Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Cigar City Brewing

4.17/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Drank from tap in a pint glass in November 2019.

Appearance: Dark golden-red, with a 3-finger red/tan head. Head was tall and very carbonated. It did not leaveany lacing on the glass.

Smell: Varied aroma of pumpkin, nutmeg, spices, cinnamon, toasted malts, and caramel as well, but overall the pumkin spice and caramel dominate the others. I do not get much hops aroma.

Taste: There is a strong cinnamon and pumpkin flavor as well as some peppery spices. Also some other spices like cinnamon. I do not get any bitterness from hops. The caramel is also prominent.

Mouth-feel: Medium alcohol, but with a very smooth and creamy body. Matches the 8.5% alcohol on the label.

This is a nice, flavored ale that has a variety of flavors that adds some complexity to the beer. I like pumpkin ales that have a spicy flavor, and this is one the best pumpkin ales I have tries. This is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. This is a fun beer and good to drink often. It is currently my 2nd favorite pumkin ale behind Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumkin ale, and I would definitely buy this again.

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4.16/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown color with some clarity. A modest head quickly dissipates, however, there is a thin ring of lacing throughout.

Predictably, there is a big pumpkin aroma along with spicy notes of cinnamon, allspice, clove and nutmeg. The malt aroma evokes dark toasted bready, while the yeast yields notes of bubblegum and sweet alcohol.

As with the aroma, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice flavors dominate. However, they serve to compliment and not overpower the malt base, which is rich, toasty and with a touch of roast. To its credit, this beer is not overly sweet nor boozy. Restrained alcohol spice and hops bitterness help balance things out.

Full bodied, smooth and moderately carbonated. The finish is dry, spicy and with a touch of bitterness.

A big flavored pumpkin beer that is nevertheless easy to drink despite the high ABV. Good imperialized example of the style.

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4.67/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a growler a week or so after purchase. Deep orange color with not too much head that faded soon after. Excellent pumpkin flavor that ends with a bit more spices and a bit of a graham cracker flavor. Definitely my favorite imperial pumpkin ale, even above Twisted Gourd.

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3.93/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

5 oz pour on tap. I've wanted to try this beer for a few years and was excited to see it on tap. It's pretty solid as an imperial pumpkin ale but the spices are a little over-the-top IMO. The 8.5% abv is well-hidden and the mouthfeel is super creamy and smooth.

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4.04/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a tulip. 2017 release, so a year old

dirty dark orange/brown body. lots of slow streams of carbonation up the sides of the glass, giving it a syrupy look. Small cream colored head leaves little lacing.

Only getting some maltiness on the nose.

The spices are quite muted, which is fine by me. It's fairly sweet, and there is a soothing warmth from the abv. A very faint hit of vanilla. I'm not getting the taste of a pumpkin pie as noted on the bottle, but it is a nice drink. As it warms, the pumpkin comes through now and then.

Mouth closing in on full. finish is sweet and barely spicy.

Overall, a pleasant enough drink, rolls around the tongue very nicely.

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4.54/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

I've got to admit, this one gave Alewerks' Pumpkin Ale a run for its money. Perhaps just a tad bit beneath the Alewerks offering, but it's a still a very close second, and I would gladly have it again. here goes:

A: Beautiful brown-amber color. Pours very dark, but it's still quite clear. Pours a massive head that lingers and leaves great lacing. I can't find any fault with its appearance, so I have to start by giving it a perfect score.

S: A little bit muted. Can still detect the pumpkin spices, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and brown sugar. However, in comparison to Alewerks, the scent is nowhere near as powerful.

T: But the flavor is quite great. Just a hair beneath Alewerks, but the pumpkin spices really shine forth in the flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, and loads of sweet sugar. Also a hint of vanilla. It's also surprisingly refreshing for such a heavy beer. However, the flavors are somewhat less powerful and complex relative to Alewerks' Pumpkin Ale. Still great, though.

F: Very smooth and refreshing. Great.

O: A very good beer. Just a hair beneath Alewerks, but still quite good.

