From coffee and waffles to yogurt and ice cream, pumpkin is the most prolific fall flavor. Pumpkin beer has become a huge trend. Just a few years ago there were only a few labels producing it and now it seems every major label and micro-brewery has its own version of this seasonal elixir. So, we wondered, with so many choices how do you decide which is worth the money? We realize that preferences vary from person to person, and what appeals to you may not appeal to another, but there’s much to be said for striking just the right balance between taste, texture and smell — and not all pumpkin beers are created equal. Our 12 volunteer tasters recently sampled 18 selections (all found in Hampton Roads area stores) in a blind taste test, and here’s what we found:
All-around best
Pumpkinhead, Shipyard Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Where we found it: Total Wine & More
2nd Place
Williamsburg Aleworks Pumpkin Ale, Williamsburg, VA
Where we found it: The Wine Cellar, Trader Joe’s
Noteworthy Runner-Ups
Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland MI
Saranac Pumpkin Ale, Matt Brewing Co., Utica, NY
America’s Original Pumpkin Ale, Buffalo Bill’s Brewery, Hayward, CA
Imperial PumKing, Southern Tier Brewing Co., Lakewood, NY
Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Easton, PA
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Milton, DE
Don’t Waste Your Money
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat
Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Great Pumpkin
Pumple Drumkin
Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale