that doesn't stick around long enough. Not much traces are left either.

Smell: Nutmeg, allspice, hint of cinnamon, some roasted malt and a bit of pumpkin flesh.

Taste: Compared to the aroma, this is quite disappointing. Bit of roasted malt, lots of caramel(?), muted spices and an afterthought of pumpkin. Tastes more like an amber ale than a stout.

Mouthfeel: Bit of high carbonation, watery, not stout-like, thin.

Overall: What is this? You call yourself a stout, you better back it up and this doesn't. Did someone switch the labels from another beer? Nothing about this resembles a stout. Spices are present but this is more of a red/amber ale. False advertising and a pass.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 02:52:12 | More by papat444

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a small snifter.

Thanks to cbeer88 for this bottle!

Reviewed blind as part of Blind BIF 7. This stuff pours a very dark black brown, an inky cola, topped by a finger of dusty khaki foam. The nose comprises brown sugar, light cinnamon, clove, and light cocoa powder. The taste holds notes of cola, brown sugar, molasses, light hickory smoke and clove. The body is a light medium, with a moderate carbonation and a thinly smooth feel. Overall, a nice little stout. I suppose the smoke character I got was actually some toasted pumpkin seeds or something, but it doesn't really matter all that much. If this stuff were a smidge thicker, this would be some great beer-age.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 04:19:07 | More by TMoney2591

abraxel

Michigan

2.45/5  rDev -34.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Tasted blind as part of Blind BIF 7, courtesy of ShogoKawada. Poured into a snifter.

A - Near-black with lots of chestnut highlights, and a fizzy head that quickly drops to a ring. No persistent lacing to speak of.

S - Coffee roastiness (can't tell if it's actual coffee or just roasty malt), meaty smoke, and maybe a touch of fruity sweetness. Interesting... I'm a little hesitant, but it's growing on me. I'm tentatively guessing a smoked porter, but I doubt it'll be so simple.

T - Buhh, not what I was hoping for. It doesn't have all that much flavor, and what's there isn't all that great. A little acrid bitterness, a backdrop of cola, and a light coating of ash (or something). It's not a drainpour, but I'm not lovin' it.

M - Pretty thin, with minimal carbonation. The lingering ashiness doesn't help much.

Overall... not a fan! I have no idea what this is (I'll guess it's supposed to be some variation of porter?), but I can tell you I won't be looking for it again.

Non-blind thoughts:
Gotta say, got neither pumpkin nor stout (nor fisherman, but I doubt that's an ingredient) from this beer. I'm pretty sure dat ash was actually the added spices (now that I know, I can pick up some cinnamon and nutmeg, maybe) but that doesn't change my impression.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 22:44:38 | More by abraxel

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slightly hazy straw-yellow with a good amount of carbonation, causing fizzy 2" white head with medium retention and thick blotchy lacing.

A- Dark brown body with cherry highlights. Medium white head that reduces to a very thin white ring.

S- Toffee, toasted malt, roasted malt. Light pumpkin pie in the background.

T- Definitely a dry stout. I'm not getting much pumpkin, just chocolate and slight coffee notes. Slightly watery.

M- Thin with medium high carbonation. Odd for a stout

I prefer a more robust, full bodied, flavorful stout. It was a good attempt to create a unique type of pumpkin brew, but could have been better crafted.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 20:52:03 | More by gcamparone

jbertsch

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Previously reviewed this from a bottle, which didn't do so well. However, I recently had it on tap, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Black in appearance with almost no head. Can't tell if the beer doesn't generate much head or if the bartender just didn't give me any head (giggity). But I remember not getting much head when I poured from a bottle.

Aroma serves up toasty and charred grains with some general fall spices lingering in the background. Didn't smell much pumpkin, but seasonal spices were noticeable.

The flavor was a pleasant improvement from the bottle I had. Dense, layers of charred malts with a touches of dark fruit, cinnamon, and cocoa underneath made me think I was drinking something that toed the imperial line. Spices were noticeable....if I hadn't known this was a pumpkin beer, I may not have thought of pumpkin spice. But it didn't matter. I enjoyed this very much despite the subdued pumpkin flavor. Slight buttery finish.

Heavier in body. dense.

