Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Cigar City Brewing

brystmar

New York

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: orange-gold with less white head than expected. Decent retention, though, and leaves a beady lace.

S: fresh pumpkin that's smooth and mellow. Truly smells like pumpkin pie. Cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet malts, hints of Challah bread too.

T: smooth mixture of sweet malts, spices, and fresh pumpkin. Great balance here: not too sweet, spicy, or pumpkin-y. Finishes with a delicious, lingering pumpkin pie aftertaste and just a tiny hint of bitterness.

M/D: nice & creamy and nearly full-bodied. Velvety texture is sublime. Could drink this entire bottle myself.

Practically every brewery in the country makes a pumpkin ale these days, and nearly every one of them misses the mark. Even beers from top-rated brewers seem to miss more often than they hit. Good Gourd is a hit!

That said, it still falls short of my top tier. Frog's Hollow Double Pumpkin by Hoppin Frog and Devious Imperial Pumpkin by Bethlehem Brew Works tie for top honors among pumpkin ales. But Good Gourd ranks a solid #3, snugly above ST PumKing and DFH Punkin. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 02:58:22 | More by brystmar

JamesShoemaker

New York

4.34/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750 ml poured into a coffee mug (my girlfriend's glassware [ceramicware?] of choice). Big thanks to woodsyy for the hook up; great trade!

A - what an interesting, cloudy looking brew. It pours dark orange and brown off the bottle, settling almost grey in the cup. Big foam takes a bit of time to recede, leaving that nice filmy lacing on top as it goes down.

S - there's something a little off here, almost like copper, but it's not dominating. It smells a whole lot like pumpkin spice, but not in a unique way. Other pumpkin beers (Pumking notably) smell nearly identical.

T - GG isn't sweet by any means, and the spices aren't overpowering and chemical-packed like they are in virtually every other pumpkin beer. However, it's really very pleasant, almost like a carbonated pumpkin latte. There's a hint of vanilla beneath some of the more intense spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, but it's very well balanced and smooth.

M - again, incredibly smooth. Very little carbonation makes GG drinkable, and 8.5% isn't high enough to intimidate even lightweight beer drinkers. Not artificial at all, which is really remarkable for the style.

O - great beer that I'd love to drink again in high season. GG is most definitely a crowd pleaser, and by far the best in a style that's almost always mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:28:04 | More by JamesShoemaker

bernardus1212

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The ever so controversial pumpkin ales. What to do with them? Had the "IPA" at the tasting room. Pumpkin ales are very up and down and are ususally very pricey. Well this guy was way up!. Poured a very nice fall brown color. With a medium density white head. For me CCB does the best job balancing beers flavors. This pumpkin was balnced in the hops, spice, and pumpkin flavors. My favorite pumpkin. Dont try to convince me otherwise.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2010 16:19:09 | More by bernardus1212

thetomG

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a 32oz growler from my boy Matt (50belair) - thanks dude!

Nice mostly clear orange colored pour. Some 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 very tasty - this is EASILY one of my favorite pumpkin beers.

Carbonation is spot on and it has a nice balanced mouthfeel - not too thin, not too syrupy. The 9% is hidden amazingly well making this very drinkable.

Would LOVE to try this again sometime...

Serving type: growler

10-14-2010 04:35:00 | More by thetomG

unclejimbay

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is orange-amber color with small white fluffy cap.

Aromas of pumpkin fruit and spice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Very nice aroma without being overly spiced.

The flavor suggests pumpkin pie. Semi-sweet pumpkin, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and caramel malt. Nice balance of these flavors without being overly spicy, sweet or artificial.

Medium body with low carbonation.

This is one of the more enjoyable pumpkin ales I have had to date. I dont usually pursue pumpkin beers, but I would drink a pint of this given the right seasonal timing.

Thanks to digita7693 for bringing a growler up to Jax the same day for tasting fresh from the Tap Room. ~9/2010

Serving type: growler

12-09-2010 18:24:32 | More by unclejimbay

hmf05

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber with a one finger creamy head. The aroma is typical pumpkin pie spices like cardamom, cinnamon, all spice, etc. There is also a nice pumpkin/squash aroma behind the spices. The taste is heavy on the spices and I get a good amount of whipped-cream. The alcohol is hidden well for a 9% beer. The mouthfeel is medium with medium to high carbonation. I'd prefer this to be a little less carbonated. Overall, the second best Pumpkin ale I have ever had. I think this would benefit from some aging and I will try to review this some time next year. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 05:18:43 | More by hmf05

babaracas

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy reddish orange with one finger of cream colored head, settles to a thin ring, couple thin rings left on the glass. Smell: pretty substantial cooked (canned) pumpkin, sweet... a little butterscotch, nutmeg and allspice, with mild toasted and twangy grain in the back. Really mild note of clove. Taste: pretty close to a liquid bite of pumpkin pie with a little whipped cream on it. The pumpkin is the star but with ample doses of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon, and a little clove in the finish. Mild spicy + earthy hopping (get the impression of a belgian pale -ish base beer) mixes really well with the pie spices. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 02:32:27 | More by babaracas

TKEbeerman

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Changing it up a bit, I poured this ale into my SA Perfect Pint. This brew pours a pretty pumpkin orange with a cream colored head.

