Pumking

Beer Name: Pumking
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 8.6%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle, served in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on:

Obviously this beer is not here to mess around. The pumpkin on the label is even wearing a crown. It actually looks pretty awesome. If I were an evil pumpkin, that's the kind of crown I'd be rocking.

Pumking is a orange-amber colored beer that, like many pumpkin ales, pours without much head and without leaving much lacing. There's a nice pumpkin aroma here, and the usual spice notes. There's also something else in there, like a sweet scent. It might be caramel. If the flavor is anything like the aroma, this is going to be a tasty beverage.

At 8.6%, this pumpkin ale is quite a bit higher than most of the others. The alcohol is faintly noticeable, but it's not a huge issue. The pumpkin flavor here is very good, and the spices add a nice flavor without overpowering my tastebuds. There's only a marginal carbonation here, and the beer finishes clean without leaving much of an aftertaste.

Final thought - This is another great beer from the fine folks at Southern Tier. Whatever they're doing over there, they should keep it up. Be aware that the high ABV means that this is a pumpkin ale to be enjoyed occasionally as opposed to most other pumpkins which make great session beers. I am definitely keeping this on the list of pumpkin beers to drink next year. This has been a good year for new pumpkin ales. Unlike last year...

-Jon