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Beer of the Day - BOTD - 2021

Saw this today and just had to try it...
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Black Pumpkin.jpeg
 
I'd like to know, too. I've avoided pumpkin beers; can't comprehend what they'd taste like, and I'm reluctant to pay to find out.
Looks interesting. How was it?
It pours more of a medium to dark brown than what the photo might suggest, it's moderately translucent in the glass and definitely smells of pumpkin spice. The mouthfeel, while relatively thick and smooth, is nowhere near what I'm used to in an oatmeal stout. Pumpkin spice flavors dominate upfront, then there's a pretty stiff hit of bitterness. The finish is strongly bitter/alcoholic.

That was me trying to be objective. My personal opinion is, I don't care for it. To my way of thinking, Black Pumpkin is more of a porter than it is a stout, meaning lighter and less full-bodied. Not that I don't enjoy a good porter from time to time, but had it been labeled as a porter I wouldn't have gone into my first tasting expecting a stout. And my preference in oatmeal stouts is for a thick, velvety mouthfeel, and a low bitterness; enough to balance the sweetness, but not overwhelm it. Black Pumpkin has an almost IPA level of hoppiness, and a dry, alcohol finish on my palate, both of which are just not my style.
 
That was a darned good review! Thanks.
Thank YOU. I don't think I've ever reviewed a beer before and I certainly don't consider myself a connoisseur, just your average "beer snob" really. I did home brew for a while, years ago, so I do have some background I guess.

More to the point, I really wanted to like Black Pumpkin; I like most of the pumpkin ales I've tried and I really like oatmeal stouts generally speaking, so this seemed like a good fit, though in all honesty I was a little dubious about the buy right from the start. It's not a bad beer, I guess, it's just not for me. When it comes to oatmeal stouts, I'm much more of a Samuel Smith sort of guy.
 
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