Seasonal Beer Review: Elysian Pumpkin Pack

     Time for another review during my favorite time of year for tasting beer...pumpkin season. Pumpkin beers are not around for very long. And, with so many varieties to choose from, it's difficult to try them all. Though, I'm having fun trying.

     This fall, I've tried many. And, while most had clever names and great artwork, they disappointed during the taste test.

     Elysian made my job a lot easier by making a 12 bottle variety pack containing four different pumpkin ales. I figured I like at least one of them.

     

     

     I chose to drink these in the order of strongest to weakest alcohol content. Here's a breakdown of all four:

     

The Great Pumpkin

     Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Intense pumpkin, sugar and spice on the nose with a nice bready and malty backdrop to tame all those autumn spices into a remarkably smooth, balanced and delectable fall treat. Alcohol content 8.4% - From the label on bottle

     Of the four beers in this pack, this one has the most pumpkin flavor. It is very smooth and goes down quick if you're not careful. I rank this one third out of the four.

     

     

Dark 'O The Moon

     Pumpkin Stout. Spookily smooth and chocolatey with a touch of cinnamon. Alcohol content 7.5% - From the label on bottle

     This was the one I was looking forward to tasting the most. I love me a good stout. And this one definitely didn't disappoint. It was as smooth as advertised. In fact, smoothness is a recurring theme in this 12-pack. With just enough spices to taste them, but not enough to overpower, the flavor was perfectly balanced.

     Because of my bias towards stouts, I consider this my favorite of this pack. But, the next beer is a very close second.

     

     

Night Owl

     Elysian's original pumpkin ale. Brewed with pumpkin puree and juice, and spiced in conditioning with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Both roasted and raw pumpkin seeds are in the mash. Alcohol content 6.7% - From the label on bottle

     If I wasn't such a big fan of stouts, this would easily be my favorite in the pack. This one has a more subtle pumpkin flavor than the imperial ale yet still satisfies this seasonal craving of mine. If I were having a fall party, I would feel comfortable offering this to my guests.

     

     

Punkuccino

     A pumpkin ale with the attitude of a world-weary barista, Punkuccino packs a short shot of Stumptown coffee toddy in your pint with just a shake of cinnamon and nutmeg. Alcohol content 6% - From the label on bottle

     Before this journey began, I predicted this would be my least favorite of the bunch. And, even though my prediction was correct, I still came away impressed with this ale.

     Even though I drink coffee, I usually don't like coffee flavored beers. The coffee flavor often dominates the beverage. But, with just a shot of coffee, Elysian's Punkuccino has a nice balance. That perfect balance is why these beers are consistently easy to drink.

     Even though I ranked Punkuccino last, I still enjoyed drinking it. And would strongly consider doing it again. In fact, I look forward to drinking all of these beers again. Cheers!

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All gifs and images are my own unless otherwise stated.

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