Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 6.4%
IBU: 29
Nick’s Take
It’s spooky season, and we at East Carolina Beer & Brewing love to get into the spirit (pun totally intended). As the fall season and Halloween draw nearer, some breweries release pumpkin/yam beers for a limited time. For our NC Beer of the Week review, today we are breaking down “Gordgeous” by NoDa Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC. This pumpkin ale is one of NoDa’s seasonal beers, and they have had a lot of success in the years that they’ve been brewing it, including a gold medal at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival. I try to go into most beers with little background, as I want my tasting and review to be as authentic and unbiased as possible. Having been unaware that “Gordgeous” was award-winning, I gave it the same treatment that I give all other beers, and let me tell you why I think it is deserving of its accolades.
Our friends at Tapped in Winterville, NC have a huge draft beer menu, and do a tremendous job of updating their offerings regularly. As we stopped by on a recent weekend evening, they had a wide selection of pumpkin/yam ales on tap. Though I do not get particularly excited about pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice this time of year – I know, I know, it’s a travesty – I do enjoy the seasonal pumpkin ales. I’ve had several pumpkin, sweet potato, or yam ales in the past, and they generally have some unique and delicious flavors that you don’t find in most ales. However, with all of the NoDa beers I have tried, I had not gotten around to their pumpkin ale. I ordered a 16 oz. pour, which was served in a custom-printed can-shaped beer glass, and sat down with a few friends to begin tasting.
Though the color of this beer – probably best described as brown-amber – is pretty dark, it still was slightly translucent and had a nice sheen when held up to the light. The small head of foam was just at under the brim, and was an off-white shade. It left a little lace around the top of the glass where it is most narrow, but otherwise was not particularly prominent during the rest of my drinking experience. However, this did not detract from giving off some pleasant aromas throughout.
The early notes that were easy to define were spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. I was already enjoying this pumpkin ale from aromas alone, as they brought to mind the smells of fall and reminded me of my mom’s baking. I took a few deeper inhales and was presented with scents from the malt and the pumpkin, that added some sweetness to the nose to offset the spices. It truly smelled like a dessert in a glass, and the aromas lingered from the time I started and the time I finished the beer.
I couldn’t help but take a rather large gulp when I went for my first drink, and despite the evident spice components, it had a rather enjoyable mouthfeel. It definitely had some “kick” or “bite” on the tongue from those authentic cinnamon/nutmeg/spices in the brew, but it went well with the mild carbonation to produce a bright, crisp mouthfeel. The finish was smooth, and there was no residual burn when drinking – just the initial bite when it first coats your tongue. I enjoy beer that has some character and body, and this was right up my alley.
If you guessed that there would be adequate levels of spice flavors in this beer, you would be correct. I say this half-jokingly, because sometimes the aromas don’t necessarily support the flavors, which can be an interesting phenomenon. “Gordgeous” lived up to all those qualities I noted in the aroma, with a great balanced sweetness from the pumpkin and malts. The spices were not overbearing, which I think is an impressive feat by NoDa. We all know how easily spices like cinnamon or nutmeg can overwhelm the palate.
I enjoyed this pumpkin ale for several reasons: it is easy to drink, has a ton of flavor in a great ratio, and it hits the spot when you’re craving something sweet after dinner. I think it’s very sessionable, and is a serviceable dessert replacement. I would easily replace a couple of these pumpkin ales over a slice of pumpkin pie. I don’t know if that is more telling of my love for beer, or my dislike of pie. I’ll let you be the judge after you’ve gotten your hands on “Gordgeous” from NoDa Brewing Company.
Abbreviated tasting notes:
Appearance: Amber/brown color, with offwhite head and little lace at top of glass. (4/5)
Aroma: Cinnamon and nutmeg, spices, sweet malts and notes of pumpkin/sweet potato. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Nicely carbonated and crispness from spices make for pleasant mouthfeel, and a smooth finish. (4.5/5)
Taste: Sweet, pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon. (4/5)
Drinkability: Easy to drink and lots of good flavors, making this a good dessert beer option. (4.5/5)
Total: 21.5/25
Joe’s Take
It’s that time of year again…spooky season, basic season, whatever you want to call it — fall is in full swing. That of course means it is now time for all things pumpkin to reign the shelves and menus of grocery stores, coffee shops, and breweries alike. As long as I don’t see pumpkin spice hummus at the local grocery store again I think I’ll make it through the season. However, in keeping with the times, and with our “oh so trendy” nature, Nick and I are reviewing a pumpkin beer for this week’s rendition of NC Beer of the Week.
We ventured over to one of our favorite local taprooms, Tapped, as their recently expanded tap selection featured a wide variety of the seasonal brews. After enjoying a few pumpkin spiced pints we settled on “Gordgeous” by NoDa Brewing Company (based in Charlotte, NC) as the subject of our review. Although NoDa is on the other side of the state, we have enjoyed many of their beers over the past few years and our NC Beer of the Week series gives us a chance to step out of our immediate area to enjoy the full gamut of what NC has to offer. With that in mind, I put down my pumpkin spice latte and got to reviewing NoDa’s take on the style.
“Gordgeous” was a looker, served by our friends at Tapped in a curvy stemless tulip glass that stirred my glassware envy. The first thing I noticed about the beer was its clarity that allowed for a nice amber ruby hue on the edges of the glass that transitioned to a dark brown in the middle. It sported a fluffy tan head that persisted for a bit and afforded me some time to appreciate the visuals of the beer. After drinking a lot of haze bombs lately, it’s nice to appreciate some great clarity and that ruby hue of clear dark beers.
As with most pumpkin beers it only takes a sniff to guess what month it is. Specifically, the aromatics revealed a profile very similar to one of my favorite Thanksgiving desserts, pumpkin pie. There were clear notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and a hint of sweet caramel. Unlike some of the other pumpkin beers we had indulged in, this one provided a bit more detectable malt character on the nose and didn’t feel like I snorted a shaker of pumpkin pie spice.
On sipping, the beer was medium bodied and exhibited a light tingle of carbonation. It was not harsh on the tongue and was moderately viscous, allowing me to savor the sip a bit and warm the beer on my tongue.
For me, the taste of “Gordgeous” is what set it apart from some of the other beers we tried. This is likely because it featured a pumpkin note that was more reminiscent of the fruit itself. It didn’t seem to be a “scented candle” version of the style and reminded me of pumpkin pie that was made with heaps of real pumpkin. There were some sweet caramel and molasses notes that pulled through to balance out the pumpkin flavor, and are accounted for in the use of brown sugar in the brewing process. There was a light bitterness present that was refreshing and didn’t allow the beer to become overpowered by the spirit of the fall season.
This beer would pair well with many savory and hearty dishes of the fall/winter seasons like stews, roasts, and one of my favorite meals – Thanksgiving dinner. For a pumpkin beer, drinkability was decent. However, I don’t think I would find myself drinking several of these in a row. I see this more as a “dinner beer” to have with a meal and then transition to something a little less flavorful.
NoDa has done a great job with “Gordgeous” and I recommend you forgo your Starbucks crafted pumpkin creation and reach for this pumpkin beer instead this fall season. That is, if you are into #basicbrews.
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Abbreviated tasting notes:
Appearance: Clear, nice color gradient on the edges of the glass. Brown to amber with a fluffy tan head. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Pumpkin/gourd, cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of vanilla and caramel. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, lightly viscous. Not too much carbonation. Pleasant. (4/5)
Taste: Pumpkin, pumpkin pie, clove, spices, molasses, caramel. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Great with meals or dessert, probably a one-and-done type of beer. (4/5)
Total: 21/25
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