Hipp-O-Lantern - River Horse Brewing Co.

mmedina210

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured out of a bottle marked as batch 006.

It poured a copper tone with a thin beige head, and a small amount of sediment floating in the brew.

I didnt get too much from the smell other than, what I assume, is pumpkin spice.

The taste is phenomenal! A strong spice taste, made up of Pumpkin spice, and something that resembles brown sugar in the back of the throat. there is no alcohol taste, and just enough bite, to let you know the hops are there. It has a very earthy finish which is not common in these beers but welcome in my book.

The mouthfeel is wonderful. Slight carbonation, in the back and smooooth up front.

No alcohol burn and delicious taste makes this an extremely drinkable beer. Definitely my 2nd favorite Pumpkin beer.

highly recommend

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 19:01:16 | More by mmedina210

roar1345

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

this beer pours a hazy orange brown with a smallish off white head. it smells of pumpkin pie with whipped cream. the taste is awesome, pumpkiny with evened out spices. it leaves no bite on the tongue only a lingering taste of pumpkin pie and hops. the pumpkin isnt too overpowering; it goes well with the spices. not too thin of a beer either. i didn't notice it was 9 abv until i saw the bottle. this is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 01:09:53 | More by roar1345

beercat11

New York

4.6/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have tried many pumkin beers, for the price and quality of this offering, I think it's a winner. The pumkin and spices are mellow and subdued enough to know you are drinking a decent ale. You can almost imagine the taste if it wasn't a pumkin beer. I'm a big fan of Weyerbacher Imperial pumkin, but for almost $4 less for the hippo it's a be no brainer because they are very similar in character. I think this beer is top notch for the style. If you can find it this year and like pumkin beer, I promise you that you won't be disappointed. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 02:58:37 | More by beercat11

devinoconnor

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

What an awesome fall beer. If you're ready for the colder months, this will immediately get you ready.

Pours a nice golden brown color with some creamy colors. Nice amount of head.

Smell is instant rush of sugar and pumpkin. It's fantastic.

Taste is smooth, but not overly pumpkin. If you don't love pumpkin, you'll still like this beer (as compared to something like Smuttynose's version which has pumpkin puree in the beer).

Overall, very solid fall beer. Can't wait to have more of it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 14:54:58 | More by devinoconnor

danz2323

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Really good pumpkin with decent alcohol content. It is a sipper, unless you want to get buzzed quick and if that is the case just do a pumpkin bomb! Great dessert beer with a slice of pie or some ice cream. Most of the river horse beers are good and this is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 15:28:14 | More by danz2323

MrELovesBeer

Vermont

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

River Horse is a brewery I've started sampling with greater regularity these past few months and have enjoyed just about all of their offerings, particularly their unfiltered lager and Triple Horse. So I was quite excited to crack open the Hipp-o-lantern. So:

Pours a lovely, cloudy, ruddy amber with a small white, slightly brownish head that dissipates quickly and minimal lacing.

Smell is a hit of everything fall and pumpkin-y - nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and pumpkin, of course. Sweet as well, almost caramelized sugar.

Flavor mimics the smell. Lots of nutmeg and pumpkin with a little sweetness to balance, turning into a pleasant bitterness and spice that's similar to the spiciness of ginger. Not much carbonation here, especially after the beer warms up a bit. The aftertaste also really starts to linger not entirely pleasantly after it warms up, but that's only really toward the bottom of the glass. All nicely accompanied by some warm alcohol from the 8.1% ABV.

Overall, this is a milder, better balanced Southern Tier Pumpking. In true River Horse fashion, nothing too aggressive here - just a solid addition to the fall beer field.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 04:05:55 | More by MrELovesBeer

Ffrenchie181

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I love this beer. It doesn't have n overwhelming pumpkin pie taste to it at all, like most tendto have. I got a case of short fills, brought them home, encouraged my parents to drink them sooner rather to later. Took 2 four packs out of the case for a party. Left the state for 5 days and came home to only 2 bottles left. It's just that good!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 02:05:20 | More by Ffrenchie181

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz into tulip.

Healthy 1F worth of cream colored head that fades to a film over a deep brown-to-orange body. Good lacing.

Lots of clove, cinnamon, and rich banana in the aroma. Very sweet. Almost like a weizenbock with cinnamon added.

Rich and smooth on the palate, with a solid embracement of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove over a sweet potato body, and lightly bittered English hop quality in the finish. Creamy mouthfeel, with just a light carbonation. Extremely drinkable, with well-hidden alcohol.

This one is a must try if you enjoy imperial pumpkin ales - much more drinkable than Pumking, as it's not the least bit cloying.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 23:18:16 | More by BeerImmediately

bpw28

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: Three finger bone white shaving cream head, Deep Orange (about a 15 SRM), very nice lacing, very light carb can be seen, spices can be seen floating about the beer (or what I assume is spices).

