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

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

One of the better pumpkin beers we have had, among a great 2011 crop. Bottle picked up in New york. Orange body, with bright tastes of orange, ginger, cinammon. Very fresh tasting although aged from last year. This ageing led to a balance and a dangerous smooth drinking. Bourbon added complexity without taking over or felling boozy.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 20:55:37 | More by northyorksammy

womencantsail

California

3.6/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

What are the chances? Two people bring the same beer to an impromptu tasting (thanks Dan). Thanks for the taste from your bottle, Craig.

A: The pour is a dark amber color with a thin ring of tan foam around the outside of the glass.

S: Tons and tons of pie spices such as cinnamon, all spice, and nutmeg. The bourbon aroma is plentiful as well, providing quite a bit of booze along with the usual oak and vanilla.

T: The vanilla flavor is really nice and smooth here. Fairly sweet, but the bourbon flavor helps to mitigate that a bit, and the intense cinnamon and nutmeg flavors do an even better job of this.

M: The body is maybe on the thin side of medium with a low to medium carbonation.

D: I could see this being great, but the bourbon and spices are just overdone at this point.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 01:00:06 | More by womencantsail

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

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bastu for sending me this one!

Pours a murky honey orange with a 1 inch puffy tan head that fades to an oily film on the top of the beer. Small streaks and dots of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, pumpkin, spices, and some minor vanilla and wood aromas. A bit of a boozy smell comes out too but not necessarily a bourbon aroma. Taste is of malt, pumpkin, spices, vanilla, wood, and a bourbon flavor on the finish. This beer has a crisp mouthfeel with a good level of carbonation. Overall, this is a good pumpkin ale that is pretty much just as good as The Great Pumpkin just with added aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 22:35:29 | More by UCLABrewN84

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Big thanks to Naugros for this bottle!

Finally got my hands on a barrel-aged pumpkin beer this year...and now I've got a second one! Right on. This one pours a clear dark amber-tawny topped by a half-finger of off-cream-white foam. The nose comprises bourbon, vanilla, light cocoa, honey, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, caramel, and a touch of ruby red grapefruit rind in the background. The taste brings in more of the same, with the bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, and newcoming oak rocking the forefront of everything. More spices and a touch of toasted pumpkin seed back them up nicely. The body is a stolid medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta syrupy feel. Overall, this is what a barrel-aged pumpkin beer oughta tste light. It brings in the best of both worlds and combines them very nicely. There are times when the bourbon looks like it's getting to big for its britches, but then the rest of the components come in and deftly cut it. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 21:38:20 | More by TMoney2591

WesWes

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy orange color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a warm pumpkin and spice scent along with a nice bourban barrel aroma. The pumpkin and bourban character works well together. The taste is decent. It has a very aggressive bourbon flavor that goes down easy and finishes warm with good pumpkin character. The barrel aging dominates the palate and diminishes the overall pumpkin and spice taste. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is the first bourbon barrel aged pumpkin ale I've ever tried. It's unique and complex, but I prefer the regular version.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 21:00:02 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a bruery tulip. Beer is orange and hazy with a thin broken white head of small bubbles.

Aroma is strong with some pumpkin, minimal spices and strong bourbon.

Beer is light in body and quite hot. Its mildly spicy but the pumpkin some how cuts through and is still present. My wife enjoys this beer and this style more than I do but this is a decent beer. I wouldn't have expected much from a bourbon barrel aged fruit beer but this one comes through. Its a little harsh on the onset but overall its OK.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 01:47:38 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Exiled for sharing this beer.

The beer pours a light orange color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the pumpkin and associated spices - mainly nutmeg and cinnamon. I don't get too much bourbon-aged character in the aroma.

The flavor is pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and some oak, vanilla and whiskey notes. You can definitely tell the bourbon is there, but is more subtle than in a lot of other beers. The bourbon-aging compliments the base beer, it doesn't completely overshadow and dominate it..

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 19:44:28 | More by Mora2000

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

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bright jewel tone color, saturated dark orange. Long lasting head of creamy foam, never breaks after the first few sips. Irregular spotty lacing.

Huge roasted pumpkin aroma, sweet like pumpkin pie, crust and all. Not overly "spicy" and no overt bourbon in the nose, but there is a nice mellow dose of vanilla and nutmeg.

