Southern Tier Pumpking

Southern Tier's Pumpking was the first imperial pumpkin ale to hit the Chicago market a few years ago and it quickly redefined what the style could be. The folks who made this monstrosity say: 

"Pumking is an ode to Púca, a creature of Celtic folklore, who is both feared and respected by those who believe in it. Púca is said to waylay travelers throughout the night, tossing them on its back, and providing them the ride of their lives, from whichthey return forever changed! Brewed in the spirit of All Hallows Eve, a time of year when spirits can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent. Pour Pumking into a goblet and allow it’s alluring spirit to overflow. As spicy aromas present themselves, let its deep copper color entrance you as your journey into this mystical brew has just begun. As the first drops touch your tongue a magical spell will bewitch your taste buds making it difficult to escape. This beer is brewed with pagan spirit yet should be enjoyed responsibly. 
7.9% abv." 

Well, here's to Puca. 

Appearance: Pours a clear copper with an off-white head of an inch that recedes leaving no cap and a decent amount of lacing. An interesting, thin patch of swirled, tightly packed, bizarrely small bubbles is left in the center—I’ve never come across something like this. 8.5

Body: Medium, slightly oily, with sustaining carbonation. 8.4

Nose: Freshly baked pumpkin, cinnamon, crushed graham crackers, pie crust, vanilla wafers, cool whip…this is liquid pumpkin pie. No joke. 9.5

Taste: Big, sweeping sweetness, nutmeg/spice and brown sugar with a caramel malt boom echoed by buttered almond. The nose translates exceptionally with balancing hop bitterness carrying the flavor to the finish. 8.3

Overall: 8.7/10

Hoppin' Frog Double Pumpkin

The brewery says: "There’s a place just south they call Frog’s Hollow, with cauldrons afire in Fall, and they only speak in whispers of the name. There’s a brewery they say who has the secret, of spices picked just right. With a crying shout, they’ll knock it out, and hand you this Frog’s delight.

Recipe Information: Style: Double Pumpkin Ale
Alcohol By Volume: 8.4%
International Bitterness Units: 7.3

Serving Suggestions: Preferred Glass: Pint Glass
Preferred Serving Temperature: 45-50°F
Food Pairings: Dessert (Pumpkin Pie), Poultry (Turkey)
Cheese Pairings: Camembert, English Cheddar
Cellaring Notes: Enjoy within 180 days"

Your humble narrator says:

Appearance: Slightly hazy orange with a tightly packed vanilla bean white head of an inch, which fades quickly leaving no cap at all. 8.2/10

Body: Full, round, rich and viscous with medium carbonation. 8.3/10

Nose: The spices have more to say than the pumpkin, which is to be expected. Carmelized sugar, dense allspice, vanilla beans, gingerbread, cola. The conflated spices create an amalgam of pungent sweet notes. 8.7/10

Taste: The pumpkin emerges, but in the form of those mini pie pumpkins. Pumpkin ice cream—yes, it exists—coats the tongue before the spices anchor the flavor into a malt-ridden finish. There is a decernable flash of alcohol and this is the only blemish. 8.2/10

Overall: 8.4/10

Pumpkin Ales

I've never met a person who doesn't enjoy pumpkin pie. The luscious, melt-in-your-mouth-caramelized-crusted-whipped-cream-topped-wonder enters stage right this time of year and I don't mind at all. I hang on every line. My predilection for the rich dessert has engendered a new love: Pumpkin Beers. I have met some who don't enjoy these seasonal ales. 99% are released, you guessed it, around October each year and many are brewed with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. For my reviewing purposes I'm not looking for a beer that tastes like pumpkin, but a beer that tastes like pumpkin pie--go figure. 

Our beloved friends at beer advocate lay out a succinct definition of what a pumpkin beer actually is..."Often released as a fall seasonal, Pumpkin Ales are quite varied. Some brewers opt to add hand-cut pumpkins and drop them in the mash, while others use puree or pumpkin flavoring. These beers also tend to be spiced with pumpkin pie spices, like: ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Pumpkin Ales are typically mild, with little to no bitterness, a malty backbone, with some spice often taking the lead. Many will contain a starchy, slightly thick-ish, mouthfeel too. In our opinion, best versions use real pumpkin, while roasting the pumpkin can also add tremendous depth of character for even better results, though both methods are time-consuming and tend to drive brewmasters insane."

Now, there are standard pumpkin ales, and imperial Pumpkin ales--meaning above 8% in alcohol by volume. The former are more complex and flavorful, with huge sweet notes and often intriguing qualities. Enter stage left, Hoppin' Frog's Double Pumpkin.