Fair canned pumpkin ale leans on the vegetal side just a tad as roasted pumpkin-seeded tone overrides thin caramel-malted cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice seasoning. Acrid squash and zucchini illusions settle behind spritzy lemony hop soaping.

On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, well-integrated medium-full body balances cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie expectancy with gingerbread cookie doughing and light vanilla accents. Roasted pumpkin, sweet potato pie and yam illusions simmer in the backdrop. Just a tad richer than usual autumnal competition. In the bottle, brown-sugared pumpkin pie sweetness promotes candy-glazed cinnamon spicing as lemony hop spritz prickles delicate nutmeg-allspice seasoning.

Outstandingly complex full-bodied Imperial styling offsets sweet pumpkin pie spicing with vegetal butternut-squash-zucchini-yam ripeness, caraway-seeded rye breading  and carrot-caked vanilla icing. Chewy wheat-honeyed caramel malting reinforces brown-sugared cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice-coriander-clove seasoning. Dried-fruiting bruised cherry, sugared fig and stewed prune illusions deepen impact while soured lemony orange snip adds supple backdrop.

On tap at Three Wise Monks, gargantuan pumpkin pie sweetness deepened by generous cinnamon-nutmeg-gingerbread-clove spicing above molasses-sapped caramel malting and chewy vanilla-dipped cookie dough yeast. Sugary rum whir provides subdued alcohol burn to rich pumpkin pureed finish.

On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, atypical pumpkin-spiced blonde ale spreads dry orange-oiled lemon rind fruiting and reedy earthen hop rusticity across diffident gourd influence. Subtle coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger spicing insufficient backing up plastique pumpkin pie sedation. In the bottle, meatier pumpkin influence affects brown-sugared spicing, overripe gourd sweetness and refined vegetal whim, bettering tapped version.

On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, reticent ruby-browned medium body brings wispy hop bittering to pumpkin puree passivity. Brown-sugared gingerbread, nutmeg and cinnamon spicing meanders above baked bread bottom. Gourd-related squash and zucchini undertones add vegetal notch to semi-sweet rum-buttered pumpkin spicing. Ancillary chestnut, cola nut and pecan notions simmer in the backdrop.

Streamlined aluminum-canned autumn seasonal needs deeper pumpkin-spiced sentiment. Wayward gingerbread, cinnamon and nutmeg spicing falls off as bland zucchini-yam conflux beats down initial pumpkin pie crusting. Raw pumpkin earthniess shadows zesty lemon splurge, contrasting sweeter pumpkin-sugared alacrity.    

On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, jutting vanilla-creamed pumpkin puree sweetness overrides stingy vegetal gourd earthiness and resinous hop foliage. Brown-sugared cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and clove spicing provides expected seasonality above honeyed Graham cracker backbone, but fails at efficiently amplifying meaty pumpkin frontage. 

On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, flagship English strong ale given dryer fall-styled pumpkin spicing to combat sugary crystal malt sweetness. Brown-sugared dried fruiting and teasing cinnamon-clove-allspice seasoning contrast earthen gourd dryness. Lemony pumpkin puree finish feels too casual, but never goes adrift. 

Crisply clean autumnal medium body places vegetal squash, butternut and fennel influences above subtle hop-spiced lemon pitted bittering and dry yellow wood shavings. Mild cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger seasoning coats its metallic edge. Dry earthen nature recalls English India Pale Ale and Extra Special Bitter stylings.

Affluent pumpkin puree spicing saddles plastique gin-soaked boozing and astringent hop sharpness up-front. For contrast, brown-sugared nutmeg, cinnamon and pecan illusions gain sweetness, picking up light vanilla sweetness over time. On tap at Blue Ribbon Tavern one year hence (2014), subtle rum barrel aging adds sweeter pumpkin affluence to cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice spicing, picking up peppier carbolic spritz, friskier hop snap and gluey paper mache pasting.