Smell: Big clove,big nutmeg, cinnamon, squash and pumpkin smells, sweet, light malt smell (it smells like pie crust to me, props to River Horse), mild earthy/pipe tobacco (more props, it's aug and I feel like it's october/november in my glass).

Taste: Very big squash/pumpkin,big ginger (wasn't on the nose to me), cinnamon more forward, nutmeg, clove, peppery, light boozy, spicy, semi-dry, good body, good carb.

Final Thoughts: A very nice pumpkin ale. I'll be buying more when the leaves are falling to the ground. Thumbs up River Horse.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 20:11:22 | More by bpw28

DavidSeanNJ

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First pumpkin ale of the season.

Poured a copper/brown/orangey color with a cream-tannish colored head about half an inch. Heavily carbonated. Smell was pumpkin pie- mostly cloves- faint pureed pumpkin. Taste was nice and well-balanced. Alcohol coming through giving a slightly sour flavor at times. Heavy on the sugary malts and cardamom. All spice. Great flavors. Nice pumpkin ale here. This was awesome but not the best I have had.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 15:43:39 | More by DavidSeanNJ

DCon

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received a 12 FLUID OUNCE bottle of this in a trade w/ ipaking67. Poured from the light grey & orange labeled bottle w/ "IMPERIAL PUMPKIN ale brewed with Pumpkin Puree and Spices" & a "Pumpkin Horse Head" on the neck of the bottle and cap into my 16oz Dewey's Pizza Pint Glass. Does not have a freshness date the bottle.

Aroma- Has a SUPER strong Pumpkin aroma with tons of sweetness, spice, and ingredient within! Rivals Schlafly's Pumpkin aroma already!

Appearance- Pours a 1.5 finger head that has terrific retention. Has a dark amber/orange body color with no clarity. Leaves thick lacing down the glass.

Flavor- Tons of sweetness, spice, and malt start off the taste. Pumpkin then comes out strongly towards the end and where the bitterness level is medium-high.

Mouthfeel- Medium-Full Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, Smooth, and leaves awesome amount of pumpkin/spice on the palate.

Overall Impression- Now this one breaks into my top 5 list! Maybe I enjoy these high gravity/Imperial Pumpkin Ales MUCH more but how could you blame me? These ones have the punch of pumpkin and spice while the lower ABV Pumpkin Ales only have sweetness and malt that fill out the entire taste/mouthfeel. I would definitely get your hands on this one if you get a chance! Can't even notice it is a 8.1% brew!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 19:44:47 | More by DCon

DMXLOX22

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a single of this beer at my local spot, Civera's. Was highly recommended by the guy who works there. Let's see how this one goes.

Appearance: Pours nicely into the glass. Has a great presence of dark orange haze, some copper brown included. Leaves behind a nice foamy head about an inch thick that lasted about 30 seconds before settling. Impressed I must truly say.

Smell: Gives off a nice aroma of spices, for example cinnamon, nutmeg and possibly ginger. I can definitely smell the pumpkin puree as the bottle indicated. Also a hint of possibly brown sugar. Totally worth just savoring and enjoying.

Taste: At first sip, I notice the boozy taste that I wasn't surprised in the least.. Theres an interesting mix of pumpkin and squash that comes through. Actually pretty well-balanced. The cinnamon and nutmeg are totally enjoyable. There's also a slight hint of creaminess. Pretty much reminds me of a liquid gingerbread cookie at this point, with an addition of pumpkin.

Mouthfeel: Low to medium carbonation. Finishes pretty dry, but thats on the account of the spices and ABV.

Overall: Actually a very enjoyable beer. When this came highly recommended, I was sure it wouldn't be a letdown. This was a beer that can be thoroughly enjoyed slowly, by a nice bonfire. I would be careful after consuming one haha. Well I will have this again during a long session (football game or BS'n with the guys) and I would totally recommend this beer to anyone who would ask.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:37:26 | More by DMXLOX22

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Autumn in a glass! (Also the BA pic for this beer is outdated).

Pours a nice orange/amber color with a very slight head which doesn't retain well. Smells slightly spices, nothing noticeable, no strong scents. Taste is out of this world though! Slight gram cracker taste upfront, slightly spicy in the middle, nutmeg, allspice, fall flavors and ends with a popping pumpkin sweetness which quickly resides into a slight beer bitterness. Almost as good as dogfish head punkin.

Very well rounded, well balanced beer, sweet, spicy, and bitter. None of which overwhelm or last long in the mouth either, an awesome autumn drinker!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 03:36:43 | More by jtierney89

thespaceman

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass

Appearance: One of the most beautiful pumpkin beers I've witnessed. Beautiful amber in color, nice size head slowly rises and reduces as it settles in, perfect lacing and retention here, truly fantastic!

