Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale

Blue Moon Brewing Company
Golden, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
White, foamy head that fades fast. Crisp orange-brown color.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet–all malt. No hop aroma. Caramel apple character, some nuttiness.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: Malty, fades to a slight bitter finish. No hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Very little of the promised spice. SLIGHT pumpkin sourness, very subtle clove/spice at the front.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Full mouth-feel, effervescent, fairly dry.

OVERALL: 2/3: It's an amber–if they didn't say pumpkin on the label, we wouldn't have thought of it. A bit overcarbonated, but a good, crisp fall beer.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I was hoping for more spice, but it was not to be. A decent amber, that's about it.
Ben: A good amber, good for a Coors product. Not overwhelming pumpkin, but that's as it should be.

O'Fallon Pumpkin Beer

O'Fallon Brewing Company
O'Fallon, Missouri

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Hazy, gold-orange. Pumpkin color. Some head that lingers along the side of the glass.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Pumpkin and spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, all-spice. Smells like pumpkin bread or pie. No hop.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: All malt, no real hop aroma or flavoring. Some slight bitterness. Lots of body.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Slightly bitter finish. Subtle pumpkin and spices–clove, cinnamon, nutmeg– not overwhelming. Still is a beer at heart. Slightly nutty notes.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: A little watery. Tart up front–nicely spiced.

OVERALL: 2.5/3
A unique Fall seasonal/Thanksgiving dinner beer. Not as pumpkin pie overwhelming as most pumpkin beers but nicely spiced. Definitely not a session beer.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Scored high, but as a stand-alone beer. It's unique and well-done. One is enough though.
Ben: It's like drinking beer with pumpkin bread. Good to try or have around the dinner table in Autumn, but Matt's right–one is enough.