Punkin!

[Rich Pawlak]

Add Saranac to the list of microbreweries that are dabbling with pumpkin ales this Fall. Saranac Pumpkin Ale, with a big bright jack o'lantern on its black label.

But this newcomer rocks! Good pumpkin meat flavor, restrained use of spices (fainter cinnamon, nice hint of nutmeg. Next to the standard against which all others are judged, Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale, this one is a keeper! if you can obtain it, GET IT. A terrific beer with grilled bratwurst, and still my favorite pairing, nachos (yes, I tried both pairings tonight--oofah!)

[BrentKulman]

Next to the standard against which all others are judged, Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale, this one is a keeper! 

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I've never heard that Buffalo Bill's sets the standard for pumpkin ales. If you look on beeradvocate.com, it is one of the lowest rated pumpkin ales in the market. In the Carolinas, we get the Cottonwood Pumpkin this time of year which is superb, particularly on draft.

[jesskidden]

Add Saranac to the list of microbreweries that are dabbling with pumpkin ales this Fall.    Saranac Pumpkin Ale, with a big bright jack o'lantern on its black label.

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I don't stop into as many "good beer stores" as I used to (moved & unemployed) but I was sorta shocked the other day when I stopped into both Joe Canal's (US 1) and Marketplace (EB, NJ) and saw ALL those pumpkin beers- there had to be a dozen of 'em- possibly more than several other more respected beer styles. (Doesn't Saranac also make the pumpkin beer for Blue Moon and, uh, doesn't Brooklyn have one, too, brewed by Matts?)

Now, I usually try most every new interesting beer that hits NJ, but I long ago gave up on most fruit beers or spiced beers (excluding Belgian styles), including the pumpkin ones. Do people (of the non-beer geek variety) really drink these things or are they more of a gimmick beer, something funny to bring to a Halloween party (and, IIRC, isn't Halloween now the second biggest holiday for alcohol sales, after NYE?) and one finds a lot of half filled bottles around the house after the party?

My memory of the one or two I had when the style first appeared was more "pumpkin pie spiced" than really "pumpkin" used as a malt substitute.

I guess I'm a traditionalist and would prefer to see Octoberfests as THE seasonal style this time of year. (Which brings to mind why "bock" is NOT the typical Spring seasonal- it was the one of the few seasonal styles that survived during the pre-micro era.)

[BrentKulman]

Do people (of the non-beer geek variety) really drink these things or are they more of a gimmick beer, something funny to bring to a Halloween party (and, IIRC, isn't Halloween now the second biggest holiday for alcohol sales, after NYE?) and one finds a lot of half filled bottles around the house after the party?

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I'm seeing lots of Pumpkin beers in Charlotte, NC at the Total Wine - in fact as you walk in the door there are three or four of them featured, so they must be getting traction outside of the beer geek community.

My memory of the one or two I had when the style first appeared was more "pumpkin pie spiced" than really "pumpkin" used as a malt substitute.

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I don't see how you could use pumpkin as a malt substitute as you could not get enough fermentable sugars out of it. I think you would have to use it as an adjunct.

I guess I'm a traditionalist and would prefer to see Octoberfests as THE seasonal style this time of year. 

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I think what may be going on is that as craft beer sales pick up they are being driven by ales rather than lagers and Oktoberfests and bocks are being left behind as beer drinkers explore the wider range of flavors that ales provide.

[Rich Pawlak]

Next to the standard against which all others are judged, Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale, this one is a keeper! 

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I've never heard that Buffalo Bill's sets the standard for pumpkin ales. If you look on beeradvocate.com, it is one of the lowest rated pumpkin ales in the market. In the Carolinas, we get the Cottonwood Pumpkin this time of year which is superb, particularly on draft.

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That's why I dont trust BA; an unreliable and laughable website.

[Susan in FL]

That's why I dont trust BA; an unreliable and laughable website.

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Ouch. Would you care to elaborate by sharing some other observations of that beer site?

As for the beer itself, I can't speak to that because I don't like many pumpkin/spiced beers.

[BrentKulman]

That's why I dont trust BA; an unreliable and laughable website.

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I disagree, but that's why they make vanilla and chocolate.

[Rich Pawlak]

That's why I dont trust BA; an unreliable and laughable website.

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I disagree, but that's why they make vanilla and chocolate.

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Oh, and Brent, Buffalo Bill's doesnt rate that low at all on BA.

[BrentKulman]

Oh, and Brent, Buffalo Bill's doesnt rate that low at all on BA.

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Still not sure what you have against BA, but Buffalo Bill's is rated "3.15 - Not recommended" on that site. Out of 89 pumpkin beers, Buffalo Bill's ranks 80th.

For comparison, I also checked RateBeer.com, where Buffalo Bill's received an even lower score, a 2.99.

I've never tried Buffalo Bill's, so I really cannot comment on it.

Anyhow, sorry to hijack your thread so I'll take it back to the Saranac. I'll be at the Charlotte Oktoberfest today and I see the beer is listed on the beer lineup, so I am looking forward to giving it a try and comparing it against some of the other pumpkins that will be there.