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3.97/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Definitely can taste he pumpkin with the spices and sweet biscuit malt, which is very appreciated. But there is not a lot of depth, even for style. Not aromatic for style, but not bad either. Feel is decently bodied and smooth, vanilla comes through on finish with pumpkin and clove. Would like a tad more cinnamon.

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3.98/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful reddish brown with a sticky head. Smells like cinnamon, caramel, pumpkin and a little booze. Tastes a lot like raw pumpkin and cinnamon with a little boozy heat.

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4.21/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark orange/ amber color, scents of cinnamon and nutmeg off the nose, not overpowering but strong enough to be delightful. Similar tastes follow through, with a very natural pumpkin and allspice aftertaste. Overall one of the best pumpkin beers I’ve tasted.

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3.93/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: lots of fresh pumpkin, a little cinnamon and caramel, some bready and caramel malts to round out the aroma

A:

F: lots of green gourd, vegetative with hint of cinnamon clove and other pie spice, Caramel and some bready malts.

M: Medium body with appropriate carbonation nice mouth feel. Lingering Caramell and light pie spice with some balanced bitterness in malt flavor

O: Interesting beer but someone vegetative for me. Interesting beer appropriately named

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4.35/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 9/5/2018. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep orange/copper/light reddish color, with a 1 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, gingerbread, pie crust, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of roast, vanilla, golden raisin, and herbal/yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of pumpkin, spices, and dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of huge pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, gingerbread, pie crust, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of roast, vanilla, golden raisin, and herbal/yeast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal/spice bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, gingerbread, pie crust, toasted biscuit, light roast/vanilla/raisin, and herbal/yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of pumpkin, spices, and dark/bready malt flavors; with a solid malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.8%. Overall this is an amazing imperial pumpkin ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of pumpkin, spices, and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV, with the mildly bitter/spicy finish. This is definitely one of the top in the style I've had as far as authentic pumpkin fruit presence. Perfectly balanced pumpkin, spices, and rich malts. Not overwhelming on any aspect. A highly enjoyable offering, and top tier style example as expected. Very similar to what I have had from Elysian.

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4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Been in the autumn mood lately (even though it’s still way too hot in Florida) so finding this and having it in my fridge couldn’t be better timing. Celebrating the end to a long six months. Bottle date is etched on the side above the label, 08/31/18. So it took about a month for it to make it up to Jax from Tampa??

I always appreciate a good pumpkin beer and this is one of the better ones that isn’t brewed with actual pumpkin (according to the label). The balance of the spice and malt is delicious and sweet with a bit of vanilla. The feel/body/finish are superb, not cloying nor overly spiced. Has a bit of winter warmer/old ale going on. I’ve been looking forward to this beer for a while and it did not disappoint. Well done, Cigar City!

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4.54/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Gonna be enjoying this while I watch the Flyers season start. Ahhh. Pouring from a bomber into a snifter. This beer pours out a beautiful brown color with highlights of Ruby and forms a pinky worth of tightly formed tan bubbles. Crown has great retention and heavy lacing all the way through. The smell is pumpkins! Nutmeg and cinnamon come through as well and it smells like a pumpkin cinnamon roll. I've had pumpkin beers smell this good before though and still let me down on flavor. So let's see. The taste comes in beautifully sweet with some vanilla like smoothness to round out the cinnamon and nutmeg. This is really good. Not quite autumn maple level for me, but definitely right behind it for the ones I've had of the style.

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4.18/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a reddish/orange/cinnamon color with an off white creamy head, with lacing in the glass. Smells of mild cherry and pumpkin and some hops. Glad it did not smell or taste like a spice rack. Tastes like mild melon,pumpkin. Feels very smooth and well put together. Nice carbonation. This is obviously a different recipe for 2018. My "good gourd" clocks in at 8.8% ABV vs 8.5 for the one shown with older label.

