Shipyard Brewing Co. - Smashed Pumpkin

I've been busy trying to get things done in the garage all evening, but I was sure to leave just a little bit of time to enjoy another pumpkin-flavored cold one. So let's fire up the Drunken Jackos rating scale!

Tonight, I'm trying Shipyard Brewing Co.'s Smashed Pumpkin.

One of the first pumpkin beers I had ever reviewed was Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale, way back in 2011. It reviewed favorably, and this beer is a bolder extension of that review.

Smashed Pumpkin, which clocks in at an impressive 9.0% ABV, pours a warm copper color with a full, carbonated head. An interesting, sweet pumpkin aroma is released and transfers over to first taste. It's subtle, which helps prevent it for crossing over to the "pumpkin pie" sweetness. That overall subtlety remains until a slightly dry, almost nutty aftertaste lingers at the end.

What really stands out is the smoothness of flavor, especially for a beer at this ABV. It's definitely one that could very easily sneak up on you and leave you with a... smashed pumpkin in the morning. And because of that, Shipyard Brewing Co.'s Smashed Pumpkin gets 3.5 out of 5 Drunken Jackos.

This is another recommended pumpkin beer. The subtlety is quite unexpected and is a pleasant surprise, making this quite enjoyable. Seek out the 4-pack of "tall-boy" cans with that great jack-o-lantern face on the label!