Provisions Series: Burly Gourd - The Bruery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at The Bruery Tasting room. Some sour aroma and sour taste, with some pumpkin and roasted pumpkin seed. Reddish brown, sugar to offset it. An OK pumpkin beer slash Belgian, with some flavour and OK drinkability, would like more bold spice. Average mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 03:55:43 | More by northyorksammy

womencantsail

California

2.73/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at The Bruery

Dark brown in color, dense tan head. Reeks of cedar. Very peppery, a bit of pie spices. A little bit of roast, not that much pumpkin. Tastes like cedar, too. Same sort of spice character on the palate. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Not a fan of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 21:22:26 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of my Reserve Society membership. Served in a Bruery tulip.

Pours a dark brown color with a nice light tan head and some spotty lacing on the way down. The nose carries some roasted malt and chocolate plus a nice bit of pumpkin pie spice. The flavor hits the milk stout aspect well and adds a bit of pumpkin spice, though nothing overpowering. The cedar is there in the background. Medium body with a smooth carbonation and nice spice to the finish. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 12:34:51 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Bruery Provisions in Orange, CA.

Pours an opaque dark brown with a khaki head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. Random streaks of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark malt, cocoa, pumpkin, and spices. Taste is the same along with some gingersnap and molasses flavors. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with an almost acidic mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer and I am enjoying the stout and pumpkin spice combination they went for on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2012 21:04:46 | More by UCLABrewN84

drabmuh

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a Bruery tulip, why wouldn't I?

Beer is overcarbonated, dark brown, clear at the corners, big tan head, medium retention, high carbonation, some lacing.

Aroma is sweet, spice, nutmeg, pumpkin, allspice, mild cinnamon.

Beer is thin and spicy, mildly solventy but OK, the spices come through nicely and it feels fine. I don't think it is one of their better beers but an interesting "milk stout" or pumpkin ale whatever people want to call it, it doesn't really matter.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 04:18:36 | More by drabmuh

Halcyondays

California

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at The Bruery,

A: Pours black with a medium tan to brown head. Good retention, solid lace.

S: Dark chocolate with some autumn spices.

T: Very much a stout, the prominent flavours are roast and dark chocolate. The pumpkin and spice are the undercurrent and mix well with the base beer. Nice wood finish with a hint of sugar.

M: Medium-bodied, crisp carbonation, smooth and creamy. Makes its presence felt.

O: A nice hybrid of styles. I like the idea of a stout/pumpkin beer. Did remind me of Fisherman's, just bigger and better.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2011 00:25:34 | More by Halcyondays

mdfb79

New York

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got this one in the 2012 Birthday BIF from futhurgone; Thanks Rob! Another want of mine. Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Bruery tulip. Boom.

a - Pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with two fingers of dark tan ehad and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for 4-5 minutes and leaves an inch drinking throughout. Very tiny bit of lacing left on the glass.

s - Smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, roasted malts, chocolate, spices, vanilla/cream, and light pumpkin. Pretty good actually, what I imagine they were going for.

t - Tastes of spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, roasted malts, lightly sweet chocolate, vanilla, cream, some hops, pepper, and pumpkin. A little spicer then I would have liked, and not as nice as the nose.

m - Medium body and high carbonation. A little bit overcarbonated which hurts the body.

o - Overall a pretty decent beer. Aside from the taste being a little heavy on the spices and the body being a little overcarbonated, I imagine this is what they were looking to do. If you like pumpkin ales you'll probably enjoy this one. Would give it another shot.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 01:38:54 | More by mdfb79

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Draft at Bruery Provisions.

Pours pitch black and opaque with a one finger beige had that slowly settles into lasting ring. Streaks of lace left behind.

Sweet and spicy aroma with tons of pumpkin, autumnal spice and chocolate. Hints of ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, pumpkin purée, allspice, clove and vanilla. Subtle wood presence with decent dark malt profile.

