Pumpkin Eater Imperial Pumpkin Ale (John Mitchell Series) – Howe Sounds Brewing

Today’s selection is another international pumpkin ale from our neighbors up north. In 1980 John Mitchell and Frank Appleton pioneered North America’s first modern craft brewery at Horseshoe Bay on British Columbia’s spectacular Howe Sound, beginning the craft brewing renaissance.

Fast forward to 1996, and John Mitchell helped design the Howe Sound Brewery, even developing some of their original recipes. He has since gone on to be referred to as “The Grandfather of Canadian Micro-brewing”. This beer is part of the John Mitchell Series, in tribute to his achievements in helping resurrect craft beer in alpine Squamish, BC. If you’re a beer tourist, you’re going to want to drop by Howe Sound. Not only is it a brewery, but a lodge situated in one of the prettiest parts of Canada’s adventure capital.

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Name:  Pumpkin Eater Imperial Pumpkin Ale (John Mitchell Series)

Place of Origin / Brewer: British Columbia, Canada / Howe Sound Brewing

Beer style / ABV%: Imperial Pumpkin Ale / 8%

Specialty Prep / Individuality:  A high gravity pumpkin ale brewed with barley, fresh roasted pumpkin, hops, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise. It is produced in very limited quantities as part of the John Mitchell Series.

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Packaging:

This bottle is awesome. At a whopping liter of volume, it’s definitely not messing around, and the cool Canadian fall could certainly justify this much warming ale. Of course, there’s a reseal cap for those of you not up to the task. The folk art jack o’lantern is styled impressively in wood cut print block style, and seriously pops on the dreary gray scale, replete with the man’s signature himself, John Mitchell. – Mike

This is definitely the largest pumpkin beer we’ve had so far. A Sleepy Hallowesque 1 liter bottle provides a ton of information about the story of the brewery and enough information to have a pretty good idea of what you are about to taste. – Brittney

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Color:  6.5

Pumpkineater is one of those brews that has just a great copper color that emphasizes it’s style and prepares the palette for a delicious treat. The body appears nice and clean with a decent transparency, and pours a thin to non existent white head that is more like a ring around the glass than head. – Rick

Antique copper and crystal clear in appearance, Pumpkineater sports a fizzy cream soda head from a fairly aggressive pour that vanishes almost immediate and leaves very little lacing. – Tim

M- 7.5 / T- 5.5 / B- 7 / R- 6

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Aroma:  7

This brew provides a very light aroma of sugary sweetness and a delicate touch of spice.  The smell of the spices is hard to differentiate; it’s more of what you would get from a fresh batch of “pumpkin pie spice” with an anise kick than any one or two of the spices standing out. – Brittney

There are some nice sweet elements in this aroma that are very appealing. I like the ripe pumpkin elements that are at play here. The bouquet is definitely full bodied, balancing pumpkin and sweet spices really well. There does tend to be a slight sting from the spicing, but that could be attributed to the alcohol content which has a strong presence throughout this beer. – Rick

M- 7 / T- 7.5 / B- 7 / R- 6

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Mouth feel:  6

Light to mid-bodied, pretty straightforward as an ale goes, with bouncy carbonation. Serviceable by all means, but a hint too light to love it. – Tim

Nicely textured interplay and a slight sting that helps give lien to the spice and hop profile. Fairly light end of medium bodied with a crisp bite. – Mike

M- 6 / T- 6 / B- 6 / R- 7

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Tasting notes:  7.5

I’m getting a huge pumpkin bread vibe complete with caramel glaze. There’s a great balance of spices here, one of the best approaches I’ve had to a fairly spicy beer that really congeals to a “pumpkin spice” approach, rather than a particular dominance. Extremely subtle hopping, and nice aged rum notes to boot. – Mike

Big alcohol flavor bomb, actually reminds me a lot of a Belgian ale at this point, and the Banana that was in the nose is on full display here (I’d almost liken it to Wells Banana Bread Beer). Subtle notes of Melon along with nutmeg, clove and molasses-y malty sweetness round it out.  The pumpkin is here, and it’s added a nice roasted vibe to it, but it takes a back seat to the spices, which is a shame. – Tim

Nothing really stands out to me. I can’t tell if it’s because my palette is being over blown by all of the spices or if it’s just so well blended that I can’t pick anything out. The higher amount of alcohol is present in the taste and combined with what are considered to be “warming” spices this would probably bode well for a cold winter night. – Brittney

What we have here is a nice caramelized, brown sugar infused pumpkin flavor with an interesting spicy cinnamon and clove profile. – Rick

