Tröegs Brewing - Master Of Pumpkins Ale

FIFTEEN DAYS into October and not ONE pumpkin beer review!? How could I have let this happen? It's way past time to right this wrong!

Every October, I like to pick up a few six packs of whatever seasonal pumpkin beer is on the local grocer's shelves, bring them home and sample them, and then write a highly-scientific and accurate review, based on my highly scientific Drunken Jackos Rating Scale. So let's get to it!

First up is Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins. I actually reviewed this 7.5% ABV limited seasonal pumpkin ale a couple of times in years past, but it's a treat to find on the shelf and has always ranked pretty high, so I immediately grabbed a 4-pack for the fridge.

Upon cracking the 16-ounce "tallboy" can open, the beer poured a nice rich copper hue with an earthy, nutty, and slight cinnamon-sweet note, all capped with a firm, foamy head.

On first taste, there was a slightly malty, dry, roasted nut spice flavor. But it was smooth and balanced, not at all overpowering.

As I continued to drink this beer, the flavors opened up a bit, releasing the dry maltiness and leaving a smoother, toasted nut flavor. 

It definitely sits on the opposite side of the pumpkin ale spectrum to the cinnamon-sweet, pumpkin pie-flavored ales. There's no real sweetness here, but it does have a really great earthy flavor (all those Pennsylvania pumpkins!), making this a perfect beer to drink on a chilly October night.

And because this beer really nails that "from the earth" nut flavor and remains very drinkable throughout, Troegs' Master of Pumpkins gets 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos. This one is highly recommended!

  

Tröegs Brewing - Master Of Pumpkins Ale

Here we are at the last week of October, and I haven't done one single pumpkin beer review on the dreaded Drunken Jackos scale yet. Three full weeks gone by!

Truth be told, I have been battling a lingering head cold for the past couple of weeks, so an accurate review wouldn't have been possible. And I don't want to cheat any brewery out of a fair and accurate review! So after an unfortunate delay, it's finally time to dive in...

First up is Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins. Now I actually reviewed this limited seasonal pumpkin ale back in 2019, but it's a treat to find on the shelf, so I immediately grabbed a 4-pack for the fridge.

This year's beer came in a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans, as opposed to the corked big bottle from a few years prior. Upon cracking it open, the beer poured a nice rich copper hue with an earthy, nutty, and slight cinnamon-sweet note, all capped with a firm, foamy head.

On first taste, there was a slightly malty, dry, roasted nut spice flavor. But it was smooth and balanced, not at all overpowering.

As I continued to drink this beer, the flavors opened up a bit, releasing the dry maltiness and leaving a smoother, toasted nut flavor. 

It definitely sits on the opposite side of the pumpkin ale spectrum to the cinnamon-sweet, pumpkin pie-flavored ales. There's no real sweetness here, but it does have a really great earthy flavor, making this a perfect beer to drink on a chilly October night.

And because this beer really nails that "from the earth" nutflavor and remains very drinkable throughout, Troegs' Master of Pumpkins gets 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos.

I highly recommend this one, especially as we head into the waning days of Autumn. It might not be easy to find on your local store shelf, but getting some would be a welcome October treat.

  

Tröegs Brewing - Master Of Pumpkins Ale

Another week, another pumpkin beer sampled and ready to face the dreaded Drunken Jackos rating scale!

This week, I'm reviewing a beer that was near the top of my pumpkin beer want list. Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins is a once-a-year limited release, so finding it required more than just simply going to the local grocery store and plucking it off the shelf. Luckily, I was able to find the highly-coveted 4-pack at a local liquor agency.

After giving it a day to chill in my refrigerator, I greedily grabbed a bottle and scampered off to my office to sample my little treasure. I didn't realize that it is recommended to be served in a chalice as opposed to a standard pint glass, so I had to get fancy with a Great Lakes Christmas Ale chalice (although in hindsight, seems a little bit sacrilegious with THAT holiday's title emblazoned on the glass...). I untwisted the wire cap, popped the cork from the 12.7 ounce bottle and poured away...

I was expecting big things from this beer, and Master of Pumpkins did not disappoint. It poured a velvety rich, dark red/amber color with a nice thick head. It gave off a unique, slightly earthy, nutty note with a hint of wood.

Upon first taste, a slight tangy sweetness quickly gave way to a bold, dry malty flavor at the back of the tongue. Something much different to the sea of other pumpkin beers out there.

The only ding was a slight, lingering sour tartness throughout that I didn't care for.

But as I let the beer breathe a bit, the taste actually opened up with a nice sweetness, pushing that sour flavor back a bit. And I was eventually rewarded with a nice clean, dry, semi-sweet pumpkin flavor aftertaste, which was unexpected and pleasant.

Overall, I was really impressed with the complexity of this beer. The flavors changed as it breathed, improving the overall experience. I would give this at least a 4.5 on the scale, but that little bit of sourness brought it back just a bit for me. I'm not sure if it was the clove or the French Saison yeast, but pulling back on it during brewing might make this one of the best pumpkin beers out there.

Still, I really like this beer and how unique it was versus most other "pumpkin pie cinnamon sweet" pumpkin beers out there, so Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins still gets a 4 out of 5 on the Drunken Jackos scale.

I really recommend this one, if you can find it. Just be patient and let it breathe. Give it time to mellow and you will be rewarded.

And yes, I can't end this review without stating the obvious. Every time I type "Master of Pumpkins," I smile because I can only thing of one thing. Cheers to you, Troegs!!