Brew Review

Beer Review – Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale


A while ago, I stopped in to my local liquor store and picked up a bottle of Brooklyn Brewery’s Post Road Pumpkin Ale. While not a huge fan of Pumpkin Ales, I was roped into buying it because of the label on the bottle. As the Wookie has noted, I am easily distracted by things that are shiny, have an interesting label, a really cool name, or just a pretty logo. I guess I am just a conspicuous consumer. Anyway, here is what Brooklyn Brewery has to say about their Pumpkin Ale:

Early American colonialists, seeking natural ingredients for brewing ales, turned to pumpkins, which were plentiful, flavorful and nutritious. Blended with barley malt, pumpkins became a commonly used beer ingredient. Post Road Pumpkin Ale brings back this tasty tradition. Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins are blended into the mash of each batch, creating a beer with an orange amber color, warm pumpkin aroma, biscuity malt center, and crisp finish.

I found the Post Road Pumpkin Ale to have the following characteristics…

  • Appearance: Clear amber with light foam and lacing.
  • Aroma: Pumpkin, nutmeg, allspice and hops.
  • Taste: Light carbonation, sweet and unremarkable.
  • ABV: 5%

The Post Road was a little too much pumpkin. Sort of like a super pureed pumpkin pie. Oddly enough, even after that description, I would say that it wasn’t half bad. If you are looking for a true pumpkin ale, I can’t imagine finding one with more pumpkin flavor than this one.

6 replies »

  1. LimpD, a question and a comment:

    A – If I put goat urine in a pretty package would you buy it and how much would you pay for it even if it was labeled “Goat Urine”? (Assume reserve stock, free-range organic Vermont goat, bottle conditioned, unfiltered … the “good” goat urine)
    B – Pumpkin should be illegal as far as beer ingredients go. If the FDA was doing their job they would stopped the brewing of pumpkin beers long ago!!

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    • So, are we talking about really good goat urine not just some mass produced Goat Light Lime. Actually, I believe you have passed this goat urine question off before. I have to say that if the package despite how pretty said urine, goat or otherwise, I would have to pass. Of course, if under the large letters for Beer it said in small print “may contain organic goat urine”, I probably would have bought the pretty bottle and then noticed mid bottle that goat urine was a main ingredient.

      As to your second point, I think the use of alternative flavors in beer should be encouraged. However, after much research this fall, I have to agree that pumpkins might not be the best alternative. Perhaps, a strongly worded letter to the FDA will bring about the ban you seek.

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    • With all this talk of urine, one Man comes to mind… Patches O’Houlihan! Now that’s a man that learned to embrace the sterile pleasures of urine.

      Enjoy!

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