Punkin Ale
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Story by:
Chris Guest
Pumpkin Beer
Seasonal
Delaware
United States
Judges Ratings 88
Aroma: 20 / 24
Flavor: 38 / 40
Appearance: 6 / 6
Mouthfeel: 8 / 10
Overall Impression: 16 / 20
Description
A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, brown sugar and spices. As the season cools, this is the perfect beer to warm up with.
Punkin Ale is named after the seriously off-centered southern Delaware extravaganza Punkin Chunkin (check out some of these Discovery Channel videos of Punkin Chunkin, you gotta see it to believe it!). In fact, Punkin Ale made its debut as it claimed first prize in the 1994 Punkin Chunkin Recipe Contest. Yes, that was a full 6 months before we even opened our doors for business!
Punkin Chunkin has grown in size and scale, with pumpkins now being hurled more than 4,000 feet through the air! If you come down to see if for yourself, drop by and visit us.
Since its debut, we’ve brewed Punkin Ale each and every fall. It is released right around Sept. 1 each year. When you find it, grab some extra because it’s usually gone by Thanksgiving.
Beverage Profile
ABV: 7.00%
IBUs: 28
Served at: ()
Hops:
Malts:
Judges Review
By Michael McGuire
Judges Ratings 88
Aroma: 20 / 24 / 24
Flavor: 38 / 40 / 40
Appearance: 6 / 6 / 6
Mouthfeel: 8 / 10 / 10
Overall Impression: 16 / 20 / 20
This Pumpkin Ale looks right-on for the style – clear, amber and with a thick, sustained, white head. The nose combines pumpkin, without the vegetal off-aromas, with a nuanced blend of pumpkin pie spices, especially the darker and earthier clove and allspice. The flavor profile is also a balanced mix of pumpkin and supporting, not overpowering, spices (yet lacking the softer/sweeter contributions of cinnamon, brown sugar, and possibly ginger) with an underlying hop bitterness to balance the profile through to a finish that remains consistent to its early promise of a pumpkin ale combining all of its composite elements without allowing any to overstep its contribution to the overall effect. As such, it stands out as a very drinkable version of this oft-misbalanced autumn seasonal style.
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