Medium bodied with a really weird combination of flavors.  Lots of lactic cream and dark malts that are quickly countered by an aggressively overspiced character.  Lots of pumpkin, ginger and pumpkin but it's not as complex as the nose hinted at.  The heavy spiciness clashed with the lactic sugar and dark malts making it a bit tough to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 02:13:00 | More by corby112

DoubleJ

California

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the source itself, on to the beer:

Looks black with an inch thick of head formed on top which goes away and leaves a few spots of lace around the glass. There's a lot of pumpkin spice in the aroma, and also a little burnt malt too, but it's got more of a Belgian flare to it, like it's a bit more acidic.

Belgian stout meets pumpkin ale, strange at first, but it works out well. A little roasty and chocolatey, also a little lactic acid, pumpkin flesh and the associated spices that you would find in a pumpkin dish (nutmeg and cinnamon most notably). It's got a medium bodied feel, with the carbonation at a low rate. I wouldn't want a whole lot of Burly Gould, but I couldn't go wrong with an 8-12 ounce glass of it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 05:25:55 | More by DoubleJ

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a massively dark brown with a one finger tan head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, cedar, pumpkin, spice, and brown sugar. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, wood, pumpkin, spice, fruit, and subtle brown sugar. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. The cedar on this one definitely ran the show in this brew. The cedar dominated the aroma on this one and the flavor while having loads of cedar in it, still allowed the more subtle flavors to come through. Quite a nice brew from the Bruery.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:29:33 | More by thagr81us

largadeer

California

2.98/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Opaque black, surprisingly dark and chewy looking for a lower ABV stout. The initial pour produces 3 fingers of thick foam that slowly settles to a film.

Smell: A lot of cedar and spice, to the point of obfuscating the malt at first. Pretty much smells like a cigar box. As it warms, a bit of sweet toasted malt does come through, but you have to search for it.

Palate: Cedar is dominant again, lending a woody, spicy and tannic character that isn't as abrasive as other beers I've had aged with cedar. Nonetheless it's still too overwhelming for my liking; it doesn't allow the malt to come through much until the finish, which has a mild roastiness and a touch of lactose sweetness and tang. There's plenty of pumpkin pie spice here too, though no real pumpkin flavor.

Not necessarily a bad beer, but not one I'd revisit. Probably would have been much better with toned down cedar and spice.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 05:45:03 | More by largadeer

gford217

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.

Pours a deep chocolate brown with some burgundy hints around the edges. The most noticeable part of the appearance is the enormous creamy tan head that sits atop the beer and goes nowhere throughout.

First thing I noticed in the aroma is the spices, nutmeg and allspice mainly. The pumpkin is present but not as prevalent as the spices, and maybe a little chocolate and roasted dark malts.

Taste is more of the same though there is a bit of tartness to the taste in addition to the pumpkin spices, fresh pumpkin and chocolate malts.

Mouthfeel is lively, overcarbonated a little, which makes it come across as lighter bodied than it really is.

Lots of spices and chocolate in this beer though the carbonation takes away from the heft more than it should. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 03:06:46 | More by gford217

DefenCorps

Oregon

1.8/5  rDev -51%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Oh good lord, who the hell thought this was a good idea? Thank you, Devin.

The only good thing about this beer is the appearance - a nice, dark brown/black pour with a dense, light brown head with excellent retention and lacing. The nose has a ton of pumpkin spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice) and mothefucking cedar. The smell of wood dust and moth balls permeates this abomination, and destroys your palate, sucking it dry, making the pumpkin spices stick out even more. Mildly roasty, maybe, but overly cedar-like, to the point where it tastes like mothballs. Awful, one of the worst beers of the year IMO

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 14:11:27 | More by DefenCorps

FosterJM

California

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

932nd Review on BA
Draft to Taster

@The Bruery

App- This was like a bit of liquid chocolate on the pour with a good bit of bubbles and cling.

Smell- A good bit of the wood notes on this one. Wasn't expecting that. Has a nice bit of bakers chocolate with some under pinning of spice and pumpking.

Taste- The wood notes carry through and then have a small amount of spice with a little bit of roast and pumpkin. Some, and only a touch of the chocolate follows to the taste.

Mouth- A medium body and a medium carbonation. A nice bit of chocolate and pumpkin. Its tasty and up there with Bootleggers Pumpkin.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 05:34:36 | More by FosterJM

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark brown-ruby with a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted milk chocolate, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, and a touch of vanilla.

