Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale

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

Bottle at Box Seat in Nashville. Pours golden amber with not much head. Aroma of pumpkin pie spices (not pumpkin) of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. Texture is a typical session-like light medium. Maybe a little too much fine fizzy carbonation. Pale malt backbone with the pumpkin pie spices taking center stage on the palate. Clean and crisp finish. This is not terrible. One of the better session spice beers, especially if you like pumpkin pie. Would pair well with holiday desserts.

Bottle, 4.8%. The aroma is a mixture of citric, fruity, spicy and urin notes. Golden colour, unstable head. The flavour and mouthfeel are very thin. Lots of nutmeg on a thin malt base.

A little better than I had expected. Pleasant pumpkin aroma. Pours sort of orangy-yellow with decent, but dissipating foam. Nice pumpkin and spice flavor. Body is light to light-medium. Would make a good summer pumpkin beer, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Medium/dark amber hue - very clear and quite bubbly with a thin head. Spicy aroma with notes of ginger, pumpkin and a bit of hops. Taste is carbonated spicy, lots of ginger, some pumpkin, sweet malt and a little bitterness. Finish is dry. Ok, but the flavors don’t really blend together that well.

A good, not great, spicy ale. Pumpkin was nearly undetectable. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla were the dominating flavors.

Appearance: When poured had tons of carbonation which created an interesting initial appearance, exhibited a slight orange hue and head a white head. The beer aroma was laced with cinnamon and hints of pumpkin. However, look and aroma was similar to a domestic light beer. Taste was also similar to a domestic light beer, however, the spices were tasted initially and the light pumpkin flavor was tasted in the swallow. The high level of carbonation created a lasting sensation in the mouth – not unlike seltzer water. Overall, a slightly above average beer that may be a replacement for a domestic light beers during the holiday season.

(12oz bottle, best by Feb. 07) Medium off-white head diminishes fairly quickly, atop clear light amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, strong nutmeg, some clove, cinnamon, light lime. Taste is medium sweet, nutmeg/pumpkin pie. Watery light body, low carbonation.

Bottled. Poured a clear, lighter golden with a short cap of white head that fizzled out quickly. Nose was weak with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bunch of odd sweetness. Flavor found cinnamon and candy corn sweetness.. mega-artificial feel to it... a bit of honey and gingerbread, too. Fizzy carbonation and light-bodied on the palate... sweet cinnamon finish. This was not good.