Medium bodied with a little bit of bourbon heat behind it, lingering pumpkin and pie spice flavors. Slightly nutty, vanilla from the bourbon, and a hint of the whiskey barrel at room temperature. Nicely melded, really enjoyable, slightly boozy. Would seek this out again.

Thanks Chris for sharing this one!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 22:48:34 | More by emerge077

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

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice creamy 1 finger head that fades at a med pace with a bit of lacing, over mostly clear pumpkin orange colored beer.

Nose is huge, explodes with heavy fruity pumpkin, fresh pumpkin not really pie or canned, then a light non-gourd like fruit like a sour berry kinda fruit, light holiday spices, a creamy malt with hints of caramel and toasty malt, and light bourbon to round it off which also brings light oak.

Taste starts with more bourbon, much more than the nose. A nice bourbon flavor with some buttery oak, a lot more oak as well, and hint of vanilla. Then the pumpkin but not a ton, again more like fresh pumpkin more so than pie filling or canned, with more of a juicy fruit kick but no berry this time, although maybe a hint of pear like fruit, and light spices. the fruit really starts to take over, and it's not really a pumpkin fruit just an overall fruity taste that seems to make the beer a bit too weird as it dominates. Semi sweet with a hint of booze coming through with the sweet malts, a bit creamy malt and light toasty, as well as hint of caramel. Finish is semi sweet still and sticky, little bit more warming booze and pumpkin, hints of spices and bitterness, and little more bourbon and oak.

Mouth is med to a bit heavier bodied, decent carb, some warming almost tingly booze.

Overall not bad, it has some decent bourbon and buttery oak, decent pumpkin that adds a nice flavor not canned flavor, spices are kept in check, drinkable, light bitterness, a bit too sticky and sweet esp on the finish. Nothing special but tasty and done well.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 20:56:28 | More by jlindros

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a tulip glass. 2011 Edition.

Pours a clear copper, with a ½ finger covering of slight off-white head. This retains with more of a thin frothy fizziness, which leaves back a foamy cascade of lace that quickly slides down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of vanilla, oak, pumpkin spices, a touch of softer fruity orange character, and then some underlying greenness. It’s tough to say if it’s pumpkin or not, as a bit of stiff warmth starts to come out as this warms and muddles things a bit.

The taste has a lot of vanilla going on, with additional notes of sweet caramel, orange zest, green pumpkin (it’s definitely standing out more here), and then some festive feeling spices that are scattered throughout the profile. The bourbon flavor mostly sits in the back here, and it rather nicely done, with a pleasant lightly charred burn on the back of the palate. More barrel flavor creeps into the finish, with a woody dryness that lingers with some leftover sugars and a touch of spice. The mouthfeel is full bodied and fairly effervescent in the mouth. Things do get a little smoother though as this runs over the tongue and the alcohol itself it pretty well hid. There is some warmth to the body here and the bourbon leaves a bit of heat behind but I was a bit shocked at how overall smooth this was in the mouth.

This was nice and was much better than I thought a BA Imperial Pumpkin Ale would have turned out. Besides some misgivings with the nose, I really enjoyed the overall integration of the flavors here and I was extremely surprised at how much of a smooth sipper this ended up being in the end. A full bottle was a little too much for me in one sitting but this is a perfect one to split.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 14:35:56 | More by Kegatron

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

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

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

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours lighter than I expected, more a golden color than a brown- on the lighter side of amber. A fairly slight head, but that seems okay for the style and abv. Smells boozy and sweet, with some pumpkin pie spice notes. The bourbon is light and clean and style, rather than heavy and laced with oak and molasses. Tastes like a bourbon laced pumpkin pie- creamy, sweet, bourbony and with chocolate and some surprising lemon notes as well that add some nice acidity that cuts through the rest of the richness. Smooth and rich in the mouth, This is quite a nice variation on the standard pumpkin beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 18:13:42 | More by Georgiabeer

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to my boy Lunch for sending me this one in a past trade! 2010 Vintage! Served from bottle into a Stone nonic. Poured orange with a minimal off-white head. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, pumpkin, wood, and sweet alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, cinnamon, brown sugar, wood, and sweet alcohol. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. After having the base version right before this one, I was a little concerned on what I would think of this one. However, this one definitely improved quite a bit with the -bal treatment. The barrel added a nice bit of complexity that was lacking in the previous beer and made it much more enjoyable to drink. Definitely the better of the two without a doubt. Just ask nickd and he will tell you why.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 16:13:14 | More by thagr81us

