Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Cigar City Brewing

BradTheHophead

4.98/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First time I had this beer was on tap at Cigar City Brewing' s taproom.

A. Beer was slightly cloudy with thick creamy head.

S. First there was lots of malts and hops followed by pumpkin and spices. The combination was awesome.

T. First the hops smacks your taste buds followed by a nice spice pumpkin after taste.

M. Very smooth for a hippy beer and does not taste boozy for an 8.5% beer.

O. The best pumpkin ale I have ever tasted!

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 04:31:34 | More by BradTheHophead

Kiefdog

Florida

4.97/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle courtesy of JRedner. Pours a golden caramel color with thin white head. Aroma is pumpkin, spice, nutmeg, cream. Flavor is much of the same with some stronger pumpkin and spice notes, heavy cream flavors, slightly boozey. Generally medium body with a pleasing herb/spice finish. This was an amazing pumpkin beer and likely the best that I have had.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 22:55:53 | More by Kiefdog

StArnoldFest2010

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It pours orange in color leaving very little head and tracing. Cinammon and nutmeg spices are prevelant in the smell. Very well balanced between sweetness and tart. Tastes like a liquified pumpkin pie with a slight alcohol aftertaste. For an 8%, the alcohol aftertaste isn't inappropriate or intruding. Nice warm feeling in the stomach! Try it!

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2011 19:22:27 | More by StArnoldFest2010

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Shared with jlindros after purchasing this gem up in Vermont. Poured into a Palm tulip.

A - Pours a crystal clear copper hue with a nice offwhite head that leaves a nice thick blanket and great side lacing.

S - Wow, this is quite the pumpkin beer. Lots of nice cinnamon and nutmeg along with roasted pumpkin and some clove too. This really, really smells like pumpkin pie.

T - Oh my god is this tasty. Super pumpkin pie flavours. Creamy pumpkin puree, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This is exceptional in all aspects of the taste. There is no over the top flavours with this, its pure home made pumpkin pie mix liquified into my glass.

M - Lower carbonation resulting in a smooth creamy mouthfeel though there is a slight crisp finish. Flows very nicely along the tongue.

O - Overall holy cow is this spectacular. Hands down my favorite tasting pumpkin beer. Excellent flavours with a very nice appearance and nose. Its worth saying again that the flavours are spectactular. Really wish I could get my hands on another bottle of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 00:11:44 | More by rudzud

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage; drank as freshly as possible.

A: Deep, rich pumpkin-orange/burnt orange; looks like Fall. 1 finger tan head that dissipates at a moderate rate.

S: Great aroma on this. Lots of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and some brown sugar.

T: Outstanding. Following the nose, there is a lot of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. The clove is pretty muted in this brew for me (which is a plus as far as I'm concerned...I don't care for the pumpkin ales that are very clove-forward). On the finish, I'm getting some slightly buttery pie crust and some creamy whipped cream. Delicious.

M: A little bit of a sipper. At 8.5%, the ABV is well hidden but it does hit me a little bit. I drank about 1/2 a bomber in 1 sitting and sealed the rest for the following night.

I personally love Pumpkin Ales. I know it's a polarizing style, but they are among my favorites. Overall, this was well worth the online buy from Luekens'. I have been wanting to try this for a while and couldn't wait until Sept 1 (the "official" start of fall and football season in my book this year) to try it. For me, it kind of melded together a lot of elements of Schlafly Pumpkin (with the spice profile) and Pumking (with the buttery, whipped cream finish....without overdoing it as I feel Pumking sort of does). I will definitely be ordering more of this in the future. Seek it out!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 13:49:12 | More by bcostner1

mverity

Florida

4.73/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This fall I had my first Good Gourd as my first beer for a tailgate; after most of the pumpkin hype season had died down. I poured it into a red wine glass (my best option) and immediately noticed that I liked the color and aroma much more than certain other pumpkin ales. My first sip, I was hooked. I bought up several more, two for this winter, and a few to age for next year. I picked the first one up for $13, and the next few for $14; and they were certainly worth the price IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:11:05 | More by mverity

cosmicevan

New York

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

was shocked to find this locally the other day. supposedly got the last bottle of a single case that the shop got. we've always gotten cigar city, but never saw good gourd anywhere.

a - opened the bottle and filled my ccb snifter. beer poured a thin pumpkiny orange with a bubbly oily head that bubbled away quick. in the glass, the beer was lush and rich and transparent.

