Nothing like drinking a pumpkin ale while you carve a pumpkin!

Pumpkin ales are always popular this time of year. This fall I tried a couple I hadn't before. The first was Albuquerque's own Chama River Brewing Co's pumpkin ale. Now that I write this I can't remember what it was called, but I do remember that it was
delicious. I also tried a pumpkin ale from Buffalo Bill's brewery. I saw a six pack of it when I was browsing Kelly's seasonal selection. It was ok, but not the best I've had.


Chama River Brewing Co - Pumpkin Ale -

As to be expected it poured a medium mahogany color, I had it out of a glass at the Chama River restaurant. Definitely hints of pumpkin in the smell, with a little bit of spice. When I got to tasting it this characteristic stayed true. The pumpkin and spice taste is kind of subdued, but not in a bad way. Very pleasant and reasonably easy on the mouth, not too carbonated but not too smooth. Overall I'd give this one a B+/A-.


Buffalo Bills Brewery Pumpkin Ale - I drank this one out of a bottle. Had the same smell characteristics as the Chama River brew. The first thing I noticed about this pumpkin ale was that the mouthfeel was very, very light. Almost frothy. That caught me off guard a little bit. There was only a light amount of pumpkin and spice taste, barely noticeable toward the end of a swallow. I'll give Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale a C+ and write it down as one I'll have to try again. Kind of disappointing to have so little taste for such a specialized brew.