Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale |
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New Beer! August - October. Get it while it's here. That’s what you’ll read if you head on over to the Boston Beer website and check out the description of Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale. But is it really a new beer? Boston Beer has released more than a few pumpkin ales under the Samuel Adams brand. Let’s look at the stats for those compared to Jack-O. We’ll start with Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale: 4.4% alcohol by volume, 8 IBUs, Malt Varieties=Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Malted Wheat, Hops Varieties=Hallertau-Hallertau. We can rule out Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale aka Samuel Adams Double Pumpkin Ale. At 8.5% alcohol by volume, that was definitely not like Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale.
How about Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin? It was the first Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale I tried back in 2010. I mentioned roasted pumpkin notes and spice in my tasting notes, a little different than what I got in Jack-O. Then too, that beer was a bit stronger at 5.7% ABV. Samuel Adams Pumpkin Batch came along in 2015, but that was quite different from Harvest Pumpkin in that it used Belgian yeast and was based on a saison. Too strong to be Jack-O, too, at 5.6% ABV.
Samuel Adams 20 Pounds of Pumpkin premiered in 2016, and it was a lot like the Harvest Pumpkin. It did use 20 pounds of pumpkin per barrel, while the Harvest Pumpkin claimed 11. Back to 5.7% ABV, and it was brewed with ginger and allspice, which are not listed as ingredients for Jack-O. Most recently, Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale emerged in the fall of 2018 (I am not sure if it was back last year). This was, again, a beer of 5.7% ABV. Boston Beer, it seems, likes to brew their pumpkin ales in that range. Not a match with Jack-O.
So there you go! Samuel Adams Pumpkin Batch is a new beer indeed, at elast I have had nothing else like it from Boston Beer. The back label says: Jack-O’s cinnamon and nutmeg aromas recall memories of freshly baked pumpkin pie. It has the ideal balance of seasonal spices with a crisp, refreshing finish. This pumpkin ale pairs perfectly with the transition of summer into cooler days and nights.
The inside of my six-pack carrier is stamped 07/06/20 which I presume is the bottling date. The beer is notched as best before February 2021 (the year is not provided but assumed). The bottle also says “wheat ale brewed with lemon peel with natural flavors and pumpkin added”. I forst spied this beer in the Samuel Adams Sweater Weather 12-pack but passed on that. Later, I saw it in six-packs at Target and bought one for $9.49. Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale pours to a dark copper color with a medium head of foam and a dry spicy nose of nutmeg and hot ball cinnamon. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body with a hint of vegetal pumpkin and lots more spicy notes of hot ball cinnamon and nutmeg as the nose promised. The lemony citrus is there, too, and makes me think of mince pie with candied fruit peel. At 4.4% ABV I think it is more sessionable than other Sam Adams Pumpkin beers, and the spices seem to pop more against the light body. A delightful slice of pumpkin pie in a glass, a great deal at the price, and a beer I look forward to sipping more of as fall approaches.
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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