s - as soon as i opened the beer an AMAZING aroma filled the air. upon closer inspection...just marvelous. picture pumpking but better. pumpkin, cinnamon, apples...autumn.

t - wow, tastes just as good as it smells. very potpouri. festive. literally tastes like autumn. pumpkin, subtle balanced sweetness.

m - very smooth and medium bodied. booze is invisible.

o - overall, i think i may have just tasted the best pumpkin beer i've ever tried. it really is phenomenal...but if you don't like pumpkin beers, don't expect to like this one. here's hoping i see it again soon.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 02:55:45 | More by cosmicevan

Berrmecca13

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 1 pint 9.4oz btl into a nucleated tulip/snifter.
Cloudy opaque orange/amber color with an off-white head that diminishes into a light almost non-existent head that remains edged at the glass.
The upfront nose is spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a strong pumpkin smell that provides an excellent backing. Quite inviting!
The taste is well balanced with a strong pumpkin flavor and cinnamon spice pronouncing itself sharply on the back half. Wonderfully full bodied and creamy like an imperial pumpkin should be.
--Overall this will be a repeat buy. So far the best release of 2011 for my palate. Full bodied, creamy, with spice and a REAL pumpkin flavor. Delicious...

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 01:40:06 | More by Berrmecca13

Trilogy31

California

4.55/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pretty brown amber with nice clarity. Thin finger of foam leaving very little lacing. The nose hits with nutmeg, a dry vegetal pumpkin quality, cinnamon candy and baking spices - it is very much like pumpkin pie, spices are prevalent with almost a creamy pie crust scent. The nose is what gets me - multilayered complex chocolate notes - this beer looks like Theobroma and drinks like what Theobroma wishes it could be. Straight pumpkin pie in the mouth, full of spices and rich pumpkin flavor that finishes with nice carbonation and a dry vegetal quality at the end. Almost a touch astrigent on the finish and not a huge fan of the vegetal quality it presents but this is by far and away the best pumpkin beer i have had.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 02:42:03 | More by Trilogy31

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-murky dark orange with a nice cream colored head. good lacing.

S-pumpkin with a spicy and tangy aspect to it. the spicyness isn't the typical autumn spices though. it reminds me more of belgian witbier. smells really tasty and unique, though faint. actually there are some autumn spices too...i don't know...this is complex.

T-wow this is going to be talked about for years to come. this is great. comes in with a great taste of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and sweet potato! its a great taste with strong flavors. it goes in to a slight bitterness then ends with a long lasting after-taste of pumpkin, brown sugar, and sweet potato. this is amazing.

M-creamy low carbonation with a semi-dry finish

O-as far as pumpkin ales go, i've only ever liked pumpkin and pumpking. i've now added good gourd. in fact, this puts punkin to shame. its such a complex and balanced blend of great flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 05:38:30 | More by AdamBear

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Presentation: 750 mL bottle chilled and poured into my Kate the Great tulip glass. Huge thanks to cfrances33 for this bottle.

Appearance: Medium brown in color with a slight one finger head. Decent retention, but eventually turns into a minimal lacing.

Aroma: Really interesting spice note upfront. Cinnnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg all stand out. Some pumpkin and molasses tones complement the spice. I think the allspice note really seperates this from other pumpkin beers.

Taste: Again, big pumpkin pie spices dominate. Tons of bright allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove all contribute. Manages to stay interesting and bright throughout. The spice tone is completely unique and intriguing. Brown sugar and molasses sweetness matches well with the pumpkin to create a really nice background. Really drinkable for the ABV.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied. Lower than average carbonation.A bit syrupy.

Overall, a really unique, interesting and complex take on the pumpkin beer style. The spice note is one of a kind and doesn't overwhelm the base beer. One of my new favorites of this style. Definitely want to try this again. Balanced, smooth and complex.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 02:44:01 | More by Gosox8787

tpd975

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on draft at Cigar City

A: Pours a nice clear brillant punkin' orange hue with a nice tall creamy head. The retention is very good with spotty lace noted.

S: In the aroma department this one is hard to beat, it is neck and neck with Southern Tier Pumpking here. Huge real pumpkin aromas with a wonderful mix of spices. There is a real buttery crust element in here as well that I have never picked up in another beer. Even after the beer was gone from the glass the aroma still wafted from the empty glass. This one smells better than those $20 candles the wife brings home.

T: The flavors are wonderful as well. Real pumpkin, a perfect mix of pie spices, and oooh that gooey butter I detected. The pumpkin stands out without the spice overpowering. This one is a perfect mix between the pumpkin beers of DogFish Head and Southern Tier. I will quickly become a favorite of the pumpkin beer lovers.