M- 8 / T- 6.5 / B- 7 / R- 7.5

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Finish:  6.5

The anise is primarily regulated to here, and compliments the slightly banana- malty body to give a very tight, clean wash, leaving little spice on the palate. There’s also a touch of burn in the back of the throat on swallow, reminding you this is an imperial ale. – Mike

A little too hot on the finish for my taste buds. The alcohol burn is slightly noticeable, but it does seem to mask some of the flavor by the end of the pint. A bit over powering, but it does not ruin the experience. The syrupy finish irks me as well. – Rick

M- 8 / T- 6.5 / B- 7 / R- 5.5

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Flavor balance:  6

-         Pumpkin to Spice balance: 6.5

The spice really ties itself to the higher alcohol content and dominates this one. – Brittney

The nose has such great pumpkin and spice profiles that it’s a shame the brew more-or-less sidelines the pumpkin in the body.  Still considering how unbalanced most seasonal ales are, I’d put this in the category of a success. – Tim

M- 7 / T- 6.5 / B- 6 / R- 6

-         Sweet / Dry balance: 6.5

Bold and malty with a richness that finishes dry—it’s hard to argue the balancing act here is deftly handled.  It’s not perfect but Imperial Ales can often be too impetuous in the sweets department leaving a chewy mess.  This one avoids that fate. – Tim

Pleasantly sweet up front with a dry biting finish coming primarily from the alcohol presence. – Mike

M- 7 / T- 8 / B- 7 / R- 6.5

-         Multiple Drinkability?  5.5

It has a really good flavor, but it’s too hot on the tongue for me. I’m also not the biggest fan of the syrupy finish either. – Rick

This is a big ass bottle, and I’d drink every drop (if you’re driving). – Mike

M- 7 / T- 5 / B- 5 / R- 4.5

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Overall:  6.58

M- 7.25 / T- 6.42 / B- 6.67 / R- 6.17

St-Ambroise Citrouille / The Great Pumpkin Ale – Brasserie Mcauslan Brewing, Inc.

Today we delve our first foray into the international pumpkin ale scene. Starting in 1989, Mcauslan Brewing has become one of Quebec’s foremost micro-breweries, and if your only initiation into Canadian beer sports a moose on the can, you’re in for a very pleasant surprise. Obviously we’re digging into their “Citrouille” offering, given the nature of this blog. Avid followers may note the correct spelling here vs. our tongue in cheek collaboration from a few west coast brewers.

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Name:  St. Ambroise Citrouille / The Great Pumpkin Ale / La Grande Biere A La Citrouille

Place of Origin / Brewer: Quebec, Canada / Brasserie Mcauslan Brewing Inc.

Beer style / ABV%:  Pumpkin Ale / 5%

Specialty Prep / Individuality:  Brewed just once a year, the Great St-Ambroise Pumpkin Ale returns this fall to bewitch beer lovers with a savory blend of pale and caramel malts, hops, pumpkin, and spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves . If you enjoy the out-of-the-ordinary, this seasonal offering will be sure to please you.

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Packaging:

This gorgeous bottle is decked out in chromized rust orange labeling, and features decidedly French looking folk art pumpkins, on a blue fielded circular crest. It pretty much screams pumpkin and class, and given some of it’s rival ales, that’s certainly something that should make it stand out – Mike

I’ve only had one other beer from St. Ambroise before, an absolutely fantastic 2009 Vintage Ale.  I remember being impressed by that package since it was boxed like a fine bottle of wine.  This label might not be that fancy, but it does impart a very classic and refined look.  Bursting with bright orange and centering on a pair of perfectly ripe gourds it looks like a label for a very high end beer.  Plus, it’s called The Great Pumpkin Ale–so extra points for that! – Tim

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Color:  8

Golden-copper coloring with active bubbles and an ivory head that clears quickly and leaves just a bit of lacing around the edges.  The copper color is almost as metal as the foil label. – Brittney

Crystal clear and shiny as a copper penny; it’s so pretty I almost don’t want to drink it–but you know I will. There is a small half-finger head that maintains some mild retention from the constant stream of bubbles keeping it aloft.   The color of the ale actually mirrors the label which is a nice touch.  – Tim

M- 9 / T- 8 / B- 8 / R- 7

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Aroma:  8

A very tasty smelling beer this is. Nutmeg is dominant giving it a nice sweet character, while a touch of cinnamon and clove rounding it out. But there’s also some brown sugar like qualities and notes of caramel that really make this brew smell deliciously sweet. I’m almost nervous to try it, but can’t wait at the same time. – Rick

Wheat and dry nutmeg dominate the nose here, to the point it has a clean pumpkin soap quality. A deeper pull when I jam my nose in grabs some ginger and clove as well. – Mike

