12 oz. bottle
4.5% ABV
Note: I looked on every bottle and the 6-pk container itself and there is no information on any dates (Best By, Born On, etc.). However, there is a tracking number. Not that it does much good for determining how old the beer is.
$12.39 6-pk @ Publix

AROMA: Slightly sweet with a bit of acridness. Moderate scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin. It's somewhat akin to the smell of a pumpkin pie, but the acridness gives it almost a chemical, or unnatural, smell.

APPEARANCE: Pours a slightly-cloudy medium-amber color with a moderate (2-finger), dirty-tan head that has a tight-froth and dissipates somewhat quickly with moderate lacing.

TASTE: Mildly sweet followed by a bit of alcohol/metallic "twang". Flavors are fairly muted with cinnamon being the most predominant, followed by pumpkin and then nutmeg. The finish is mildly dry.

MOUTHFEEL: I would classify this as medium-bodied, but just barely, as it is a tad on the thin side. Texture is on the rough side, which is mainly due to that "twang" making the taste buds a bit rigid. Carbonation seems to be a little above average as I seem to get a lot of "fizz" every time I take a sip.

OVERALL: The smell is slightly sweeter than the flavor, which is no big deal. What I do have an issue with is the "twang" in the aroma and flavor. While I don't abhor it, per se, I do find it to be out of place and distracting. Get rid of it, and I think this would be a solid pumpkin beer. I bought a 6-pack, so if I just got a bad bottle, then there are 5 more chances to change my mind about this beer.

12 oz. bottle
8.6% ABV
Best By: 07/23/2027
$13.99 4-pk @ Publix

AROMA: Sweet with significant scents of caramel that smells exactly like the Kraft soft caramel candy that I used to eat as a kid. Unfortunately, that's about the only aroma I can detect. No pumpkin, no spices, just caramel. Still, I do find it to be quite appealing. Okay, as the beer warms, I start to get some strong aromas of booze and the caramel turns to more of a butterscotch. I like the butterscotch, but could do without the booze scent.

APPEARANCE: Pours a cloudy medium-amber color with a short (1-finger), cream-colored head that has a medium-bubbled froth that dissipates moderately quickly with almost no lacing.

TASTE: Slightly sweet with a bit of an alcohol "tinge". Flavors are predominantly caramel and butterscotch, but I do get minor notes of clove and cinnamon with the cinnamon continuing all the way through the end of the finish. As the beer warms, I am getting a fair amount of booziness during the finish, which I am finding to be a bit unpleasant.

MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with a smooth (but not silky) texture. Carbonation is average.

OVERALL: The nose promises more sweetness than the flavor actually delivers. Which, for me, is a good thing as I think if this beer were sweeter than it would become cloying on the palate. For the most part, I like the beer. However, this is one of those rare beers that is best when drunk cold, because when it warms up, the booze scent and flavor greatly detract from the experience. I would also like more pumpkin flavor, but sadly, that seems to be my critique for most pumpkin beers. So I'm beginning to think that it is more of a "it's me, not you" scenario. A guy can dream, though. [sigh]

12 oz. bottle
8.6% ABV
Best By: 07/09/2028
$13.49 4-pk @ Publix

AROMA: Sweet with significant scents of maple syrup (think syrup covered pancakes at IHOP). While it has a VERY appetizing aroma, it is also very one note (i.e. maple, and nothing but maple). To be fair, the word MAPLE on the label is in the very largest of type. So I was sufficiently "warned". :)

APPEARANCE: Pours an opaque black with a medium tall (2-finger) head, that is light tan in color and has a medium sized froth that dissipates somewhat quickly with moderate lacing. Head retention could use some improvement, but otherwise, it looks like every good stout should ... dark and inviting.

TASTE: Sweet with large maple flavor, followed by a bit of vanilla. During the finish I actually got a touch of the underlying stout and a hint of nutmeg, which were quickly replaced by more maple. What I didn't get was any of the promised pumpkin. :(

MOUTHFEEL: Full-bodied with silky-smooth texture. Carbonation seems a little less than average. It's got a luscious unctuousness that makes the beer go down, oh so easy. Which, given the high ABV, could become an issue. Then again, after one or two, you probably stop caring about it possibly being an issue and reach for another. :)

OVERALL: Okay, here's the deal ... the word MAPLE is in giant letters on the label for a reason. It's not for marketing purposes, but rather a warning/promise of the significant maple-ness contained within. Aroma and taste are maple, followed by more maple, and ending with maple.

Honestly, as maple-dominate as this was, I actually liked the beer. I just wish it had more pumpkin. Normally, I'd suggest more spice too, but in this case, I think the maple and spices would combat each other. So it should either be pumpkin and spices, or pumpkin and maple. But that's just me.

So the question I ask myself after trying a new beer is ... would I buy it again? If it's a pumpkin beer I'm looking for, then the answer is "No" because there is little to no pumpkin flavor. But if I'm looking for something fun and different, then the answer is "Yes" because, even though it's on the sweet side, it was pretty tasty and the hit-you-over-the-head-with-maple actually works for this beer.

