Perhaps I keep coming back to it because I love pumpkin beers, when they are done correctly. I particularly love Sam Adam's Harvest Pumpkin! Perhaps I keep coming back to it because I trust Dogfish Head. I can't lay down enough praise for many of their brews (Chicory Stout, 60min IPA, 90min IPA, 75min IPA, etc.) and I can't say anything negative about my experience at their Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD. There is also the fact that, if one watches "Brew Masters", which I highly recommend, one learns that Sam Calagione, the founder and CEO of Dogfish Head, won his first beer award for his original, home brewed, Punkin' Ale. Of course, this is all a matter of opinion, and, if Beeradvocate is any indication, Dogfish Head is "doin' it right," but this beer just doesn't work for me.
I will get into the review, now!
I like to start with the packaging, and I find the packaging for this beer to be very pleasing. The deep orange of the holder is very eye catching, the bottle holds the raised Dogfish Head symbol which I have grown to love and the label is informative and enticing. This is not to say that there is anything particularly special about the packaging, but it is welcoming in it's simplicity while still evoking the feeling that this is a special beer to be enjoyed this season. (I would post a picture of the packaging, but I only bought a single bottle this year, and I am not in the mood to steal someone else's picture right now...deal with it!)The pour is the first indication of a let-down for me. The beer just doesn't have much head. You can splash this one right into a glass sitting upright on the table and probably not worry about losing a drop. Maybe that is what Sam and his crew go for with this beer, but I don't like it. For one, this is a pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice beer. There is definitely a scent of pumpkin pie to this one. These scents make me think of a nice, big piece of pumpkin pie with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. For me, I associate this whipped cream on the pumpkin pie with the head on a pumpkin pie-ish beer. I want a nice foamy head with at least some moderate retention. Instead, with this beer, I get a bit of soapy foam that dissipates to a tiny bit of soapy foam rather quickly. The color, however, is a beautiful coppery orange. They are spot on with the color!
The nose on this one is very spicy. It smells like fall and Christmas spices. I know I am talking about two different "seasons" here, but, let's be honest; the same spices go in pumpkin pie as go in eggnog, and, plenty of you eat pumpkin pie at Christmas, too! (Note to self: post about homemade eggnog this year!) I don't really pick up much pumpkin, though. I mainly get spices out of this one.
The taste, aka the reason we all came to this party: this one starts off with all of the spices and a bit of sweetness and then finishes, pretty harshly, with mostly the spice and only a hint of residual sweetness. I would like a lot more sweetness and less harsh, dry, spicy action in a beer that brings thoughts of pumpkin pie into my head. I am also still searching for pumpkin at this point.
The mouth feel on this one is rather uninteresting. It is not water, but it is pretty close. I also think this shows a lack of the pumpkin I am searching for in this beer. I find that pumpkin, when introduced into the brewing process in a certain way, adds a very interesting character to the body of a beer which I just don't pick up with the Dogfish Head Punkin.
Overall, this beer is just lacking for me. When I go into a pumpkin ale, I expect more head with a nice retention, more sweetness on the finish and more....well...pumpkin. Now, I know there a lot of pumpkin spice beers out there that simply use the spices reminiscent of pumpkin pie to give the beer a fall personality, but Dogfish Head makes a pretty big deal out of the fact that they actually put pumpkin in this beer. This leaves me a bit bewildered as to where the pumpkin went in the brewing process. I love you, Dogfish Head, but I just can't get behind your Punkin' Ale. I feel like a traitor for writing this as my first review, but, half the decorations/stickers/coasters on my homemade kegerator and half the bottles inside the thing have your logo on them! I promise that positive Dogfish Reviews will be coming! Don't hate me, Sam!!!!!
I am sure I will have to review this again next year, since I just can't seem to give up on this beer. Let's see if my tastebuds change, since I am pretty sure the recipe won't! After all, they certainly don't seem to need my dollars for this brew to be a success (even though they continue to get them despite my supposed dislike of the beer!)
Now, for a shameless plug! My absolute favorite pumpkin beer happens to be the one that I brew every year! I can't claim the recipe, since I found it here, but I still claim the batches I personally produce! I made an extra batch this year since it is so popular with friends and family, and it should all be in bottles (I might keg half of it) and ready to drink just in time for Halloween! Look forward to a post detailing this year's pumpkin brew!
I had the same problem last year! I wanted so much to like Punkin Ale, and it just didn't happen. With so many good beers from DFH, and so many people (perplexingly) enjoying Punkin Ale, I'm just as mystified as you.
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