Smell: I get alot of pumpkin spices here up front, very reserved and not overpowering. Brown sugar, clove and some allspice round out the nose. A small earthy note comes through as well settling things down.

Taste: Very reserved as far as flavoring, of course you get brilliant pumpkin flavor from the puree they use, which usually I don't like as I feel whole pumpkins make there beer more authentic, but River Horse pulls this off. Up front is good combination of allspice and brown sugar, a touch of alcohol is evident but it's not overkill, not too heavy malt backbone gives off some nice grain like flavors as well, toasty yet not a barnburner. Finishes off with some more spiciness and a quick tinge of some bready malts.

Mouthfeel: The mouth is not as thick as other pumpkins I've had in previous years, not too thin yet not over the top either. Little to no bitterness, and just enough carbonation to keep this one on the tongue without breaking down.

Drinkability: Highly impressed by River Horse's offering, Hipp-O-Lantern shows what pumpkin beer properties should be all about, not overspiced and a medium malt backbone to keep it balanced. The highlight of this beer is the color, what a beautiful beer in the glass! The ABV is not too evident, but the added alcohol benefits this beer as it's not too thick where you wouldn't be able to grab another one. I've always been a fan of River Horse but they really put me over with this fall offering. Try it!

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 16:12:37 | More by thespaceman

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

River Horse- Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Hipp-O-Lantern)

A- Dark hazy/ cloudy caramel brown with a thick white head. Good head retention and nice ringed lacing down the glass.
S- Spicy nutmeg, cinnamon, and Pumpkin with hints of caramel and vanilla.
T- Sweet brown sugar and caramel malt with plenty of spices. Nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon really come through with pumpkin and roasted butternut squash.
M- Thick sweet malt with a dry spicy twang. Thick sugary feel throughout the mouth, slightly cloying. A touch of warm boozy Alc. pokes through in the end.

Overall- The 1st Pumpkin of the season and I think it sets the bar pretty high. 1 of my friends said, "tastes like Autumn", and that's a good thing!

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2010 22:47:32 | More by NJpadreFan

cds3717

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The perfect color for a Pumpkin Ale in my opinion. A deep copper/ amber color on the verge of brown, that reminds me of the leaves about to change in Autumn. Head doesn't last long, but for this beer I don't consider that a flaw because I was so enthralled with the color.

S: I smelled the pumpkin, nutmeg, allspice, etc. (pumpkin spices) at first, then after awhile all I could make out was a great aromatic malty smell after the first few sips, unless I left it alone for a awhile (which was hard to do).

T: Same as the smell, the first few sips were all pumpkin bready with a nice malt background, then after a few more sips became more malty than anything until I let it be for a bit. (FYI the last sip is like WHAM! pumpkin spice!) There is still a hint of it, but the malt just takes the forefront, and that makes me love this beer more, because it tastes more like beer than other pumpkin ales, and less of a spice-bomb. A fantastic desert beer!

M: So I tried it both semi-cold and cold, and if semi-cold, its gonna be thinner and a little more astringent. If cold though, all you get is a full bodied, almost but not quite sticky, mouthfeel. Thats what I got, so I would recommend cold!

D: You will drink one quickly, NO PROBLEM! (You look down and can't believe its all gone!) More than one or two is hard to do though. Its too thick, heavy and strong to gulp tons of these down, but hey, its IMPERIAL!

I tried a couple other pumpkin beers with friends, and this took the cake. Its just not a novelty beer like many others, and tries to go back to the roots of being.... a beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 00:33:34 | More by cds3717

Gavage

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: dark orange in color with a one finger head that slowly falls.

Smell: spices and malt sweetness are easy to pull from the glass.

Taste: big malt profile with nutmeg, cinnamon, a nice balancing bitterness, and warming alcohol create a nice version of the style.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy in body. Lightly crisp to start, smoother at the finis. Aftertaste is long as the flavors stick to the tongue.

Drinkability: this is a slow drinking beer but provides a sign that fall and football are starting. Definitely a well done beer, but alcohol will limit you to one per session.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2010 12:36:05 | More by Gavage

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly thickened light to medium orange with a nice off white head. A bit of lacing as it goes down. Nose is caramel, brown sugar, hints of cream, and plenty of pumpkin spices. Taste is the same with the more traditional, non-spice flavors taking the front seat. Well balanced. Mouthfeel is medium and a bit creamy. Drinkability gets a higher score as this really goes down well and is one of only a few pumpkins beers that I can actually drink twelve ounces of.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 12:12:45 | More by Thorpe429

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy orange/brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is like fresh pumpkin pie. Taste is good, pumpkin, nutmeg, very flavorfull and the alcohol is well hidden. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall this is a beer worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 16:01:17 | More by tone77

brystmar

New York

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Wy!

