An Unexpected Encounter: Dark Gourd by Short Fuse Brewing Company

On a trip to Chicago earlier this autumn, I stopped in at a liquor store in search of some fine Chicagoland brews. It was October – Rauchbier Month – so naturally I was seeking some of Dovetail's celebrated Rauchbier, Rauchbier. I’d had a glass of it a few years back when I visited the brewery and so I can attest to its high deliciousness quotient. In addition to loving the guaiacol goodness of smoke beers, I also relish rye in my suds so Arc Welder, Metropolitan's rye dunkel (and fall seasonal), was also on my list. Sadly, neither were at the store I visited. I didn’t feel like running around the northwest side but, rather than leave empty-handed, I chose a couple beers out of left field.

One of them was Dark Gourd by Short Fuse Brewing Company in Schiller Park, a near northwest suburb. Since The Beer Temple Insiders Roundtable has gone off the air, I sadly no longer hear about Chicago area breweries that don't make beers with "Deth" in their names. And so Short Fuse was all-new to me. In my defense, even Josh Noel, who covers the Chicago area beer beat more or less full-time, has admitted that even he cannot keep up with the flood of breweries opening there. So how could I, a mere Cheesehead with not a journalistic bone in his body be expected to know every brewery down south?

The interwebs tell me that Short Fuse opened in 2017. Looking at their tap list, I see a lot of fruited this, pastry that, and hazy whatchamacallits. Had I known this, I probably would have gone with my first instinct and bought some Polish piwo that I can’t get here in Madison. (I was in Jefferson Park, after all.) Luckily for Short Fuse, however, I was blissfully ignorant of their transgressions and bought some of what I presume is their fall seasonal. I can find neither hide nor hair of Dark Gourd on their webpage so I cannot confirm this.

The can says that Dark Gourd was "Made to replicate the flavors of a pumpkin spiced coffee." Again, had I read that at the liquor store instead of in my kitchen, I would likely have ended up with some Polish porter. It reads like they want to offer a simulacrum of a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte but in beer form. Not exactly something to endear me to your brew. But the die had been cast.

My pour produced a loose, tan head which was quite spirited as it fizzled and crackled away with abandon. The liquid bit was a deep, dark reddish brown that appeared to be clear. There was a smattering of bubbles inside. It almost looked as if I had poured myself a glass of Coke instead of beer. Considering the label boasts of various additives – squash, sundry spices, and coffee - I found it odd that I was only able to sniff out some nutmeg and malty sweetness on the aroma. Perhaps my nose was on the fritz that day.

As is my wont, I paid attention to the carbonation on my first sip. Considering the soda pop-like head, I wasn’t surprised to find a nice, firm fizziness. This was something of a relief because I was worried about it being too sweet after catching that sugary scent. Underneath all of that effervescence was a medium bodied beer with a fine smoothness to it. Caramel sweetness and roasty coffee flavors were joined by a touch of cinnamon along with a tad of that fine gourdy earthiness from pumpkin.

Mild herbal tasting hops and a modicum of dryness were revealed on the finish as the malt and coffee flavors receded. This also allowed what I think was a bit of ginger to peek through as well.

Despite all of this beer’s handicaps (i.e. – my biases), I rather like it. If my notes are to be believed, it’s "really good". The various spices were not overly prominent and neither was the sweetness. They and the coffee flavors found a nice balance. Plus there was just enough pumpkin. The beer didn’t taste squashy but there was enough pumpkin to perfectly accent the other flavors. "Balance" is the watchword here. No taste overwhelms the others and they all found a way to live harmoniously on my tongue.

This was an unexpected yet very pleasant surprise for me and will buy it again if I happen to see it while I am in Chicagoland next autumn.

Junk food pairing: Dark Gourd will pair well with pizza-flavored snacks and I recommend Snyder’s Brick Oven Style Pizza Flavored filled Pretzel Sandwiches.