Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Cigar City Brewing

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

pmlondrigan

New York

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

For a pumpkin beer this has very good head retention and carbonation, though the carb is slightly loopy. Nice half a finger white head. Orange, auburn in color, slightly opaque, it looks warm and fall like. Full aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Really nice fresh spice pop, not muted at all. There is also some toasty malted aroma. Off the bat I can taste warm and toasted malts, some roasted squash flavor coupled with a good hit of vanilla. Mid palate all the way to the finish is freshly ground pumpkin pie spices. A tad cloying but not really too sweet just a really full bodied, full flavored pumpkin ale. I wish this beer had some more true pumpkin flavor, but otherwise this is very, very, good. This is so close to my favorite but Pumking still rains supreme for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 01:14:11 | More by pmlondrigan

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Good Gourd has arrived on the Northeast Coast. Glad to see this as I had stared at this in wonder last year if it would ever make it up.

Smell of caramelized sugars, roasted malts, light english yeast I presume by lack of any real character outside of the spices.

Taste of fresh light cinnamon, sweet spices, buttered sweet potato, a bit of Jamaican allspice in moderation and tons of caramelized sugars.

Medium to light body with a creamy buttered slick mouthfeel.

Overall I really enjoyed this. The closest pumpkin Ale I can compare it to is Weyerbacher imperial pumpkin ale which I have not had since last year but I really enjoyed that beer. I like pumpkin ales a lot but after having a few pumple Drumkin , this just blows it out of the water and I had thought it was only mediocre on the low side. Good Gourd should probably be renamed Great Gourd? or maybe that is for the sequel that has been aged in bourbon barrels.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 02:14:42 | More by alpinebryant

steve8robin

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very happy to come across this brew on a recent work trip. Let's see what we have here. 750ml bottle, 2011 vintage.

A: Pours a slightly cloudy orange brown color with a nice 1 inch fluffy off white head that fades slowly. Good.

S: I get some nutmeg and clove immediately upfront. Some cinnamon starts to blend in the middle with a faint vanilla finishing off the nose. Good.

T: Not what I was expecting after the smell. I get a mild hint of spice immediately which is quickly drowned by a chewy sweet malt with some hints of pumpkin. It then finishes with a mild nutmeg and hidden hop bitterness. No alcohol noticed at all! Very good.

M: Medium body with a huge carbonation. A chewy sweet finish with a mild spice.

O: All in all, this is another representation of why I love CCB. They took the style they set out to brew, and made an above standard representation of it. If you like pumpkin / spiced beers, then you should definitely give this bad boy a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 02:32:34 | More by steve8robin

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

From 750mL bottle to tasting glass at a NoVA Beer Tasting on 10/23/11
*From notes

-- Thanks to my CCB pipeline (aka UMCaner74) for the hook-up --

A: Cloudy orangey resin. A generous pour yields a .75 finger head. Minimal retention and lacing, though I'll be damned if this isn't a gorgeous beer.

S: Creamy pumpkin, well balanced spice, graham cracker and just a touch of yeast.

T: Creamy and pumpkiny and spicy. This is easily one of the more flavorful pumpkin beers I've encountered. Everything here meshes well, and it's really approachable for anyone, including non-pumpkin fans.

M: I contend that CCB is the one of the top two or three mouthfeel kings in the business. Having said that, this feels nice, but it's not quite up to the monumental standards set by the higher ends of their portfolio. Regardless, it's well carbonated and properly layered.

O: CCB's Good Gourd is one of the best pumpkin beers around. If readily available in my market, this would be a constant in my fridge during the crisp, cool autumn days. Easily recommended, and absolutely worth seeking out for the pumpkin beer aficionado and general beer advocate alike.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 23:42:45 | More by Rhettroactive

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle thanks to johnyb. Poured into CCB snifter. Enjoyed as my Halloween beer!

A- Pours a orange reddish brown with a thin layer of yellowish brown head that quickly subsides to leave no head at all. Decent carbonation with consistently rising carbonation bubbles. Not much in terms of lacing.

S- Pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and some other spices. Very nicely balanced without any spices dominating too much which I hate in a lot of pumpkin beers. About average aroma strength.

T- Nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin and some more cinnamon on the finish that lingers for a little bit. Nice flavorful balance between everything, if anything the cinnamon dominates a little bit, but not in a bad way (there's a lot of cinnamon beers I can't stand).

M- Fairly thin, nice carbonation, very easy to drink.

O- This was a fantastic pumpkin ale. Easily one of the best I've had. Pumpkin ales are not easy to master- a lot of breweries don't get enough pumpkin to come out and some overspice. CCB did a great job in creating this pumpkin ale and I highly recommend trying it out.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 22:29:12 | More by jaasen64

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a red tinged orange with a thin wispy head.

