Beer Review: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (2012)

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Seven percent

Appearance: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale pours what looks like to be a peachy color. I picked up both reddish and brownish highlights throughout the body. The beer's head is an off-white and can almost be described as an ivory. It's well-carbonated as evident by the mass amount of bubbles rushing towards the crown of the beer. You will find plenty of lacing that completely encircles the glass as you consume this.

Smell: The fist thing I noticed in this beer's aroma is its tangy hop character. I also got a decent amount of sweet brown sugar, which seemed to be the dominant characteristic throughout. There was also some spicy nutmeg along with some vanilla. I can't forget the tiny bit of pumpkin that was in there as well.

Taste: I got whacked with a ton of sweet brown sugar and pumpkin at first. This tasted amazing. Enjoy those two flavors because the spiciness of the nutmeg takes over immediately and lingers with the hop notes for a long, and I mean a long after taste. If I had it my way, I'd prefer the spices and hops to be a little less dominant.

Overall Rating: 

I only have one complaint with this beer and that's the strength of the hops and spice. Together they're just a tad too strong. I actually think they're a bit more dominant than last year. I feel that the brown sugar and pumpkin are the two best flavors in this beer (it was sweeter last year). Still, we can't blame Dogfish for being experimental as they are known to be. This still remains as one of the top pumpkin ales on my list to buy each season.