The journey for the perfect pumpkin ale continues with another stop at Elysian Brewing. Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale has been around since 2002 (as far as I can tell) and seems to be quite popular. It hits the shelves in late August and sticks round until late November.
As I’ve mentioned before, Elysian Brewing has four main pumpkin beers available on a yearly basis. They have a few other releases that are very limited and usually not bottled. That a look at the lineup they poured at the Great Pumpkin Beer Fest in October.
Elysian pumpkin beer lineup (left to right)
- Night Owl Pumpkin Ale – 6.7 ABV
- Dark O’ The Moon Pumpkin Stout – 6.5% ABV
- The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale – 8.1% ABV
- Punkuccino Coffee Pumpkin Ale – 5.0% ABV
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 18
Hops: Magnum
Malts: Pale, Munich and Crystal
Additional ingredients: Pumpkin, pumpkin seeds (raw and roasted), nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger and allspice
Availability: Seasonal (August – November) 22 oz bottles, 6-pack 12 oz bottles and Draft
MSRP: $9.99 – 22 oz bottle
Brewer: Elysian Brewing – Seattle, WA
Beers consumed for review: 1 – 22 oz bottle
Nose: Notes of cinnamon and sugar hit the nose first. There was a doughy characteristic there as well, which conjured up images of cinnamon toast. A mild sour note was also present. I didn’t get much pumpkin pie on the nose at all.
Appearance: It poured a bit hazy and was a deep, amber color. As you can see, it poured with a thin, white head which resolved pretty quickly.
Flavor: This one was real easy to drink. Sweet notes of cinnamon and sugar were present up front with pumpkin pie on the finish. There was a mild,anise note in there as well, along with some allspice and nutmeg. Basically, the Night Owl offers up all the same flavors as just about every other pumpkin ale. But there was a crispness of flavor that won me over. The finish was quick with a mild bitterness that kept me coming back for another sip.
Overall Thoughts: The Night Owl is a sessionable pumpkin ale with a nice balance of sweet and spice. I prefer the Night Owl’s big brother, The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale, but the Night Owl provides a ton of flavor and nice complexity at an easier drinking lower ABV. When the journey for the perfect pumpkin ale is over, the Night Owl will be near the top of the list.
