All Pumpkined Up

The Coors entry, brewed in Toronto, tastes of roasted pumpkin, which is kind of gourdy. Where’s the spice and sweetness?

Dogfish Head, renowned for smack-in-the-face beers, surprises and pleases with a sweet, solid brown ale frosted with pumpkin and spices.

The Great Pumpkin—dark orange, with pumpkin and spice aroma bursting out of the glass—is full-bodied and boldly flavored. A real pie-in-a-glass effect.

Pumpkinhead is light orange with a fizzy white head, yielding a hint of vanilla in a sweet, light ale.

Sidesteps the “How do you drink three slices of pumpkin pie?” issue by being an ale with a hint of pumpkin rather than a pumpkin ale.

One of the first pumpkin ales, Post Road is subdued and not overly sweet.

This one’s got some real gourd going on, subtly spiced. It finishes clean and bitter, a refreshing change amid all this pie beer.

Like a pumpkin-pie cracker: brisk, light, and gone quickly.