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

weezyfart

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After much fanfare from friends of mine, I decided to plunk down some bucks and give this beer a try. I actually had pretty high hopes because this is the only aged pumpkin ale I've cone across yet.

Appearance: murky brown almost rusty in color with a small cap that left no lacing.

Aroma: I get a lot of wood, a lot of vanilla, plus pumpkin spice of course. I also get some dried apricot.

Taste: this is where the beer gets lost to me. Just about all I taste is vanilla and oak. There is lingering spice in there, but it is way overshadowed by the oak and the whole beer gets steered off course. In other words, it totally flew over the seasonal runway. I could drink this in February and basically think of it as a strong ale brewed with spices and aged in oak. I then may have given it better scores because I wouldn't have been thinking "pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin"

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 00:17:07 | More by weezyfart

Pencible

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a hazy dark gold with a little off-white head.
S: It smelled like lots of mulled spices and cider, with pumpkin and sweet bourbon and a bit of oak.
T: It tasted like pumpkin and apple cider / mulled spices, with bourbon and vanilla and oak and biscuit. It had a somewhat dirty bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was fairly thick with moderate carbonation.
D: This was better than the average pumpkin ale, but not amazing. The bourbon aging was a nice twist, and it seemed to work well with the other flavor elements. But the general quality and crispness of the brew was somewhat lacking. Nice body, and it hid the alcohol well, so it was pretty easy to drink. Enjoyable, but a bit sloppy, so there was some missed potential.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 20:01:42 | More by Pencible

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz into Newport Storm pint glass. 2010 bottling.

A- A orangey amber beer that kind of looks like oil and water mixed. Is that the saturated bourbon or the pumpkin remnants? Hmm... White head that fizzes out quickly.

S- Bourbon! Pumpkin spices mix with the vanilla oaky peppery bourbon notes.

T- Bourbon-dominated. The pumpkin flavors mesh well and almost fade into the background of the flavor profile. The spices are integrated with the bourbon notes.. if you like bourbon you will love this beer. People who don't like bourbon might find this beer to be too much. I personally love it.

M- A bit hot, good carbonation keeps it from being too heavy.

D- High. I really like this beer, it won't be for everyone but I think the bourbon barrels work really well with the pumpkin ale base. I've bought a half-case of this already and will buy more if I see it. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 13:49:24 | More by ShogoKawada

jpmclaug

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into my Deschutes snifter. I heard this was a bourbon bomb so I have high expectations

A - Hazy orange body with a small lingering white head.

S - Smells like pumpkin pie. Pumpkin aroma with subtle pumpkin spices. Not especially pungent but pleasant.

T - Pumpkin spices with a sweet bourbon flavor mixed in. The bourbon isn't as prevalent as I was led to believe. Really blends well with the spices normally found in pumpkin beers. A bit of an alcohol flavor in the finish as well.

M - medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

D - Pretty decent beer. Definitely a sipper. Warming alcohol notes makes me think this would be a good cold weather beer. Worth trying for a new experience.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 19:28:33 | More by jpmclaug

mdfb79

New York

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

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my Duvel tulip. Tried a bottle of this right after The Great Pumpkin.

a - Pours a hazy orange-amber color with 2 inches of white head that leaves quickly and light carbonation evident. Some nice lacing.

s - Smells of bourbon, pumpkin, and oak. Smells pretyy good, but no spices like in The Great Pumpkin.

t - Tastes of bourbon, vanilla, oak, pumpkin, and bready malts. Again, no spice or caramel malts like The Great Pumpkin had.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - I actually liked this one more than The Great Pumpkin, though it isn't as much as a pumpkin beer. The spices and caramel malts that The Great Pumpkin had were kind of lost here due to the bourbon and oak, but a very enjoyable beer. Would have again.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 23:24:37 | More by mdfb79

DCDevilDancer

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

No disrespect to those who have reviewed this tasty delight before me, but this beer is being severely underrated, and under appreciated. Some of the previous "B" reviews have hinted that the parts of the beer (bourbon, rich pumpkin, restrained spice) may need time to coalesce, without seeing the process through. No need to wait until next Halloween! Pop this bad boy open now! Then throw it back on ice and wait an hour or two. Maybe sip on a delicous fresh HS/CC Great Pumpkin and enjoy the bright, fleshy, not-over spiced, pumpkin driven pumpkin goodness of their ready to drink un-aged offering as you wait.
Then get ready to enjoy a creamier, richer, bourbon-tinged treat. The boozeiness diminishes as the Greater Pumpkin has time to breathe, and the bold flavors find time to integrate.. you'll think you made the perfect pumpkin bourbon float.
This stuff is legit!
Just give it some time... in the cellar &/or simply w/ some air!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 08:01:52 | More by DCDevilDancer

aasher

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I opted to go ahead and pour this one instead of aging it. The curiosity got to me. It poured a cloudy, murky dark burnt orange with almost no head at all. You can smell it from a couple feet away. You can pick up the pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon. Up close you get little more than bourbon, oak, and vanilla. The taste isn't what I wanted it to be. It's subtly pumpkin while overly bourbon. I would've liked it the other way around. It drinks slightly "hot" too because of the bourbon flavor paired with the 9% alcohol content. It has a medium to body and leaves the bourbon flavor on your palate. I like it, but it could've been better. I'll probably buy another one just to let it age for a couple years.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 02:54:31 | More by aasher

