Pumpkin Ale -- Buffalo Bill's (Hayward, CA)

After the Oktoberfests, my favorite beverage of the autumn is a hearty pumpkin ale.  Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to brew with fruit... the first pumpkin I tried this year was so bad that I didn't even review it.  Buffalo Bill's, however, does know something about fruit, as shown by their brilliant Orange Blossom Cream Ale.

Characteristics: Rich amber-brown color, medium body, medium-to-high carbonation, tangy amber start that mellows through the pumpkin and slight cinnamon flavor to a nutmegy finish.

Minor Gripes: Unfortunately for the average American beer drinker, the flavors really don't burst until this beer warms up a lot... definitely skip the frosted glass.  Also, the nutmeg sometimes resolves to a bitter aftertaste -- the pumpkin doesn't hold through the finish.

Bottom Line: Among the better pumpkin beers I've sampled, and perhaps the only where one can enjoy more than one in a sitting.

Rating: 6 / 10