Are uinta pumpkin beer? I know I am. That’s why each September I look forward to trying new ones and revisiting some of my favorites from years past. For 2013, I was pretty excited to try a new pumpkin beer: Uinta Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale. At least I thought it was a new pumpkin beer. My handy-dandy spreadsheet on which I track such things tells me that I’ve had this one before. I don’t recall when, though.

Anyway, as I said, I like to revisit old pumpkin beers too, so it’s still a win. The nice thing about pumpkin beers is that the season for them stretches out from September (when they get harvested) all the way into January and the close of the holiday season. They are a lot like liquid pumpkin pie, after all.

Unita’s Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale has a pretty cool label if nothing else. It states that the brewery uses wind and solar power to make their beer, which I like. The beer is made with “organic pumpkin”, and the label says it contains “3% organic ingredients”. Not sure that 3% is a number I would be bragging about, but there you go. Organic ingredients in beer don’t really mean a lot to me anyway (beer is mostly water).

Uinta Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale has an alcohol content of just 4% by volume, so it’s a sessionable pumpkin brew to be sure. My bottle has a best before date of 01/16/14. The beer runs $8.99 a six-pack here in Atlanta.

Uinta says about the beer:

Malt and hops accented with roasted pumpkin and spices of the season. A subtle hint of vanilla and honey. Punk'n is a wonderful compliment to foods with nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove flavors. Try it with roasted turkey, squash or pumpkin ravioli, peach cobbler, or pumpkin cheesecake.

And here’s what I say:

Uinta Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale pours to a bright orange color with a thick creamy head formation and a moderately spicy nose, mostly of nutmeg to me. Thick Brussels lace clings to the sides of my glass as the liquid descends. Taking a sip the beer has a decent bit of caramel malt up front followed by some light squashy, meaty pumpkin notes and then the spice: nutmeg and cinnamon and perhaps a bit of clove come through. The spices definitely dry in the finish.

I like this beer well enough, but everything about it is moderate. The more I sip, the more I feel I want more pumpkin, more spice, and more malt. I think actually Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale has more flavor and a bit more complexity. That said, I think I would still buy Uinta Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale again, especially if I saw it on tap at Taco Mac.

Update 11/16/2020: I haven't seen Uinta Punk'n Ale (the label now says Uinta Pumpkin Ale) sold in Georgia in years, so when I saw it listed on Craftsahck.com, I snapped up a bottle post haste. The beer is different than I recall it, stronger (5% ABV now) with 24 IBUs. Popping my bottle, Uinta Pumpkin Ale 2020 pours to a beautiful copper color with a thick white head of foam and a delightful pumpkin pie nose. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body with meaty pumpkin notes and spicy notes of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Finishes dry with spice and delicious. Total Wine does not have this listed in any of its Georgia locations, but where they do sell it, it goes for $9.49 a six-pack. Not bad, that. I had this beer rated at 3 1/2 stars, but I am bumping it up to 4 as I sample this year's batch.

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

Try?

Rating

Home

Re-buy?