t’s the time of year when we start to see leaves changing, cooler temperatures in the morning and lots and lots of pumpkin ale on store shelves. I’ve been a big fan of trying out these seasonal offerings…Pete, not so much. With that in mind, I took Peter to Wegmans in Johnson City to go Pumpkin Picking!
Since Wegmans only sells singles as a six-pack, we’ll share 3 of our finds this month and three more next month. These aren’t local picks, but they are choices you can find locally.
I’m going to hand over the tasting responsibilities to Peter this week and get his reaction. Up first - one of my favorite seasonal offerings, Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin (ABV 6.4%). This is dubbed as a “spicy release,” and that it is! I never thought I’d go for a beer that has habanero chili peppers in the mix, but I love the “bite” this ale offers.
Pete’s Pumpkin Perceptions:
From looks alone this could pass as a traditional ale, beautifully amber and clear. On the nose there is not much (I’ll give our readers some insight: my sense of smell is horrible, so maybe I just can’t smell it) but there is a very faint smell of spices. I’ve had my fair share of chile spiced beers. One of my old favorite local breweries that closed a while back had one. The taste is good, a little bit of the clove/allspice blend that I would expect, but the chile comes in right behind it. It’s not hot, but overpowering, it’s really all I taste from this one. Personally it’s a little bit of a gimmick to me, but I still enjoy the beer.
Next I tried Seattle, Washington’s Elysian Brewing Night Owl Pumpkin Ale. (ABV 6.7%). Clear, Dark Amber and Lightly Spiced on the nose, Night Owl looks like any other rich ale, my eyes prepared for a biting hop bitterness, but my tastebuds were delighted by the well balanced spices and malty backbone. Again, I’m not a pumpkin beer person, I prefer my pumpkins in pie form, but this gets close enough, and I enjoy it for that reason.
Last, I stayed within New York State for Pumpkin Ale from Saranac Brewery in Utica. (ABV 5.9%) Slightly lighter in color than Night Owl, and more Ale than Pumpkin on the nose, Saranac is one of my favorite New York breweries. While I normally stick to their hoppy options, this one is very pleasing to my palate. It’s very fitting to the currently time I’m enjoying it, when the fall season isn’t yet in full swing, this is a pumpkin beer for those that don’t want to be in Fall yet, but are getting ready. Overall this is my favorite of the three, but that’s because it’s the most like a normal ale.