Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale

Brewed by Shipyard Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Portland, Maine USA

I’m a big fan of the fall seasonal beers, and I thought that this beer was fantastic. It tastes almost like pumpkin pie, with heavy hints of cinnamon. Definitely one of the strongest fall beers out there.

Far too vegetal with little else to balance out the overwhelming pumpkin. The spicing, I must add, is quite good though. Issues arise when one tried to assess this is a beer, not as a pie, and in this context it certainly fails. Little complexity, finishes much like a natural light. Shipyard consistently produces dismal beers.

For a pumpkin ale this was great. This is the first pumpkin ale that I have had that actually reminded strictly of pumpkin. The first flavor I got was that of opening a can of pumpkin. By far the best pumpkin ale.

Clearpale orange color with small head. Aroam of flowers and light pumpkin. Tne taste was nice and light with pumpkin throughout. Slightly fizzy carbonation. The problem with this beer is that there is a weird taste that lingered in my mouth. Can only have 1 or 2 of these.

I know every pumpkin beer I say "smells like pumpkin pie", but this really tops them all. Something about the milder spice, brown suger, and big pumpkin nose just hits a note. I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin beers, mostly due to the fact that I enjoy a few sips then i’m usually done. This was really well built, fresh pumpkin pie all the way. The spices are more subtle then most pumpkin beers, the hops give a lot of balance. My only problem is the palate is very thin.

Bottle. Aroma of pumkin and spices. Amber pour wtih a thin cream fizzy head. Taste of pumpkin and brown sugar. Slight watery finish.

(only on tap) My favorite flavored ale of the last 5 years. Absolutely the best "pumpkin" beer. Smooth, very flavorful, terrific finish which doesn’t diminish after a few swigs. It’s like drinking a pumpkin pie but not as sweet and even better. My friends and I start calling around trying to find this ale as soon as september comes around (it may not be a "fine" beer-snob beer, but it’s fantastic)

Bottle(4.7%) from Trader Joe’s, under the Kennebunkport name. Medium golden in color upon pouring. Spiced nutmeg aroma. Somewhat sweet with some grainy qualities. Taste is dominated by spices. Decent.