Heavy Seas - The Great'er Pumpkin - Heavy Seas Beer

cfrances33

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle thanks to runner440. poured into a tulip.

Pour: Nice copper orange with two fingers off light, light tan head. Leaves some pretty nice lacing and the head hangs around.

Smell: Really great bourbon, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree on the nose. Not booze, some caramel, but pretty darn clean.

Taste: This beer is delicious. Great pumpkin flavors, moderated by a delicious bourbon vanilla. Cinnamon and baking spice augment.

Mouthfeel: Where this beer excels. I expected this to be hot as shit, but it's very subdued and delicious. Incredibly creamy.

Overall: Really impressed. This beer gets less credit than it deserves.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:55:47 | More by cfrances33

InspectorBob

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-21-2013 20:05:00 | More by InspectorBob

BeastLU

Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-18-2013 15:42:32 | More by BeastLU

JakeDebus

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +16%

05-09-2013 17:13:46 | More by JakeDebus

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-20-2013 16:15:50 | More by TheSevenDuffs

BogBoyJD

Ireland

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-20-2013 08:18:39 | More by BogBoyJD

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating, but this should be a 2012 vintage. Slow gusher upon opening. Pours fairly cloudy orange amber color with a 1-2 finger foamy white head with solid retention, that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, bourbon, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, oak, pepper, clove, and pie crust. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of barrel, malt, and spice notes. Taste of caramel, pumpkin, brown sugar, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, toffee, oak, vanilla, pepper, clove, and pie crust. Lingering notes of caramel, pumpkin, brown sugar, bourbon, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, oak, and pie crust on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance of barrel/malt/spice flavors with some great complexity; and no cloying sweetness present after the finish. Barrel notes are a little strong, but it is still very well balanced. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with a decent amount of warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice barrel aged pumpkin ale. Good balance and very nice complexity of barrel/malt/spice flavors; and fairly smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:48:48 | More by superspak

morsetaper2

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +16%

03-03-2013 00:21:37 | More by morsetaper2

RumHam

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

02-21-2013 14:19:20 | More by RumHam

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Draft at Capones in Norristown, PA.

Pours a hazy dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and two finger, white foam head that slowly fades into a thick, lasting ring.  Streaks of lace left behind.  

Subtle aroma with some caraway seed and toasted oak along with subtle pumpkin and autumnal spices.  Hints of cinnamon and brown sugar compliment the dry, toasted oak.  Was expecting more pumpkin.  Not really much bourbon in the nose either.

Medium bodied with a nice barrel presence that's decently integrated into the pumpkin and spice flavors.  Dry oak, vanilla and subtle bourbon sweetness followed by pumpkin purée, nutmeg, vanilla, allspice, clove and ginger.  Nice warmth in finish but the ABV is well hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2013 22:30:27 | More by corby112

DrFunkenstein

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

02-16-2013 14:56:33 | More by DrFunkenstein

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

02-02-2013 21:40:14 | More by DmanGTR

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%

01-28-2013 05:01:03 | More by mendvicdog

shehateme

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.1%

01-25-2013 21:04:43 | More by shehateme

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

01-23-2013 00:52:48 | More by yourefragile

deg

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer has a nice amber color that I expect from a pumpkin beer. I could smell pumpkin pie. If there is supposed to be any other smells in there, I'm not one to ask since my sense of smell is weak. The head disspated a little quickly. The taste is a blend of pumpkin and bourbon. I think the two go well together. I picked up a little vanilla in there too. The beer is a little creamier than the usual pumpkin beer, but it is a pleasant touch.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 22:54:46 | More by deg

Lebby

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

01-06-2013 05:45:31 | More by Lebby

Prost76

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

01-05-2013 21:47:01 | More by Prost76

EastHarris

Pennsylvania

1.48/5  rDev -61.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I picked this up right before Thanksgiving as a bookend to all of the pumpkin/fall beers I would be having that day. I've had Heavy Seas offerings before but this was my first of their bourbon barrel aged offerings. Poured with almost no head. Smelled of pumpkin pie spices with a slight boozy, oaky aroma. The first sip was wow....what happened to this brew? It tasted like someone took a half decent pumpkin beer and poured a double shot of bourbon directly into it. It was so overwhelming that I drain poured the rest of it and I have not had a bourbon barrel beer since. I basically lost my taste for this style because of this beer.

Well intentioned, but poorly executed. I mean poor. The only person who might like this is a bourbon aficionado and even that is doubtful.

Better luck next time around!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 19:38:47 | More by EastHarris

jlindsey

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

12-17-2012 17:14:06 | More by jlindsey

NumberNone

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a solid amber color with a thin white bubbly head. Moderate lacing. Moderate evident carbonation.

S: Pumpkin, brown sugar, malt, nutmeg, slight allspice, slight bourbon, slight hops.

T: Consists of malt, pumpkin, brown sugar, slight hops, cinnamon, nutmeg, slight bourbon, some alcohol. Similar to The Great Pumpkin with less citrus and more whiskey and alcohol.

M: Smooth with good earthiness and a grainy texture on the tongue. Nice hit of dryness. Flavors are well balanced even with a bit of an alcohol kick.

O: A tasty improvement over the solid The Great Pumpkin. It has more of a kick yet still retains its pumpkin ale qualities (with this version actually having a somewhat stronger pumpkin flavor). The alcohol kick makes you wonder how it might taste with some age, though it's quite good fresh. It has many of the qualities of The Great Pumpkin in taste, and it's definitely a pumpkin, but here it's taken up a notch . The "aged in bourbon barrels" indicated on the bottle is definitely evident. Is it worth the several extra dollars in price over the original? Maybe not, but definitely worth trying both to experience the differences,

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 15:33:41 | More by NumberNone

zackcamp

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

12-03-2012 17:01:34 | More by zackcamp

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On-tap 11/28/2012 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a tulip pint glass.

A: The beer is a cloudy light brown color, with a short dense off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains pumpkin, cinnamon & other spices, caramelized malts and some hops.

T: The taste starts out with a hearty malt character. Then some sweet flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg come in. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp but not very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, good kick, decent representation of style, this is yet another beer that proves that “imperial” doesn’t always mean better.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2012 02:31:05 | More by TheManiacalOne

GreyGhost4

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%

12-01-2012 02:26:11 | More by GreyGhost4

e30todamax

Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.1%

11-29-2012 20:38:26 | More by e30todamax