Pumpkin spices dominate. Lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Don't get too much real pumpkin out of this.

More pumpkin in the flavor. The spices are more subdued than the nose. A bit of nutmeg still comes in, but pumpkin is the featured flavor. Finishes with a little nutty aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is pushing toward medium as is carbonation level.

I like when my pumpkin beers aren't overwhelmed by spices and this one fits the bill. It's nothing mind blowing, but a good large format pumpkin ale to share.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 19:07:10 | More by jmarsh123

adam42381

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 Edition

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Spiegelau tulip.

Appearance: Pours a medium orange-caramel with a 2 finger foamy off-white head. Nice lacing.

Smell: Sweet malt with pumpkin and a nice mix of pumpkin pie spices including nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. The smell is a little more subdued than I had hoped for, but the aroma that is there smells good.

Taste: Delicious mix of pumpkin pie spices up front followed by sweet malt in the middle before ending with a decent hoppy bite at the finish. Aftertaste is spicy with a touch of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Goes down very smooth.

Drinkability: Excellent drinkability. The elevated ABV% is very well-masked and it goes down very smooth.

Overall: Excellent beer overall. One of the best pumpkin ales on the market. Like almost everything from Cigar City, I highly recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 21:56:23 | More by adam42381

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a goblet.

Appearance - Slightly hazy deep amber body. Not as dark as other pumpkin ales. A nice healthy head also distinguishes it from other pumpkins. And finally, it's got lacing! It looks like a real beer.

Smell - A great balance of pumpkin and spices. It's not dominated by spices, but they complement the pumpkin nicely. Nutmeg especially, I think.

Taste - Good pumpkin flavor up front, but the spices are less involved. The pumpkin flavor seems to fade and come back in the end. Maybe even a bit of earthiness with it at the end and possibly some bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Thick, but not as creamy as I'd like. I imagine a perfect pumpkin ale like drinking a pumpkin pie and it comes close, but just not quite creamy enough. Are my standards too high?

Overall - The best pumpkin ale I've had to date, but not perfect. The smell is wonderful but the taste is not quite as good.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 21:55:17 | More by Alieniloquium

ryanonline

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a deep fiery orange with a very hazy look, and some big and fluffy off white head. not a lot of lacing.

smells deliciously pumpkiny and it has lots of cinnamon and clove notes. even what seems to be a slight chocolate scent as well.

the taste is slightly less pumpkiny and more beer like, even has a bit of sourness and a touch of that trademark cigar city funk.

the mouthfeel is very creamy with a slightly foamy and prickly carbonation. full bodied with a dry finish.

moderate drinkability and it has quite a bitter finish and is very full bodied, leaving you a bit full half-way through.

delicious pumpkin beer but it is a bit bitter in the finish, the smell however is totally where it's at. love cigar city beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 02:28:06 | More by ryanonline

warnerry

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy orange-brown with almost two fingers of tan head. Head fades to a collar pretty quickly, but leaves some lacing.

S - Nice aroma. A bit of sweetness, but not too sweet. Smells of a bit of pie crust, with some cinnamon and other pumpkin spices coming through. Also some subtly sweet pumpkin note and a bit of brown sugar.

T - All of the notes of the smell are there, but with a nice subtlety. Tastes of a nicely spiced beer up front, with the pumpkin coming later. I like that this isn't overly sweet, or overly spiced. All the elements of a pumpkin pie, but in good balance with each other, and with the malt profile.

M - Medium mouthfeel. Has the mouthfeel of a spiced lager. A bit of creaminess.

O - A very nice pumpkin beer, one of the better examples I've had. Not too sweet, not overly spiced. Just a nicely balanced flavor profile that has the spice elements of a good pumpkin beer in combination with more of an earthy pumpkin profile.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 03:12:46 | More by warnerry

enzocc

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Amber, Orange, caramel color. Perfect, average color for this style of beer. Almost two fingers of head, but it didn't last too long.

S - The aromas that this beer has is incredible. Cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, brown sugar, almost toffee, and a light chocolate, and ofcourse Pumpkin are all over the essences of this beer.

T - Pumpkin, Cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, caramel, and a touch of chocolate are predominant on the flavor. Lightly floral hops. Alcohol almost not noticeable.

M - I will prefer a dense, sticky beer, but this beer is watery, but almost sticky at the end. Its not so thin so you cant get use to it. Drinkable!

O - Excellent aroma flavor. Fits perfectly in his style. Very pumpkin flavor with his popular ingredients. A pumpkin beer that I could recommend!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 02:45:44 | More by enzocc

BigMike

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I saved this one for Thanksgiving. Totally worth it!

A: Dark orange slightly burnt color. 1 finger of an off white colored head. Lot's of carbonation bubbles streaming. Nice looking pumpkin ale for sure.