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.28/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tonight, my wife and I did a comparison test with this one and it's younger brother: "The Great Pumpkin."

On each of the Heavy Seas bombers, there is a story printed. The two Heavy Seas pumpkin beers have EXACTLY the same story, except on this one, the final sentence is: "From the haunted wood emerges the Great'er Pumpkin of them all!"

A: Nice Halloween orange color, with this just one shade darker than the non-barrel aged version. The carbonation is medium and there is about a half inch head on it.

S: It sort of smells like dark fruit dipped in bourbon. If I hadn't know this was a pumpkin ale beforehand, I never would have pegged it as that.

T: Nothing but bourbon wrapped in fruit (notice that I didn't say it the other way around). It may not be a great taste, but it is definitely one of the most interesting pumpkin brews I've ever tasted. The pumpkin tastes BBQd, burnt even, with subtle fruit notes on the aftertaste.

M: This is definitely creamier that "The Great Pumpkin", but I find it far less satisfying. The bourbon relentlessly beats you over the head and doesn't take any prisoners.

D: This is a very interesting experiment, however, I don't believe that this is a style that works as a barrel-ages concoction. When I go shop for a pumpkin ale, I want just that...a pumpkin-flavored ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 01:59:13 | More by Chaney

jnn4v

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Orangeish brown, hazy color. No sediment. Very little head.

S: Smells like pumpkin spice candles, hot mulled cider, and hints of apple pie.

T: Apple pie spice, apple cider, pumpkin pie, and alcohol. Not overly sweet. Sort of medicinal flavor.

M: Good texture. Medium-to-thick mouthfeel.

D: OK drinkability. The alcohol and cloves started to get annoying halfway through.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 00:53:57 | More by jnn4v

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark, dark brown with the slightest tan head. Smells slightly of bourbon and a little bit of pumpkin pie spice in the background. Neither seems to stand out. The taste ups the intensity a little bit, but not in a good way. The bourbon and pumpkin spices just don't really blend all that well in this version. The mouthfeel is medium with low carbonation. No noticeable alcohol. Drinkability is pretty good for a beer of this heft, and I'll give it points for not having ridonkulous amounts of pumpkin spices, but that's about all I can say.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 22:16:56 | More by Thorpe429

nrpellegrini

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Great smooth pumpkin flavor and spices just like the original but you pick up sweet bourbon flavors. It smooths the pumpkin spice out which I prefer.. The alcohol taste is there but subtle. If you like the original you have to give this a try. Clipper city!

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 17:50:25 | More by nrpellegrini

cwps48

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden orange, but hazy. Moderate head with no lacing after it recedes.

S: Overwhelming bourbon barrel aging. Southern Tier-esque. Though, unlike ST, they did manage to get a bit of other flavor in the beer; pumpkin manages to turtle-head out. Swirling allows some of the cinnamon and allspice to pop, also.

T: Vanilla. Jesus, this is bourbon barrel aged. Pumpkin hardly comes out, but you can find it if you look hard enough. Somewhat hot.

M: Dry. Too carbonated for my liking. But I will admit, it is somehow making me want more...

D: Somewhat smooth. But too much bourbon to drink it quickly. Definitely a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 03:29:44 | More by cwps48

shageman331

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- slightly better head than the great pumpkin by heavy seas and a little darker, but all in all pretty similar

Smell- big hit of vanilla and Bourbon with some pumpkin making its way through

Taste- there is a lot of vanilla in this beer. The Bourbon influence is a bit overpowering and masks the pumpkin a little too much for my taste. I would like more pumpkin and spice.