M: Medium in body, smooth and creamy.

D: I tasted this one when it was first finished and the booze could really be detected. Since it has aged a bit, the alcohol flavors have died and the pumpkin, spice, and buttery goodness have come together to create one wonderful brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2009 15:52:11 | More by tpd975

CampusCrew

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

At Kickbacks with a gramham cracker crust rim. wasn;t my choice, but hey it turned out awesome.

appearance: hazy cloudy coper color

smell: Could totally smell those pumpkin pie spices. Huge nose and even a little graham craker aorma proably from the rim.

taste: really nice balance with great pumpkin and spice flavor. not over sweet at all. This is probably one of the best pumpkin beers I have had.

mouthfeel: medium bodied

drinkability: great pumpkin beer, probably one of the best I have had. Amazing nose and flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2010 00:12:46 | More by CampusCrew

hopking311

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally.. thank you CCB.. for bottling this amazing brew.

Poured into my CCB snifter.. half finger of head disspates to thin white lace around inner glass.. dark amber orange color.. lacey

smells like real fresh pumpkin, sweet hints of cinnamon, clove and all spice.

medium body, rich creamy, well balanced carbonation

Rich creamy pumpkin, taste.. immediately destroys the palate, subtle cinnamon, nutmeg undertones with a slight alcohol twinge to indicate its presence.

This is the catalina wine mixer of Pumpkin beer this season!!

get you some!! PaaaaHHH

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 03:29:11 | More by hopking311

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery with JJ. What a cool spot.

A - Amber/Brown with an off white head.

S - Cinnamon, burnt sugar, toffee, and PUMPKIN.

T - Allspice, nutmeg, molasses, sugar, pumpkin, caramel, Damn this tasty. They have so many good beers on tap, Marshal Zhukov, Vanilla Brown Maduro, Jai Alai, and multiple other brewery only releases. I love pumpkin so tried this beer and I was not disappointed.

M - Smooth, Sweet but not overly so, well balances, light carbonation.

O - Fantastic pumpkin beer. Another hit from CC. Hardly taste the booze for the ABV. Another reason I love Cigar City. Beers like this make me wonder why there's not more love for pumpkin beers... but I suppose to each their own.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2012 21:38:20 | More by DNICE555

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Don’t review as much as I used to and it seems that I only feel motivated when I have time and am really impressed with a beer. Hats off to my buddy Chris for bringing me this beer.

Thick tan head that’s about 2+ fingers thick. As it melts some lace clings to the glass. The beer is a deep amber color with more brown notes than anything else

The aroma is wonderful.. Bright and full of spice. A bit like pumpkin bread.

Ok, this is a very good beer. The first thing I think of is this creamy nature to the flavor. My wife makes awesome pumpkin pancakes which are among my favorite. This taste very much like those including the creamy notes. Lots of spice and almost a nice almond flavor. The abv is not hot, but there is a subtle liqueur note to the finish. Quite nice and warming actually. The more it warms the more the actual pumpkin flavor comes to the forefront.

As mentioned a creamy nature to this and a bot warming. Wonderful and smooth.

A very good beer, bordering on special. This makes my top list of pumpkin beers with Pumking and DFH Punk’n. Definitely top 3.

Thanks Chris.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 19:00:17 | More by Reagan1984

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler courtesy of my CCB hook up fogdog. Thanks again Kevin.

Poured into my duvel tulip.

A: Dark orange brown, about one finger of light beige head, tiny soapy lace ring

S: The aroma is rather sweet pumpkin pie with subtle spices come through as well. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and vanilla. The abv gives off a touch of heat reminding you it's present.

T: The malt is a bit more agressive in the flavor. Smooth pumpkin pie with hints of pie crust and tiny bit of black pepper in the finish. No bitterness that tends to ruin most Pumpkin ales. Huge bonus points for that. Nothing but a trace of the high abv can be picked out in the taste.

M: velvety creamy body that seems to slowly slide off the tongue. Modest to low carbonation.

D: This is an absolute winner of a pumpkin ale. Finally a pumpkin beer that rivals pumpking. I hope they end up bottling this one. I would love to stock up every fall.

Serving type: growler

10-08-2010 23:47:35 | More by beerwolf77

mcb4538

New York

4.47/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Alieniloquium for the beer!

