The Gourdfather
Sterling Pig Brewery

Poured into a chalice: color copper, not clear/not hazy, head is off white with fine bubbles, head presents one finger thick, some spotty lacing, leaves a thick ring along the glass sides.

Smell is mixed spice with cinnamon and ginger forward, backed by toasted, biscuit, graham cracker like malt notes.

Taste is similar with mixed spice with cinnamon and ginger prominent, grains are mixed with biscuit and graham cracker, light toast; really a pumpkin pie like flavor with thick and flavorful crust.

Mouthfeel is lighter carbonation, moderate sweetness, no real bitterness but a drying spice.

Overall a more drinkable pumpkin ale as the flavors lean malty and biscuity but really a pumpkin pie like brew.

A copper meets tan color pour beneath an off white bubbly, and glass clingy head. Cinnamon nose pleasant. Taste is watery sweet with a remainder of fizz texture on the tongue. Mouthfeel is easy. The sizable 1 pint of generous 7.7% yields a comforting warmth. Mostly wet finish.

 

16 ounce can poured intoa tulip glass. No canning info, but I'm assuming it's from September, so about four months old.

L---Orangey/amber color. Mild, off-white head faded quickly down to a tiny ring and left no lacing. Lots of effervescent bubbles on the bottom of the glass.

S---Smells of pumpkin pie spices, but not heavy handed, pretty well balanced and nuanced.

T---The pumpkin pie spices come through...vanilla, cinnamon, ginger with some, but minimal actual pumpkin flavor.

F---Thinner than expected, but still medium bodied. Minimal carbonation, almost flat.

O---A deecent pumpkin beer. Not overwhelming with the spices like so many others.

A: Bright orange pour is rustic by nature in the vessel. A pie crust colored topping is one quarter inch, but fairly resilient for its size. A dense, macro-bubble carbonation is feverishly paced within.

S: Toasted sweet caramel grains, slightly dry, along with cinnamon and ginger spicing. A hearty pumpkin mash mixes with sweet vanilla. Dry spicing of cinnamon dusting of good strength follows on the close with a good balance of spices vs pumpkin malt.

T: Sweet caramel flavor has a dry dusting and offering of cinnamon spice. Ginger backs up the cinnamon flair with some vanilla hints, just not as much as the nose. The malt backbone is strong and sturdy, with caramel toasted notes and some nutmeg suggestions with a bready crust backing things up. Nice pumpkin mash accents, dried grains and brown sugar round out.

M: Sturdy fullness, viscose with a sticky caramel feel. Good carbonation base.

O: Overall a good body fullness that has a nice balance between the spices and malt aspect. Good drinkability with a bit of alcohol touch on the close.

A copper-amber liquid is poured from a pint can into a clear Imperial pint mug. Carbonation, yes, but very little head or lacing of the glass. The aroma is of typical pumpkin spices, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, et al in subdued fashion. A good malty backbone is the first and most notable taste. The spices are just what nose predicts, subdued. Despite a malt dominant taste and feel, it finishes dryly. This is a good pumpkin beer for those that like subtlety, but not for anyone looking for a blast of spices.