Mouthfeel - Carb is well done and keeps the party moving along

Overall - I think this beer could have been exceptional if the Bourbon influence was toned down. All on all, this beer is a bit of a let down.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 03:29:18 | More by shageman331

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

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

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured out as a very nice looking orange color with a thin white head on top. The head fades mostly and leaves just a touch of lacing on the glass. The smell of the beer is very nice, it's got a near perfect balance of spicy pumpkin aromas mixed with the bourbon and vanilla on the nose. The taste is similar to the smell, lots of spice with a wonderful balance of vanilla and bourbon notes. The mouthfeel is creamy with a heavy body and a moderate carbonation to it. Overall I thought this beer was great, I would enjoy this one over and over during the fall season.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 03:25:34 | More by Knapp85

WMEugene

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Lost Dog (Col. Pike) in Arlington. From notes made on 10/12/11

A - hazy orange color, nice head retention, good lacing

S - smooth pumpkin smell, sweetness, slightly malty

T - nice pumpkin flavors balanced with notes of Bourbon. Bready malt flavors in the background

M - medium bodied, smooth with noticable Bourbon alcoholic heat aftertaste.

O - heavy seas' greater pumpkin is a unique and great take on your traditional pumpkin ale. I'm all about aging pumpkin ales in bourbon barrels now!

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2011 01:52:10 | More by WMEugene

scootny

New York

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

A light cloudy orang amber with a sizable off white head. A bit of carbonation is seen as well as a good bit of lace along the sides of the glass. Smell is sweet malt and pumpkin with pie spices. A good healthy splash of bourbon but not overpowering. It flows into a mild alcohol sharpness. A nice pumpkin bread component as well. Taste is a bit different. Pumpkin pie is the main course but the bourbon underpins the whole thing giving a boozy holiday flavor to this one. The bourbon and pie spice meld into a beer equivalent of a rum fruitcake. I kinda wish I had waited till Thanksgiving to open this one. Nice malt backbone is backed up by firm earthy hops to close out the beer with a clean dry finish. Bourbon comes in to add some vanilla and oak. Feel is creamy and supple with enough thickness to take on dessert and coffee. A lovely beer of complexity and depth.

Serving type: growler

11-14-2011 04:11:14 | More by scootny

Burt

Rhode Island

3.05/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a tulip glass.

Amber orange that is hazy, off white head with little lacing.

Light pie spice and bourbon aroma.

Caramel sweetness up front, with pumpkin pie in the middle and a vanilla bourbon finish that slick is on the tongue.

Was looking forward to this and found the barrel aging made it a little tough to drink. One and done.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2011 09:18:30 | More by Burt

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

On cask at Mahaffey's the other night.

The beer pours a pumpkin orange amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is impressive in this pumpkin ale, showcasing a boatload of clove, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, all spice and brown sugar. The beer smells sweet and very spicy. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this fairly sweet beer, though there's also something of a buttery mouthfeel and considerable alcohol as well. While I realize this is meant to be an "imperial" style ale, this beer comes across as an 11% or 12% abv. beer.... that's how boozy it is. Mouthfeel is soft, smooth and almost slick in this low carbonation presentation, and the beer has a farily long, spice infused finish. As seems to be typical in these mutiny fleet beers, drinkability is not this beer's strong suit. The combination of sweetness, spice and in your face alcohol made it impossible for me to finish even the 10 ounce glass I was served at Mahaffey's. While interesting, at least for me, this was ultimatley another mutiny fleet dud.

Serving type: cask

10-30-2010 13:14:55 | More by johnmichaelsen

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a very deep orange color with no carbonation and an off-white creamy foam head with rocky billowing bubbles in the middle.

S - Heavy spiced pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, some boozy bourbon, and perhaps some light vanilla aroma.

T - WOW! This beer strikes a perfect balance between pumpkin, spices, vanilla, and bourbon. There's some light woodiness in the flavor as well and the combination of everything together makes for a very interesting beer, it all plays very well together with no one fighting for the front seat. Halfway through the sip, the bourbon and oak flavors are more pronounced. After all the sweetness, this beer does finish with a nice touch of hop bitterness. I'm not a huge fan of cask beers but it really does bring out the nuances in a beer, although I much prefer CO2. The booze creates a very noticeable warming in the back of the throat on the way down.

M - Thick and full bodied that's total velvet on the tongue.

D - Can't have too many of these, they're very potent. Of the pumpkin beers I've had, I'd have to stamp this one as my favorite.

Pumpkin and bourbon barrels, now here's something very different...and I like it!

Serving type: cask

10-09-2010 01:59:31 | More by jzeilinger

glid02

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Porter in Atlanta.

Pours an almost opaque orange-amber color with a one-finger cream-colored head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of large amounts of spices - nutmeg and cinnamon - with fresh pumpkin seeds. Also present are hints of butterscotch and even lighter hints of vanilla.

Tastes very good. Medium malt flavors with good amounts of heavy pumpkin flavors kick things off. Joining in shortly thereafter are deep spices as in the aroma. Midway through the sip slight amounts of butterscotch flavors work their way into things, fading out into smooth bourbon flavors that carry through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I was very impressed with this beer and even more impressed that the bourbon was as subtle as it was. A very well done beer that's well worth a shot, especially as the weather cools.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 22:59:01 | More by glid02