It’s that time of year again, folks. Time for pumpkin beer to start showing up on taps and in bottles. Last year, I raced down to my local Taco Mac when I saw they had New Holland Ichabod Pumpkin Ale on draft, but alas and alack, I was too late. It was gone, and didn’t grace store shelves until the fall of 2013. When it did, though, I was all over it, and that’s why I’m here today to tell you more.

Pumpkin Ales abound these days, and these uniquely American beers are most welcome from the start of September when the harvest usually begins to the end of December, when we’re all finishing up the last of the pumpkin pie. For my part, I’ve been known to enjoy them in the midst of spring and summer as well, and I always keep a few extra bottles on hand for that very purpose.

Anyway, this is my first ever sample of New Holland Ichabod Pumpkin Ale. The bottle label says “Real pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg enrich this amber brew.”  Alcohol content is given as 5.2% by volume, although the brewery website says it’s 5.7%. The spec sheet for the beer adds clove, ginger, and table salt as further spices, with two-row and Crystal malts and Cascade hops.

It appear to me this beer changes a bit each year. The spec sheet has the alcohol content as 4.5% by volume, so who knows. What I do know is that I really enjoyed this beer, and found it worth the slightly above average price of $9.99 a six-pack.  

New Holland Ichabod Pumpkin Ale pours to a bright orange color with a thick creamy head formation and an appetizingly spicy pumpkin pie nose. Taking a sip, the beer is creamy up front with smooth buttery malt, meaty stringy pumpkin and a hint of caramel, followed by tons of spicy notes: clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppery ginger and allspice. Smooth vanilla and candied fruits come through at the last, and the beer has a balanced subtle hop bite.

A very tasty pumpkin ale, the vanilla and ginger make the difference for me. Vanilla is not mentioned as an ingredient but it certainly is here for me. I think it would go exceedingly well with a slice of pumpkin pie topped with vanilla ice cream. As it was, the second half of my bottle served nicely to wash down roast seasoned chicken, mashed red potatoes and garden-grown green beans in butter sauce.

A few days after enjoying this fine pumpkin ale in the bottle, I got to enjoy it on draft at Taco Mac. It was even better, with the ginger coming out even more forcefully. creamy, smooth, and delicious, this one really is a lot like a glass of pumpkin pie.

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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