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4.51/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Aged 1 year:
L - Opaque brown with orange highlights around the edges with a thin dark tan head that dissipates quickly and leaves minimal lacing behind.
S - Fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves), pumpkin, vanilla, caramel with notes of warming alcohol
T - Follows the nose with fall spices up front - cinnamon is prevalent, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, followed by pumpkin throughout with hints of vanilla, caramel, raisins, and warming alcohol on the backend (almost reminds me of a little bit of rum)
F - Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O - This is a really nice pumpkin ale. It reminds me of a more natural tasting Pumking - the flavor profile is very similar, yet this one tastes more organic and real - which is a good thing. This is a great pumpkin ale to be enjoyed on a cool Fall evening.

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4.44/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The spices sure are prevalent in this beer but it's almost unbearable. This is an amazing fall seasonal concoction I tell you. It's almost getting to the point where it's too spiced forward and almost undrinkable like the sam adams 20 lbs. of pumpkin is. This is a tasty and healthy pumpkin ale with real pumpkin puree with a blend of spices added to it, although it's quite expensive at $12.99 for a bomber size serving. Wow! this label design is also intriguing it says that this beer has Zanzibar cloves, Jamaican allspice, Ceylon cinnamon, & Nutmeg. That was a genius idea to add spices from different parts of the world to market your beer. This is a well made pumpkin beer but it falls short of world class in my opinion. I would suggest that they add some more pumpkin & lessen the spices just a little bit. Cheers! A-

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4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Delightfully balanced and subtle for an Autumn pumpkin beer. Rather than being overblown with "pumpkin spice", Good Gourd focuses on the pumpkin itself, with spices still present but less emphasized. The barrel treatment really smooth out the flavors and mouthfeel. Exceptional.

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4.31/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Drank from a 1 pint 6 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Whole Foods Market - Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
2017 release
Served in a tulip

The nearly crystal clear, orange-tinged mahogany body was topped by a tight, creamy, finger-tall, tan colored crown. Solid retention. The head fell to a thick, clingy, lasting collar. Spotty, streaky lacing stuck along the glass.

The nose was really punchy and reminded me of a vanilla-infused pumpkin pie. Nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice came through strong. Loads of fresh vanilla extract. Bit of dried ginger. There was a good amount of sweetness without being excessive. Brown sugar came to mind. A sweet boozy note appeared as well. Very solid overall.

The flavor closely mimicked the nose. Big pumpkin pie spice notes. Clove, allspice, ginger and cinnamon were most noticeable. Strong vanilla cream presence. The beer was anchored by a biscuity malt backbone. Somewhat toasty and caramel-ish too. Like the nose, the beer was fairly sweet on the palate, but it dried out as the liquid moved along the palate. Some booze came through on the finish. Toasted malts and a hint of earthy bitterness lingered after the swallow.

Nice creamy, frothy mouthfeel. Medium bodied for the style but a touch thin given the high ABV. The liquid contained a zippy, moderate effervescence that lent the beer a slick smoothness. By the drink’s end, the sugars in the beer left a slightly sticky film on my lips.

Really good pumpkin ales are surprisingly difficult to come by in New England, but I was lucky to score this bottle on a recent trip to Brooklyn. Unlike Southern Tier’s Pumpking, which seems excessively sweet after a few sips, Good Gourd hits hard with big pumpkin pie spice notes and just the right amount of booze and malt sweetness to maintain balance. This is a terrific pumpkin beer and one that hopefully gets distributed in my region sometime soon.

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4.34/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served in a tulip glass from a 22oz bomber.

Appearance: Dark Amber coming off an almost all brown body with medium bubbles on the body creating an off-white head rising just about half a finger's length. Zero lacing on the glass but the brew looks superb.

Smell: pumpkin and cinnamon scent which feels like a liquid dessert.

Taste: Speaking of dessert, the brew is like gulping a pumpkin pie. The pumpkin is super evident with a light spice nutmeg feel which is strong and mellow all at the same time.

Mouth: Stixky brew, sweet syrupy finish which leaves a pumpkin crust finish at the end. You know that fresher baked cake feel...this beer has it lingering at the end.

