Good evening faithful readers and fellow alcoholics. It’s official: Fall is here, and hopefully a drop in temperature will follow… but until then we can always keep cool with a good beer. And what better beer to go with fall than a pumpkin ale? If you’ve never had the pleasure of a pumpkin ale, I’d highly recommend it. It’s more like pumpkin pie usually, rather than the gourd itself, and Good Gourd from cigar city is no exception, even if gourd is in the name. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, let us bask in the beauty of this brew first.
Ah yes, this beautiful beer is the perfect fall color. Like falling leaves in the wind, her appearance is graceful in simplicity. It’s such a excellent color to get you in the fall mood, and with a healthy helping of head as well. As if to foreshadow the coming winter, a beautiful snowfall graces the crown of this brew, then proceeds to slowly melt away without a trace. I can almost smell the pumpkin pie just staring at this brew! Time for the real thing though.
Mmm…it’s truly one of the most wonderful aromas I’ve experienced in a beer. Think of your grandma’s house as shes baking for Thanksgiving…yeah it’s that damn good. It’s most certainly reminiscent of a pumpkin pie, a very sweet aroma and with a dash of cinnamon. I’d love to save one of these beers for Thanksgiving now that I think about it. Note to self: buy more of this beer. This aroma is truly amazing though, it’s taken me back to my innocent childhood days of skinned knees and climbing trees. If the smell can cause this amount of pleasure…on to the taste.
Excellent, simply excellent. Now I’ve have my fair share of pumpkin ales, and I can safely say this is a very, VERY balanced pumpkin ale. Did you get that second very there? I capitalized it for a reason now…It’s not that the flavor hides the pumpkin to achieve this balance. The pumpkin flavor is displayed proudly front and center stage. This beautifully balanced brew reigns in the flavor before it’s too sweet. Let’s see if I can describe exactly how.
Ok, first you get a wallop of malts up front, it’s a very nice backbone to fill out the spices. Then, as she slides across your tongue, you experience a wash of cinnamon and pumpkin, with a small amount of sweetness. This sweetness doesn’t last however, oh no, she’s almost immediately balanced by the perfect amount of bitterness, which leaves the finish very smooth. And a smooth finish deserves a smooth body, which this lady definitely sports. She’s rich and creamy like a hot cup of cocoa…mmm cocoa. And to cap it all off, there is a nice warming sensation derived from this brew, a perfect companion on a chilly fall night. Now, if only Mother Nature would deign us with some colder weather down here, then I could truly enjoy this beauty.
Overall, this is a standard that has been set for pumpkin ales. It’s exquisitely balanced, outrageously strong, and fantastically flavored. If you’re a fan of pumpkin ales, do whatever you can do grab one of these beauties! And if you’re not, this might change your opinion about that.
Until next beer, this is Brian G. signing out!
Brian's Beer Blog 