Great Lakes Pumpkin Ale - Great Lakes Brewery

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've had this beer at three different time points now, and the character has been slightly different at each tasting. From the tap at the fall festival of beers, it tasted fresh and full of pumpkin. From the bottle, just after release, the spices dominated and the pumpkin lurked in the background. I'll base my comments on a bottle that has been sitting for several months.

A frothy off-white head crowns a radiant orange body. I believe this is what pumpkin beer would look like in a perfect world. The aroma, as expected, was pumpkin pie. The spicing seems more subdued than the previous bottle, so this could be a good sign. That's more like it! The flavours have become very well integrated, and it tastes like sipping on a pumpkin pie. A nicely carbonated pumpkin pie. I'll definitely pick up some more next fall.

Edited to add: tastes excellent on cask.

Serving type: cask

01-12-2008 15:27:41 | More by bobsy

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a hazy orange colour with about a fingers worth of head thad did not last long. Some lacing was left behind. Smells of pumpkin pie. Nutmeg, cloves, allspice, pumpkin and sweet malts. Taste is a little light when compared to aroma. Kind of like a light pumpkin pie. Their is some earthy malts to balance out the maltiness and pumpkin pie flavour. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, medium carbonated and overall well balanced with a spicy aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 19:25:47 | More by slitherySOB

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle poured into a pint glass. ABV 5.5%.

A - Poured a slightly hazy golden orange colour. The 1cm head didn't last long. Some short lived lacing.

S - Spice aromas upfront such as nutmeg, cloves & allspice with a backing of cooked pumpkin flesh. I love pumpkin pie and this beer always smells inviting.

T - Disappointingly light. Sure, there's a taste of pumpkin and desert spices among the sweet malts and light hops but it's all quite mild. Certainly milder then the aroma indicates. Despite that it still tastes pretty good.

M - Medium body, medium-low carbonation, some tang, mildly spicy aftertaste with a hint of metal.

O - More spicy than fruity. I always find it could be sweeter. Still enjoyed every fall usually accompanied by a slice of pumpkin pie.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 01:07:46 | More by decimator

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice golden/orange color to it. It has a nice thick off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and some pumpkin.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice spicy character of all spice, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves along with sweet malts and some pumpkin. I wish I could taste more pumpkin in this one.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with decent flavors and aromas. Not the greatest Pumpkin Ale I've tried but still nice and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 18:51:48 | More by SebD

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Draft pint at C'est What in Toronto.
Slightly hazy, dark amber-brown color with an inch of off-white foam. Good head retention with the slightest amount of lacing.
Has all the smells you want from a pumpkin beer -malty sweetness, pumpkin, and cinnamon spice. Caramel malt taste dominates, all spice, clove, cinnamon. More spiciness than pumpkin
Average carbonation, solid body with out being too sticky sweet. More flavors came through as it warmed up in the glass. A very good example.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2012 04:16:22 | More by BigBry

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - nearly clear golden orange, creamy head retained very nicely with random blobs of lacing
S - roasted pumpkin and spice with a leafy hint and lingering booziness
T - big cinnamon and clove spice kick, mild pumpkin, toasty maltiness with some alcohol creeping in
M - light body with a big spice tingle, finishes lightly dry
O - a pumpkin ale dominated by spice, it is definitely tasty although I tend to prefer the style when the pumpkin is more prominent than spice, but still a tasty treat

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 04:37:56 | More by joemcgrath27

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another welcome sight to northern Ontario, which rarely sees the gems that southern Ontario LCBO's enjoy. Cheers to peensteen for the hook up!

A - Pours a slightly hazy golder copper colour, finger of head with solid retention and some spotty lacing.

S - Loads of spice on this one; cinnamon, all-spice, nutmeg and cloves, hint of earthy pumpkin and caramel and toffee on the finish.

T - Much like the nose with the spices dominating, cinnamon, all-spice, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla; the earthy pumpkin is detectable but subdued; the caramel and toffee backbones lingers on the finish alongside some leafy hop notes and spiced up bitterness.

M - Nice and smooth, good carbonation level and finishes wet.

