Ruinous astringent acridity envelops indistinct crisp-watered copper-browned autumn seasonal too solvent for scattered flavor profile to overcome. Soapy brown-sugared molasses entry fades to phenol nutmeg-cinnamon-allspice-clove spicing and slackened prune-dried raisin-fig dalliance. Earthen bottom picks up nut-skinned pumpkin, squash and sweet potato nuances. On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, blander 2012 version scattered musty earthen soiling across lemon-soured gourd spicing, dissipated caramel malting and teasing butternut buttress. Advertised molasses sapping apprehended by watery orange-dried finish.

Bland autumnal fare suffers from washed-out gourd spicing and soapy pumpkin-seeded vegetal astringency. Negligible white wheat wallow and listless phenol spicing get in the way of barren brown-sugared cinnamon-nutmeg blip, getting lost in a sea of bubbly hop fizz.

Exhilarating golden-hazed eggshell-headed pumpkin-spiced autumn seasonal retains creamy meringue frothiness and splendid herbal fruiting. Lemony banana wafer pleasantry soaks up cotton-candied sweetness, orange-oiled peppercorn seasoning, ginger rooted supplement and wet-papered nuance above plasticine clay-hopped density. Medicinal 9% alcohol burn contrasts smooth flow.

On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, fantastic amber-browned full body perfect as a creamy dessert treat. Robust pumpkin-pureed dark spicing deepened by dark roasted graining, dry-hopped char, and stiff boozy waft. Chewy caramelized Scotch malting sweetens brown-sugared cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice nuances. Serve to dark ale fanatics as richer alternative to lighter hued pumpkin ales.

Though no pumpkin is used, creamy cinnamon-toasted pumpkin pie entry offers resoundingly sweet autumnal flavoring. Cardamom, nutmeg and allspice vie for ancillary attention over hop-oiled leafy foliage to rye-breaded spine.

Amazingly detailed and perfectly balanced autumnal seasonal shows off an impressive entourage of flavors. Seductively soft-tongued (despite heady 8% alcohol whir), bringing luscious maple-sugared pumpkin-pied spicing to chewy caramelized marzipan center. Apple-glazed, orange-candied, cherry coughdrop opulence coats gingerbread-toasted cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice piquancy and onrushing rum-spiced whiskey kick. Sweet vanilla-banana dalliance adds further splendor.

Up-front pumpkin spicing receives thick honeyed malting and viscous wheat gluten above citric mandarin orange, clementine, and tangerine mildness. Light white-peppered hop bittering addled by steely diacetyl buttering, decreasing appeal of moderate-bodied 2010 autumnal.

Tinny metallic shard cuts too deep for pumpkin-spiced amber-hazed medium body. Muted pumpkin muffin illusion seeps into ginger-breaded nutmeg-cinnamon-cardamom seasoning, chai-spiced black tea bittering, and sharp alcohol whir. On second tasting, herbal gourd mustiness, earthen fungi acridity, and leafy hop bittering overload dank allspice-nutmeg spicing. Apple-seeded lemon-pitted black tea motif barely registers above iodine harshness.

Engaging 2010 autumnal treat amasses brown-sugared cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie incisiveness above crystal-malted vanilla-extracted nutmeg-allspice tingle. Muscat grape and sun-dried fig illusions coerce white-wined cider-sharp souring that may be off-putting to less creative drinkers. Fuzzy carbolic fizz washes away some flavoring. 2012 version: dryer gourd astringency suffocates musty pumpkin pie spicing, sweet-spiced berry fruiting, lickety-split lemon souring and beckoning sourdough yeastiness.

Splendid sharp-hopped mulling spices bring autumnal seasoning to smashingly rich, creamy, full-bodied dessert beer (arguably as indispensable as Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale used to be). Ripened pumpkin theme envelops large cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice-gingerbread contingent and tertiary banana-bruised apple-candied black cherry tang. Syrupy medicinal thickness outlasts vegetal gourd sway at expansive pumpkin-spiced finish. 2012 version gained pumpkin pureed sweetness as lilting bourbon and red cherry nuances added further dimension. 2016 version contrasted brown-sugared pumpkin spicing with sharper lemondrop tartness (and earthen gourd remnant).

Rich amber-hazed autumn seasonal with cookie dough-like yeast sinew and honey-roasted mocha malting receives sharp hop-spiced gourd acridity, revealing cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and gingerbread resonance adjacent to pumpkin pie crusting. Rigid phenol finish depletes tertiary sugared fig, almond, chestnut, and pecan illusions. Engaging dessert fodder. On tap at Biggie’s – 2016, sweeter gingerbread-spiced pumpkin pie template perseveres as spritzy lemon snip crackles.

Enjoyable sipping ale is part of Pugsley’s ’09 Signature Series. Heady 9% alcohol autumnal may lack expected pumpkin pie spicing, but lusciously creamy vanilla malting and hop-tingled cinnamon-spiced ginger-allspice-cardamom sweetness seep into warm gin-soaked boozing with gusto. Abrupt bruised lemon bittering counters advertised pumpkin-nutmeg influence, creating honeyed lemon illusion.