McAuslan Spiced Pumpkin/ St-Ambroise Citrouille

Brewed by McAuslan Brewing
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Montreal, Canada

Bottle. The Great Pumpkin Ale. Very clever title. Pours a transparent orange with a large, dying head and small carbonation. The aroma is more inviting and dominant than the flavour: it’s a bit like eggnog, spiced cookies or cake and pumpkin; there is heavy nutmeg and clove, molasses, cinnamon and of course pumpkin, very heaviliy spiced. In the flavour I pick up more of the pumpkin and spices first, caramel, clove, cinnamon. Mouthfeel is quite watery.

341ml Bottle: My bottle bills this one as "The Great Pumpkin Ale", and as a massive Charlie Brown fan, I couldn’t help but pick up a pack. Pours deep orange-brown, decent head that doesn’t stick around long. Aroma is powerful, heavy on malty sweetness with noticeable pumpkin spices. Very well balanced on the nose and I can’t wait to try it. The first sip offers lots of cinnamon and a bit of a bitter hop bomb, but it quickly settles down to showcase nutmeg, cloves, and that aforementioned cinnamon. As it warms it waters down, but still one of my favourite pumpkin beers to date.

341 mL bottle. (bb 31 mai 09). Deep ruby brown with a small head that quickly disappears entirely. Certainly the nicest smelling pumpkin ale I’ve tried. The spices seem to be distributed differently, and it’s not overpowering as so many pumpkin ales are. The spices are more pronounced in the flavour, but still are not overpowering. You can actually taste the underlying malt. Nice finish and fairly crisp. Not a big fan of the style, but this one ain’t bad.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this ones arrival. Pours a deep amber red/brown. Spicy cinnamon aroma. Flavour is also quite spicy with notes of cinnamon and bread. I’m drinking one now, and still searching for the Pumpkin flavour however. Aside from not really living up to it’s name, I got no complaints. Good stuff.

Bière légère brune avec un léger collet. Un goût sucré à la cannelle (pas désagréable).

Bottle at our LCBO pumpkin ale tasting- 6 oz sample- Pours a deep and dark amber/copper with a red hue. The head was initially frothy, but it quickly went down to a thin ring. Quite spicy on the nose, nutmeg, cinnamon,a bit of cardamon, with lots of bready malts, and a bit of pumpkin. The flavour profile is sweet bready malts,caramel, some spices including nutmeg and cardamon. This pumpkin ale finishes out a bit thin and watery, but with a nice bitterness as well. Overall, the aroma is much more interesting when compared to the flavour. Still a nice treat.

Aromas of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and some nutmeg, it really smells like i just stuck my nose in a can of pumpkin pie mix. Flavor is a little more subtle, and delicate, just traces of those previous spices, a touch of malt in the end. A nice offering, but a little thin in the flavor category.

341 ml bottle - pours a gorgeous mahogany copper with a slightly fizzy that vanishes rather quickly. Aroma very nice - the ginger comes through, and the cinnamon as well. Very pumpkin-y, but unique too. Flavour quite sweet, cinnamon upfront then blending with the other spices. Nice and full in the mouth. Maybe a bit too sweet. Beautiful beer for autumn.