The Gourd Standard

Bottle. Mitchell’s Wines, Sheffield. Clear, copper colour. Thin, lasting, just off white head. Nose has roasted pumpkin. Some cinammon. Touch of fruity hop. Spicy malts. Definitely evocative. Taste is sweet, gingery and spicy. Soft, earthy bitter. Lots of body. Soft carbonation. Finishes sweet and spicy, with a herby, cinnamon close. I thought this might pretty bad, but it’s ok, overall.

Bottle at level 42. It pours clear deep amber with a medium white head. The aroma is rich, earthy, pumpkin, squash, autumnal vibe, pie, spice and fruit cake. The taste is dry, bitter - sweet, wood, resinous, pumpkin, squash, quite spicy and a touch of alcohol with a dry, spicy finish. Medium body and average carbonation. Decent for style.

Bottle split at Level 42, thanks to Scopey, 20/10/16. Clear golden amber with a decent off white head. Nose is spice, carraway seed, ginger, pumpkin, light hop, orange rinds. Taste comprises pumpkin pie, light hop tones, caramel, carrot and ginger cake, light herbal, spice. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Decent pumpkin number.

Bottle shared at the level 42. Canary wharf tasting 20/10/2016. Many thanks to Paul for this one. A deep reddy amber coloured pour with a lasting thin off white head. Aroma is sweet nutty maple, spicy pumpkin, little nutmeg. Flavour is composed of semi sweet, nutty malts with a little liquorice, pumpkin, nutmeg, . Nice spicy balance. Palate is medium bodied, moderate carbonation, sweet. Not half bad.

Bottle shared in London - thanks to Paul. Pours clear, bright burnished gold with a frothy, off-white head. Big autumnal spices in the nose, toasted bread, some dried pumpkin. Medium sweet flavour with more toasted bread, some grains, more spices, cinnamon, nutmeg. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Finishes with more spices, leaves, grassy bitterness, orange peel. Novel.

I thought pumpkin IPA? Aroma is pretty much just pumpkin spice. Flavor is pumpkin spice up front hops in the background and they don’t marry well together. This is not for me.

Bottle @ home. Clear amber colour with a medium to large sized white to off-white head. Smells gingerbread, kruidnoten, Christmas. Tastes kruidnoten, malty. Not as in your face as some other pumpkin beers. Not getting anything representing an IPA though. Thin to medium body, soft carbo. A sip or 3 is plenty for me.

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 1/12/2017. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, peppercorn, clove, light citrus, pine, caramel, brown sugar, spicy rye, toasted biscuit, floral, grass, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of pumpkin/spices, earthy hops, and dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, peppercorn, clove, light citrus, pine, caramel, brown sugar, spicy rye, toasted biscuit, floral, grass, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Moderate pine/herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, peppercorn, clove, pine, caramel, brown sugar, spicy rye, toasted biscuit, and and floral/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of pumpkin/spices, earthy hops, and dark/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitterness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/sticky, and slightly resinous balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 6.7%. Overall this is a very nice pumpkin ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of pumpkin/spices, earthy hops, and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. This didn’t feel much like an IPA as I expected other than the bitterness; but the noble hops worked well to compliment the spice notes, and it was very enjoyable as such.