thePULSEBy Kerry Cyganiewicz
Every year, it seems there are more pumpkin beers than the last. It is becoming difficult to choose one. So this month, I’ll try to help you separate the “treats” from the “tricks.” A recent fad has been to rim the pint glass with cinnamon and sugar. Whether you prefer this or not is up to you, but I reviewed these in a plain glass, so the beers would speak on their own. Cheers! 
Southern Tier Imperial Pumking, 8.6% ABV
Do you like pumpkin pie? I do, and this is one of my favorite beers. It pours a dark orange with a cascading head that just does not want to go away. It smells like pumpkin, vanilla, graham cracker and assorted spices. The mouthfeel is heavy, and this beer coats every inch of your mouth. It tastes exactly how it smells. There is an alcohol warmth that becomes apparent as you drink it.
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, 7% ABV
This beer pours a beautiful muted orange color. The small head disappears quickly with minimal lacing down the glass. It smells of pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and sugary goodness. It tastes better than it smells, with hints of allspice, pumpkin, rum, graham and caramel. Mouthfeel is a short-lasting creaminess fading to a spicy finish. Highly carbonated for a pumpkin ale.
Shipyard Pumpkinhead, 4.7% ABV
This beer is by far the lightest pumpkin beer I have ever tried. It poured a clear yellow with a two-finger head that stays put and has good lace down the glass. However, it smells of overly sweet pumpkin and spice. The taste is of crisp spice with a lingering pumpkin aftertaste. I kept picking up cloves and lots of them. Not my first choice, but is it bad? No. This is an excellent beverage to have on hand for gatherings or to order a round of for a table, as it won’t offend anyone for being too over the top.
Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale, 5.7% ABV
This local offering pours a light mahogany with a tan head and has decent lacing down the glass. It smells heavily of spice, and it tastes like it smells, heavily of cinnamon, nutmeg and maybe ginger. It’s difficult to pick up the pumpkin through all the spice. It has a great mouthfeel with perfect carbonation. If you like the spice aspect of pumpkin beers, give this one a try.
The Bruery Autumn Maple, 10% ABV
I snuck this one in here. It is not brewed with pumpkins, but with yams. It pours a deep maroon. It looks like autumn in a glass. A smallish tan head appears, and the beer smells of sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and ginger. It tastes sweet, but not overly sweet. There was cinnamon, fig, clove, molasses, vanilla and spice from the Belgian yeast, all wrapping around my tongue. It completely warmed me inside. It changes in flavor as it warms. If you are willing to tread slightly outside the realm of pumpkin beers into one made with yams, you will not be disappointed.
Cambridge Brewing Company Great Pumpkin Ale, 4.4% ABV
Another local offering, this beer pours a deep orange color with a two-fingered head that just won’t go away. The aroma doesn’t have a dominant ingredient, but there’s some pumpkin, some spice and some sweetness. The taste is as balanced as the nose. It is one of the most balanced beers I have ever tried. There is pumpkin, sweetness, spice, malt and hops, with not one overpowering the others. This is an incredibly well crafted, drinkable beer.