Appears as a dark orange and with a finger thick head. A decent amount of nutmeg on the nose. Tastes lighter than the average pumpkin ale. Is refreshing and could be a great session beer. Nutmeg hits on the back end of the tongue. It’s a faint amount and definitely not overpowering. The mouthfeel enhances the nutmeg notes. A great overall pumpkin beer that doesn't overdo it.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 23:12:49 | More by mcb4538

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a goblet.

A: Pours a clear reddish amber with 1 finger of head that dissipates extremely quick. A Moderate stream of tiny carbonation bubbles from the center of the glass. Large lacing careens down the edge of the glass.

N: Clean caramel, pie crust, pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon. Smells very refreshing and inviting.

T: Bready pie crust, caramel, pumpkin, toasted grains, and allspice upfront. Mid-palette brings in more heavy, clean malt along with nutmeg, brown sugar, hints of molasses, green apple and tobacco. Finishes with cinnamon, burnt pie crust, allspice, pumpkin flesh along with some earthy hop bitterness and clove.

M: Medium bodied, smooth, slick and a bit chewy.

O: Definitely one of the better Pumpkin Ales! Complex, malty, bready, caramelly and filled with pumpkin flavors. Spicing is mild and artfully done, only lending support to the brew as a whole. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 01:02:04 | More by justintcoons

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thank you for sharing, Jay

Appearance -- Pours an orange/amber hue with a mild haze and wispy beige head.

Smell -- Very nicely spiced with nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, et al. Lots of sweet pie pumpkin as well, as well as yeasty/estery character. Really nice.

Taste -- Sweet pumpkin flesh and pie spices are the overarching flavor components, but at the same they aren't overstated; no artificial pumpkin spice latte effect. Lots of Belgian character, with yeast, mild spicy phenolics and bubblegum esters. Really unique and well-executed.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-full in body with moderate carbonation.

Overall -- This must be my favorite pumpkin beer to date. Just amazing how well balanced and nuanced it is while still tasting like pumpkin and spice. It's the beer I wish Pumking was.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 04:53:04 | More by yeahnatenelson

indesertum

New York

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

gorgeous head. nice retention and lacing. amber brown gold

nice pumpkin on the nose. typical spices, but pretty rich aroma compared to most pumpkin beers i've had.

wow. the first thing i taste is oddly rich dark chocolate. pumpkin in the back ground. turkey day spices. nice bitterness in the finish. really well balanced. rich. dark. complex.

mouthfeel is nice. good carbonation. finish lasts for awhile.

honestly speaking this is the best pumpkin beer i've had this year and i've had way too many.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 03:29:00 | More by indesertum

mcallister

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Deep shades of orange with a semi fluffy yellow colored head that fades very quickly into a foamy topper.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, lots of clove, hints of corriander, all spice, brown sugar and what I would assume to be some pumpkin like squash type aromas.

Man just a lovely pumpkin ale here. Very round, soft, and velvety on the palate. So soft and feminine in mouthfeel and flavors. Things meld greatly with out being overly spicy. Cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, quince, clove, pumpkin flavors, some graham cracker, all spice, nutty flavors and more. Just a fantastic pumpkin, rivals pumking....it's a close one.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 19:16:11 | More by mcallister

biggsbowler

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Vine & Barley. Umm Pumpkin!!! This is why I love the fall and Cigar City. Its good to drink a beer, where I taste pumpkin and not a lot of spices. Now there are some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla), but just enough to enhance the flavor of the pumpkin. There is nothing artificial about this beer. I can and will drink a lot of this beer. Great job, Joey and Wayne.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 13:39:02 | More by biggsbowler

calcio360jrd

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My last bottle of this one, figured now the best time to review.

This has taken over as my favorite pumpkin beer. Most of the pumpkin beers tend to have to much pumpkin spice in them, or tend to be too sweet like pumking, although i like pumking just fine. Good Gourd strikes the balance the best for me between pumpkin flavor and just enought added spice to make me think of this time of the year. The 9% abv doesn't hurt either, rounding this one out perfectly for the style.

I'll be looking for more bottles, or i just will have to wait til next year.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 19:15:40 | More by calcio360jrd

beergod1

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a hazy orange. A decent dense foamy white head. Aroma is a nice blend of fall spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. The flavor is more of the same but just bolder and with the added hint of pumpkin. Very creamy and tasty. This is EASILY one of my favorite pumpkin beers. Carbonation is spot on and it has a nice balanced mouthfeel. The 9% is hidden amazingly well making this very drinkable. Would LOVE to try this again sometime. Yes that is a trade offer.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 21:58:24 | More by beergod1