484. Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland, ME) - Pumpkinhead Ale

“Pumpkinhead is a crisp, refreshing wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spice flavor. To celebrate the fall season, we enhance the pumpkin flavor with a proprietary blend of spices including cinnamon and nutmeg. A proper pint of Pumpkinhead is served in a pint glass rimmed with sugar and cinnamon and often accompanied by a shot of spiced rum or vanilla vodka.”

This one I tried at American Smokehouse Stadium yesterday evening after Amy and I racked up 16,000 steps hiking in the two state parks near Jeffersonville (Falls of the Ohio and Charlestown), and though they did have it on tap and served it in a pint glass, no other parts of that last sentence were offered—and I’m not sure that they would have added anything to the experience; the beer was just fine on its own. It had a nice balance of light pumpkin flavor up front and nice spice notes on the back end. It also had fairly low carbonation (or just wasn’t pouring very well yesterday). The website advertises versions called Smashed Pumpkin (9.0%) and Smashed Pumpkin Bourbon Barrel Aged (10.5%), both of which sound lovely. The regular Pumpkinhead is delightful, but at 4.5%, it’s just a little too light.