Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Cigar City Brewing

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to DosBeerigos for the trade on this one. Poured into a snifter, this brew appears a hazed amber color with a white head that fades to just a thin film that holds around the edge of the glass. A light swirl revives a finger of yellowish cream that again slowly fades down to a thin lacing. Some spots of lace cling to the glass.

The smell of this brew is earthy and spiced. A touch of green pumpkin character mixes with yeast and some fruity alcohol hints. Cloves are present along with cinnamon and an earthy indication of nutmeg and hops. More smells reveal a residual sweetness to the nose that is caught between a caramel malt and toffee character. The fruity inclusion is a bit perplexing and distracts a bit from the overall theme of pumpkin/earth character.

The taste is sweet toffee/caramel with a contrasting bitterness of herbal hops and a spice of earthy nutmeg. Some spices are evident with a flavor of cinnamon and clove. A fruity backing is evident that starts to move focus on the the alcohol aspect of this brew. The aftertaste is quite earthy with nutmeg and spices expected of the pumpkin offering. Once the brew goes beyond ideal temperature, there is a bit of a molasses to gram cracker type of malty inclusion which is interesting.

This is a medium bodied brew that is quite creamy with a light level of carbonation. There are lots of fruity alcohol notes and a solid balance of modest spices that keep everything in check. For an 8.5% offering, the alcohol is well integrated. Overall this is a solid take on the style, not the best I have had bu tone that is worth trying at least once... or twice.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 01:14:49 | More by stakem

n2185

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: pours orange with a finger of beige head that recedes into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: pumpkin spices up front with creamy vanilla aromas followed by yam and pumpkin notes with a sweet bready aroma.

T: again, pumpkin spices at first with some vanilla flavors. Slightly bitter pumpkin and bread flavors follow. Very slight alcohol presence.

M: medium body with lowish carbonation, this beer is a little watery.

O: a good pumpkin ale that could use a creamier body and more depth of flavor. Still, it smells great and is tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 02:04:01 | More by n2185

ales4baldo

California

3.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Hdelavega for this one in a nice trade. 

P-Big pumpkin on there and somewhat of a thanksgiving theme. 

A-a hazy brownish orange. Didnt get much head from this one and the little bit that I did didn't last very long. Poured out real light. Cloudy look to it. 

S-I get pumpkin and sugar. Sweet pie as well and lots of malts. Somewhat of a pilsner scent to it. Pumpkin crust and toppings as well. 

T-nice. You can easily taste the spices as well as the pumpkin. Black pepper and slight spicy notes. Little bit of butterscotch as well. Interesting. 

M-thin, easy to drink. Not to overwhelming. Light body to it and finishes well with the pumpkin lingering around. Would be a little better with a little less spice. Carbonation is good as well. 

O-different. Not what I usually drink but something that's good with food and desert. Spices are a bit overbearing but blend in well. Nice beer. 

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 06:12:36 | More by ales4baldo

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours a radiant orange-amber hue capped with a pie-crust-colored head, lots of tan lace, very appropriate for this seasonal brew.

2011 Update: It does not smell like dial soap anymore, just nice pumpkin, spice and golden Belgian-style beer. Score goes from 2.5 to 3.5.

S - At first I really despise the nose. It seems like I am picking up an aroma of Dial soap. It is either after I have had a few sips, or once it has aired out for a couple minutes that it becomes palatable, and after that the nose is pretty good.

T - The taste is an obvious winner. Imperial Pumpkin seems to work fairly well as a style. Big pumpkin and sweet potato flavors are lightly spiced and decently hopped. It seems that there are more hops and more caramel malt in this brew than one would usually find. Has an intangible, yet distinct CCB taste.

M - Big and rich, well-carbonated.

D - Easy to put down a few. Not something easily said of many pumpkin beers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2010 01:49:40 | More by ktrillionaire

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into pint glass split between 3 people. 2011 version.

A: Pours a orange brown color.  About a half finger of off white head that fades quickly.  There is some lacing on the swirl.  Some alcohol feet seeing as its 8.5 ABV.  Carbonation isn't that crazy.

S: This smells of more natural pumpkin flavor then some of the others I have tried this season.  It's very subtle all around: mild pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove.  For a person, me, who isn't a big fan of seasonals....this smells good.

T: Much like the nose, a very nice subtle flavor on this one.  Natural pumpkin notes are there.  The spice bill is very nicely hidden and doesn't overpower.  You do get a little alcohol in the back of the throat, but again not overpowering.  It's just a little warmth. 

M: Medium bodied beer.  Doesn't COAT the mouth like a porter or stout but it lingers.

