Up-front pumpkin pie essence thwarted by diacetyl nature, as soapy vanilla malts and weak spiced hops beget fey metallic finish. Narrow clove-allspice-cinnamon-nutmeg passage and muted banana quip too unassuming for watery light-bodied fizzle.

Lamentable limited ’06 release finds astringent Fuggle-hopped bittering and woody alcohol burn overwhelming expectant autumnal pumpkin theme of clear coppery dry body. Spicy pumpkin pie gloss fades considerably as moldy cooked vegetable funk weakens peppered clove and herbal tea illusions obscuring brown sugared cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger whir. Biscuit-y wheat backbone and squash-like finish need better profundity.

Honeyed pumpkin-spiced ale lifts orange-fruited cinnamon-allspice-ginger confluence above red apple whim, sour lemony backslide and earthy vegetal whimper. Fleeting maple passage consumes late-coming herbal eucalyptus-tealeaf blossom.

Dry lemon-hopped souring disguises peppery pumpkin-spiced ambiance of ‘certified organic’ vegetable beer. Peculiar spoiled lemon frontage overwhelms sweet sugar-spiced cinnamon-nutmeg remnant and earthen fennel-carrot digression to metallic raw-grained finish.

Deep amber autumnal ale boasts vine-ripened pumpkin essence and traditional crystal malt sweetness. Musty pumpkin pie-crusted acridity lingers through buttery midst as cinnamon and nutmeg spice up callow dry-hopped metallic bittering. 2012 re-tasting: Sugared pumpkin sweetness and cinnamon-nutmeg-gingerbread spicing enhanced and invigorated for better results.

Bettering original Catamount Brewery recipe, Brooklyn’s festive version hoists dominant spicy pumpkin pie theme. Brown sugared honey malts and gingerbread-sweetened coriander-nutmeg-cinnamon illusions counter salty black-peppered hop bittering and alcohol-burned metallic shard for rounded mouthfeel. Auxiliary vegetal astringency promotes earthen carrot, beet, and cabbage nuances at rose-watered Graham cracker backend of gourd-flaunted full body. Fussier, creamier, and more robust than increasingly stiff autumnal competition.

Preeminent in its stylistic nobility (until macrobrewed by contract brewery ’round 2011), smoked salami-scented hop-fueled ale settles into delectable pumpkin pie permanence after cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice gleefully dance on malt-lacquered tongue. Ashy tobacco leaf and burnt wood chips linger in distance of perfect Halloween aperitif.

Gourd-styled “full-bodied brown ale” spices up-front pumpkin pie pungency with sharply-hopped cinnamon-allspice-nutmeg enhancement as pleasing buttery mouthfeel swells, staying richer than most autumnal ‘punkin’ competition.

On tap, tepid golden autumn ale gets metallic as shallow pumpkin pie spicing and soapy backend disrupt tingly-hopped brown-sugared cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice nicety. Astringent gourd likeness hampers cereal-grained finish, lowering appeal further. But bottled version displays better cinnamon-spiced pumpkin character overriding whiskey-malted pumpernickel-rye abatement.

Mildly spiced wheat-husked October brew segues lightly hopped bittersweet pumpkin pie opening to sweet nutmeg-coriander midst. Tangy citrus finish sours quickly.

Dry lacquered pumpkin pie surety magnifies cinnamon-draped baked apple seduction, autumnal allspice-nutmeg-clove-coriander spicing and wintry gingerbread tease. Juniper-hopped bittering and barren herbal seasoning counter sweet pastry-like malting. Goes well with creamy New York-style cheesecake.

Weary caramel-hued fizzy-headed medium-bodied autumnal needs richer pumpkin pie essence and spicier nutmeg to be more compelling than peculiar. Watery consistency, wavered grain mesh, and slumping clove-cinnamon jab also weaken flow. It took Brooklyn Brewery (which purchased Post Road Brewery) to pull off idealistic flavoring. Brewery defunct: 2002.