M- 6.5 / T- 8.5 / B- 8 / R- 8

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Mouth feel:  6.5

Smooth and luxurious like silk sheets and milk had a baby together. With the consistent pull of bubbles up from the bottom of the glass, it’s amazing how they wait until the swallow to show, leaving a moderate body and a gorgeous bleach white halo of a head to the bottom of the glass. – Mike

It’s pretty watery and not what I expected. When the beer hits your lips you receive a nice flavorful tingle that slowly effervesces then kind of falls flat at the end. – Rick

M- 9 / T- 6.5 / B- 7 / R- 4

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Tasting notes:  7.5

There is a really distinct butter crust feel here that elevates the ale to something very close to pumpkin pie in a glass without sacrificing the ale to a novelty drink.  You get the substance of the beer, combined with the spices–which to their credit are less pronounced in the body than they were in the bouquet–and then round that out with a buttery lusciousness and yeasty goodness, that makes this beer feel like it only needs a dollop of whipped cream to complete the experience. – Tim

From the aroma I was preparing for an onslaught of syrupy goodness, but what I got was a little watered down. At first, I was disappointed with the watery light body of this beer, but it really excels by presenting all of it’s spicing without becoming a syrupy mess and for the most part stays fairly dry. This is cool because I’m able to enjoy the great spicing without being too cloying. – Rick

This beer definitely brings a pumpkin pie in a bottle note to the table but it doesn’t over do it. I think this would be a great beer for people who enjoy more traditional ales and would shy away from “pumpkin pie in a bottle” beer.  Very well balanced as far as presenting a great beer with great additions in the flavor profile. – Brittney

The word that keeps popping into my head here is “refined”. There’s a touch of malt up front smoothed out by the wheat presence, and a delicate hand of spice and pumpkin that balances flawlessly with the beer profile. This isn’t one of those smack you in the face, holy f%^&! I’m a pumpkin pie beer approaches, but rather a tasteful and poised glimpse at how flavored beer can still hold it’s ground in the ale it originates as. – Mike

M- 8.5 / T- 8.5 / B- 7.5 / R- 6

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Finish:  7

There’s a hop bitterness here that is almost understated, and is helped along nicely by the crisp bit of the carbonation finally showing its head. – Mike

The body finishes slick with hint of syrup remaining.  The brew although sweet throughout, could have a touch of a bitter finish reminding us that there is more than just pumpkin spice flavoring involved. – Brittney

M- 8.5 / T- 8 / B- 7 / R- 5

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Flavor balance:  8.00

-         Pumpkin to Spice balance: 6.5

I think the shining star of this pumpkin ale is the wonderful spicing. Not too much can be said about the pumpkin.  It’s there; it just doesn’t have much say in this brew. – Rick

I would like to see the pumpkin take a little bit more of a lead here (it’s in there all right) but it’s fairly subservient to the spice mixture.  Still, overall the tastes are well presented and while it’s a legitimate concern, I don’t think it entirely distracts from the beer. – Tim

M- 9 / T- 7 / B- 6 / R- 4

-         Sweet / Dry balance: 8.5

If moderation is the key, we have a winner. The sweetness here is all in the pumpkin and malt profile, avoiding candied labels, and staying firmly in congruous territory. It finishes slightly dry with a focus on the nutmeg, and a snap of ginger and, well, what I’m trying to say is, it’s pretty flawless. – Mike

Overall, slightly more sweet with a crispness and bitterness towards the end that keeps everything overall balanced. – Brittney

This is probably my favorite brew for this category. It’s balanced so well that I’m able to enjoy and almost pick out each individual spice without needing to clear my throat of an overwhelmingly cloying body after each sip. I’m very impressed here. – Rick

M- 9 / T- 9 / B- 7 / R- 9

-         Multiple Drinkability?  8.5

If I could find this, I would buy it by the truck load and at 5% ABV I could even down a sixer without having to worry about waking up alone, in random pumpkin patches, on Monday mornings, wondering where my weekend went. – Tim

This beer is delicate but it does have a lot of little nuances to appreciate. I would have at least two to take it all in. – Brittney

I think there’s a great flavor with this beer even if it may be too heavily spiced. There is a good chance I’d finish my fair share of these bad boys in no time. – Rick

I love everything about this beer. Its look, its manner, and the kick back to the French Canadian side of my heritage. It reminds me of my Grandmother, and the meticulous way she could bake by only measuring with her hands, complete with the metric conversions scrawled in the border of the recipe. Would I drink more? Until I exploded. – Mike

M- 9.5 / T- 9 / B- 7 / R- 8

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Overall:  7.50

M- 8.42 / T- 8.00 / B- 7.33 / R- 6.08