O: I'd go B+ or A- on this one.  Mainly because I don't like pumpkins.  It's Bette than the artificial flavored ones for sure though.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 02:13:48 | More by inlimbo77

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

A: Deep Orange/Amber Hue, Passes Little Light, Thick Off White Head, Good Lacing

S: Yams, Cinnamon, Nutmeg

T: Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Allspice, Cinnamon, Clove

M: Heavily Carbonated, Light to Medium Bodied, Clean, Crisp, Mildly Sweet

Overall, a really good pumpkin ale with more of a focus on the pumpkin flavor than being over spiced. A great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 01:25:36 | More by merc7186

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours with a short off white head that fades quickly to nothing. Clear amber to orange body. No lacing.

Aromas a nice - authentic pumpkin meat is strong, along with allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the balance. As it warms, it turns a bit artificial, and seems strongly herbal/peppery.

Flavors are very nice. Nothing is overdone. It's a great blend of pumpkin, spices, and sweetness. Alcohol is very well hidden - this will sneak up on you.

Good richness - full, but not thick on the mouthfeel. Slightly cloying with the aftertaste/film, but actually a bit lighter than most imperial pumpkin ales.

Really well done Pumpkin Ale - CC just continues to impress. Glad I picked up two of these.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 22:25:44 | More by BeerImmediately

Gtreid

Florida

3.88/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle poured into my bruery tulip.

A: Almost like a ruby orange color. The beer dropped a 2 finger cream colored head, that retained very well but left little lace.

A: Sweet malt, pumpkin pie spice, and piney hops. Dominate notes of nutmeg, followed by cinnimon, slight clove, and allspice. Piney hops are suprisingly strong. All in all the nose is not that strong, and falls a little short.

T: Sweet malt flavor is prominent. The pumpkin pie flavors are there towards the middle of the brew, and it finishes with a hoppy bitterness. I like bitterness in my pumpkin brews, but not his much. I think they could've toned down the early hop additions here. The pumpkin is a nice addition, it gives the brew an earthiness that the pumpkin pie spice alone wouldn't. No hint of the 9% tho.

M: Pumpkin beers that actually use pumpkin always have a great full mouthfeel for me, but I think it is a bit overcarbonated.

O: I think this is a solid pumpkin brew, but the aroma falls way short. I would put this one above average, but not on the level of pumking, IMHO. Skal.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 00:23:00 | More by Gtreid

Gmann

New York

3.88/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Blind Tiger 9/15

Pours a orangy brown color with a minimal egg-shell colored head that quickly disipates into a barely there cap. Typical for imperial pumpkins.

The aroma is of a solid bready malt. The pumpkin spices are light, with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice making their presence known. There is also an odd spice that I wasn't able to put my finger on.

While the aroma was light, the pumpkin spice flavor was big. Big nutmeg and clove presence with cinnamon and nutmeg. There seemed to be some vanilla as well. Again there was a sweet spice that I couldn't quite get. There was an earthy quality to the brew and it finished with a tea like bitterness.

The feel was light to moderate with prickly carbonation. Sweet upfront but finishes lightly bitter and dry.

A good pumpkin ale, not great but surely didn't disappoint.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 00:36:32 | More by Gmann

cjgator3

Florida

3.88/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle

A- Poured into a Cigar City tulip glass. Pours a deep orangish amber color with an off-white head.

S- The nose is classic pumpkin ale aroma with pumpkin and spices. 

T- The taste is really good. Not as sweet as some pumpkin ales, this one is a little more dry. The spices come out up front with some warmth from the alcohol. There is also a mile level of bitterness in the finish from some hops.

M- The mouthfeel is between light and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, Good Gourd is a really tasty pumpkin ale. I would put it in the upper tier of pumpkin beers. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 03:08:08 | More by cjgator3

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.88/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this one at Total Wine about 1 month ago and have looking forward to trying this one. I got two bottles; one for before Halloween and one to consume on Halloween. Lets give er a go.

Pours from a 750ml bottle into a Stella Artoios chalice type glass. Fills the glass with a chocolate amber colored beverage. There is a small wispy head that disappears almost immediately. There is no lacing and no retention. This was a bit of a bummer.

Aroma is very nice. Filled with the potpourri of pumpkin spices such as nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, molasses, even a hint of chocolate and toffee. Rather complex. However, there is a bit of vegetable/cabbage that slightly detracts from the overall pleasantness of the aroma.

I liked the flavor. I still think Pumking is the king of pumpkin beers, but this one follows suit nicely. Slightly synthetic pumpkin flavors. There is a nice pumpkin pie and pumpkin cookie and pumpkin donut thing going on with the flavor. Very heavy on the spices, certainly the limit of spice flavor has been reached with this one. Quite bready. Kind of sweet and gets a little syrupy as it warms.

This was very enjoyable overall. Notmy favorite of the pumpkin beers, but this is definitely a solid beer in the category. Nice body, medium in the feel. Carbonation could be a little higher, but a nice ber.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 00:17:33 | More by SaCkErZ9

Patrick

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Todes for this one.