Though this brew had some weight and body to it, it was very drinkable. I really enjoyed it, thought the pumpkin flavor is almost non existent.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 17:31:10 | More by jbertsch

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

well, the bottle dropped right out of my hand as soon as the cap pried off and i spilled 3/4 of the 12oz bottle all over myself and the floor.
what was left from the bottle poured a deep brown/black with no head at all.
the smell is mainly of pumpkin spices, with a strong whiff of milk chocolate!
there's not much flavor of pumpkin but it is faintly there as a backdrop.. more noticeable are subtle roasty flavors from the toasted grains, chocolate, coffee.

again, from the accident, i can't tell if this is just an undercarbonated beer or it's flat because of the fall to the ground. either way, what i'm drinking right now is almost flat, and as far as stouts are concerned, this is a light one.. medium body but very watery texture.

overall, i feel i should get another bottle and see how it compares. not proud of myself for spilling this all over the place.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 03:56:05 | More by facundoCNB

Lordquackingstic

New York

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Deep, dark black with an off white head. Lacing is medium.

S: Dark chocolate and pumpkin pie spices.

T: Burnt chocolate with a bunch of roasty pumpkin pie spices. Little bit of a coffee aftertaste. Malt sweetness is medium and the spices are pretty well balanced.

M: Long and smooth finish, medium-low carbonation.

O: This is my first pumpkin stout, and I really don't know why there aren't more of these. These spices work so well with the huge maltiness of stouts. Very enjoyable on a cold autumn night.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:15:55 | More by Lordquackingstic

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

ST: 12oz poured into a pint glass.

A: A very dark, almost black, brown with a fluffy dark brown head that quickly settles into wisps of foam.

S: Mellow malt and sweet pumpkin with a slight hint of espresso bean.

T: Starts malty with a hint of sour, bitter coffee. Some pumpkin joins in the middle, and the finish displays some alcohol with some earthy notes from the pumpkin.

M: Medium and dry

O: The stout and the slight pumpkin really take over the flavor profile; the spices take a seat in the back of this beer. The roasted malt has some moments of sweetness, but, the earthy pumpkin and bitter coffee keep the stout honest.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 18:56:12 | More by ianjsullivan

ksimons

New York

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-very very dark brown with just the slightest chestnut highlights and a fingers worth of tan head

S-dark malts, molasses, coffee, vanilla, and light amount of pumpkin pie spices. Not getting much pumpkin in the smell.

T-taste is mostly stout, roasted malt, roasted coffee, and light chocolate. I am really not getting much pumpkin taste or even the typical pumpkin pie spices that I got in the smell. It is still a nice tasting stout but I don't know if I would call it a pumpkin stout.

M-medium body, light to medium carbonation, leaves a dry roasted taste in the mouth

Overall I am not getting much pumpkin out of this beer. Still a pretty decent tasting beer, just not what I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 23:13:47 | More by ksimons

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a light black, if that makes any sense…There is a definite ruby tint to it if you hold it up to the light, but overall it is a black color with a nice light sand-dune-tan head that turns into a scrim quickly. Carbonation appears healthy within the beer, and judging by the way the light passes through it, I would say it quite clean and free of particles. To sum it all up, the beer looks a little weak for a stout. The beer does, however, smell richly of sweet pumpkins, even from a distance away. The pumpkin fruit is rich and pungent, but below it can be smelled some nice roasty malts and hint of chocolate. The pumpkin smell does turn a little vegetal the more you sniff, but I suppose that is expected when you use a vegetable…

The beer tastes rich and chocolaty, with much fainter hints of the pumpkin than there was in the smell. Roasted malts are also present, but there is a lingering hint of metal that mixes with the pumpkin and brings down the overall enjoyment of this beer. The spices are also rather faint in the beer until the aftertaste where they ring out as cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, though they too could be contributing to the metallic tinge. Mouthfeel is slightly prickly and quite thin, though it thickens a little if swished around the mouth. The tongue is left pretty clean, with just a hint of saliva and a little roasted dryness at the back of the throat. Overall this beer is a little disappointing. I’ve had the imperial pumpkin stout, and it by far surpasses it in everything, as might be expected, but it seems like the stout is just missing something that shouldn’t be missing. I liked my initial sips of this, but as it grew in my mouth it brought a weird metallic taste that I couldn’t shake. It is a cool next step for the style of the pumpkin beer, and I still think it’s worth a taste, but I would recommend the imperial pumpkin stout over the plain stout if you’re looking for good flavoring.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 01:15:14 | More by Maxwell

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle fresh to death,

A: Pours a deep brown just lighter than black. Opaque, thin head dissaptes quickly.

