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This year's Great Lakes Pumpkin...

Contribute your own beer reviews and ratings of beers that are made or available in Ontario.

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JeffPorter
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This year's Great Lakes Pumpkin...

Post by JeffPorter »

I'd really like to get other BTers opinions particularly those who are into Pumpkin Ales...

Just tried my first bottle of this year's offering from Great Lakes, and sadly, it seems a lot like last years...

Is it that my tastes have changed, or this beer?

It seems, well, muddled.

It's hoppy up front AND in the finish, thin in body, and the malt tastes biscuity and almost lager-like. "Crisp and refreshing" are not the words I necessarily want when I think of a Pumpkin Ale...And then somewhere in the middle I wonder, "where are the pumpkins?"

Pumpkin Ales have a LONG tradition continent and when I think of some other examples, both big and small, all the the flavours work together to create one unique balanced profile.

Every flavour in this beer seems to be in a UFC match with the next one. The hops, the boozy bite, and the cloves cinnamon et al, seem to be locked in a royal rumble for who will come out as the spicy profile. Meanwhile, there's no malt to balance that craziness out.


Am I out in left field here?

Maybe if I don't like the hops so much, I need to just give the bottles a few weeks to settle down...

I really don't like writing bad things about a great brewery like GL, but it just makes me sad, a) because I love this style so much, and it so brief on a yearly basis and b) because there's now really only one GL seasonal I look forward to...Guess if I want good Ontario Pumpkin Ale, I have to wait for GR, which I will gladly do.

One final note, the reason why this style should be so important to us as Ontarians, is because well, out climate and soil produces damn good quality pumpkins!!! There's really no excuse...Sugar pumpkins are out now in farmers markets and they're awesome...

I'd gladly wait a few extra weeks if our local brewers used some quality local ingredients. One of the things this year is that I hope to get good enough at brewing to brew a pumpkin next season.

Anyways...
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Belgian
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Post by Belgian »

I'm eager to try this years though I'd agree the 2010 seemed more washed-out tasting than the excellent 2009. I'd put that original 2009 and Great Lakes Winter Ale among the proudest Ontario beers.
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JeffPorter
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Post by JeffPorter »

I'm really looking forward to other BTers responses on this beer, and I honestly hope I'm wrong, because I so much of what GL does.
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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ErkLR
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Post by ErkLR »

I had forgotten about a bottle of the 2010 in my fridge, and I had it a week or two ago. It was definitely too thin to me, I was wondering if that was because it didn't survive the fridge well enough.
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JerCraigs
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Post by JerCraigs »

The cask at Brew Market today was pretty decent. Did not try the draft version.
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JeffPorter
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Post by JeffPorter »

Good to hear about the cask...I think, as I said before, if I really don't like the hop profile, I can give it a few weeks in the bottle and hopefully I'll like it then.
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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andrewrg
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Post by andrewrg »

I don't really recall last year's version or the year before, but this definitely pales in comparison to the Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin. It was kind of watery with not much of a strong taste/aftertaste at all.
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Lecocq
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Post by Lecocq »

I think you hit the nail on the head with this one! I tried my first bottle of it last night. At first drink I thought, like you, where's the pumpkin?? It's decent enough tasting but just not as a pumpkin beer. Even the aroma is hardly there. When I was nearly done the bottle though, I did begin to taste a bit of the pumpkin and spices more or maybe I was telling myself that! It's definetly not like when I tried the St Ambroise Citrouille last year. It was litterly like pumpkin pie in a glass. Rich tasting, lovely aroma, just perfect. The Great Lakes I found a little on the thin side. My local LCBO is supposed to be receiving St Ambroise and Grand River Pumpkin this Wednesday and I am anxious to try both.
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liamt07
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Post by liamt07 »

This was phenomenal when I had it on cask at the Rhino for the Pumpkin event on Thursday. I've found the bottles and draught to be less rewarding.
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Post by Iceman »

I had my first bottle of this today and I was disappointed with it. I found the clove to be a little too prominate for me and I didn't get any actual pumpkin taste.
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mgmoney
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Post by mgmoney »

Had my first bottle of 2011 of this and have to agree I sensed very little pumpkin nose or flavours. I let it warm up as well thinking at first it was too cold and thus the muted flavours and aromas...I don't know..I love Great lakes but I have to say that the St Ambroise Citrouille is a much better example of this style...at least right now...
Everytime I learn something new I forget something old...like that time I learned to make wine and then forgot how to drive...
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Stroonze
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Post by Stroonze »

Tried all the pumpkin offerings this weekend and found that Southern Tier Pumking is above and beyond all the others. Thats the only one i will be buying again.
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RayOhm
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Post by RayOhm »

I didn't have last years pumpkin but I found it very thin as well. some hops in the finish made it okay, but the pumpkin flavour was, as you said, muddled. way too light. not something I would buy again.
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icemachine
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Post by icemachine »

Got hit with a big whack of phenols, clove and some plastic-y stuff when I sampled the Great Lakes Pumpkin at C'est What on Friday, I gave the Nickle Brook a higher mark for being a better rounded pumpkin ale even if it wasn't bold in any one direction.
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midlife crisis
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Post by midlife crisis »

I dunno ... I like it. Perhaps I don't like too much pumpkin in my Pumpkin beer (I found ST Pumpking to be cloying for example). I find this year's Great Lakes to be beautifully quaffable. It is definitely better not too cold, IMO. Has a lot more body and hop presence than last year's, and all for the better.
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