The seasonal Pumpkin Ale is a peculiar thing. Somewhat on the fringes in the world of seasonals, I would be surprised if more than a handful of people in town have tried it, let alone remember seeing it at the store. Perhaps that’s too pessimistic, but before this autumn I had only heard of one of the three beers that I am covering today.

Blue Moon’s Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale isn’t really bad, but it isn’t really good either. Anyone’s who’s had white beer will notice a slight relation to this Pumpkin Ale. And you don’t need to see the shared ingredients on the back of either bottle to realize that, either. However, Harvest Moon is refreshing and it will hit the spot if you’re open to new tastes.

Next on the list is Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale. It took some bottle-turning, but eventually I found out that this beer is made by Anheuser-Busch. Surprise, surprise.

Allow me this tangent: Most breweries will proudly and overtly label their name on their beers. This not only displays the brand for customers to later recognize, but also conveys a pride in their product. So when a beer’s brewery is practically hidden on the label, then ‘something is rotten in the state of Denmark.’

Anyway, Jack’s is not a better choice than Harvest Moon. Perhaps it’s just the mental association with Anheuser-Busch’s more famous beers, but it seemed more like a spice lager than a spice ale. If you prefer lagers to ales, then Jack’s is your better bet. Otherwise, avoid Jack.

Deschute’s Twilight Seasonal Ale has no mention or picture of pumpkins. However, the label is just as orange as the others. What’s more, its taste is almost identical to the Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale. When this situation occurs, you might as well vote with your wallet.

To summarize, these Pumpkin Ales are a novelty for the Halloween season. The only reason they are enjoyable is because of the limit to their availability. This is not to say that they are unenjoyable, but it should be noted that nobody would drink them if they were available year round.