Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale: An Amateurish Beer Review

In October and November, microbreweries churn out seasonal beers as aggressively as retail shops promote pumpkin spice everything. Some pumpkin beers just include squash in the brewing process. This beer, however, also includes roasted and raw pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice according to the bottle label. Their website includes more info. A cellphone screenshot is included below, since the site doesn't have a specific page for each variety.

The spices are very pronounced. It almost tastes like the perfect mix for a spiced cider. I'm not sure I like it in a beer, though. I'm not even sure I can taste the pumpkin through it, although there seems to be some lingering earthiness in the aftertaste that does remind me of squash.

I don't think I can recommend this beer. It overdoes the spice the way most pacific coast microbrews overdo hops. I don't find it enjoyable. I know I have had pumpkin ales I liked in years past, but this is a new brew to me, and it falls flat.

I suppose I may as well finish the bottle, though. Few beers are so awful that they go down the drain instead of down the hatch, and this isn't that bad.