The Greatest Pumpkin!

Brewer-Elysian Brewing Company

 Beer- The Great Pumpkin

Style- Imperial Pumpkin Ale

ABV- 8.10%

Description- Elysian’s The Great Pumpkin pours a slightly hazy deep copper color with a thick off white head that rescinds to a thin lay while leaving a hefty lacing on the glass.  The aroma is something you will want to have bottled and made available throughout your house as potpourri.  Notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon burst from the glass with subtler sweet malt notes following behind.   The taste follows the nose with clove and cinnamon grabbing on to the palate first laying the groundwork for the pumpkin onslaught following right after and lingers on before the sweet malts wash over with a perfectly dry finish.  The Great Pumpkin is definitely sweet, but much less sweet than the typical pumpkin beer but still manages to deliver all of that pumpkin ale goodness.  The body of this beer falls into the medium spectrum with mild amounts of carbonation making this a wonderful sipping beer. The 8.1% ABV is very well hidden without the slightest bit of alcohol heat coming through.  The Great Pumpkin is a benchmark for the pumpkin ale style and a must try for all pumpkin ale fans.

Food pairing – While many poultry dishes are fantastic with pumpkin ales, the spices in this beer seem to make it a much better pairing for a wide variety of desserts.  Pumpkin spice cake is of course a must with this beer, or any sweet pumpkin spice dessert for that matter.  A rich carrot cake will melt in your mouth when paired with The Great Pumpkin and the spices will just dance and linger on your palate.  Also pair the Great Pumpkin with a decadent vanilla gelato or ice cream, the creaminess will add yet another layer of complexity to this world class beer.

The Final Word – Elysian’s the Great Pumpkin is an absolute must have beer during the fall season.  Not only is this one of the best imperial pumpkin ales on the market today, but it was also the first.  Elysian really shines every fall season with their Night Owl pumpkin ale, Dark O the Moon pumpkin stout, and Hansel and Gretel pumpkin pilsner, but The Great Pumpkin is truly something to behold.  This is truly a great pumpkin that is worth waiting for in a pumpkin patch all night!

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Where can I get it? -  This should be relatively easy to find as most stores that carry Night Owl also carry The Great Pumpkin.  The only problem you may run into is the limited stock they received as this is much more limited in quantities when compared to Night Owl.