Both loved and despised, pumpkin-flavored beer exists as one of the most polarizing brewing styles. If you have never had it, or think they are a bit too fancy for you, maybe you don’t realize the many pumpkin ales that come with a big kick! Aged in rum or bourbon barrels, or part of an Imperial Stout, there are plenty of high-octane pumpkin beers to try.

Scorched Earth Brewing Company | Crypt Keeper Imperial Pumpkin Porter
8.3% ABV
Unlike the typical brownish-orange pumpkin ales, Crypt Keeper is as dark as night time in a graveyard. Comprised of chocolate, coffee, pumpkin and spices, it’s one of the more robust, flavorful pumpkin beers around. To fully appreciate each note, it’s best to drink it a little warm.

And, I would be remiss if I didn’t include the bone-chilling description provided by the Scorched Earth gang:

“After a glass of this beer is poured, allow it to warm in your hands. Imagine yourself on a bitterly cool night, lost in an overgrown section of ancient graveyard, amongst battered wrought iron and crumbling gravestones. A full moon is half obscured by a grey mist and eerie noises coming from the surround compete with the thumping of your own heartbeat. Dark is closing in...surrounding you. Your hands are cold and icy. It’s the time of year again when your imagination gets the best of you. Okay. How long has it been since you’ve been holding that glass? Is it time? Now close your eyes, draw in the beer’s aroma and slowly drink…As you vanquish the Crypt Keeper with each drink, the icy chill of the night is melted away and his hold on your soul will be complete.”

Avery Brewing Company | Rumpkin (Rum Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale)
16.7% ABV
Imagine soaking a pumpkin-spice cake with rum—that’s the idea behind Rumpkin. Avery takes a big pumpkin ale full of nutmeg, cinnamon and fall spices and throws it in rum barrels for a few months, which provides the added, flavorful reward of rum, oak and candied molasses notes.  

It’s a big, bad beer that’s a little boozy, a little pumpkin-y, a little rum-y. Most importantly, it's delicious.

Southern Tier Brewing Company (STBC) | Warlock Imperial Stout
10.0% ABV
STBC is renowned for making beers that offer big flavor, and Warlock is no different. Expect an abundance of roasted malt character, dark chocolate, a bit of coffee and pumpkin notes that arrive with every sip. There’s no shortage of flavor it this STBC classic, and at 10.0% ABV, you’ll feel the full onslaught of Warlock’s power.

Anderson Valley | Pinchy Jeek Barl Bourbon Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale
8.5% ABV
Aged for six months in Wild Turkey® barrels, the pumpkin ale includes typical spices consisting of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. However, with Pinchy Jeek, one also tastes bourbon, coconut, vanilla, and oak imparted by the oak aging. Although there’s a touch of booziness, the finish is remarkably creamy and smooth. But, at 8.5% ABV, the easy-drinking Pinchy Jeek packs a bit of a punch, so be careful.

Flying Dog Brewery | The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale
9.0% ABV  
Flying Dog’s version includes typical pumpkin spices, but The Fear also comes with chocolate, graham cracker, bountiful roast,  and some smoky notes that add depth to the pumpkin-pie flavoring. Those who love malty beers will enjoy The Fear, but subtle hoppiness comes through with each sip, too.

Ten Ninety | De Ogen Saison with Pumpkin and Spices
8.3% ABV
Belgian funk (sourness) makes this pumpkin beer stand out. The pumpkin spices and tartness meld together perfectly. The higher ABV cuts through the sweetness of the pumpkin, and base beer enjoys a nice breadiness, which all helps maintain the beer’s terrific balance, and allows De Ogen Saison to have a fuller body than many sour beers. And, the bubbly nature of De Ogen is a nice touch!

It’s also a great beer for Halloween. Read this description from Ten Ninety:

“De Ogen or “The Eyes” are spirits that haunt the Sonian Forest in Belgium where local legend recounts a series of gruesome murders and witnessed report small, shadow figures staring at them through a dense fog.”