S: The aroma is definitely amplified. There is a depth to the complexity of this brew that many others lack. Notes of pumpkin spice (as opposed to raw pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a delicious tinge of nutmeg.

T: The flavor profile is equal as complex with pumpkin shining through. I love how all the spices in the nose come together on the pallet.

MF: Mouthfeel is medium and creamy.

Overall, this is a great pumpkin ale. Definitely top 5 for me, and one of the most noticeably complex pumpkins that I've had. On a side note, I noticed the bottle was a little better than on tap, and definitely better served a little warmer.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 22:42:13 | More by TKEbeerman

GallowsThief

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of a bomber into my tulip.

A – Poured out a slightly hazy orange with one finger of bubbly white head that left a bit of lacing.

S – Very nice aroma. Pumpkin pie spice all the way. Cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.

T – Beautiful taste here. This is pumpkin pie in a bottle. Nutmeg, allspice, vanilla and cinnamon everywhere on the palate. Strong pumpkin taste with. Think filling in a great pumpkin pie. Some very light sweetness but not sweet. Slight warming alcohol at the end.

M – Medium bodied with good lively carbonation. Leaves a nice coating on the palate but remains bubbly.

O – Just jumped Pumking as my favorite pumpkin ale. Excellent all around here.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 01:27:51 | More by GallowsThief

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to rudzud as he purchased this on our trip up to VT.

Big fizzy head of 1 finger fades semi slowly with a bit of lacing, crystal clear auburn ruby molasses brown color lots of light coming through.

Nose loaded with pumpkin, light fruity aroma, pumpkin pie, light spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, nutty, etc. light bready malts, toasty, crust, caramel, molasses, etc.

Taste is creamy, toasted malts, bready, pie crust then pumpkin pie filing, nice pumpkin, light spices nutmeg and cinnamon, allspice, etc. light spicy taste. Very pumpkin pie autumn taste. Light hazelnut, semi sweet caramel. Then light canned pumpkin, light bitterness. Very nice. Finish gets a little astringent with the spices and bittering hops.

Mouth is slightly heavy bodied, good carb, little sticky, nice.

Overall great, one of the best pumpkin beers I've had. Nice pumpkin flavors, earthy hops and spices, great malt balance, great pumpkin pie.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 04:20:15 | More by jlindros

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Consumed Nov. 19, 2011 at Inaugural Bottle Share. From notes. Thanks tbadiuk!

A: A hazy orange coper with a light head and lacing.
S: Cloves and cinnamon with a light but notable pumpkin / squash. Intriguing.
T: Delicious. Like a sweet pumpkin pie, with obvious pumpkin and cinnamon notes. Some lingering sweetness.
M: The cinnamon and sweetness linger with a nice carbonation level.
O: A really good pumpkin beer. If more pumpkin beers were made like this one, I would actually seek them out and buy them...

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 00:37:26 | More by kjyost

aepb1

Florida

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Orange brown, light brown head

S- Sweet pumpkin pie malts with pumpkin pie spices to boot

T- More malts, smooth pumpkin pie. I feel like I'm getting the crust tasted in there too with the malts. High abv warming and pumpkin is what is in the aftertaste

M- Creamy medium/heavy bodied.

D- Great pumpkin ale and will revisit when able!

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2010 15:57:48 | More by aepb1

injuredreserve

Louisiana

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark amber with medium bodied off white head.

S: Nutmeg, pumpkin spice, malty and buttery pie crust.

T: Wow, very nice pumpkin beer. Spices up front, pumpkin, followed by a nice buttery finish.

M: Thick, coats the tongue.

O: Very nice example of a pumpkin ale. Best I have had.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 02:23:18 | More by injuredreserve

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to leschkie for bringing this to share! Poured into tulip...

A- Opaque orange color. Inch of bubbly, rocky head that settles quickly not leaving much behind. It's not any huge inherent flaw per style or anything, but it should be noted how hazy this is...

S- Great pumpkin aroma. Cinnamon is prevalent as well. Has a warm, sweet, pumpkin pie aroma that isnt too obtrusive, but very balanced and nice. Has a very rustic, beautifully earthy finish in the nose.

