Tommyknocker - Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale

I know what you're thinking: "we thought this was Harvest beer week - this is a pumpkin ale!" Admittedly, we let this one in under the radar because: a) we couldn't find another harvest beer, b) it is a pumpkin harvest beer, and c) none of us had ever tried it before.

So, Day 5 brings Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale, purchased at Vintage Estate Wine & Beer.

The label is very descriptive, with a picture of a miner elf (a "Tommyknocker"), and it includes this story: "Tommyknockers slipped into the mining camps of Idaho Springs in the 1800's with the discovery of gold in our mountains and streams. These mischievous elves, though hardly ever seen, were often heard singing and working. They guided many fortune miners from harm's way and to the gold they sought." It also lists the key ingredients (pumpkin and molasses) which takes the guessing out of the taste (we assume, pre-taste). It is a spice/vegetable beer with 15 IBUs and 5% ABV.

Overall average rating: 8.0/10

The color is dark red, and it is soda-like in its carbonation with a quickly dissolving head**. It smells like pumpkin pie with aromas of molasses, pumpkin, cloves, cinnamon - you know, all of those delicious fall spices. The taste is similar to the smell, very much fitting the description on the label. It has a medium thickness and tastes like pumpkin pie with a slight metallic finish.

Shawn- I love the aroma; it has a homey, warming smell. The metallic taste takes it down a little for me, and I scored it a little lower because of that, but I would drink this again, 8/10.
Angela- I loooove pumpkin beers, and this was a really good one that I will drink again. It is more pumpkin than harvest tasting, so it belongs more to a week devoted to pumpkin beers, 8.5/10.
Chris- The smell is sweeter than the taste, so I was slightly disappointed. It is overall enjoyable and pleasant, and I will be drinking this again, 7.5/10.

**We have been pouring each beer from the bottle into individual tasting glasses. We believe this may be affecting the heads on these beers (i.e. why they seem to diminish so quickly). We will be changing our pouring to avoid this for future entries.