This week, I discuss the annual influx of pumpkin beers, and when is early too early?  Away we go to the land of STRONG BEER TAEKS.

#upforwhatever, except decent beer, I guess

The summer is ending, kids across the nation are returning to school, football is returning (Woo hoo!), and, of course, pumpkin-flavored bullshit is appearing everywhere.  Thanks in part to our friends at Budweiser and their troll-y Super Bowl add, more brewers than usual are trying their hands at making pumpkin beers.  There are IPAs, stouts, sours, ciders and more. A pretty exhaustive list can be found here.  While I am not one to quaff a pumpkin latte, I actually don’t mind the return of pumpkin beers.

BUT CUNTLER, you probably aren’t saying to yourself, IT’S TOO HOT FOR PUMPKIN BEERS!

It makes more financial sense for brewers to release these beers early so they exhaust their stock by the end of November.  Sales of pumpkin beer are great early in September and throughout October, as evidenced by this economic report.  Sales drop drastically after October 31, and then even more so after Thanksgiving.  So breweries want to get what they’re getting while the getting’s good.  In addition, what does it hurt to have more beer options at any given time, besides your liver?

You may also not say to yourself, CUNTLER, ECONOMICALLY, THAT MAKES SINCE, BUT PUMPKINS KIND OF TASTE LIKE ASS.  WHY WOULD I WANT ASS BEER?

Let me think about that for minute . . .

Oh yeah, that’s right! Some of them actually taste good!  As you can tell from the article linked above, there are many varieties of pumpkin beers, and some of them are subtle and excellent, and some of them taste like you dropped a piece of jack-o-lantern in a Bud Light.  Basically, you’ll have to try a variety to see what is good for you, and not marry the first one that comes along.  Here are a few that I have had in order of preference:

• Elysian The Great Pumpkin:  I like this one because it isn’t as sweet as most pumpkin beers.  It also has a kick at 8.1% ABV, and has a hoppy and dry finish.  It tastes like an IPA with a hint of pumpkin. I don’t think I will get it much more, though, because they were purchased by InBev, who owns Budweiser, so it could go to shit quickly.
•  Uinta Punk’N:  This one is good.  The pumpkin is not overpowering, and it has a unique spice combination that reminds me a little of Anchor Steam’s Christmas Ale.  It has a pretty low ABV (4%), so you can get after it during a game.  They also make the Crooked Line Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin which is an imperial stout that barely tastes like pumpkin and tastes a lot like alcohol (10.3%).
• Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale: This tastes like their Boston Ale with a pumpkin aftertaste.  It isn’t bad, and if you like Sam Adams, you’ll probably like it.  Pretty average.
• Southern Tier Imperial Pumking:  This one is really sweet and tastes like candy corn and pumpkin pie.  Most people I know that like this one tend to shy away from IPAs, but it is tolerable.
• Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat:  This tastes like a pumpkin with AIDS. Avoid.

Anyway, let’s hear your strong takes about pumpkin beers below.  Also, this is your open thread, so discuss whatever.