Trailhead Spiced Pumpkin Ale

A very poor attempt at a pumpkin beer. The beer is well spiced, but lacks body and character beyond the traditional spices of the brew. The brewery needs to stop shirking on the malt and make some decent beer.

On tap at the brewpub. Amber and clear- very carbonated with a thick white head. An aroma and flavor of pumpkin pie spices hits you with a quick bolus. Nutmeg and cinnamon are the big aroma spices. Sweet and malty, this would go well with an oatmeal cookie.

Typical of Trailhead this beer is a bit watery. The nose is almost non-existent but a thin aroma of squash and cinnamon comes through. The holiday spices (nutmeg, vanilla, squash and pumpkin) would sit better in a heartier beer, one with a better grain bill. The after taste is a little dusty. Original rating: Draft at the brewery - This beer smells like most pumpkin ales, a bit like nutmug and cinnamon. It has a very unbeer-like flavor. It’s more of a novelty item than anything. It’s like fruit candy that doesn’t really taste the fruit it is supposed to imitate. I’ve had some excellent pumpkin ales and this isn’t one of them. It is very thin and flat as well.

tap at brewpub-pours light orange with not much head. cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and some light pumpkin notes (pie crust). the flavors exhibit the spices with a light touch of pumpkin/veggie. the malts show the pie crust flavors fairly nicely. palate again, is a little thin, but for this brewery, thats a given. not a bad pumpkin ale.

light-medium golden with a thin white head, mostly non-lasting. allspice and nutmeg are in the aroma, but light. flavor is reminiscent of pumpkin bread with just enough bitterness to offset the spices. very light however.