The Tap PUMPKIN EATER

The Tap PUMPKIN EATER - Roasted Pumpkin Ale (2013)

Brewed and Bottled by The Tap Brewing Company (formerly Haverhill Brewery) in Haverhill, MA. USA. 

Autumn Seasonal.

22 fl. oz. / $4.99 USD / 5.5% ABV

About: "'Round these parts we respect the seasons. We use actual sugar pumpkins from Kimball Farm in Haverhill, MA, less than 3 miles from the brewery. Hand cut and roasted in the pub ovens, we can only make this beer when they’re ripe and ready. Here’s to real pumpkins at the right time."

Thoughts: Pouring this into my new Pumpkan "jar". Very light hiss and the cap popped right off a little too easy.

Totally orange. A little bit cloudy. The slightest amber shade in there, but more orange than I'm used to seeing in a pumpkin brew. Is it the new glass? Perhaps. Very white fluffy head, and long lasting on this one.

The scent is really, really mild. Hardly any spices to behold. There's something there in the background, but what I'm getting up front is just boiled pumpkin flesh. It smells a little bit sweet. But you can tell that tartness and raw bitterness is hidden just underneath the surface.

First gulp and I find that this is a lot sweeter than I thought it would be. Very much like sugar(y) pumpkins. It's got little to no bitterness at all. So much for my nostrils this time around. It's like cooked sugar pumpkins, sweet malts and some cinnamon way in the background that creeps up on you. I just sneezed four times. Something is up with this one. The peppery and spicy elements just quickly creep up and flood. But it's not heavy or overwhelming or even all that noticeable even. This tastes like a standard pumpkin ale, only it's got nothing wrong with it. No, it's not pumpkin pie, but for the style within the style that it's competing against, this one has a pretty smooth taste.

Main flavors are sweet and mild. No bitterness at all. Mouth feel is a bit watery. It goes down easy. Not too fond of this one after it's all said and drank, but happy that it doesn't have anything about it that really sucks. Take that as a plus, since companies fuck up pumpkin ales all the damn time. This one is good for a beginner to these types of beers both in terms of price and inoffensiveness, but could definitely use a more inviting scent to bring it all together. Oh, and more booze wouldn't hurt either.