Happy Halloween! To celebrate the holiday I’m posting the first of several in-depth reviews of pumpkin beers (and cider), with details about the beers and some extra Q&A with the brewers. Sort of a “Pumpkin Beer Project” for the season—and no, pumpkin beer season doesn’t end with Halloween.

First up, Pumpkin Bier from pFriem Family Brewers of Hood River, Oregon.

pFriem Family Brewers opened in 2012 on the waterfront of the Columbia River. Inspired by Belgian brewing traditions, brewmaster and founder Josh Pfriem set out “to meld European and Northwestern brewing traditions to create his own signature brand.” pFriem has amassed an impressive number of awards in the seven years it’s been open, including Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year at the 2018 GABF.

Pumpkin Bier is brewed with Belgian ale yeast for a Belgian-y inflection to complement the pumpkin and spices. The description from the website says:

Each batch of pFriem Pumpkin Bier is made with fresh pumpkin and real spices in addition to the standard malt and hops. That’s why every pint is overflowing with aromas of vanilla, notes of cinnamon and a touch of caramel. We think you’ll agree that it’s just as flavorful as mom’s pumpkin pie and there’s no baking required.

The recipe features a simple malt and hop bill, with Gambrinus Canadian Pilsner malt and Styrian Golding hops. Pumpkin Bier is 6.9% ABV and 15 IBUs. The site lists pumpkin puree and roasted pumpkin, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger root, and Jamaican allspice, in the ingredients.

I reached out to Lindsay Allen, a brewery rep friend of mine, with some additional questions about this beer.

I see both pumpkin puree and roast pumpkin are used; how/at what stage(s) are they incorporated into the brew?
We roast cubed pumpkin in house and add it to the mash. We then turn up the volume with pumpkin puree in the boil.

Similar question for the spices– how are those used? (e.g. end of boil, in the secondary/conditioning, etc.)
We “Dry Spice” in the fermenter. Similar to a dry hop, but with freshly ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger.

When was Pumpkin Bier first brewed?
Autumn of 2014

Adding pumpkin to the mash and the boil gives the best of both methods, extracting some sugars and flavors in the mash while amping up the “pumpkin” flavor contribution during the boil.

The 375ml bottle is corked and caged, like many of the brewery’s specialty and seasonal offerings.

Appearance: Pours an unfiltered amber-orange color that borders on brown. A bit of copper glints when held to the light. The head is off-white, fizzy, and breaks to a ring but stays persistent throughout.

Smell: Spicy notes of cinnamon stick, a touch of clove, vanilla… a bit cola-like. There’s a kiss of yeasty phenolics the complements the pie spices. Lightly malty with toffee in the spine.

Taste: Spicy kick with a bit of ginger and Belgian clove-y yeast phenols, while the cinnamon is present but mellow. Light caramel malt note with a noticeable vegetal/squash flavor that lightens up the body. Nice pumpkin character which leads me more towards the puree in the boil (bit more of a “raw” squash than roasted, though there’s some of that too) and the spices are well balanced and restrained.

Mouthfeel: Well-to-highly carbonated and a medium body with a lingering caramelized squash note and spices at the back, leaving a creamy-ish cinnamon and vanilla flavor. Did I mention the carbonation is lively?

Overall: Tasty, Belgian-inflected example of the style, which I found increasingly enjoyable as I drank through it. I could taste the pumpkin and the spices are handled quite well.

pFriem’s Pumpkin Bier is a solid, reliable example of how to get pumpkin ale right, and it should be in your fridge every autumn.