Dogfish Head Punkin Ale 2016

If this rich brown ale doesn't get you on board the pumpkin spice train, I don't know what will.

My Rating: 8.0

Brewer: Dogfish Head
Origin: Milton, Delaware, USA

Name: Punkin Ale 2016

Style: brown ale

% ABV: 7.0

IBU: 28

Color: orangey-amber
Aroma: sweet, fruity, mulling spice
Flavors: nutmeg, cinnamon, warm finish

Yes, I know I'm publishing this review in the beginning of March, but in my opinion, it's never too late for a little autumn cheer.  I found one lonely bottle of Dogfish Head's 2016 seasonal brew on the build-your-own six pack shelves of the local grocery store, so I had just had to rescue it from its misery.

I was immediately drawn to the artwork on the label.  The illustration style is intricate and unified, using only three colors over a cream colored background; its bug-eyed skull bringing to mind Mexican Día de Muertos decorations.

The beer itself was a beautiful orangey-amber color that, when held up to a light, looked remarkably like the color of autumn leaves.  A dense head of almost two inches persisted until I had drank half the glass, when it faded to a thin, but still dense, lacing.  There was a sweet, almost fruity scent with heavy notes of mulling spice.  The first sensation on the tongue was a sharpness that quickly mellowed into warmer flavor with the nutmeg and cinnamon really coming through strong.  Toward the end of the sip, the flavor grew slightly more bitter with a warm ethanol sensation (from its 7.0% ABV).  The mulling spices, especially the nutmeg, came up again in the aftertaste.  Overall, the flavor really did remind me of a pumpkin pie!  Toward the end of the glass as the beer warmed up, the bitterness subsided and the flavors were sweeter overall.

Summary: Overall I was very satisfied with Dogfish's Punkin Ale.  The flavor was fantastically reminiscent of a pumpkin pie while never being overpowering.  The lingering nutmeg aftertaste was probably my favorite aspect.  Would I buy it again?  Absolutely, if there were any more left in the store, that is!  For now I'll have to wait until September to get more of Dogfish's seasonal specialty.