Elysian Brewing was born in Seattle. But as fall kicks into full swing, you won’t find anything approaching the Pumpkin Spice Latte flavor fellow Washington juggernaut Starbucks has developed into a national frenzy in their beers.
Pumpkin, sure. Hell, they’ve got four nationally distributed pumpkin beers ranging from ales to stouts and crushable to heavy. But there’s no pie-adjacent, sugary-sweet brew amongst their flagship beers despite the neverending rising tide of pumpkin spice … everything. That’s on purpose.
“Starbucks has a reputation as a soccer mom, SUV type drink,” founder Joe Bisacca told me midway through a pumpkin beer tasting session. “I think Elysian’s vein is more ’72 [Dodge] Challenger. There’s a little more edge to it. Latte inspired? Maybe, but we’ll put a twist on it that’s a little more edgy.”
That doesn’t mean there aren’t spiced beers in the company’s portfolio. Crack open a bottle of Night Owl Pumpkin Ale and you’ll get plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg right from the first whiff — it just won’t be Starbucks sugary, and it will be unmistakably Elysian. It also doesn’t mean those sweeter beers don’t exist at all — just that their distribution is limited to the brewery’s annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival.
“We do 10-12 pumpkin beers each year to fill out Pumpkin Fest,” Cellermaster Dan Beyer said. “We go as eclectic as one can — a straight up PSL clone is not unheard of. You’ll hear multiple instances of “latte” in our Pumpkin Fest lineup this year.”
That’s great if you’re in Washington to help bartenders drain a hollowed-out, 1,800-pound gourd on the festival grounds. You’ll also get to try guest brews in styles like pumpkin pickle beer, cinnamon roll stout and apple cobbler ale — two-thirds of which sound pretty good.
But if you’re, say, stuck in Wisconsin your options are limited to Elysian’s core four pumpkin beers. And while I’m wishy-washy on the topic — there are so many ways to do pumpkin ales and every brewery’s take is different, leading to a wild variation even before you get to overall quality — I’d be remiss if I didn’t tuck into this year’s pack from a trusted brewer.
Let’s see how it tastes.
Night Owl Pumpkin Ale: B+
That sweetness lingers, but the first sip proves this is more beer than gimmick. There’s a little bitterness to balance that pumpkin off, keeping it from feeling like a dessert despite how it smells. The cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice shine through but never overpower.
If you’re someone who wants a hard pumpkin spice flavor, you might be a little disappointed. If you want something cleaner and less blatantly sweet, this is your jam. “Our schtick is balance; taking a traditional style and turning it on its head. In this case, that’s an Oktoberfest.” said founder David Buhler.
“We don’t want palate burnout. We want you to be able to drink five or six of these throughout the night … spices should be balanced, flavors should be balanced and alcohol should be moderate.”
Yeah, with 26 years of experience they got there. This season version tastes a little bit better than last year’s, but that might just be me.
Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale: B+
It pours denser but tastes thinner, despite less carbonation. There’s more of a boozy current involved and the spice isn’t as prevalent. It’s not overpowering by any means, however. Off the top of my head I’d call this a six percent ABV annnnnd, nope, 8.4. Hooo buddy, this could be a PROBLEM.
The spice that lingers off the top of the pour informs how this one plays out. It’s got a little more depth than the Night Owl and it pays off its extra ABV with flavor. Maybe that makes it more of a sipper. Or maybe you drink it like a standard lager and time travel to tomorrow. Both are good options.
Punkuccino Coffee Pumpkin Ale: A-
The pumpkin spice is comparatively muted compared to the other beers, but it’s there. Lactose keeps the brew from retaining its coffee bean acidity. While it smells like cold brew off the top, that sharpness is rounded off with sweetness and spice; allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon if I’d have to guess, but at this point we all know my spice game is lacking. It’s at least one of those two, let’s say.
I think it honestly works better as a spiced coffee ale than a pumpkin beer. The fruit itself is there, but it’s a background player. What you’ve got instead is just a pretty fine beer, regardless of style.
Dark o' the Moon Pumpkin Stout: B
“Cinnamon is the star here,” Bisacca told the tasting group. It pours heavy, with a little extra density compared to its pumpkin compatriots. That spice is notable right from the first sniff, though there’s some roasty malt and a little bit of that pumpkin pie waiting underneath.
If I have a blind spot here it would be a stout, but this checks a lot of boxes for me. The heavy breakfast malts weave into the pumpkin cinnamon sweetness with ease, finishing pale and dry despite its black color. It’s more of a sipper than its brethren and the booze here — 7.5 percent ABV — is more evident than it was in the more potent Great Pumpkin.
That means it loses some of the replay value of Elysian’s other pumpkin beers, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s just diversifying the portfolio of an already dense fall lineup. It lives up to the company’s standard; a change of pace beer that’s complex and rewarding as long as you’re willing to sip through it.
