Last year, I think, New Belgium Brewing rolled out Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin Ale, and I couldn’t find it. Mind you, I wanted to, because I love pumpkin beers, but I just never did. Time, as they say however, heals all wounds, and when I saw it in Target in late August of 2018 I snapped up a six-pack. Which is why I’m here to tell you about it.

Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin Ale is a little bit different than your average pumpkin beer. Although it used traditional pumpkin spice and pumpkin juice, it also incorporates chili peppers, which I think is a first for me. Pumpkin chili beer? Yeah, that’s original.

New Belgium Says on their website:

Enough with the run-of-the-mill pumpkin beers. I’m not interested in an ale that takes cues from a frozen coffee drink, and neither are you. That’s why I made Atomic Pumpkin. Does it really feature Habanero peppers? Yep! What about Saigon Cinnamon? Ding! Aji and Del Arbol peppers? Winner. I round it all out with a hearty malt bill that makes for a spicy brew that puts the “Fun” back in Pumpkin. (Spelling was never my strength). -- Voodoo Ranger

Interestingly, they give this description of the aroma there too:

Pumpkin pie with a lot of cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg, spicy red pepper-like aroma (chipotle, ancho and red hot candy) followed by some cherries and bready/cookie malt aroma.

That becomes amusing when you look at the ingredients:

Hops Nugget

Malts Pale, Munich, Caramel 80

Fruits/Spices Pumpkin juice, Saigon Cinnamon, Habanero, Aji and Del Arbol peppers

I don’t see all spice and nutmeg on that list, and I didn’t get any either when I drank the beer.

Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin Ale has an alcohol content of 6.4% by volume with 10 IBUs. I paid $9.49 for my six-pack at Target and Total Wine sells it for $8.99. My bottle is stamped as best by 20JAN19. This is the second pumpkin beer I have enjoyed from New Belgium, Pumpkick being the first.

Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin Ale pours to a light orange jello color with a thick creamy head and a rich burnt toast and cinnamon nose. Cinnamon toast perhaps? The beer is light malty and spicy with very robust cinnamon and toasty notes. But where’s the pumpkin? There is a hint of pumpkin at the fore in the palate. The habanero heat comes out in the finish but Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal is the predominant character for me.

I love Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin Ale hedonistically. I’d give it 3.5 stars as a pumpkin beer because there just is not a lot of that character there, but I will tack on a half star for the addition of spicy peppers and robust cinnamon notes. Interestingly, I have my daughter a bottle as she loves pumpkin beers and she was thrilled by this beer. Her reaction was just like mine with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch impression.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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