Millersburg Brewing Co. - Pope's Imperial Pumpkin Ale

We're back with another seasonal pumpkin beer ready to face our dreaded Drunken Jackos rating scale! But this time we have a slight surprise!!

Today's review will not be done by yours truly, but rather an old face familiar in the early days of this blog - my good brother, Scrapes!

It's been a while since he's thrown down some words around here, but he's still an active member of the yard haunt, so I'll be nice and throw him a bone every once in a while.

This particular beer is one that has been on my radar this season, only I hadn't had a chance to get to it yet. I'm quite curious to hear a review on this one, so take it away, Scrapes!!


Brewery: Millersburg Brewing Co. – Millersburg, OH
Brew: Pope’s Imperial Pumpkin – Ale Brewed with Pumpkin & Spices
Cajones: 9.0% ABV
Cost of Entry: 12 oz. can 4 pack: $9.99

Prior to moving into my dorm at Kent State University in 1996, Mom was in charge of outfitting me with all the dorm things I would need such as clean sheets, a shower caddy (?), an ungodly amount of Ramen noodles, and most memorably, a tiny little refrigerator.  

Faced with a wood-grained decal, that fridge has withstood the various stages of my adult life and today it serves handily as my basement beer fridge. Oh, and that little dial inside that controls the temperature got lost during those crazy college days (ok, it was one year, and then I was placed on academic probation), and I believe the fridge is permanently set to “Icelandic,” which I like.  

And so it has become an annual fall tradition, stocking that tiny fridge with a few different pumpkin ales. I snatched up this 4 pack from my local grocer. It’s malty and sweet whether enjoyed from the can or from a glass. I’m not too experienced with describing all the phases and food groups of beer tasting. There is a hint of spice and vanilla, and when I drink it, I smile and usually have another.  

I could compare this to another of my local pumpkin ale favorites, Fat Head’s Brewery’s Spooky Tooth.  Both are sold in 4-packs, and pack a wallop at 8%-9% ABV. I’ve seen Pope’s at numerous Akron-area beer sellers over the past few fall seasons, so if I were to give this beer an availability rating, I would say 8 out of 10.  


Looking the can, we see Wild Rosie, the smiling horse in a jack-o-lantern disguise. What do you know about Millersburg? What I know is that it is smack dab in the middle of Ohio’s Amish/farming community, dotted with rolling hills and undulating corn fields (where are there are no Ramen noodles found for miles). This unique setting lends a little mystique to the brewery and the beer. Pope’s Imperial Pumpkin easily scores a 4.5 out of 5 on the Drunken Jackos scale. 

So there you have it! A bold review by brother Scrapes! And with a rating THAT high, it looks like I'm running out to the local grocery store to score a 4 pack of this immediately!!