Carolina Beer Co. Cottonwood Pumpkin Spiced Ale

Brewed with pale and crystal malts, a touch of hops and a special blend of spices to produce a subtle spicy character.

3.2

165 reviews

Mooresville, United States

Community reviews

3.6 Pour is an orange with a large white head. Aroma is nutmeg with a decent pumpkin. Flavor is the same lots of spice up front with a nice pumpkin rounding things out. This was a very tasty beer.

3.1 Bottle. Pours an opaque reddish brown rust color with minimal head. Wow, lots of pumpkin spice abound in the nose on this one with some notes of cinnamon as well. Sweet pumpkin taste along with allspice and nutmeg. If this is what pumpkin ale tastes like then I guess it’s ok but I’mnot a huge fan in the end. Medium mouthfeel.

3.1 12oz bottle. dark orange, black tea color under a small head. aroma of cinnamon and pumpkin. flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, light nutmeg, and apple cider. juicy palate. some melted caramel in the background. the apple cider flavors and caramel make this a bit different than your average pumpkin. i like the caramel sweetness but dislike the apple cider and juicy palate.

4.0 A gift from a friend from out of state. Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a bright orange color with a huge beige head that lingered. The aroma was sweet and yeasty with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and citrus. Subtle but very pleasant. The flavor was sweet and very yeasty with notes of tart citrus, caramel and faint touches of nutmeg and cinnamon. Medium finish and medium body. The spicing was far more subtle than in most pumpkin spice beers and it worked much better. Very good.

3.3 @Knoxville Brewers Jam-on tap-pours a rich tan head and hazy orange/copper color. Aroma is sweet medium malt, pumpkin/nutmeg/cinnamon. Taste is sweet medium malt, pumpkin/nutmeg/cinnamon. Nice.

3.5 12 oz. bottle. Dark orange pour with minimal head. Aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, honey, and pumpkin. Good pumpkin and allspice flavor that wasn’t too sweet. Truthfully my expectations were low as I’m not a big of many pumpkin beers and I knew it couldn’t be as good as Williamsburg Alewerks (I was correct on that). But this is really one of the better pumpkin beers I have tasted. Well done.

3.3 Dark orange, creamy light tan head. Ginger cinnamon aromas ride a touch of allspice and pumpkin flesh. Earthed lavender and spice round with a backend caramel malt foundation. Spice is a touch overpowering. Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation. Dial back the spice and the numbers would easily go up…

2.7 Bottle. Pours a clear, fizzy orangish color with minimal white head. Nose is light pumpkin and some stale malt notes. Palate is thin, quite watery. Flavor is dirty malt, light pumpkin meat notes. Fairly under flavored and simple.

3.2 Nice slightly hazy copper tinted amber coloured body with a nice (albeit thin) one centimetre tall tan head. Aroma of pumpkin pie spice, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, malt and a nice bit of caramel - very nice smell. Medium to Light-bodied; Nice light flavour with some malt, spice, caramel and fruitiness at first then fading to a light bitter malt flavour. Aftertaste shows some mild caramel, a tiny bit of spice and a good fruity finish. Overall, a nice beer, albeit lightly spiced compared to the smell. Decent, but not amazing. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Norm’s in Vienna, Virginia on 02-October-2009 sampled at home in Washington on 29-October-2009.

3.1 Mostly clear dark yellow body. Sour, tart rotting fruit aroma. Very thin in body and flavor. Some cinnamon, clove. Disappointing.

3.4 Nice surprise... found on tap at the Charlotte Int’l Airport. Pours deep amber into the glass, with an initial eggshell head that diminishes to a thin ring that leaves light soapy lace. The nose on this is wonderful... of a baking pumpkin pie, with lots of fall spices (ginger, nutmeg, Allspice, etc..). The flavor has all of the above, with some doughy notes mid-palate hitting after an initial sweet malt. Throughout, I get a candied pumpkin (like a "treat") essence, but not cloying. The finish is of a lingering sweet spice, heavier on the ginger accents. A smooth, yet lightly thin mouthfeel ensues, with nice carbonation levels to make for a lively palate. Decent brew, and a nice seasonal offering.

3.3 Sour, fruity aroma. Appearance was dark orange to amber with little head. Tastes of cinnamon, clove, with medium to lively palate, but a bit weak on taste really.

3.3 On tap at Woods on South: Pours a hazy copper orange with a thin ring of spotty-lacing off-white head. Aroma of lightly sweet caramel malt with some orange peel and ginger spice. Body starts effervescent and mildly sugary sweet with some cinnamon and pumpkin flavor along with a drier doughy finish. A pretty well-balanced pumpkin ale, but could use a little more body.

3.7 Thin head of fine bubbles. Light carbonation Very nice aroma that is totally spiced apples. Wow, smells exactly like it. Very yummy. Apples nutmeg, cinnamon, spices, yummy! Color is a deep crimson brown. Lively in the mouth with more cinnamon and nutmeg, light applesauce and a bit of floral hoppy bitterness. Some grainy notes and light malts too. Finishes spicy and a bit chalky. A decent brew.

3.0 Bonus bottle from emacgee. Pours a murky copper color with a faint beige head. Permeates the odor of pumpkin pie. Agressive with the flavors of pie spices, cream, pumpkin, and caramel. Just a bit too sweet, and almost cloying, for my taste.