Overall: great pickup, love the brew... personally I can say I prefer this over many pumpkin beers. It is a little pricey but would definitely grab again if I'm lucky enough to see it on a shelf again. Always with love and always in a glass, salud!

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4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle into snifter.
Has a brown orange appearance with a thin white head that leaves minimal lacing. Pumpkin and cinnamon aromas and taste on spot and gets better as it warms up. Has some vanilla as well. The mouthfeel is very smooth I think the vanilla helps with that. Overall great pumpkin ale would definitely seek out again.

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3.78/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2017 vintage

A: dark ruby red, quarter inch head faded quickly and left zero foam.

S: graham crackers, vanilla, nutmeg

T: potent cloves dominate the other spices, with a graham cracker like malt base, followed by cinnamon in the finish.
M: medium body, easy drinking for the higher abv
O: great fall beer, has a stronger clove like punch than most in the style.

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3.81/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Received from @Dragginballs76 in NBS BIF #6 – thanks Michael!
2017 vintage stored at 42 degrees and served at 45 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Aroma – Cinnamon and nutmeg with just a hint of cloves. No vanilla. Lasts. The second pour produces more of an earthy, pumpkin-y smell with less spice.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.2cm, aggressive pour), tan, medium density, average retention, diminishing to a four mm ring fed by effervescence and a complete layer with a large rocky center island. No drag marks.
Lacing – Poor. A single arch of tiny bubbles remains from the initial ring. No additional lacing is formed as the level drops.
Body – Garnet, chill haze, effervescent.
Flavor – Nutmeg and cinnamon predominate with some clove tagging along. The earthy tones of the pumpkin are well hidden behind the spices, so well hidden they may not even be there. No hops, no alcohol, no pumpkin, no vanilla, no diacetyl. The second pour seems less spicy but still doesn’t accentuate any gourdy goodness.
Palate – Medium, watery, lively carbonation.
Impression: A spiced ale, too low in alcohol (8.8%ABV) to be considered a winter warmer. The cloves do counteract the nutmeg well, pushing the flavor into the drinkability range. I’m not sure, from personal experience, what allspice is supposed to smell or taste like so I can’t determine its presence. I would drink this as a spiced ale, but not if I wanted a pumpkin ale.

Appearance 3.75, Aroma 4, Flavor 3.75, Palate 3.75, Overall, 3.75.

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4.39/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to Grizzarky
22 oz bottle, dated 8/18/17, poured into a tulip

A- A clear ruby red with a small off white head.

S- Vanilla, pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, some nutmeg, touch of caramel malts, some graham cracker. Very much like pumpkin pie with vanilla.

T- Pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet caramel malts, graham crackers, cloves, some nutmeg. Very well balanced pumpkin beer.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- Quickly moved to the top of my favorite pumpkin ales. With I could find this around me, I would definitely grab two or three bottles every year.

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3.59/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Bomber shared with friends while watching MLB playoffs 2017.

There are basically two kinds of pumpkin beers:
- Spiced pumpkin beer
- Earthy, fleshy pumpkin

My personal preference is the latter, beer than tastes like fresh pumpkin flesh with minimal spice (think Schlafly Pumpkin or Alewerks Pumpkin). I feel like these have more body and are more refreshing. Good Gourd is the former, with a stronger emphasis on the spicing - cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves. Thus, it seems more artificial and thinner. Not as overtly spiced as Pumking, thank god.

Given the high ratings this beer has received, I was disappointed. Basically a spiced brown ale. The pumpkin flavor was insufficient for me. Strong, though.

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4.56/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Murky amber color with lots of sediment. Minimal head that dissipates in about a minute. Moderate bubbling.

S - Pumpkin, sweet malts, dark fruits.

T - Pumpkin with a very mild bitterness. Malty and pruney. Not quite as sweet as the smell. A bit boozy.

M - Pretty heavy. Average carbonation and smoothness.

O - A solid pumpkin ale. Complex and heavy. Good for dark beer drinkers.

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