The beer pours a hazy ruby/orange color with not a whole lot of head or lacing. The smell is very subtle. Notes of earthy pumpkin and subtle spice, for some reason I expected more though when it comes to pumpkin ales, less is more. The flavor is similar to the aroma in that the spices are subtle. Cinnamon is the most dominant one, but some nutmeg is in there too. Something is spicy, maybe some clove, though it could be the cinnamon. There is also a sweet and bready backbone to the beer. The mouthfeel is pretty creamy though the spiciness in the back of my throat kind of detracts from it a bit. There is a bit of stickiness and astringency as well. Overall the beer is very drinkable and doesn't taste like 9% at all. Nice beer.

Serving type: growler

09-16-2010 22:51:21 | More by Patrick

Brittmb29

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

reviewed from notes:

a- orange brown hazy body with some light penetration. thin rim of foam and whispy head w/ some lacing (served into pokal in this review, but head tends to vary a lot since i've had this a few times)

s- nutmeg cinnamon pumpkin and malty yeast. reminds me of a great spiced pumpkin loaf. some alcohol and sweetness also.

t- follows nose but even fuller, much more pumpkin with enough pie spices to season the beer without overwhelming with any one spice. hop character blends well to balance the sweet bready malt body in the finish.

M- comes on crisp with good carbonation, moves to a medium-full body with soft feel. finishes crisp and relatively dry with some alcohol in the end. no cloying spice in the finish.

i still have a bottle of this that i plan on sharing for thanksgiving. high alcohol makes it good to share but still not too high that finishing most of the bottle (for me) wouldn't be hard either. another great ccb brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 16:36:58 | More by Brittmb29

MasterSki

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

32oz growler courtesy of tpd975. Thanks Greg! Served in a pint glass, and shared at the Flossmoor Beelzebeer release.

A - Pours with two fingers of light orange foam that slowly dissipates to a thick, chunky cap, leaving behind glass-coating lace. Slightly hazed pumpkin orange color. Impressive considering the ABV, and reference for the "style".

S - Traditional pumpkin spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. as well as some authentic pumpkin aroma. The nose is somewhat understated, but it hides the 9% incredibly well without being overbearingly sweet.

T - Some pumpkin pie complete with the sweet pie crust. Light spicing is appreciated, as is actual pumpkin flavor. Again, the alcohol is well-hidden, but there's just something a bit muted and drab about this beer.

M - Medium creamy body, medium-low carbonation, no alcohol heat.

D - Considering my many other experiences with Cigar City, this is a surprisingly subtle and understated brew. It was quite enjoyable, but it was quickly forgotten after moving on to the next few brews. I heard the test batch was quite different, but I gotta review the beer I try! In any case, it's definitely one of the better pumpkin beer offerings, but I think I prefer Pumking a little bit (and Flossmoor's extinct Big Black Pumpkin, of course).

Serving type: growler

09-27-2010 02:04:14 | More by MasterSki

birchstick

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pours a nice orange color without too much of a head

S - nose is a little weak, however there is some light spice and subtle pumpkin

T - starts off with sweet pumpkin flavor with a bit of caramel malts. These fade to a light spice flavor, predominantly cinnamon and all spice. This strikes a nice balance between the pumpkin flavor and the spice.

M - medium body that leaves a dry finish from the spices

D - pretty solid pumpkin ale here. As mentioned, good flavor profile but a little lighter on the nose and palate than I would have hoped.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 20:40:57 | More by birchstick

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy orange color with a thick off white almost brown colored heading. Retention is good but does settle to a thin edging. Decent lacing a few globs here and there.

To have this in sequence with Pumking is unfair as the nose just doesn't really add up to the Southern Tier offering. Nice allspice aroma with a touch of nutmeg.

Taste however is better than the offering of Southern Tier not bad at all. Nice caramel maltiness going on with a good deal of cinnamon,allspice and nutmeg.

Medium bodied and fairly balanced. Easily drinkable and not boozy at all coming in at 9%.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 18:52:24 | More by TheFightfan1

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this bottle from Leuken's. Served in a Pumking goblet.

Pours a moderate orange-copper with a good off-white head. Decent retention and some spotty lacing on the way down. The nose carried a lot of squash and pumpkin with a bit of cinnamon and miscellaneous spice in the background. The flavor didn't have quite as much spice and really focused on the squash element. Not too sweet, which was nice. Chewy medium body with moderate carbonation and a bit of spice zest in the finish. Good brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 17:27:38 | More by Thorpe429

IdrinkGas

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm glad pumpkin beer season is coming to an end. I keep buying them but I've never found one that stands out above the rest.

