Elysian The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Brewed at our original Capitol Hill location in Seattle. silver medalist at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the Fruit and Vegetable category, the world’s first Imperial pumpkin ale. Brewed with pale, Munich, Cara-Hell, Cara-Vienne, Cara-Munich and Crisp 45° L Crystal malts. Roasted pumpkin seeds in the mash, and extra pumpkin added in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Formerly at 9.5%.
3.7
334 reviews
Seattle, United States
Community reviews
From a 12 fl. oz. bottle with a BB date of 23 April 2022. Orange amber pour underneath a cream colored, long lasting head. The aroma is Allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, cooked vegetable, with a butterscotch malt sensation. Smooth medium or better body. Sweet taste followed up by nutmeg and allspice and a touch of alcohol to warm up the palate. RB Top 50? Style-wise perhaps but there are others I prefer.
12 oz bottle, best by 1/30/22. Pours slightly hazy copper gold with a medium creamy white head that goes to a thin film that laces the glass some.
The aroma is lots of nicely done pumpkin spice and bready malt.
The flavor is sweet bready malt with lots of pumpkin spice that's a bit heavy on cinnamon. The mouthfeel is a little thin and watery.
Overall, a nicely done heavily spiced pumpkin beer.
Aromas of sweet pumpkins pumpkin puree gourd subtle vanilla butterscotch and sugared caramel. Taste is nice sweet pumpkin sugared caramel brown sugar turbinado sugar nutmeg cloves allspice and cinnamon. Overall, pretty solid stuff but a bit too much on the sweet side for me.
Pours a murky copper color, thin beige head. Nose is acorn squash, yams, cinnamon, clove and potpourri....has lots of snap to it. The holiday action remains but isn't overbearing on the palate as some sweet earthy maltiness joins in, wood, cardboard with a breathy cinnamon finish. Pretty good!
I don't like pumpkin ale normally, because it has too many spices and tastes like pumpkin pie. This one has oh so little spice that it is really very good. Bought a bottle for my wife because she likes pumpkin "anything". I tried it and really liked it. May have to buy another bottle.
12 oz bottle rating. Body is hazy orange with an average to below average white head. Aroma of strong cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin, quite spiced. I think the ABV on this is 8.4%. Quite easy drinking. Not alcoholic in flavor. Pretty smooth and drinks nice. Probably my favorite out of the mixed pumpkin pack that I purchased.
12 oz. bottle purchased at Total Wine & More - Melbourne, FL. Pours a cloudy orange-bronze color with an off white head and good retention. Decent lacing. Pumpkin pie spices aroma. The flavor matches the nose. Sweet pumpkin pie flavors, but not overly spiced. Tastes just like their Night Owl as the 8.4% ABV is very well hidden. Medium body. Smooth and clean with a long finish. Nice. Fall in a bottle.
Dark amber color. Thick foam with creamy even lace. Orange and pumpkin spice nose. Nice sweet pumpkin pie flavor. Nice spice palate. Easy carbonation
Cinnamon, ginger, graham cracker, clove aroma. Cloudy copper with very fine floaties, medium yellow head, little retention. Allspice, pumpkin. Medium body, easy carbonation. Very nice!
Nice ale. Beautiful orange color. Pumpkin aroma and flavor not that strong. Good fall ale without being overpoweringly pumpkin.
A little sweeter than the Cigar City Good Gourd imperial pumpkin ale. Reminds me of a crisp fall day, so you might want to drink it on a dreary fall day to bring back fonder memories. Still delicious
Smells like a sweet pumpkin pie. Orange colored. Has a sweet, pumpkin pie taste with cinnamon, ginger, and clove. A thin mouthful but very pleasant. I think it's very similar to Elysian night owl, but I feel that beer has a slightly better flavor.
10/07/2022
It's been 3 years since I last tried this beer. When I saw the pumpkin variety pack in the store, I decided it was time for me to update my review of this beer, as well as the other varieties in the pack.
12 oz. bottle, 8.4% ABV, Experience by: 05FEB23
AROMA: Subdued scents of cloves, pumpkin, alcohol, orange zest.
APPEARANCE: Pours a hazy orange-caramel color with a tall, light tan head that dissipates slowly with very nice lacing.
TASTE: Moderately sweet with a slight sourness on the finish. There is definite pumpkin flavor with light amounts of clove and nutmeg, and just a hint of cinnamon. The finish is moderate with more of that unsweetened pumpkin and clove flavors.
MOUTHFEEL: Full-bodied with soft carbonation and a creamy texture. This feels very luxurious on the tongue!
OVERALL: I think I actually like this 2022 vintage better than the 2019. The aroma is about the same as the 2019, but everything else about the 2022 vintage is better. The 2022 has a better head with much better lacing, the mouthfeel is much more luxurious, and I find the flavor to be better balanced. In my book, I think this is as close to the perfect pumpkin beer as I've ever had. Pumpkin is the star flavor, supporting flavors are not overpowering, it's not overly sweet, and it has a nice creamy texture. What's not to like?
For comparison purposes, my original review from 10/12/2019 is below, along with the rating I gave it in each category.
12 oz. Bottle.
AROMA (6): Subdued scent of pumpkin pie with all the spices.
APPEARANCE (3): Pours a hazy orange-caramel color with a light tan head that dissipates quickly.
TASTE (8): Moderately sweet with a slight sourness on the finish. There is definite pumpkin flavor with a fair amount of cinnamon and nutmeg, and just a hint of cloves.
