For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be drinking the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale produced by the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery located in Milton, Delaware.

I have had the opportunity to try this brew a few times before and now that Fall is in full force, I thought I would give it a proper review.

From the website, dogfish.com, we find this description of the Punkin Ale.

A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar.  We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, organic brown sugar and spices.  This is the perfect beer to warm-up with, as the season cools.

Let’s get a gander and a taste of this beer.

This brew has an ABV of 7.0% and comes in a 12 oz. bottle.

It poured a very clear amber, copper to dull orange color with some burnt yellow and burnt orange highlights all around the edges of the glass.  The crown was off white with a smooth and creamy texture.  It was of average size and retention and the lacing seemed to be mostly adequate.

The aroma brought out a lot of spice.  Tones of cinnamon and nutmeg.  It smelled quite a bit like a Christmas seasonal to tell the truth.  The pumpkin was there, but it wasn’t a forerunner I didn’t think.  Hints of brown sugar and caramel malt sat right in the middle to add even further sweetness to the bouquet.  This beer smelled pretty good, but I was expecting a little more pumpkin than what I received.

The flavor follows the aroma almost to a “T”.  Again, the spice is the predominate flavor.  Lots of sweetness from the cinnamon, brown sugar and the caramel malt.  The nutmeg held its own also, but like the smell, the pumpkin seemed to be pushed to the side, which let the spices characterize the profile of this beer.  Even though this brew is 7.0% ABV, I found no trace of alcohol in the taste.

The mouthfeel was medium, smooth, dry and slightly chewy.  It was quite crisp and mostly refreshing.  A little bit of warmth was left behind, but not much really and the palate was covered sufficiently with flavor after the sip.

Overall, I think this beer is a good treat when watching the days of Fall pass by.  I do wish the pumpkin would have been a little more forthcoming, but the “sugars” gave me plenty to be happy about.  The Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is very easy to drink and it would be no problem for me to down a few of these on a crisp afternoon.  If you are looking to try several different pumpkin ales this Autumn, pick this one up and give it a whirl.  I, personally, don’t think that it’s my favorite of the style, however I would never pass it up if it was offered.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate all of the support for the blog.  Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  3.7 out of 5
Grade:  B