A: Golden caramel in color with a small white head.
S: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and some sweetness.
T: Cinnamon and cloves mainly but it has a fresh gourd taste to it. If you have ever broken a gourd in half and smelled it thats exactly how this one finishes. Sort of odd after taste.

Drinks a little bit bigger than your typical pumpkin ale. Decent beer but nothing that really sets it apart from the others.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 03:40:57 | More by IdrinkGas

jacwomyn

District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer got better as I drank it. It has a vanilla taste to it but the vanilla got stronger later on. It is defiantly a better tasting beer than Schlafly but it is not as good as Pumpking to me. I would say that Good Gourd is my top 5 pumpkin beers to date. This beer was hard to find. I ordered it from Letspour.com online since the beer is from Fla.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 19:28:37 | More by jacwomyn

readbaron

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Dunt for the pour.

Pours out an amber orange pumpkin color with adequate foam.

Nose smells like fall, almost like a pumpkin pie. Pumpkin up front blended with cloves and a lot of sweetness.

Taste follows the nose - it's a pretty sweet beer up front. The pumpkin and spices are noticable, and it finishes with a bit of grainy, toasted, bready malt. Somehow - the more I sipped this - the less I appreciated the whole amalgamation. I did enjoy the pour, but think that if I had more than 5 or so ounces I'd have a hard time finishing it.

Feel is decent, well carbed, medium bodied, but a bit dry.

Overall, a bit dissapointing. I was hoping this would rival pumking or TREAT, but it doesn't quite make it there.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 21:04:48 | More by readbaron

nick76

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The aroma is very spicy with pumpkin, cardboard, and caramel malt. The appearance is amber with an average head. The taste is a little like the aroma but has an astringent bitterness but it is definitely a pumpkin. The mouth feel is average. Overall I like this beer but I want more pumpkin and less bitter.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-23-2012 00:10:49 | More by nick76

harrymel

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bottled: 20AUG11

A: pours an autumnal orange with really no head production and only some sheeted off-white bubbles. Hazy with spotty lace.

S: cloves, nutmeg, yams, sweet

T: Sweet malts with plenty of spices. Just what you would expect. Nothing really special here, I guess it's what people are after in a pumpkin.

M: Medium body with slight carbonation, it is nice with a slightly dry finish.

O: Well, this taste pretty much like pumking to me. I can tell it's high quality, but I'm still not on board pumpkin beer should be anything but a stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 08:50:35 | More by harrymel

macrosmatic

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at CCB tasting room. Poured into a snifter glass.

A: Brownish, orangish amber, hazy, with a one-finger off-white head that fairly quickly dissipates into a ring. Decent lacing. Nice looking beer.

S: Pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, caramel malts. Unfortunately, I'm also getting a a little dry cardboard aroma here too.

T: Flavor follows the nose, which is pleasant at first - pumpkin, spiciness, nice round flavors. But, the flat cardboard flavor is there again in the finish.

M: Medium mouthfeel, nice carbonation, no alcohol presence to speak of. This is a sweeter brew but with a relatively dry hang.

O: This one is overall OK, but I deducted significant points for the off flavor. The only think I know to cause this would be oxidization, but I know that it's fresh, and one wouldn't think there would be high-temperature exposure between the brewery & the tasting room, as they're literally connected. Either way, this had promise but didn't deliver. I did buy a bottle, so if it is significantly different I will update this review.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 21:32:49 | More by macrosmatic

nickfl

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a healthy head of off white foam on top of a hazy, amber brown body. The head settles at a moderate lace and leaves decent lace on the glass,

S - Brown, malty notes of toffee with lots of spices, including allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

T - Bready malt notes up front with some brown sugar. A bit of cinnamon and allspice in the middle. Finishes with clove, more dark sugar, and lightly herbal hops.

M - Medium thick body, moderately low carbonation, and a somewhat sweet finish.

D - Not bad, but I don't think it lives up to what some have said about it. Despite CCs penchant for high end spices, the pie character here is kind of bland and flabby with a malt character that only serves to reinforce that impression. I had this beer when it first came out and remember it being less sweet and spicy with more hops in the balance, but it has been so long that I might be misremembering it at this point.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 04:46:46 | More by nickfl

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a tulip. Thanks to Dunt for bringing this over.

Appearance: This has a dark amber color, cloudy, with a frothy white head.

Smell: Pumpkin and spice really dominate the aroma. Some other spices in the periphery.

Taste: Some light caramel malt lead into the main attraction - strong, spiced pumpkins. Cinnamon and nutmeg are the most dominant.

Mouthfeel: This only has a medium body despite the high ABV. There is what seems to be an off-feel to it, maybe some pumpkin residue. The finish is a little bit grainy and my mouth feels coated in plastic after my glass is done.

Overall: There was something about this beer that struck me as off. The feel was a little bit light, and there is some pumpkin residue flavor that is not appealing

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 22:50:22 | More by KickInTheChalice