Sometimes you feel privileged, to have the opportunity to try a beer. That is the case with the Schlafly Pumpkin Ale. It’s concept is well thought out, and the execution in brewing the beer makes the concept behind it proud. Overall, you can’t do much better than the Schlafly Pumpkin Ale for a fall seasonal microbrew.
Appearance: The pumpkin flavor is commonly associated with Autumn and the holiday season arriving soon after Autumn. It’s a beautiful light amber color that reminds beer drinkers of the falling leaves of the season. The only disappointment with the appearance is that the head is lacking. It is very thin and while the lacing on the glass is present, it dissolves quickly as well. Overall, this scores nine out of 10 points for appearance, more of a head would make it perfect.
Aroma: Nutmeg and cinnamon jump out at you in the aroma of this beer. There is a light pumpkin smell behind these two flavors, but the spices dominate the aroma. It reminds you of the season and makes you feel as if you have just walked into a Harvest Festival or Halloween celebration. These spices are the star of a pumpkin pie along with the pumpkin and they are represented perfectly in the beer. It scores four out of five points on the aroma, as it could be just a touch stronger.
Taste: From the first sip you feel like you are drinking a pumpkin pie. The spices of nutmeg and cinnamon that were present in the aroma jump out at the front of the flavor of the beer. Those maintain throughout, but dissippate just slightly towards the end, allowing the pumpkin flavor to be the star of the finish. The supporting role of the pumpkin is perfect for a beer, as it is not overly sweet. This is one of the best pumpkin beers I have tasted and scores 10 out of 10 points.
Mouth Feel: The choice by Schlafly Brewing to make this an ale instead of a stronger beer such as a porter or stout is perfect for a beer this time of the year. It’s a beer that can be consumed from late summer through the winter holidays. It is not so thick and cloying that it feels heavy. Instead, it has a nice light feel in the mouth, with just enough carbonation to keep it from being too flat. Perfect match of style and mouth feel here for five out of five points.
Overall Drinkability: This is one of those beers that comes very close to being perfect. It’s a refreshing beer that is refreshing as well as having a strong enough flavor that it doesn’t disappear into the background. It’s a beer you can enjoy on your backyard watching the sunset, at a fall dinner, or an outdoor harvest celebration. While not quite perfect, it scores 18 out of 20 points.
The final score on the beer is 46 out of 50 points. This is one of the highest ratings I have given a beer. The eight percent alcohol is hidden pretty well, but it does finish with a slight burn at the end. With a little lower alcohol presence and a little more head to the beer, Schlafly Pumpkin Ale would have approached a perfect score.