So, another Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale. Called, aptly, enough, Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale. The beer is included in the 2018 Beers of Fall variety pack. Boston Beer has a habit of gently to almost imperceptibly tweaking beers and releasing them under new names. Can we really blame them? We beer geeks are always looking for something new after all, even it it’s just a new label.
In the sampler, you will get two bottles each of Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale and each of the following: the and Spruce lager as well as two bottles each of:
Let’s compare Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale to the other Samuel Adams pumpkin ales (the ones I’ve come across anyway). 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 Pumpkin Ale.
How about Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin? That had the same ABV as Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale (5.7%). It was the first Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale I tried back in 2010. I mentioned roasted pumpkin notes and spice in my tasting notes, similar to what I got in Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale.
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. Samuel Adams 20 Pounds of Pumpkin came along 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.
Anyway, now we have Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale, and it reminds me of the 20 Pounds of Pumpkin. They both have an alcohol content of 5.7% by volume (as did Harvest Pumpkin) and a similar IB count (12 and 14 respectively). The taste is very similar too, and they have pretty much the same label.
Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale pours to a beautiful dark orange amber color with a thick head of creamy foam and a soft squashy nose with a hint of spice. Taking a sip, the beer has real squashy stringy roasty pumpkin notes up front with spice coming in in lesser degrees. Some nutmeg and allspice perhaps but the roasty pumpkin is the star and I love it all the more for that.
An excellent pumpkin ale at a great price.
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