Pumpkin, chocolate, caramel, honey, minimal spices in the aroma. Taste follows suit, bringing everything above together harmoniously. Opened over a dozen pumpkin beers tonight and this was towards the top.

Have yet to be disappointed with a River Horse beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 02:21:13 | More by brystmar

Cmuska902

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Absolutely delicious fall color; a wonderful amber with a small head that dissipates quickly. The color alone reminds me of fall, pumpkins, and the leaves falling.

S: Smells of alcohol and spice. Faint pumpkin smell, if any, but definitely has the spicy smell of most pumpkin beers. It smells strong!

T: This beer was just what I was looking for. My first pumpkin beer of the season. Crisp malt with a pumpkin and spice that is not too overpowering. Slight warming taste of alcohol. Some nutmeg and cinnamon, perfect balance of sweet and savory.

M: Well balanced carbonation, a little thin on the tongue. Coats the mouth quickly, and finishes easily. Just enough bitterness bite at the finish to make you want another sip.

D: I can session on this beer way too easily. As soon as the temperature drops I am drinking multiple of these. Delicious, drinkable, fall, pumpkin beer. This one really surprised me. Color me impressed.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 01:44:12 | More by Cmuska902

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Amber bodied brew with a thin, foamy, off-white head.

S - A big bouquet of traditional fall spices. Cardamon, nutmeg, allspice and a touch of cinnamon. Some dry grains and a hint of warm alcohol.

T - Tons of traditional pumpkin pie flavors. Sweet nutmeg, allspice and a little cinnamon. Very faint brown sugar sweetness and a malty component balance the spices. Dry, bitter grains and warming alcohol detected at the end. Very well balanced.

M - Medium bodied, pleasant carbonation. Clean and silky with a very well hidden 9.0 ABV. A semi-dry, slightly warming finish.

O - This may be my favorite pumpkin ale. I will soon be traveling to the nearby River Horse Brewery to enjoy this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 01:04:16 | More by BeerForMuscle

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: A real hazy amber that has an off-white head that is about 1/3".

Smell: Probably the most potent smelling pumpkin beer, as I was pouring it the aroma was seeping into my nostrils. Strong nutmeg and fresh pumpkin scent.

Taste: Smells great but the taste is off but not by much. Little sweet and surprisingly little bitter than most.

Mouth: Little light, still good though. sharp texture but feels like a woody after taste that shouldn't be part of a punkin ale.

Overall: You are drinking a good beer and might just sneak into my top five pumpkins that I have had this season. Right after a cheesecake even better. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 05:15:35 | More by BlurryVisi0n

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a murky, orange-tinged brown (I poured it into a pint glass, but after drinking the thing I realize a chalice would probably be better). The beige head is large and won't go away for anything. As I've said before, heady beer is good beer, so I like what I'm seeing. Thick, chunky lacing paints the glass.

The smell is a pumpkin spice mix; cinnamon and allspice primarily. It's pretty restrained, though, which is a good sign. The taste is quite good, and a good bit more complex than the smell. You'll still taste the spices, but like the smell, they don't overwhelm. There is also a distinct taste of actual pumpkin, which seems to be something that lots of pumpkin beers forget. Brown sugar is also present, and a nice, light booziness throughout. All-in-all, it tastes like fall.

The carbonation is low, and the beer coats the mouth which mitigates the thin mouthfeel a bit. The fact that it's 9% ABV really sneaks up on you, though. The ABV isn't on the bottle, so I can see drinking a few of these in a row and then getting surprised when my head gets funny. But this a very good beer. I was very pleasantly surprised. I can definitely see coming back to this one a few times throughout the fall.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 20:20:36 | More by CharlatanSin

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I am running through a backlog of bottles that local trader, tone77, has dropped off for me during the past school year when I just did not have the time to drink all of them.

From the bottle: "Imperial Pumpkin [-] Ale brewed with pumpkin puree and spices"; "We covered our bases on this one - It appeals to fans of Pumpkin Beer and converts those that didn't know they were fans. A bunch of ingredients but none are showboating. After all, nobody likes a show off Enjoy!"

I went with a gentle pour so as not to disturb the lees and as such, I got only wisps for head. Color was an oh-so-slightly hazy orangish-amber. Nose smelled strongly of cloves and cinnamon, even a candy-like sweetness, like taffy. Unusual. Mouthfeel was slightly viscous and the taste was very much like pumpkin pie. Really spicy in terms of the nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves on the tongue, and coupled with the alcohol heat, this was a beer to be reckoned with! Finish allowed the sweetness of the malt and pumpkin puree to make an appearance. Whew! I liked it, but it is a beer to be reckoned with.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 23:30:35 | More by woodychandler