2017 Hail to the Dark Gourd (Smoked Doppelbock)
HammerHeart Brewing Company

 

perhaps the beer of the year for me in 2017, enjoyed at their brewery with my brother, we were both equally blown away by it! this is a really special beer, a dopplebock they brew with house smoked pumpkins, obviously spiced as well, just an insanely compelling mix of flavors, as good in mid winter as it likely was at the peak of autumn, i am truly floored by the depth of flavor, regal texture, and outright uniqueness of this once in a lifetime brew. caramel amber in color, long legs in the glass, and a relaxed layer of foam on the top, unsuspecting i suppose. aroma is warm cinnamon, subtle grill smoke, earthy sweet caramelized vegetables or something, i really can smell the pumpkin, rum and bourbon, toasted coconut, toffee, tobacco, cedar and oak, aromatic anise and clove, the essence of the season, just brilliant and bursting. the flavor absolutely rules, i almost never give a 5 in any category, but this is positively evolved and mandates full marks. brown sugar and molasses, campfire smolders, lit cigar, earthy cinnamon, layers of wood and and vanilla, char and roast and cocoa, maple, lager yeast breadiness, toffee, nutty toasted malt, and wafts of love and snuggles, i mean, this is absurd. its so mellow and integrated, ebbing and flowing, demanding my constant attention but never fatiguing. i get that unrefined sugar of rum too, which i think is amazing with pumpkin, smoke too, i taste this for miles but its never intense or harsh or forced. its thick and sweet and smooth and it glides down like melted butter, palate and stomach coating, but hearty and satisfying and salubrious. i cant think of a fall beer i have ever liked more than this one, and frankly, as spiced, smoked, or pumpkin beers go, this ranks in all those categories for me. as good as it gets, super unique, and even though the change up what this beer is every year, this one deserves a spot at the table in perpetuity. nothing compares...

Poured from a 750 ml waxed bottle into a Hammerheart tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours dark brown with hints of amber. Moderate amount of bubbles and a solid finger of off white head that settles into a thin patchy layer.

Smell: An earthy and toasty aroma with a scent of pumpkin, spices, smoke, and biscuit. Good scent of pumpkins. Spice hints of cinnamon, clove, and allspice. Malt scent of smoke, biscuit, toast, caramel, and grains with some yeast. Also some hints of vanilla. A very nice aroma.

Taste: Like it smells, an earthy and toasty taste with notes of pumpkin, spice, smoke, and biscuit. Good notes of pumpkin. Spice notes of cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Malt notes of smoke, toast, biscuit, caramel, and grains along with yeast. Sweet taste of vanilla. A pretty good taste.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Fairly chewy and smooth with minimal heat.

Overall: A very good version of Dark Gourd. Nice blend of pumpkin, spice, and smoked malt notes.