Pumpkin Spice Donut by Wild Leap Brew Co. was judged as BJCP Category 30B, Autumn Seasonal Beer with 26C, Belgian Tripel as the base style.

The beer opens with a really nice blend of pumpkin pie spice at near-equal balance of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper with some clean alcohol giving an impression of sweetness. The underlying malt is somewhat bready and contributes to the overall sweet perception. Low-level esters of fresh apple. The color is a deep copper orange with a little haze and some legs. There is a big fluffy off-white head but it dropped quickly to a thin wispy cap that managed to hang on. 

The flavor focused more on cloves and cinnamon and is decidedly sweet. There is a moderate amount of bready malt with a little underlying graininess. A touch of pepper spice comes out mid-palate along with a bit of vanilla and banana. A slight impression of apple esters combined with the spice and malts to come across like a piece of apple pie. The sweetest seems to be a combination of the alcohol and a touch of residual sugars. The beer finished somewhat sweet and left a caramel malt impression. The clove and cinnamon continue to dominate throughout but are not over-the-top or harsh. The spice and alcohol seem to be providing the counter to the sweetest hops (as opposed to the bitter ones). Rather full-bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation but not nearly effervescent. Notable alcohol warmth but not hot. Some mouth-coating viscosity is noted.

As a pumpkin spice donut beer, it hits the mark. Very nice spice blend and level. My biggest issue is with the Belgian tripel base beer. The sweetness is much too dominant, as a tripel should be dry and some additional bitterness would be welcome. Perhaps if the carb levels were at the effervescent level, the sweetness would be driven off the palate. However, if you’re a fan of pumpkin spice and enjoy a lot of glaze on your donut, this beer will be right up your alley.