Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin
Review Date 12/17/2011 Last Updated 11/2/2021 By John Staradumsky
In my humble abode, it’s rare that fall and winter could possibly pass without Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale making an appearance in the refrigerator (click the link to read my opuscule on that little brew). This delightful pumpkin ale is on the lighter side but still features plenty of delightful pumpkin pie flavor, with a bit of diacetyl to suggest a buttery crust. You can imagine my excitement when I heard that Shipyard had released a bigger, bolder version of Pumpkinhead called Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale back in 2009.
Problem was, I couldn’t find the bloody stuff, even during my trips to New England. Luckily, the Pumpkin Gods seem to have decided that I had waited long enough at that, and thus I spied a lone bottle at Sherlock’s in Kennesaw, Georgia here in 2011. Part of the Pugsley Signature Series, Smashed Pumpkin is made with “Pale Ale, Wheat and Light Munich Malts…and the delicate spiciness of Willamette and Hallertau hops”. All this according to the label. Pumpkin and spice and everything nice are thrown in for good measure.
Perhaps because of my experience with Shipyard Smashed Blueberry, in which the fruit is based on a Scotch Ale to interesting effect, I was expecting some sort of departure from Pumpkinhead. But like an older brother that is bigger and stronger than a younger sibling, Smashed Pumpkin still retains much of the character of its forbear. Shipyard suggests it with pumpkin pie and, of all things, Fig Newtons.
Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale pours to a bright pumpkiny orange color with a thick creamy head formation and a spicy clove and nutmeg nose. Sipping, you get the proof of the pudding that this is certainly a bigger beer in body than Pumpkinhead Ale. Still, it doesn’t seem quite as big of a beer as the 9% alcohol content by volume might imply. One major improvement, though, is the pumpkin character: it’s much more assertive here, and though the spices (suggestions of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice) make their presence known, they’re balanced off to a much better degree. The spices help dry the beer in the finish, and the warming alcohol finishes that off.
A great beer for Halloween, but better for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s imbibing in my estimation. A bit pricey at $8.99 for a 22-ounce bottle, but worth it.
Update 11/2/2021: Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin is back in Georgia! Earlier this fall, we got Shipyard Pumpkin Head Ale (Total Wine had a huge display) and late in October something possessed me to check their website for Smashed Pumpkin. They had it, in a 4-pack of pint cans instead of the bomber bottles I had seen in the past. I made a special trip to get some, and brought home my 4-pack with much glee. I paid $11.99 for them (later I saw them at Sherlock's for a dollar less).
Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin 2021 pours to a bright orange color with a thick creamy head and a nose of caramel and dry pumpkin spice. Taking a sip the beer is medium to slightly more in body, rich with caramel that quickly surrenders to spicy notes of ginger, clove, and allspice. Finishes dry from the spice and warm with the alcohol. There is a day and time stamped on the bottom of my cans, the day is 271, which would be September 28th. I bought the beer in mid-October.
Shipyard says:
A big-bodied
beer with a pleasing aroma of pumpkin and nutmeg.
Pale Ale, Wheat, and Light Munich malts combine with the natural tannin in
pumpkin and the delicate spiciness of Saphir and Hallertau Hops to balance
the sweetness of the fruit.
They cite 18 IBUs.
A very nice beer indeed, and one that I enjoyed for Spocktoberfest (which occurs after Oktoberfest but before Thanksgiving).
Glad I tried it?
T
Would I rebuy it??
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, Canned
(D)=Draft
