There are a plethora of pumpkin beers on the market now, so much so that it can be overwhelming when deciding which ones to choose. There are many great go-to standards, like Southern Tier Pumking, Stegmaier Pumpkin Ale, and Dogfish Head’s Punkin. These are all wonderful pumpkin beers, but if you are like me, you want something more - more intense flavor, more body, and even more ABV. This list contains pumpkin beers with ABVs of at least eight percent that are incredible that you should definitely be drinking.
1. Avery Brewing Company - Rumpkin: This 18.53 percent ABV imperial pumpkin beer that has been aged in rum barrels is not for the faint of heart and should be enjoyed slowly. The rum adds a lot of complexity and is also the perfect complement to the huge amount of pumpkin and spices in this full-bodied beer. This is truly a pumpkin explosion and is perfect for the fall season.
2. Souther Tier - Warlock: Sure, we have all enjoyed Southern Tier’s wonderful imperial pumpkin beer Pumking, but Warlock is really where this brewery’s talents shine. Warlock is the perfect blend of a full imperial stout and a delicious pumpkin ale, making for a thick and creamy stout with a wonderful pumpkin aroma and flavor we crave this time of year.
3. Weyerbacher - Imperial Pumpkin Ale: This is a personal favorite of mine and is just an amazing example of the style. It’s also made very close to home here in Pa. The aroma explodes with pumpkin spices and the full body holds a wonderful pumpkin taste. Not to mention the eight percent ABV makes it a great beer to warm you up on a cool fall night.
4. Elysian - The Great Pumpkin: Elysian is a brewery that has set the standard for what pumpkin beer should be with its amazing Night Owl pumpkin ale. It’s only natural that their imperial pumpkin ale, The Great Pumpkin, now sets the standard for imperial pumpkin ales - not to mention that it was the first imperial pumpkin ale ever.
5. Long Trail - Imperial Pumpkin: This perfectly balanced imperial pumpkin explodes with pumpkin spice aroma and taste, but still manages to leave a lingering dry finish on the palate. Also at eight percent ABV, this is certainly one pumpkin ale that is not only delicious, but provides a wonderful bang for your buck.
6. Sam Adams - Fat Jack: This delicious “double pumpkin” ale fits in nicely with all the standard pumpkin ales this time of the year. The abundance of spices and hefty body makes this ale a real sipper. This is one that is a bit tougher to find though as the quantities released are very limited, but it is certainly worth tracking a bottle down to enjoy.
7. For number 7, there are two choices, but fortunately for us, these two wonderful beers come in the same package. These collaboration beers have been released in four-pack cans with two of each style made available.
(a) 21st Amendment/ Elysian Brewing - He Said Baltic Porter Pumpkin: 21st Amendment teamed up for this delicious Baltic porter seasoned with pumpkin. The thick and creamy body is the perfect vessel to deliver that wonderful pumpkin flavor. The aroma just explodes with roasted malts and hints of pumpkin spice. I could easily drink this beer every night this fall.
(b) 21st Amendment/ Elysian Brewing - He Said Belgian Tripel Pumpkin: The duo also created a delectable Belgian tripel seasoned with pumpkin. The initial taste is a bit odd, only because it is such a new blend, but after the first couple sips your palate adjusts and this wonderful Belgian tripel delivers subtle hints of pumpkin spice and makes for a very relaxing evening.
While some of these beers may be too extreme for the novice pumpkin beer drinker, for the experienced folks it is just another delicious walk in a pumpkin patch. However, if you are a longtime fan of the pumpkin ale style and have never tried imperial versions, do yourself a favor and get one from this list. The pumpkin beer season will be over before you know it and, unfortunately, so will these beers, so get out there and get drinking!
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