Elysian Brewing’s Night Owl Pumpkin Ale

I don’t usually like pumpkin ales. They can be over-spiced, or weirdly tangy and heavy on citrus flavors, or just downright gross and better used as a marinade for meat than a beer for drinking. Elysian’s Night Owl is the rare exception to the rule!

It’s a gorgeous, clear copper with citrus, anise, and clove aromas. The brewers at Elysian actually use pumpkin and roasted pumpkin seeds in the brewing! I think the secret to their success is that they add the spices in the conditioning rather than in the mash. There’s no bitter too-much-cinnamon flavor at all.

If you think this will be a sweet, heavy beer, guess again. It’s crisp, medium-bodied like an amber ale, with a malty touch to the finish and arom that’s balanced by the slight tang of hops and spices. It has a finely-carbonated mouthfeel – not too velvety, not too bubbly. And there’s no bitter or sweet aftertaste, just a hint of malt and hops with a slightly estery edge.

This is a great beer in the bottle, but an awesome beer on tap if you can find it. It’s crisp and refreshing like a fall evening, but warm and cozy like a night next to the fire. Next October, I’m going to try to head to Seattle for the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival at Elysian Brewing.