3.5 bottle from emacgee. clear and coppery brown... almost the color of raw pumpkin pie batter (?) with a very short lived natural cotton hued off white ’head’. the aroma is of ’real’ pumpkin pie... true cooked pumpkin meat, definite nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, caramel and floral hoppiness. bitter nutmeg leads the way on the tongue... followed by caramel, a much more toned down pumpkin flavor than the aroma lead me to believe, some vanilla richness, floral hops and a very spiced finish. ginger powder noted in the aftertaste. light to medium body with a prickly mouth feel from high sharp carbonation. it does soften a bit when it warms. not bad... it just lacks a bit of richness and depth of flavor...8/3/6/3/15/3.5

3.5 Smells like real pumkin pie! Slightly darker than yer typical pale lager, more orangish. Sweet but not overly sweet. Tastes like pumpkin with beer. This pumpkin taste is more like pumpkins compared to all the other pumpkin beers I’ve tasted. Good tingly carbonation. Not bad, considering I don’t like pumpkin beers. An easy beer to like. Other pumpkin brewers should check out this recipe. Does the word pumpkin, good justice. Slight off bitter linger but this beer is overall enjoyable and I liked the experience.

3.1 12 oz. bottle courtesy of a trade with dkachur. Pours a hazy orange amber with a moderate yellow/white head that lasted through the first two sips and left very little lace. Pleasant aroma of pumpkin, brown sugar and cinnamon. The flavor is much milder with weak pumpkin and spices up front, followed by a tangy citric acid, almost metallic flavor which seemed out of place. I really like pumpkin ales and love trying new ones, so I am glad to have had this one. Beyond that, this is not a beer that I’d seek out again anytime soon.

3.3 Pours reddish brown with a nice creamy head. The aroma is mostly of cinnamon and nutmeg with a touch of sweetness too. Maybe light tart lemon and pumpkin too. The flavor is very similar. Some cinnamon up front, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, some tartness with a spicy finish. Clean refreshing finish.

2.9 12 oz. into pint glass. Had a nice clear brownish color with some orange hues, but the head was fizzy like a sodas and receded very quickly. The pumpkin character was alright but a bit too faint. The body also suffered a bit from poor carbonation, which I cant even properly explain.

3.5 One of the better pumpkin ales out there. Has the right blend of spices and real pumpkin flavor. Medium bodied and easily quaffable, this brew pours crystal clear chestnut brown and sports a small white, quickly receding, head. As usual for the style cinnamon and nutmeg pervade the aroma, but there a decent ale under the hood, and that’s what makes this brew better than other pumpkin ales. Tried this one in a pumpkin beer tasting at City Beverage in Winston-Salem NC, and it took top honors over the Dogfish’s Punk’n, Post Road by Brooklyn, and several others.

3.4 Bottle courtesy of ROBORB in trade. Thanks man! Pours a nice hazy dark amber to maroon color with a short lived offwhite head. Smell is tangy lemon and pumpkin meat with some nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. Taste is bright, crisp and lightly malty with lots of lemon flavor and a nice amount of spice which isn’t overwhelming. Lightly acidic and refreshing. Crisp, prickly carbonation and medium bodied. Pretty nice.

3.0 this is a very simple but strong and flavorful pumpkin... not much complexity here - i like the imperial variety of the style much better

3.3 Pours a hazy light brown with a quickly dissipating white head. Nice spiced pumpkin aroma. Nice spice character. One of the better pumpkin ales I’ve had.

3.3 Sampled at the 2008 Knoxville Brewers’ Jam. Hazy light brown in the glass with a frothy off-white head. Aromas of pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The flavor follows the same with some caramel malts also standing out. Medium body.

3.5 This wins as probably the first pumpkin beer that I could finish; in fact, I even had seconds. Hazy copper orange pour. Aromas of pumpkin, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon, and they seemed to get the balance right so it wasn’t overpowering. Good pumpkin flavor, too; not just a lager with spices. One I’ll drink every year, I think.

3.3 Bottled. Poured hazy, medium.. well.. pumpkin with a short-lived cap of off-white head. The aroma picked up the rich pumpkin meat, nutmeg, and cinnamon of a fine pie with a lightly caramelized crust.. excellent! The flavor had a little bit of sour character to it, which wasn’t necessarily bad.. pumpkin and nutmeg showed again on a bit of caramel base.. odd sour notes of cherry vinegar stuck on the end. Medium-bodied with high carbonation on the palate.. drier at the end. This was solid overall.

3.1 Sampled at the 12th Annual Knoxville Brewer’s Jam. Cloudy copper orange with a thin ring of off white head. Cinnamon, powerful nutmeg aromas. Moderate body, light pumpkin pie flavors. Pretty solid but bordering on being too thin. Re-rate: Dark brown-orange, thin off white head. Aroma is all spice, warm pie, cinnamon, clove. Taste is brown sugar, more allspice and clove but a bit thin. Original rating 7:3:6:4:14

3.6 12 oz bottle. Hazy amber with a tight tan head. Nose is full of fresh pumpkin, lightly spiced with nutmeg and hints of clove and ginger. Very pumpkin pie flavored, which is nice - many try, but few hit it on the nose like this. If the body was a bit richer, this would be an amazing dessert beer. Still, a good seasonal brew.

3.8 When I think Pumpkin beer, I think Cottonwood. Every year I buy 2 or 3 six packs of this one. It’s the first pumpkin beer I ever had and it defines the style in my mind. Much sweeter than other pumpkin beers. I get strong notes of cinnamon and nutmeg on top of the obvious pumpking and allspice. Creamy mouthfeel. Attractive orange color. I think I’ll open another.