Hiya Gourdie by Motorworks Brewing is a pumpkin ale brewed with additions of galangal root, a ginger-like root vegetable, and was judged as an Autumn Seasonal beer (BJCP sub-style 30B). It poured dark amber with moderate clarity into the glass, forming a thin white head with little retention. The aroma included dark fruit (plum, raisin, even stewed prune) notes and distinct pumpkin pie spices, especially allspice and nutmeg . The flavors closely mirrored the aroma’s blend of pumpkin pie spice phenols – especially nutmeg, subdued ginger and pumpkin contributions, but no apparent flavoring hops, consistent with most interpretations of the style.
The mouthfeel revealed a medium body, low carbonation, no creaminess, a hint of warmth and a finish of lingering spices appropriate to the season. This would be an excellent Thanksgiving dessert beer to accompany and complement many semi-traditional holiday desserts such as pecan pie, just not pumpkin pie unless the diner is a glutton for those spices.
In terms of drinkability, the heavier-than-needed spice additions detract from the overall result and limit the number of glasses that most beer drinkers would be able to enjoy at a single session. As already noted, drinking this beer with certain foods is recommended to enhance the enjoyment of the beer for the imbiber, but still in moderation.
