Jolly Pumpkin Bière de Mars

Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Bière de Garde
Dexter, Michigan USA

Difficult to get a head on this one. Thin and soapy. Decent carbonation. Nice oaky and fruity aroma with some tart apples, musk and some sugary malts. Color is a dark amber. Somewhat thin and tart flavor. Slick and oily with lots of oak, some more tart apples, spices, citrus and some light sweet malts. Little flat in the mouth which is very unlike JP brews. Usually lots of fizzy carbonation in the mouth. Finish is tart, citrusy and pretty dry. Light fruit and spice lingering aftertaste. A decent JP brew but I think that Ilike their other offerings better.

Bottle, pours clear dark red with a few bubbles and some floaties, fragrance of sweet & sour tartness, faint sea side on a beach (thought this was odd and different), pale malt, faint musky, wood and vanilla, dry wine fragrance, sour on the tongue, taste of pale malt, very dry on the palate, little to medium carbonation, light on the tongue, malt sweetness grows as it warms, I found this less desirable then the other JP beers.

25 oz bottle, via MikeMac or Styles, can’t remember. Pours a clear brown colored body with a copper glow under a fizzy and foamy light brown head that fell to a patchy film. Aroma is actually alot lighter and more subtle than most JP’s. Light bready malt with a sugary and tart undertone. Very light oakiness. Flavor is classic JP though. A little heftier malt then some, then the funky dry JP house character washes in. A little more oak on the finish than the aroma revealed. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and quite airy. The fitting usual JP fizzy carbonation bursts on the tongue like fireworks. This was great even by JP lover standards. So crisp and refreshing yet alot of substance at the same time.

The most incredible label my eyes have ever feasted on, stunning.

Now on to the more important feast. Pours a hazy bronze with a tall and rocky off white head. Retention is marvelous and the lacing is too. Aroma is somewhat mellow. Well that’s different, I think someone may have replaced my Jolly Pumpkin with Castelain. Oh, wait, here it comes. A delicate bouquet of light spice, doughy yeast, soft woodiness, vanilla beans and plums awaits further observation. Flavor to follow is sustained by a brief hoppiness that recedes to reveal a soft and creamy mouthfeel writhing with complexity. Tastes of whimsical fruits and spices, oak, leafy earthiness, honeyed maple and caramel. Another unique perspective from Ron, I can always count on that. Alcohol is deftly cloaked. Medium body, carbonation present is soft and pillowy. Finish is crisp and slightly bitter, not displeasing in any regard. Lovely way to ring in the springtime. I could never understand how a seasoned afficianado couldn’t adore the creativity and more importantly the masterfully created recipes coming out of this little brewery.

Pours brown with a tan head. Smells of light sourness, wood, spices, some citrus, cherries, sugary. Taste is moderately sour with a very nice wraming oakiness on the finish. As the beer warms, fruity elements pop in. Mouthfeel is thick and tarte.

Any new Jolly Pumpkin beer I haven’t had is exciting, Thanks to dickinsonbeer for bringning this to share. First impressions are vanilla and oak that are a little strong at first but warm up to me quickly with a good taste that was pretty smooth. Cloudy look with thin head that stayed. The vanilla worked really well here. Cheers!

Much thanks to dickinsonbeer for opening this one up. This bottle has eluded me for some time now, so this was a joy to finally try... Appears a murky, muddled, transparent brown with a small white head that fades into a small collar. Smell is of tart, oaky, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and cream. Taste is of the aromas with light apple, caramel, vanilla, and toffee jumping out. Mouthfeel is dry, oaky, citrusy, sweet, with light tartness. Very well done.

Thanks to dickinsonbeer for sharing this one off my wish list. Pours a translucent golden copper with an average off whtie bubbly/creamy head. Aroma of sweet malts, hints of oak, some citrus. Flavor was lightly sour, some hop bitterness and citurs, earthy. Yet again another solid brew from JP.