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Malty aroma has firm notes of pumpkin and cinnamon and a bourbon overtone that comes from the barrels in which it was aged. It pours a slightly hazy dark orange amber with a pale orange-tan head that does not stick around for long and leaves minimal lacing. Flavor has a strong bourbon note that dominates the flavor but does not overwhelm it, allowing the malt, pumpkin and cinnamon notes along with the whisper of caramel to have their say. Thick, smooth texture is fairly tingly and has a strong nip thanks to the bourbon. A perfect beer to begin October!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 02:34:11 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clipper City/ Heavy Seas/ The Greater Pumpkin

Pours an expected hazy burnt orange color with a soapy, off white head and a whole sheet of lacing down the tulip snifter. Aroma of pumpkin, vanilla, spice, bourbon, and alcohol. In the taste, nice pumpkin pie goodness with alot of vanilla, I suspect some from adding vanilla bean and some due to the aging in the bourbon barrels. A small bourbon presence is felt and tasted, but mainly sweet vanilla pumpkin pie. Creamy, smooth, full bodied feel. Overall, a fantastic pumpkin ale, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 04:44:56 | More by Stinkypuss

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy orange to light copper color with an off white head. In the aroma, bourbon, oak, and pumpkin spices. In the taste, mellow bourbon, oaky, and mellow pumpkin spice. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry bourbon to a clean aftertaste. Light bourbon probably due to the spice contrast. Nice warming feeling.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 12:01:44 | More by OWSLEY069

gford217

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright, completely opaque orange with a soapy white head that recedes to a small swirl along the top.

The smell starts with the spices, nutmeg and cinnamon especially, balanced by the vanilla sweetness from the bourbon barrels. There is a sweet sugary pumpkin aroma that floats underneath the alcohol.

The taste is more of the same but probably a bit sweeter with the vanilla and pumpkin up front, giving way to the light spices. The spices don't last long before the bourbon barrel knocks them out of the way and dominates the finish with a definite burn going down.

The mouthfeel is smooth and boozy with a nice tingle on the palette from the combination of alcohol and pumpkin spices.

The bourbon mellows the spices from the base beer pretty well and gives the impression of a well-balanced pumpkin beer. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 02:19:07 | More by gford217

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours a cloudy orange/copper color with about an inch off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both decent. Aroma is sweet and spicy, it smells like pumpkins, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg), vanilla and bourbon. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with some alcohol/booze being noticable but not overpowering. The bourbon flavor is a bit stronger than the others, but the flavors all mesh well together. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit syrupy and has low carbonation. Drinkability is good, it improves as the beer warms up. I think it's a good overall brew, I'd buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 21:28:15 | More by bluejacket74

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Got a bomber of this for 7.99 at my local beer Nutz. Not Sure of the age but with some sediment in the bottle it may be last years batch. Hoping the bourbon has rounded out in that time!

A - Poured a nice amber with an inch of fluffy white head. The pour was pretty carbonated so the sediment was disturbed and resulted in a snow storm in my glass. Ow well it's a bourbon beer so I don't think it is soured.

S - Wow this smells like a booze bomb! Heavy bourbon with just a hint of caramel sweetness with just a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon.

T - Belch! Ow wow the only time I had a as much bourbon flavor was in Nemesis! Usually a beer will round out the bourbon flavor resulting in a sweetness but this is full on booze flavored! Hard to detect anything else but I did pick up mostly caramel sweetness, some wood, and a very mild if any pumpkin taste but really it good have just been bourbon with this monster!

M - Very heavy and almost undrinkable. I kind of enjoy a scotch or bourbon flavor MILDLY in my beer but this is ridiculous.

D - I don't think age will do much more with this beer since after a while the sediment starts to set in destroying the flavor. Was really hoping for more with this beer but has really opened my eyes for big ABV Pumpkin ales. Most of them (Smashed Pumpkin, Hopping Frog Double Pumpkin, and this) were total booze bombs. I will stick with my Screaming Jack from Michigan. PASS!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 05:35:46 | More by DrDemento456