T - Starts off with roasted milk chocolate malts with some pumpkin, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and a bit of vanilla. Through the middle, some more roasted sweet milk chocolate comes through with some cedar, and some stronger spices. The finish is a mix of roasted dark malts, spices, pumpkin, cedar, and vanilla.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a roasted, spicy, and sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. I like the combination of pumpkin flavor and milk stout. I also think the balance of spices is just right here.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 04:54:40 | More by ngeunit1

oline73

Maryland

3.33/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this at the bottle share at Jackie O's during the bottle release this weekend. Poured into a sample glass.

Appearance: Pours a reddish brown with a layer of creamy off white head that leaves a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Lots of spices, I'm picking up nutmeg as the dominant smell. Some mild chocolate and pumpkin as well.

Taste: A bit overkill on the spices, don't really let the other flavors shine. Brown sugar and molasses. Like a heavily spiced pumpkin pie. Mild roast.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This beer was alright. I thought it was overly spices, but not too bad. I would probably pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 03:44:42 | More by oline73

ehammond1

California

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

Thanks for the gift, NoSignsOfPain!

Dark brown mahogany with a thick, tight brown head that eventually leaves messy spots of lace down the glass. The beer looks particularly thick for a milk/sweet stout. Beautiful.

The aroma is full of cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mild pumpkin/gourd characteristics--more earthy than sweet. I find none of the acidity I'm fearful of in milk/sweet stouts.

The flavor is too much dominated by cedar for it to really triumph, hiding some of the more nuanced earthy pumpkin. There's plenty of nutmeg and pumpkin pie character, which is nice, but the cedar is definitely dominating.

Medium to full bodied with moderate to high carbonation.

A very nice pumpkin pie/cedar beer, though I wish the pumpkin character was more present in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 00:23:04 | More by ehammond1

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

2.68/5  rDev -27%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A pumpkin milk stout with spices aged on cedar, Finally!
Severe carbonation makes this one a challenge to pour but leaves a solid black liquid with a creamy foamy tan head that takes forever to recede and litters the glass with webs of lace. Smells like a cigar box mostly. Heavy cedar aroma with hints of vegetables are really all I can find in the aroma. I thought cigar city had the lock on over cedar-ed beers, but apparently the Bruery is right up there too. The flavor is sweet at first with a hint of chocolate and caramel before the cedar takes over. Earthy, spicy, woody, and herbal with barely a beer to counter it. Medium body with an insane level of carbonation and a sweet tannic mouthfeel. ?Uhm yeah I'm not sure what this was supposed to be, but there is a good chance that we are not going to be able to finish this bottle. Too much cedar!

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 00:04:38 | More by johnnnniee

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with a medium to large dark khaki-light brown head. Good retention, solid soapy bubbles leave ample lacing on the glass.

Aromas begin with pumpkin spices, dark cocoa and light espresso roasted maltiness. Immediately then you get the large wood/cedar presence from the presumed oak aging. There is a light creamy sweetness in there as well as it warms.

The tastes are much more milk stout and less pumpkin ale. The prominent flavors are lightly roasted dark malts and dark chocolate. Mid-palate you get some pumpkin pie flesh, creamy lactic smoothness and a little bit of Belgian yeastiness, which I could have done without. The finish is faint pumpkin pie spices and a bit of woody tannins and astringency.

The mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is toward the dryer end despite the "milk stout" claim which I attribute to the cedar aging once again.

Overall I enjoyed this beer. Not a top pumpkin beer, not a top, milk stout, not a top wood-aged beer, but a good example of all three combined. I feel it would have been better served if they picked 2 of the 3 beer styles and focused on those two as the flavor profile is a little disjointed, but it is still a quality beverage regardless, especially for only $10. Worth a go if you are a fan of wood-aged beers or pumpkin beers. Not a MUST try but definitely a worthy one.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 01:05:51 | More by claspada

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle opened on 1-22-12.

A - Pours a dark brown with a bit tan head. Great retention and lacing.

S - Pumpkin, wood, and oak.

T - Smokey pumpkin, and some chocolate.

