Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Beer Name: Punkin Ale
Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewing Co. (Milton, DE)
ABV: 7.0%
How sold: 6-packs (12 oz. bottles)
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $2.99 for 12 oz. single
IBU: 28

Date Purchased: August 29, 2015
Date Opened: August 30, 2015

What's on the Bottle: "A full bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg."

What's on the Website: "A full bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, brown sugar and spices. As the season cools, this is the perfect beer to warm up with." Click for more on Punkin Ale!

When brewed? Seasonal beer.
Where distributed: Dogfish Head ships Punkin Ale to 27 U.S. states as of 2015.

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured clear orange-amber into a clear pint glass. No head and almost zero suds on the surface. Granted, I pour mine at an angle and very conservatively. 3.75/5

Smell (25%): Light hints of pumpkin, brown sugar, and nutmeg. 3.5/5

Taste (40%): Mostly a brown ale identity but hints of pumpkin, nutmeg, and allspice shine through. Some sweetness from the brown sugar. Balanced, but almost to the point of making me want more pumpkin essence to ring in the fall months. Alcohol presence about halfway through the pint glass. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium to medium-full body. Extremely smooth and excellent drinkability. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): A good pumpkin beer. I must give props on how balanced this is. Balance seems to be the theme of all Dogfish Head beers -- at least for ones that I've tried. It is 7% so that will likely justify a slight increase in price (along with this being a great microbrewery). I also gave bonus points for that label, from the artwork to the awesome texture. Felt a bit luxurious -- and it probably was at $2.99 for a single 12 oz. bottle. 3.75/5

Final Weighted Rating: 3.638/5