S: Yum, fresh pumpkin, some roasted chocolatey malts, maybe hints of pumpkin pie spices.

T: Juicy Sweet Pumpkins right of the bat, pie crust, some pumpkin pie spices but there subdued. More of a sweeter stout. Tons of pumpkin flavor throughout. More chocolate than coffee stout base.

M: Low Carbonation, Silky Smooth body, real smoth. ABV hardly present.

O: Really awesome pumpkin brew. Highly recommended, nice change from typical Pumpkin Ales. My favorite non imperial pumpkin ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 23:57:28 | More by BigCheese

Greywulfken

New York

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: deep dark brown, almost black body, quick small head

S: well, some roasted notes, some espresso notes, not enough pumpkin or sweet spice

T: tasted by and large like a vegetal stout, the pumpkin added additional dryness without adding bitterness; bitter espresso flavors mellowed by the pumpkin flavors

M: medium body, tongue-coating bitters, some vegetal aftertaste

O: not impressed; I enjoy imperial pumpkin ales and stouts, but this was my first pumpkin stout and it was okay - not a rebuy for me, but it wasn't a bad beer

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 00:52:41 | More by Greywulfken

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark brown with a half finger of head that fell quickly into a nice collar. No lacing left behind.

S: A smokey malt start followed by a pumpking and nutmeg note. Bit of cinnamon at the end. Smokey roasted malt is over powering up front.

T: Bit more sublte than I was expecting from the smell. The flavor is primarily the roasted mald as the nose would suspect. Harder to find the pumpkin than I would have thought it would be since it is a pumpkin ale. Nothing over powering here... almost seemed watered down.

M: Seemed watered down so very light, smooth. Well balanced as nothing was overpowering.

O: I was hoping for a bigger flavor but that being said, this was still a good tasting beer but was much more subtle flavor than I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 23:25:54 | More by OleJohnnieAle

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured a dark brown body with a tan, one finger head...the head fell to a wispy cap and left a little lacing

S - This smells like fall...pumpkin pie baking in the oven...cinnamon and chocolate

T - The roasted malts jump out first and are present throughout the entire beer...dark, roasted chocolate comes out towards the middle adding some depth to the beer...there is an underlying fleshy pumpkin flavor that lets you know this is a pumpkin beer...the spice bill creeps in at the end creating pumpkin pie-like flavors...there is an ever-so-slight hop bite right at the end

M - Medium bodied...soft carbonation...watery...spicy, roasty, and slightly hoppy

O - I just found out there is an imperial version of this beer...I'd like to try that one because this Pumpkin Stout was one of my favorites this year...a great nose, nice flavor profile, could use some help with the finish

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 15:43:45 | More by thain709

metter98

New York

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very dark amber (near black) in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter-finger beige head that died down but consistently left wispy patterns of bubbles on the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of pumpkin and pumpkin spices in the nose
T: Much like the smell, the taste has balanced flavors of pumpkin and pumpkin spices along with hints of roasted malts from the stout.
M: It feels medium-bodied, quite smooth and somewhat creamy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is very easy to drink and is a nice hybrid of a stout and a pumpkin ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 04:35:58 | More by metter98

Dope

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A very dark brown pour with a foamy chocolate milk head. Pretty decent retention and lacing.

S: Surprisingly subtle. Little bit of roasted malt and just a touch of pumpkin. Can't really even detect any pumpkin spice - maybe a touch of nutmeg?

T: Lots of roasted malt up front, followed by some nice pumpkin and nutmeg. Maybe a little allspice? Very interesting combo.

M: Smooth and creamy.

O: Nice departure from your typical pumpkin ale. The roasted malt really compliments the pumpkin flavor. Super smooth and drinkable too.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 05:42:53 | More by Dope

palma

New York

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice head.

Aroma of nutmeg, allspice, apples, cloves.

Taste is a medium bodied stout. A nice roastedness. Sweeter than most dry stouts. More along the lines of a sweet/milk stout. Pumpkin, cinnamon, clove is a great addition. works well and does not overpower in the least. The beer becomes a little astringent as the beer warms up to room temp. Great smooth mouthfeel. more creamy than your typical american stout.