O - A tasty pumpkin ale, though a bit heavy on the spices. A bit more earthy would've bumped it up a notch. I find the lower ABV pumpkin ales can get away with less spice, which can lead to a bit more of an authentic experience. Not to be misinterpreted, I would buy this again and recommend it to others.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 03:01:21 | More by andrenaline

marty21

Manitoba (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pretty clear nice orange colour with one finger worth of creamy off white head. Settles to a very solid cap and left a bit of lacing at the top of the glass.

S: Very nice pumpkin aroma right off the bat. Then you get the spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Maybe a little caramel, but hardly any.

T: The taste is a bit thin but still good. Up front you get all of the spices and more in the after taste is when you get the pumpkin. The pumpkin is more creamy though almost like pumpkin pie.

M: Light to medium carbonation with a light to medium body.

O: A really good take on a Pumpkin ale. I would gladly have another glass of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 01:52:56 | More by marty21

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - poured a big four finger head into a pint glass - relatively quickly deflated to a thin collar atop a light amber boy - pretty clear with little lacing

S - has pumpkin, banana, biscuit, floral hops, nutmeg

T - follows the nose but somewhat subdued, also a cinnamon note, some mineral flavor, a little nutty

M - not overly sweet, dry, and a little bitter, light to medium body with little carbonation

O - not bad at all - typical for the brewery it has potential but is simply not bold enough in the taste category.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 10:48:26 | More by Stocean1

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber picked up at the LCBO. Leaked all over when I tried to open it... at least the carpet will smell nice.

Pours a slightly hazy deep amber colour, topped with a finger of silky off-white head that lasts for a few minutes before giving up the ghost. A thin film and collar remain on the surface. The aroma is quite nice, with biscuity, nutty malt sweetness, as well as pumpkin and the whole gamut of spices - cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Coalesces to make a nifty pumpkin pie smell.

Pretty tasty stuff. Sweet, biscuity malts, pumpkin and some nutty notes provide the backbone with plenty of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon flavour to add a bit of complexity. Way more spice than pumpkin, which seems like a sin. Medium-light bodied with subtle carbonation. Disappointingly watery for something I assumed would be more of a full-bodied ale, but otherwise tasty.

This is the first pumpkin ale I have ever reviewed, and I would be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't like it. That being said, even as an admitted newcomer to the style, there are some noticeable flaws. None of the flavours are especially intense, and along with the light-ish body this just gives it a bit of a diluted feel. Regardless, it's pleasing enough that I wouldn't shy away from recommending it, and the light, 'polite' nature of the brew makes it a good intro to the style. Something I may pick up next year.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 04:22:12 | More by thehyperduck

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

650ml Bottle

Appearance – Slightly hazy dark amber colour with an average size fizzy off-white coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation visible and there is a faint amount of lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, bread, all spice, pumpkin

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel, pumpkin, and some dry hops. There is also a lot of spice taste - all spice.. with a focus on cloves. The beer finishes with a malty spicy aftertaste that linger on the tongue for a while.

Overall – I though the beer was good, but not great. It definitely tasted better as it warmed up in the glass a bit. The taste isn't cloying, but 1 bomber of this stuff was enough for me. I don't think I'd buy this one again.. not this year anyways.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 19:07:56 | More by spinrsx

thirstybrother

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Very nice golden with a touch of amber, or pumpkin. Good head, not much lacing.

S: Maybe my nose is stuffed? No hints of the spices they speak of on the bottle. Maybe some pumpkin, but maybe just because I'm looking for it.

T: This beer isn't terrible, but the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg really seem to be lacking. There are hints, HINTS, of them in the aftertaste, but I shouldn't have to concentrate this hard to find them.

M: Kind of steely. Again, it isn't terrible, but it definitely does not scream pumpkin ale, more like a pale ale with subtle spicy notes.

O: I had this beer last year and recall being very impressed with the spicy/pumpkin flavours. I shared it with a non-craft-beer crowd and they liked it. Guess I should have reviewed it then. I can give GLB the benefit of the doubt, maybe this batch was a rough one. We'll see next year.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 00:15:34 | More by thirstybrother

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden orange, with a decent amount of fluffy white head. Smells of pumpkin pie and cinnamon. The smell really got me excited for trying this, but the flavour is lacking a pumpkin finish. The pumpkin and cinnamon fad almost instantly. Its not a bad pumpkin beer, but based on the smell, I was expecting more flavour then this. Won't be picking this one up again next year.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 22:29:53 | More by WeedKing4

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden amber colour, one finger of white head, no lacing. Smell is bready and spicy, malt, some hop, nutmeg and cinnamon as well as some nutty character. Taste is malty and bready, the pumpkin is fairly subtle, spice, cinnamon and nutmeg, flavours are more pronounced in finish and when swirled around in your mouth. Lightly creamy, medium carbonation, decent feel. This isn't my favourite pumpkin beer but it is a solid effort, a bomber of this is a little big for personal consumption splitting this was a good idea.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 16:49:20 | More by peensteen

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2011 edition, I really liked it last year before I joined BA.