12 oz. bottle
5.0% ABV
Best By: 04/30/2027
$10.99 6-pk @ Publix

AROMA: Mild pumpkin and spice. While I do detect spice, the scent is so faint that I can't really pick out any individual spices. As the beer warms, I am able to (barely) detect cinnamon and nutmeg, individually. It's definitely an improvement over fresh-out-of-the-fridge, but I would be happier with just a touch more odoriferous stimulation.

APPEARANCE: Pours a (mostly) clear medium-amber color, with a short head (1/2 finger), off-white color, and has a fine-bubbled froth that dissipates moderately slow with fair lacing. It's an okay looking beer. I just wish the head had been taller, initially. Otherwise, it's perfectly fine.

TASTE: I'm first hit with moderate sweetness and flavors of pumpkin, followed by mild flavors of cinnamon and maybe a wisp of nutmeg. The finish has a little bit of bitterness, that is just the right amount. As the beer warms it becomes just a skosh sweeter and the spices become a bit more detectable (hurray!).

Overall, the flavors are on the mild side (especially the spices). However, I will say that the pumpkin is the dominant flavor. So I give the brewer credit for making a "real" pumpkin beer (i.e. one that makes pumpkin the star).

MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with a smooth texture that has just the tiniest bit of creaminess to it. Carbonation is average. As the beer warms it seems to become a bit creamier, but maybe that's just because, by that time, a lot of the carbonation has already escaped.

OVERALL: I had my first one the other day and I was a bit disappointed with it as the flavors (and texture) seemed watered down. Today, however, as I'm reviewing the beer, I'm finding it to be more likable, as I'm not getting that watered-down impression. Maybe my taste buds were off on that first one, or maybe I got a bad bottle. At any rate, today, I'm finding it to be a fairly decent pumpkin beer. That is, as long as you let it warm up to 55℉, or so.

Would I buy it again? Given its mildness, I'm not entirely sure. But I am enjoying it, so it's definitely good enough to make my "maybe" list.

16 oz. can
8.5% ABV
Note: I looked on every can and the 4-pk container itself and there is no information on any dates (Best By, Born On, etc.), nor any other type of batch-specific information (lot number, tracking number, etc.). In this day and age, I find that a little unsettling.
$18.49 4-pk @ Publix

AROMA: Mildly sweet with moderate scents of latte and nutmeg, followed by mild scents of cinnamon. To be honest, I don't really get any pumpkin aroma at all. But that may be due to the nutmeg being so dominant.

APPEARANCE: Pours a cloudy, medium-amber color with a short, cream-colored head that dissipates quickly with minimal lacing. About the only "gripe" I have is that I wished the head dissipated at a slower rate.

TASTE: This tastes exactly like it smells. Lots of latte and nutmeg, at the front. Followed by medium amounts of cinnamon, at the rear. And again, I can't really distinguish anything that I would classify as "pumpkin". It might be in there, but if it is, then the other flavors drown it out.

I had hoped that as the beer warmed, the pumpkin would come out. But it did not. The only things that became more noticeable were the cinnamon and the vanilla. The sweetness level, also, got a small bump.

MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with a smooth texture. Carbonation seems to be a little above average.

OVERALL: I have to say, that I have never had a "pumpkin" beer like this one. Mostly because the "spice" portion is so heavily weighted towards nutmeg. Whereas, the pumpkin beers I'm familiar with, all have a more even balance between the spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, etc.). Sure, some of those beers were heavy-handed with the spices, but at least you could taste each, individual spice. This one, not so much.

Initially, I found the flavor to be a refreshing change from the average pumpkin beer (and I give the brewer props for trying something different). However, the longer I sip on this one, the more I find the nutmeg to be off-putting. Oddly enough, I kinda like the latte flavor. It adds a nice twist, and doesn't seem to fatigue my palate.

All-in-all, it's a beer that I was happy to experience ... but probably not one I will revisit.

500ml (1 pt. 0.9 oz.) can
5.8% ABV
Packaged on: 2026.04.29
Best by: 2027.04.29
$10.99 4-pk @ Publix

AROMA: Moderately sweet with scents of malt, biscuit, and caramel. It's fairly nice, although I wish the nose was just a little more pronounced.

APPEARANCE: Pours a clear light-gold color with a tall (like 3-fingers!!), white, coarsely-frothy head, that dissipates slowly with excellent lacing. The color looks a little unappetizing to me. It either needs to be a darker gold or a lighter yellow. As it is now, it looks a little too close to "body water", for my tastes. But it could also just be the lighting in my room.

TASTE: Initial taste is mild, but sharp, bitterness followed by light sweetness with flavors of caramel and malt. The finish is moderately dry with more bitterness and a bit of astringency. A simple flavor profile that works pretty well, and holds to the characteristics of most Festbiers (i.e. dryer and more bitter than a Märzen).

MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with an ever-so-slightly abrasive texture. Carbonation seems to be a little above average.

OVERALL: It's your typical, well made, Festbier. Although, I do find it to be a little dryer and bitter, than the Festbiers that I have tried in the past few years. Still, it's a nice change of pace from the sweeter Märzens, yet still remains just as drinkable (i.e. you can have several without getting snockered or fatiguing your palate). However, it's not one that I would buy again, anytime soon. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice enough beer. It's just that if a seasonal beer doesn't completely wow me, then I would prefer to try something new the next time.