One of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 22:13:05 | More by palma

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A big shout out to travisnd for sending this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of pumpkin, nutmeg. Taste is roasted malts up front, setteling in with some smoth pumpkin flavor, not much spices. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall this is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 14:12:22 | More by tone77

Flounder57

Massachusetts

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

12 oz bottle was poured into a Guiness pint glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a 1/2 finger that is staying there. Almost pitch black with some light coming through the bottom of the glass. No signs of carboantion. Head of beer dissapeared quickly with no lacing.

Smell: pumkpin, spices, pumpkin bread, starch, sweet produces from malts and whatever pumpkin base is used in the beer.

Taste: Same as above, the taste is a little weak. Nice up front, but dies in your mouth. Really wish there was a little more to offer out of the stout part of the beer. Good on the pumpkin flavor though.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied, medium carbonation, and a little watery. Very easy to drink

Overall: Not another shabby pumpkin beer. A pumpkin stout is different and enjoyable. Would be cool to try this on draft or nitro. Will work up to their Imperial Pumpkin Stout next if I can find one in the next few weeks.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 06:13:39 | More by Flounder57

bbeerman

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A.. dark, thick looking pour. Resembles flat cola in the glass. I had no head on the few bottles I enjoyed.

S.. light pumpkin scent. Also a very faint sweet smell I can't place.

T.. quite tasty. Pumpkin is obvious without being overpowering and is a nice addition to a stout style. Happy overall with this one.

M.. just above average. Not too heavy or too light, which most people will like. I would prefer a bit heavier for the style.

O.. I like this beer a lot and look forward to next Autumn when it comes back around. I would recommend even if there was no pumpkin included.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 23:19:07 | More by bbeerman

DrunkPagan

Rhode Island

4.65/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I don't like pumpkin beers. I LOVE this beer.

It pours a thick dark color with a slightly brown head. The nose notes some spices and roasted malt. The taste absolutely blew me away.
It didn't taste like pumpkin pie crammed into a bottle. The rich stout melded with the pumpkin and spice flavors in a delicious threesome where neither overpowered the other. The mouthfeel was good, not too heavy.
Some people complain that they can't drink more than one pumpkin beer. I defy you to ONLY drink one of these.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 13:39:33 | More by DrunkPagan

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two-fingered light cream head that fades quickly to a ring leaving some lace. Black color, no highlights. Medium carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Light chocolate/pumpkin nose and flavor is almost sweet pumpkin and chocolate. $2.25 for a 12oz bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 23:20:34 | More by jdhilt

jb413

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark, near black with a small one finger coffee/khaki head. Little lacing that lasted on the way down.

S - Roasted Malt, some spices (allspice/nutmeg) and perhaps a faint pumpkin, though hard to tell. Nice though.

T - Dark malt and slight spice in the front. Nice mild sweetness as well. A bit of hoppy undertone and dryness in the finish. No pumpkin to speak of.

MF - Very smooth with nice drinkability. Medium carbonation and a bit of alcohol warmth in the end.

O - A solid offering. I enjoyed it and would buy another or try the Imperial in the future. For me, lack of discernible pumpkin keeps this beer from being great.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 02:38:07 | More by jb413

Arbitrator

California

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chilled bottle into a glass. 2011 vintage shared by alfrantzell. Thanks, Arne! From notes.

A: Pours a translucent dark brown body with a generous tan head that retains well. No lace is left on the sides of the glass; the beer does not maintain a collar or film on top of the beer after the head vanishes.

S: Mild aromas of roasted malt and a touch of caramel, backed by nutmeg and perhaps allspice. Having this next to its big brother later, I marveled at the difference; this one really needs to step up its bouquet.

T: This has a light, drinkable stout-with-some-pumpkin-spice approach to it. It's not very punchy, but it delivers a backbone of roast, caramel, and even a mild presence of milk chocolate. Nutmeg and a touch of licorice in the finish.

M: Light-medium bodied, with medium carbonation. Nothing really stands out or offends here.

O: This is solid, and I'd probably try it once a season if I were local, but it's not something that I will go out of my way to trade for.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 23:50:57 | More by Arbitrator