Pours a hazy golden colour with copper tinges. Not much in the way of head but a thin and persistant ring. Very little lacing.

Sweet and spicy aroma with a raw pumpkin smell. Honey, cloves and nutmeg with a fresh, grainy backing. Milder than other pumpkin ales and than itself in years past.

Nice pumpkin taste with a roasted malt backing and a solid hop presence. A hefty amount of spice creates a bitterness and the finish is syrupy sweet.

Medium-bodied with a low carbonation. Bitter bite on the tongue and a dry, peppery aftertaste.

Lacks a certain punch. The spices outweigh the pumpkin by a long shot, but it's still a decent after dinner beer that goes well with vanilla ice cream.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 03:23:03 | More by bryehn

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours quite a light orange, with two finger widths of white head. Quite clear. Head fades to a small layer that stays quite well. Mild lacing.

Smell contains pumpkin, nutmeg and clove. Stronger on the spices than the pumpkin, but it is all there. A bit of a bready malt scent is present as well.

The flavour is much heavier on the spices than the pumpkin, even moreso than the nose. That being said, the pumpkin is obviously present. Some mild hop bitterness at the finish. A bit of a malty backbone throughout. Pretty good.

Medium bodied, a bit too much carbonation, but not bad. Pleasant but unremarkable.

Overall, an enjoyable beer but nothing to get too excited about. Nice to have if you are a fan of pumpkin ales.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 00:50:18 | More by jrenihan

eat

Quebec (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Slightly cloudy body is a dark, pumpkin-like orange colour. The head dissipates to a very thin covering of off-white. No lacing. Nice colour for a pumpkin ale.

Faint pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove) and subtle, vegetal pumpkin, adding a certain creaminess. Caramel malt and light, spicy hops. Pretty weak on the nose.

Not much of the pumpkin or spices are coming through. It reminds me quite a bit of the taste letdown with their Miami Weiss; all the flavours here need to be amplified. Pretty much all I'm getting is a light malt character along with an earthy hop bitterness. Some grain on the finish. The spices are only present enough to make you wonder if they're even there at all. Everything here is much too far over to the cautious side of things. I wouldn't say it's too well balanced either; I could use more malt here. I'm thinking they missed the mark on this one. Not even close to enough pumpkin character.

I think I'd prefer the feel a little creamier but it's not too bad. Medium-high carbonation. More drying than you would expect at this level of bitterness.

It is drinkable. No off flavours and it does go down pretty easily in spite of it's boringness. The only thing holding it back is the drying finish, it's a little too much. If the bottle didn't say Pumpkin Ale, I'm not sure if I would think it was one. I know that pumpkin pie spice isn't something you want to overdo in a beer but for my taste the spices are way underdone. Glad I only picked up one of these, I won't be buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 05:36:22 | More by eat

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A much lighter looking and tasting beer than any other pumpkin ale I've enjoyed in North America. Very refreshing and without the cloying malty sweetness found in some harvest ales. Pleasantly spicy aroma followed by a well balanced taste - notes of vanilla and pumpkin and many other spices. Well balanced with a nice dry finish.

Have enjoyed this beer in cask, draught and bottle form - and (unusually) the bottle is my favourite. It is light and refreshing, but somewhat limited in flavour complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 21:11:32 | More by hopsolutely

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours bright. Orange to dark golden in colour with no head and mild carbonation.

S - Spices. Lot's of cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin spice. There is a little pumpkin too but the spices dominate for the most part.

T - Spices dominate again. Mild pumpkin with lingering baking spice.

M - Light with little carbonation.

D - Good but not my thing. Too much spice, not enough pumpkin for a pumpkin beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 15:49:22 | More by tbeckett

MattyV

Ontario (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Deep-gold colour with a fluffy white head that shrinks down to a thin cap. Not much lacing.

S - Nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves mostly, as well as some biscuity malt. Overall, pretty dull.

T - Bready/biscuity malt with a slightly fruity character, the spice is there but not overpowering, the hops provide floral notes and lead to a crisp lightly bitter finish.

M - Light-bodied, pretty highly carbonated.

D - The flavour doesn't blow you away with intensity, but its still relatively complex and nicely balanced. Not my favourite pumpkin beer of the season, but probably one of Great Lakes' best offerings at the LC

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 01:48:52 | More by MattyV

mdaschaf

Washington

2.9/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to korguy123 for this one! Poured from a bomber into an Evolution pint glass

A: Pours a clear light orange, lighter than others in this style I have had. Nice one finger head that dissolves into a layer of white bubbles on top of the beer. No lacing.

S: I get some of the typical spices here, but relatively weak. Also get a hint of alcohol.

T:Not much, a little bit of vanilla, a little bit of spice. Dry finish.

M/D: Thinner than expected. Overall not great, on of the weakest pumpkins I have had so far. A pass.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 01:07:33 | More by mdaschaf

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had this as part of a Pumpkin Ale tasting event. Poured into a nonic glass.

Light copper-golden, a thin, foamy head that recedes after a few moments. Some visible carbonbation.

Nose is pretty dull - pale malts, light hops, only a faint nutmeg, pumpkin scent that I could barely detect - others with me could not.

For a beer that markets itself as a pumpkin ale, where exactly is the pumpkin??? Unlike the noble jack o lantern, which features prominently on your front step or in your window, the pumpkin here chooses instead to hide in the back, only making rare visits as the beer warms up. The spicy flavor is not all that enjoyable either - more tinny and artificial. If this were a well made pale ale with subtle pumpkin notes, this could be excused, but sadly, it is not. Truth be told, I had trouble finishing it.

Mouthfeel is thin, carbonation provides a light sting.

I had been warned about this brew by a few friends, but I thought I'd give it a go, despite having developed a mistrust of Great Lakes LCBO offerings. Comparing this brew to others of the style, and it's not even close.

Poor effort, won't pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 16:30:45 | More by JohnnyBarman

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It is smack between Thanksgiving and Hallowe'en, and lo and behold, a pumpkin beer at LC. Who would thunk it? May as well give this style a shot...

A: Nothing special here. An amber brew, clear as day, with a fizzy white head that recedes and does not lace. May as well be a pale ale...

S: Intriguing. Light cinnamon and nutmeg with a hint of pumpkin underneath it all. Some sweetness later comes into play.

T: Served around 6-8C, and the beer can be best described as muted. Low malt character, no real breadiness in the beer. The spices are there, but just barely. If the body matched the nose it would be better. Too light on every aspect of the taste. Later in a few mouthfuls I think "yup, there's the pumpkin" but by that time I am getting a nasty lingering aftertaste...

(EDIT: Interestingly I left a glass out for 1 hour and it really came around giving a strong taste of roasted pumpkin, but the aftertaste still lingered)

M/D: Easy drinking, actually quite crisp and finishes dry. Could easily have been a poorly made pale ale save the notes of cinnamon and nutmeg that sometimes come about.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 00:08:56 | More by kjyost

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured in to a brandy snifter

A - Orage/yellow colour; very light for a pumpkin beer. Small amount of thin white head.

S - Some warm spices up front - specifically cinnamon & nutmeg, along with a nice pumpkin flavour.

T - A nice spice flavour of cinnamon and nutmeg come through initially with a nice pumpkin backbone providing the base for this ale. Somewhat light compared to other pumpkin beers but very enjoyable nonetheless.

M - Light body, lightly carbonated.

D - A nice pumpkin beer. Only complaint is the overly light body.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 18:17:09 | More by TheSevenDuffs

SuperSnake

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really liked this beer.
Appearance:
Pours deep orange with a carbonated foamy head that settles to a light cap on the top of the beer.

Smell:
light cinnamon spicy smell close to a light pumpkin pie smell.

Taste:
About the same as the smell more spicy with the slightest pumpkin flavor

Mouthfeel:
very smooth and lightly carbonated

Drinkability:
Only 5.5% so very seasonable and would love to do so

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 04:21:37 | More by SuperSnake