Cigar City Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale

(tasted in November, courtesy of Retorp) Small beige head atop clear amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, pumpkin pie, vanilla, allspice, light cinnamon. Taste is moderately sweet, allspice, some nutmeg, cinnamon. Medium-full body, some stickiness, minimal carbonation. Best pumpkin ale I’ve ever had.

Orangey-amber with a creamy head. Big spice and lots of sugars plus cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and pumpkin. Big brown sugar with more of the same spices. Very rich. Creamy and delicious, this is as big a pumpkin ale as I’ve had and as good.

A: Pours a nice clear brillant punkin’ orange hue with a nice tall creamy head. The retention is very good with spotty lace noted. S: In the aroma department this one is hard to beat, it is neck and neck with Southern Tier Pumpking here. Huge real pumpkin aromas with a wonderful mix of spices. There is a real buttery crust element in here as well that I have never picked up in another beer. Even after the beer was gone from the glass the aroma still wafted from the empty glass. This one smells better than those $20 candles the wife brings home. T: The flavors are wonderful as well. Real pumpkin, a perfect mix of pie spices, and oooh that gooey butter I detected. The pumpkin stands out without the spice overpowering. This one is a perfect mix between the pumpkin beers of DogFish Head and Southern Tier. I will quickly become a favorite of the pumpkin beer lovers. M: Medium in body, smooth and creamy. D: I tasted this one when it was first finished and the booze could really be detected. Since it has aged a bit, the alcohol flavors have died and the pumpkin, spice, and buttery goodness have come together to create one wonderful brew.

Deep pumpkin pie filling color. Creamy luscious nose is like the whole pie including whipped cream--a nice sweet and spicy combination. Unique for a pumpkin beer, similar to pumpkin ice cream. Creamy soft carbonation. Gentle, mild but assertive, spicing is integrated and not overpowering. The predominant spices are nutmeg and cinnamon as opposed to clove and allspice. Gets spicier with each sip as it warms, tastier too. Not in the least bit vegetal. Nice, smooth and sophisticated character. Nice malts and a good alcohol dryness in the finish. Super.

Thanks to Joey for the taste. Pours a pretty roasted pumpkin color with a thick tan head. Nose is more fresh pumpkin and spices, reminding me of a fresh baked carrot cake. The taste is not overly spicy, which makes it highly drinkable. I almost get some banana in the flavor, too. Everything tastes fresh and not artificial at all. Also, a very substantial mouthfeel. This is an excellent pumpkin beer.

Draft at the brewery, courtesy Joey and Wayne. Let me come right out and say it....this beer DESTROYS Pumking and every other traditional pumpkin beer I have ever had, and it is not even close. The pour is lightly hazy and orange-gold in color. A substantial, lasting, spongy head of cream colored foam leaves dense legging and a soapy wash of lace in its wake. Aromas of fresh pumpkin explode from the glass, followed by notes of graham cracker crust and whipped cream. A light dusting of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove finish things off with a subtly spicy kick, but there is no mistaking pumpkin as the star of the show here. Flavors follow suit, reasonably spiced pumpkin pie notes dominating, complete with graham cracker and hints of creamy lactose. Medium-full on the palate, with light carbonation, the body perfectly matches the sweetness that the flavors impart without venturing into cloying territory. Generally speaking, I hate pumpkin beers, so as many who are close to me can attest, this is a ringing endorsement for this brew as the hands down king of this overplayed genre.

Tap and Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy orange gold with a small white head. The aroma on this beer is freaking amazing. Tons of whipped cream on top of lightly spiced pumpkin pie and a hint of graham cracker crust in the finish. This beer smells like pumkin pie in a bottle. Taste is pumpkin meat, caramel, heavy cream, light spices, and a touch of hot alcohol. Medium thin mouthfeel with a mild amount of bitterness and slightly hot alcohol in the finish. A damn fine beer.

Bottle courtesy of Retorp. Pours a golden caramel color with thin white head. Aroma is pumpkin, spice, nutmeg, cream. Flavor is much of the same with some stronger pumpkin and spice notes, heavy cream flavors, slightly boozey. Generally medium body with a pleasing herb/spice finish. This was an amazing pumpkin beer and likely the best that I have had.