MOUTHFEEL (3): Medium-bodied with soft carbonation and a slick texture.
OVERALL (15): This is the third beer that I've tried from the "Pumpkin Pack", and, so far, this is my least favorite of the bunch. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with this beer. It's just that the other 2 were very good and quite unique in what they had to offer. While this one is more like your typical pumpkin beer. Although, it's nowhere as sweet as other typical pumpkin beers (which is a plus in my book). Also, I notice that in the description it says that the alcohol content was 9.5%, while the bottle I drank says 8.4%. From what I experienced, I would say that the lower alcohol content is probably for the best. Because if it were higher, I think the alcohol taste would start to overwhelm the pumpkin flavor. And right now, it seems like a good balance.
Pours a cloudy copper golden with nearly no head. Fruity pumpkin pie nose. Thicker mouthfeel with slight oiliness. Pumpkin pie flavor.
Pours a hazy orange - pretty much like you expect a pumpkin ale to look. Aroma is sweet and doughy with some spice to back things up. Again - pretty much like what you would hope for in a pumpkin ale. Sweet to start with a bit of a fruity middle and a touch of alcohol on the finish but not too strong and not a bad thing for a snowy day. The flavor is rich but it is a bit too sweet for me and the pumpkin flavor is a bit overpowered by some of the other flavors. Good beer for a cold fall day with snow on the ground.
Clear burnt orange pour minimal head. Nose is all spice,cinnamon and pumpkin. Taste of chewy pumpkin, salty pumpkin seeds (which I’m cravin), all spice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Well balanced. Booze is slightly present on finish. Overall a good pumpkin ale.
12 ounce bottle at sisters house. Smell the nutmeg. Orange bronze in color. Light taste of pumpkin and spices. Smooth and light bodied. Gentle spice aftertaste. Nice fall beer. Cheers!
Bottle thanks to Joe. Pours a dark amber with small beige head that diminishes quickly. The aroma is caramel, cinnamon, booze. Slick body, strong spice, caramel, bready malt, boozy finish, good.
Refrigerated 22 oz. brown bottle poured into a glass. Hazy burnt orange with small white head. Aroma is pumpkin, medium body, medium carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is malty pumpkin and nutmeg.
Best pumpkin ale I’ve ever tasted.
Orange. Big and quite sweet. Lacking the spice punch that would help even this out.
22 oz bottle. Pours hazy orange with tall, long-lasting, fluffy white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of pumpkin, spices and caramel malt. Body is medium and slightly crisp. Taste is similar to aroma. Good brew.
Bomber, pours a hazy, bronze color with a red tint. Thin off white head lingers, leaving no lace on glass. Smells of cinnamon, clove, ginger & pumpkin. Tastes of pumpkin pie, sweet crust, cinnamon, ginger, clove & vanilla. Medium body, a bit under carbonated, spicy mouthfeel & a tingly, mildly bitter finish. Well it tastes like 👵 ‘s pumpkin pie. Very nice “real” flavors. Exceptionally balanced, nothing overwhelming. This is marvelous!
Bottle:
Slightly hazy amber with a short, off-white head.
Aroma of pumpkin pie, including crust.....complete with whipped cream on top.
Taste is the same....an almost exact recreation of a mild pumpkin pie......
not too spiced or one-sided....an excellent example.
Smells like real pumpkin and doesn't go overboard on the spices. Slightly red tinted with a light tan head. Tastes like fake pumpkin and vanilla. Light palate, ABV well hidden. This was just okay.
Bomber from Total Wine and More in Reston, VA
Aroma: Caramel, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices
Appearance: clear dark golden with a white head
Taste: medium sweetness, medium bitterness,
Palate: medium body, sticky, average carbonation, long finish,
Tasty
Pours a clear dark orange with a bit of amber - just like a pumpkin ale should. Outstanding head volume and retention. Minimal lacing but such is expected with an imperial (8.4% ABV).
Outstanding nose of light spice (clove, cinnamon and nutmeg) with a quite distinct amount of pumpkin. The alcohol is covered. The base is slightly sweet and balanced.
Light full body that is silky smooth and has creamy aspects coupled with a bit of oily slickness. The carbonation / body balance is world class. Effervescence is moderate in the middle and slightly prickly in the finish. It is matched perfectly to support the mouthfeel.
The flavor profile is quite outstanding. The alcohol is partially uncovered during the finish and linger, thus denying the world class rating. Like the nose the base is moderately sweet and tastes bready. This foundation lays the groundwork for the spices and pumpkin to shine. Bitterness is very light. The spices come across as a blend with clove separating near the finish.
$9.29 bomber, Wine Warehouse. Pours slightly hazy orange with a small off-white head. Aroma is pumpkin guts, light spice, light caramel. Flavor is a lots spicier than the nose led me to believe: good nutmeg, cinnamon, light ginger, pumpkin guts, caramel, light vanilla. Very nice. Not too much spice, but well balanced and poundable (which is a problem at 8.4%, which my bottle says).
Bottle. It poured an orange color with a white head. The aroma was of caramel, graham crackers, spices and nutmeg. The taste was similar to the aroma with more caramel, graham crackers, spices, nutmeg with medium carbonation and a nice pumpkin pie taste. Good stuff.
650 ML Bottle
Orange amber color. Bright white head.
Nose is spice, pumpkin, Graham Cracker, caramel.
Taste follows nose. Touches of sweet caramel. Well balanced. Not overly sweet or too much spice. Booze well hidden. Medium bodied. Exceptional for style