Gage Roads Pumpkin Ale

[Bats]

Just got back from my Local BWS with a couple of bottles of Gage Roads Pumpkin Ale.

I had a mate that tried it and said it was only just ok.

Apparently it lacks in the spicy notes (nutmeg, cinnamon etc) that Pumpkin Ales are renowned for.

I plan on cracking a bottle later this arvo but interested in hearing what other people who have tried it think of it.

Cheers, Bats.

 

[sinkas]

its got plenty of them,
so your mate needs a tounge transplant

its one of the best and most interesting beers the GR crew have made,

 

[yum beer]

Total waste of money,

yes you could taste the spice and the pumpkin, if you closed your eyes and tried real hard to block anything else from entering your mind, yes,
you could taste pumkin and spice, just.
If I close my eyes and think about pumpkin and spice I can probably convince myself I can taste it, was expecting to able to pick the flavours,
the bottle raves on about heaps of pumpkin pie taste, if so its a pretty boring pumpkin pie.
IMO just enough flavour to stuff up what may have been a good ale. Could not finish the bottle and I tried hard, thought maybe it was too cold, let it warm,
no difference. Another underdone Gage Roads brew, they seemed to be the masters of 60%...you get about 60% of the flavour you expect with any of their beers.

 

[bruce86]

had never had a pumkin ale before this one so was not sure what to expect. but it was kinda bland. no real spice or even pumpkin notes. didnt hate the beer tho. but prob wont buy again.

 

[pete3550]

I agree, very bland and lacking in spices, the pumpkin is there but thats it. Won't be buying that again.

 

[jayahhdee]

I had a bottle a few weeks ago and relly enjoyed it, first pumpkin ale i've had.

I guess I can see why some people would want more of everything but I found it nice and subtle, clearly I need to try some other pumpkin ales.

 

[jimi]

the bottle I had a week ago had plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and I thought it was nice. I haven't been impressed by Gage Road stuff in the past, but I'm with sinkas on this one - to me its one of their best beers.
When Tim was at Five Islands he used to do a seasonal Pumpkin ale, which had a bit more roast pumpkin flavour but it didn't have nearly as much spice as the Gage version. That's the only other pumpkin ale I've had for comparison.

 

[jphowman]

I found the spices to be quite prominent and complex, without being overpowering. I could get a little pumpkin in the background, but it was VERY subtle. Overall I didn't mind this beer, but my biggest gripe was the base beer being too light. It was so devoid of maltyness and mouthfeel it was more like drinking spiced ginger ale rather than a beer.
I think to get the most out of the spices and pumpkin they needed to go with a base that could support them.

 

[Bats]

I had both bottles, one in the arvo and another later on that night.

The first lacked the flavours I was hoping for. Very little pumpkin and spice profiles coming through. It didn't have a lot of mouth feel either. Almost watered down.

I noticed more cinnamon coming through in the second bottle. Still not overly impressed with it though.

I still drank them but probably wont buy any more.

 

[flano]

I drank it.
Didn't rate it too be honest.

Not my go.
tasted sort of off.

 

[pmunny]

can anyone recommend a good commercial pumpkin ale?

 

[Filfy]

As pumpkin ale goes, it was terrible. Weak, watery, very poor example.

 

[earle]

can anyone recommend a good commercial pumpkin ale?

Saramac pumpkin ale now available at Dan's. Not sure if its a great example but definitely better than the Gage Roads.

 

[a_quintal]

Saramac pumpkin ale now available at Dan's. Not sure if its a great example but definitely better than the Gage Roads.

Agree. I drank it quite warm. Was ok. Way better than Gage fail Roads

 

[Blitzer]

Agree. I drank it quite warm. Was ok. Way better than Gage fail Roads

Haven't had the Gage roads, but the Saranac had no pumpkin taste at all.

 

[earle]

Haven't had the Gage roads, but the Saranac had no pumpkin taste at all.

I'm not sure they're supposed to taste like pumpkin or more like pumpkin pie which is more about the spice.

 

[Brad Sofield]

Yeah have to agree with a few of you- this was my first taste of pumpkin ale and have been interested in trying since seeing Brewmasters episode with Dogfish head doing a Punkin ale. I noted they added canned pumpkin to the boil which I reckon is what was missing from the gage roads version. Could only tatse cinammon

 

[wyane]

Had a GR pumpkin ale and one of their English best bitters over the past two nights. Agree with the poster who said 60% of the way there, but GR is IMO like the Squires range, a gateway drug on the road to real beer. Road, geddit!?
But really, they are what they're supposed to be. Not everyone is a hop head, that's why we brew

 

[super_simian]

The Gage Roads version tasted a lot like Speculoos; a spiced dutch sweet spread thingo. Quirky, but not my cup of meat...

 

[benno1973]

Tried this over the weekend. Was actually surprised how good it was, plenty of spice without it being only about the spices. It was pretty interesting, and I'd have to say it was one of the only(?) Gage beers I've liked. Have to agree with this comment though:

... my biggest gripe was the base beer being too light. It was so devoid of maltyness and mouthfeel it was more like drinking spiced ginger ale rather than a beer.
I think to get the most out of the spices and pumpkin they needed to go with a base that could support them.