When you walk into your local bottle shop you’ll know right away if they have any Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale in stock. Basically because it is in a giant orange bottle. There is absolutely no way you can miss it. Orange just happens to be my favorite color (and the color of World Champions), so I would have picked one up based on the bottle alone. I’m a good little consumer.
Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale debuted in 2013 as part of the Rogue Farms series. It looks like they dropped the Rogue Farms label this year for some reason. They still use their own pumpkins grown on Rogue Farms in Independence, Oregon, so I’m not sure why the name was changed (or why it matters). The Pumpkin Patch Ale is available during the fall in 750ml bottles, which is about 100ml larger than a standard bomber, and on draft. The Rogue Farms Pumpkin Savior Wit is another seasonal offering. It is available in the spring, so I’ll be on the look out for that one next year.
Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale
Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 25
Hops: Rogue Farms Independent
Malts: Dare, Risk, Carafa II, Crystal Wheat (all Rogue Farms malts)
Additional ingredients: Orange Peel, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Vanilla, Ginger, Nutmeg
Availability: Seasonal (August – November)
MSRP: $12.99 – 750ml bottles
Brewer: Rogue Brewing – Newport, Oregon
Beers consumed for review: 1 – 750ml bottle
Nose: Notes of pumpkin pie, cinnamon and nutmeg were present along with an interesting sour cream note. The nose was typical of most pumpkin ales, but the sour note definitely stood out and gave this a unique smell.
Appearance: The Pumpkin Patch Ale pours clear with a deep amber color and a very thin white head.
Flavor: The flavor profile can be summed up rather easily. Pumpkin pie meets cheesecake. There are the typical pumpkin ale notes of nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and pumpkin, but notes of graham cracker and cheesecake are in there as well. It is a unique taste that took some getting used to. At first, it was off putting, but the flavor grew on me after several sips. The mouthfeel was light and creamy, but didn’t weigh heavy on the palate.
Overall Thoughts: It was pretty good. The sour, cheesecake flavor threw me off, but once I got used to it, I enjoyed the beer. This begs the question, do I want to have to “get used to” my beer in order to enjoy it? No, I don’t. With so many options out there, why would I bother with a beer that I don’t enjoy right away? That sounds harsh. I actually enjoyed the Pumpkin Patch Ale, but I don’t think I’ll pick up another bottle.