D - Tons of carbonation and an average medium body.

O - Pumpkin forward, subtle chcolate, and a nice balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 04:34:06 | More by HuskyinPDX

wagenvolks

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle as part of the Reserve Society membership.

Pours well, an expected deep brown body that verges on opaque. Well-retained tuft of toasted caramel foam floats on top and leaves behind some fat swatches of lace. Neat aroma, very bright with light spices and cedar planks leading the way. Pumpkin pulp and a hint of milk lactose in the background.

Flavor follows the aroma, starts sweet with a creamy body, chocolate, and spice on the top of the palate. Reminds me of pumpkin pie with whipped cream and cinnamon. Cedar blends nicely into the complex flavor profile. Mouthfeel is on the thin side for the style with medium carbonation. Finishes clean and dry with a lingering hint of wood and pumpkin spice. Bourly Gourd is a complex beer, but not so much that it overwhelms the palate. Good stuff...

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 21:48:00 | More by wagenvolks

Sean9689

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle, split with the fiancé. Poured into Portsmouth tulip.

A - Pours a darker brownish color, off-white frothy head, spotty lace, thick collar, and some wisps left on top.

S - A nice level of pumpkin, spices, and a touch of creamy chocolate. The milk stout definitely takes a back seat to the pumpkin and spices, but is still there a bit.

T - Not quite as good as the nose. Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, oak, slight chocolate. Still a nice pumpkin flavor, but there's a slightly harsh oak/spice note on the finish that deters me.

M - Medium to full, smooth, good carbonation, creamy oak finish.

O - A nice pumpkin beer, being a pretty big fan of the style. That said, not the best I've had but also not the worst. I'd say above average for sure and I'd have again, but I would want to split the bottle more then two ways (we didn't finish it between the two of us). Give it a whirl...

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 16:15:12 | More by Sean9689

cosmicevan

New York

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle courtesy of reserve society buddy CAbeerCAbeerCA enjoyed from a bruery snifter.

a - brew poured a watery jet black with about 90% of the glass filling with a mocha like foamy head from a hard pour. as it vanished, it left chunky milk shake like lacing in huge chunks.

s - VERY zety and potpouri. how could this be a milk stout? it smells like a craft store. VERY pumpkin, VERY autumn, VERY art craft store. very nice, but just surprising and unexpected.

t - much like the nose, this is predominantly an autumn pumpkin art store beer. i swear, i'm in the midst of bath and body works in the throws of autumn. a milk stout, this is not. a pumpkin beer, this is tops. hard to really put a score since i was expecting a milk stout, but if you are to look at this as burly gourd, well you don't get much more autumn than this beer. shokingly autumn. lots of cinnamon and spice.

m - a bit fizzy and definitely a bit of a alc buzz in my mouth.

o - overall, i am knocked out with surprise. i did NOT expect these wild craft store pot pouri flavors. i expected a devilish milk stout. paint me surprised. however, that being said, if you are looking for a fall beer, this one is marvelously balanced and tickles your craft store autumn senses. be ready and prepared. for what it is, it is excellent...just wasn't expecting this. truly enjoyable and a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 03:36:06 | More by cosmicevan

bashiba

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours like a typical bruery beer, by that I mean a giant massive head, otherwise a nice deep brown with tons of lacing and head retention.

The nose is very spicy, with a big blast of pepper, light pumpkin spices, and a bit of roasted malt.

The flavor is very nice, big and malty with roasty grains and chocolate along with spicy classic nutmeg pumpkin flavors. A great mix of flavors and very big at that.

The mouthfeel is thick and creamy.

Very nice, tasty beer, I like the strange complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 23:15:03 | More by bashiba

merc7186

New York

3.3/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Light Brown Head, Good Lacing

S: Strong Cedar, Smoke, Pumpkin

T: Smoked Cedar, Sweet Potatoes, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Mild Lactose

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium To Full Bodied, Mildly Bitter, Somewhat Watery

Overall, this beer retains a lot of the cedar flavor and smokiness but it seems like there is too much going on at one time and almost cancels each thing out, way too complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 20:36:02 | More by merc7186