S: First wiff reveals a ton of nutmeg. Lot's of allspice and cinnamon but none are over done. Smells well rounded. Also i get the pumpkin on the nose. It comes across like a butternut squash aroma.

T: Lot's of pumpkin. The spices shine too. Cinnamon, allspice, huge amounts of nutmeg. Definitely the best tasting and most well rounded pumpkin beer.

M: Medium bodied. Soft and chewy. Easy to drink. Alcohol is well hidden.

Overall: Hands down, the best tasting pumpkin beer i've had. Doesn't taste artificial. It's not too over the top. And it's balanced as hell as far as the pumpkin flavor and the spice. A very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 21:46:28 | More by BigMike

brentk56

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber-pumpkin color with a respectable head that leaves a few shards of lacing behind

Smell: Freshly-baked pumpkin pie aromatics - more spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and crust than pumpkin itself

Taste: Spices galore from the get-go, with the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove most pronounced; biscuity malt, underneath and a bit of pumpkin flavor, as well; overall, the spicing is very nice, though the clove is just a bit too pronounced in the finish, lending a slightly harsh character

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very nice, spice-forward example of the style; I would modulate the clove a bit but otherwise this is a very nice beer

Thanks, voxomkid, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 22:15:52 | More by brentk56

oline73

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into Chimay goblet.

Pours a reddish amber that is mostly clear. There is a layer of off white head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Sweet from lots of grain and pumpkin. Graham cracker shows up too.

Taste: More bitterness than I would have expected from the smell, but still very nice. Graham cracker, pumpkin, and some caramel. Not much pie spice to be found, but very good.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with very smooth carbonation and a slight dryness in the finish.

Overall: A really nice change from the pumpkin spice beers. I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 22:22:45 | More by oline73

dcloeren

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured pumpkin orange with a finger of off white head. Decent legs and spotty wet lacing.

Smell was very faint. Some gourd, cinnamon, all spice and maybe some nutmeg.

Taste is very gourd forward with just the right amount of spice. Very tasty and worth bringing back from Florida.

Light to medium body with just enough carbonation.

Overall, this is a fantastic pumpkin ale. Just the right amount o spice and pumpkin. Not too much of either which I feel is the case with most. Very well balanced and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 02:53:29 | More by dcloeren

Shaw

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

My first pumpkin ale of the season.

The first time I've had this beer in the bottle. Last was a growler in 2010.

A lovely orange/amber in color with lots of carbonation and a short tan head.

Big aroma of spices like cinnamon.

It's sweet, but not cloying, with lots of spice and pumpkin flavors.

Big body is great.

Overall this is one of the better pumpkin ales out there. Seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 04:27:46 | More by Shaw

jcartamdg

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an orange amber with a one finger head that sticks around in my bruery tulip. Aromas of pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and a bit of ginger. Taste follows nose, really creamy, smooth and easy to drink. This is a great pumpkin beer, I could drink it all year!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 01:15:13 | More by jcartamdg

hdelavega

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice burnt orange with a thick off white head.
Great aroma, roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove.
Flavor keeps up with the nose. A great balance between the pumpkin and spice. I get more clove in the taste balanced by brown sugar.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 04:05:28 | More by hdelavega

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to ericandersnavy for sharing this growler.

The beer pours an orange-amber color with white bubbles. There is not much, if any, real head on the beer.

The aroma is pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon. Very nice smelling.

The flavor is reminiscent of pumpkin pie. I get a lot of sweet pumpkin, as well as some allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and caramel malt.

Medium body with low carbonation. A very nice pumpkin ale.

Serving type: growler

09-29-2010 01:20:26 | More by Mora2000

Beerisheaven

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this last night side by side with Elysian Great Pumpkin. I am actually a big fan of most of the Cigar City offerings, so I was interested in trying their pumpkin presentation. Thanks to Bryanole for shooting this my way.

A - Pours nicely, a dark orange red with a fairly strong white head that rises up and quickly pulls back.

S - Pretty standard pumpkin fare in that it presents a strong profile of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspince, what you would normally expect in a pumpkin beer.

T - Again, pretty standard in that it focuses on the traditional spices although there is a slight bitterness towards the end, almost a hoppy profile on top of the pumpkin beer.

M- Pretty good, not thick in any way, pretty much what you would expect.

O - Against the Great Pumpkin, this one came out the loser. I would say that CCB has done a nice job but it sits there with most other pumpkin offerings. Nothing allows this one to stand out versus the Weyerbacher and others. A good effort noting noteworthy here.

Thanks again to Bryanole for shooting these my way. I have a couple of extra bottles for the fall football tailgating season that will come in handy.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 13:18:15 | More by Beerisheaven