T/M- Has a very fresh, green pumpkin taste. The spice followed the pumpkin almost instantly with a cinnamon kick and soft allspice rounding. Everything just pops as an individual component and an overall blend on the taste buds; flavors are separate, yet together. Finishing flavor is a more vegetative (not anything close to DMS) squash aspect. Sweet and earthy. Medium bodied, nice full carbonation.

O- Very well done. Not quite able to top Schlafly, but this is a top contender. The way the beer feels and the way the ingredients are so individualistic while still forming a unique, lingering blend is incredible. Would come back to this again and again in season...

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 19:31:24 | More by TheGordianKnot

Zraly

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Originally had this on tap during my last trip to Tampa. Bought a 750 home and am currently enjoying the last few swigs.

Pours a hazy, dark amber with a rich two-finger head. Out-of-this-world nose: heavy allspice and cologne notes. Smells so rich and tasty, and definitely conjures all of the elements of pumpkin pie.

Taste follows the smell. Malty, spicy goodness up front with rich, creamy gourd backbone. Clear pumpkin pie spices predominate (cinnamon, allspice, clove, and nutmeg). Medium to full-bodied. The finish is a heavy on the spice with a mild, analgesic burn that is pleasant; this finishing piece reminds me a bit of pickled ginger. Two things I appreciate the most about Good Gourd: the booze is hidden and the finish is not cloying. These latter points are sometimes missed by heavier pumpkin ales.

A really wonderful pumpkin ale that would pair nice by the fireside. Probably also good with traditional fall desserts (i.e., pumpkin and apple pie) as well as homemade french vanilla ice cream. You might take a chance, too, and try pairing it with grilled pork loin.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 23:12:40 | More by Zraly

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber to tulip-pint (thanks to MinorThreat for this in a trade)

A - deep amber/brown in color; nice off-white foam head; some light lacing

S - pumpkin, toffee, burnt sugar; has some really nice malt notes cinnamon and sugar

T - damn fine pumpkin pie is what this tastes like; allspice, nutmeg; really caramel-heavy; brown sugar; maple syrup; not too sweet but caramel maltiness; some molasses

M - this beer is smooth; it's sweetness is there but not at all cloying; medium-bodied; really lightly carbonated; balanced

O - I seem to be one of a few who really love pumpkin beers; this is a phenomenal representation of this beer style/flavor; the sweetness is there but not at all overwhelmingly so; I almost don't taste any booziness...that says something at 8.5%; to me, this is a perfect fall offering

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 20:37:15 | More by SkeeterBoganski

dstc

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy copper-brown color with a thick, foamy tan head. Excellent head retention. Full, clinging lace.

Has that nice pumpkin spice aroma. Plenty of clove, nutmeg and allspice.

Awesome flavor. Just the right amount of pumpkin flavor with excellent spicing. Awesome ale beer as a base and a nice warming from the alcohol.

Rather full in the mouth, almost chewy and rather smooth.

Awesome pumpkin. One of the best I've found.

Serving type: growler

10-20-2010 13:31:06 | More by dstc

fields336

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle dated August 29, 2011
Poured into SN Snifter, 750 mL bottle

A: Pours an Auburn reddish, brownish, gold, with 2 fingers french vanilla colored head. Carbonation is streaming off of the bottom, little haze.

S: light pumpkin, spices, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, Caramel, bready malts. little hop scent.

T: Bready, with pumpkin sweetness, Almost pumking like in its "crust-yness" they managed to get the crust in there with the sweet pumpkin, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. Has a nice earthy, citrusy, grassy hop presence as well, but not as prominent as Smuttynose Pumpkin. Really delicious.

M: Medium-heavy mouthfeel, nicely carbonated, drinkable, but I can definitely feel the alcohol in it.

O: This may be the best pumpkin beer I've had. Smuttynose is excellent, but slightly too hoppy, Pumking has just a little too much breadyness and sweetness, This is balanced, delicious and has a touch of what makes each other pumpkin ale great in it.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 00:24:11 | More by fields336

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: pours an amber orange color with a one inch tan head, and some brownish sediment as i received the last bit of the bottle. The head remains 2 mm throughout the glass.

S: pumpkin and spice are the largest flavors, with malt and sweetness. A bit weak on the smell.

T: first the malt hits, then some pumpkin and spice, and then some extra spice and malt on the back end. It's not overwhelmingly sweet like a few other pumpkin beers, and that makes it fantastic.

M: first strikes me as incredibly smooth for such an amount of carbonation. Great mouthfeel. Medium-thick body.

O: very drinkable, as it's smooth but not ridiculously sweet at all. Favorite pumpkin beer that I've had so far. This was $8 at the brewery and a couple of places around Gainesville. I'm picking up another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 00:34:37 | More by Holland

Brenden

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I reviewed this a while back and am just getting back to some tasting notes.

This beer is a hazed medium-orange color and forms a fluffy white head just over a finger tall. There's some substance to this one, as the sturdy head can attest to as well as the good, patchy lacing left behind by a thick foam about half the size of the original head that does fade further, but slowly.
This pumpkin beer is spiced but balance, something that can be difficult to achieve. Spices are not as though someone dumped some bottles from the cupboard, they're much more thoughtful. They balance with nice light sweetness and fleshy aromas. Cigar City could do bigger, but this is a great smell.
The same could be said for the flavor though, interestingly (especially for C.C.), it comes off as being a bit more muted than it could be. That doesn't mean it's not very good, that just keeps it from fantastic.
The body is medium, and this brew is smooth and creamy coming off a crisp bite. It really flows and fills the mouth without being too heavy.
This is another of the better pumpkin beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 21:46:50 | More by Brenden

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

orange tinted amber. This was very cloudy and hazy which kind of surprised me to be honest. A good two inch or more of white foamy lace formed as a head on top and actually had some really good retention

highly spiced but yet not overpowering as you see a lot with these pumpkins. nutmeg, and cinnamon and a good amount of fresh grass or even a tree like smell to it. Lots of spice running through it though and I could pick up even on some apple in there as well. I thought the aroma was very well put together overall. a nice grainy almost yeast like back to it which really served to lighten it up. This was followed by loads of fall spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, lots of spiced apple, just a good all around mix. There was a noticeable hoppy presence and this definitely could not be hidden. Great finish

Serving type: growler

08-20-2011 01:59:40 | More by mikesgroove

jsanford

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at BA Hunahpu's release. Poured into a CCB Snifter.

Pours a nice copper-orange with a thin white head that settles to a slight haze and ring. Nice pumpkin aromas mixed with brown sugar and the usual Pumpkin Pie spices. Moderately sweet, the brown sugar/molasses character comes out nicely. Taste is similar to the nose, but with a very pronounced pumpkin flavor. This is probably the most "pumkin-y" Pumpkin Beer I've had in a while, it's definitely more pumpkin then spice. Mouthfeel is smooth, slightly creamy, with a touch-over-medium body and good carbonation. Overall one of my new favorite Pumpkin beers, love that you can really taste the pumpkin!

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 15:32:50 | More by jsanford

billab914

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle shared at a recent tasting. It poured a darker, amber orange color with a thin, sticky white head clinging to the edges of the glass. Nice color to it.

The aroma shows cinnamon, nutmeg and canned pumpkin. A malty sweetness helps cut through the spices smoothing it out. Nice aroma for the style.

The taste shows more of the cinnamon and nutmeg spices up front while more of the canned pumpkin flavors come out in the finish. A malty sweetness balances out all the spices in the finish very nicely.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being moderate. Overall I thought it was a fantastic pumpkin beer. The spices weren't overdone and the sweetness definitely helped smooth them out even more. Very nice pumpkin pie like flavor to it overall. Definitely one of the best pumpkin beers I've had, but it doesn't quite beat out Pumking for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 16:16:45 | More by billab914

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big Thanks to kswartz for helping me get a hold of this one. The beer poured out as a nice vibrant orange color with a nice looking white head on top. The smell of the beer is sweet, some moderate spice notes and from what I can tell some of the freshest Pumpkin/Gourd aromas I've ever experienced from a beer. The taste of the beer is again sweet like the nose but balances out quite nicely with the subtle amount of spice that has been used. The mouthfeel of the beer is heavy, it's got a solid thickness to it, it's gently carbonated and goes down nice and smooth. Overall I really enjoyed this beer, one of the best Pumpkin beers I've had as of yet. I highly recommend this brew to anyone looking for something a little different to try than just a typical Pumpkin beer like most breweries are putting out. This one sets the bar pretty high in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 21:04:18 | More by Knapp85

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Mposha for hooking me up with this. I love the way Cigar City's bottle labels look like cigar bands. Poured from a bottle into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter. The beer pours out a nice reddish-brown, fairly clear with a little bit of haze. Carbonation is about average. The one finger of light tan head quickly dissipates. The nose is fairly sweet and spicy with nice aromas of toast, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

The beer has a full body and wonderfully creamy, velvety feel. The flavor is really sweet up front and a little bit squashy. At mid-palate, lots of spices come in and balance out the sweetness nearly perfectly. Everything that announces its presence on the nose is present in the flavor. The spices seem to overwhelm the sweetness in the back of the mouth and they linger nicely on the finish. I don't get much in the way of diacetyl or hop character, but I wouldn't expect to with all these flavors.

Overall, this is a phenomenal pumpkin beer. I think it's right up there with my two favorites: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale and Southern Tier Pumking. It's sweet, but not cloyingly so, and the squashy pumpkin flavors are perfectly complemented by holiday spices. A fantastic fall beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 00:00:06 | More by deadonhisfeet