Jolly Pumpkin Fuego del Otono (Autumn Fire)

Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Belgian Ale
Dexter, Michigan USA

750 mL bottle shared with Ben (thanks), served at cellar temp in a tulip glass. SE09/07

App.: Dirty brown-copper, some dark chunks of yeast, large light tan head, good lacing. Aroma: Bright and tangy, light funk, somewhat fruity, very light spice (particularly white pepper). Palate: Medium body, medium-full effervescence, light powderiness. Flav.: Quite herbal, almost minty, some cinnamon, a bit nutty; tangy and bright, nice bitterness and a bit of caramel malt; a little alcohol and some light herbal hops.

This was a GUSHER. Lost a good third of the bottle. Quaffable but not mind-blowing at this point. I’d like to try another bottle to be sure I got the real deal.

My first experience with a JP Artisian or Farmhouse style Ale. Took a little gettin’ used to, but as the glass and bottle was consumed this brew became increasingly more enjoyable. Poured a slightly hazy pumpkin orange color. Created a thick and hefty, whipped cream-like head with superb retention. Lots of foam continued to emerge from the bottle after the initial pour into my chalice, so be prepared to keep your glass full! Thick sheets of lacing coated the glass as it drained. I found the initial aromas to be VERY funky at first. Like walking into a barn filled with dirt, mud, hay and a few horses and their saddle blankets. Other than that some pleasant notes of caramel malts, roasted chestnuts, green apples, lemon peel, fresh cut oak and spices greet the nose. An interesting array of smells to say the least. Loved the mouthfeel. Not overtly thick but full, round and creamy with a lively spritz. Flavors were much like the aroma. Initially I picked up quite a bit of a funky sourness which almost made me wonder if the beer was infected. But as I continued on and the beer warmed luscious flavors of nuts, caramel, various spices, oak, earth and a touch of hoppy bitterness were enjoyed. Finishes with a pleasant tart hoppy/woody bitterness. If you’re a fan of this style I would guess this is a real winner.

750mL, no date from (I think) shigadeyo, thanks Craig! Narrowly avoiding certain disaster due to foaming over this poured a hazy dirty orange copper and a three finger rocky light beige head, good retention. Aroma of lemon, brett, grapefruit rind up front with plenty of oak and funk. Flavor had a bit more spicy pepper and I think I just burped up some fall leaves, though I could just be making it up. Between the lemon and all of the funkiness this tends to be fairly tart, though not really that acidic. Dry finish with a little vanilla poking through. Overcarbonated, as most JP brews are, with a medium body. The damn bottle kept oozing over with foam throughout the duration like a science experiment.

Name: Fuego del Otono (Autumn Fire)
Date: 06/10/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip

slightly hazy amber, huge lasting tight creamy head, bits of drippy lace, slightly tart woody aroma with a nice moldy funk, creamy body, nice carmel malt flavor, good dry oaky character blended with a spicy edge, fleeting touch of sweetness balanced by some nice tartness, an evening’s entertainment in a glass

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.9/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Pleasing funky fruitiness, ruby, with a tiny white head. Soft lambic qualities,fruity , sour/tartness, but also spicey with bitterness. Light bodied, complex, sour/sweet, quite bitter, dry. Great stuff! Thanks mds!

Thanks to Secret Santa Pailhead for this beer. Poured a hazy amber with a large overflowing off-white head. Rich aroma of sweet bread, cinnamon, a bit of sour funkiness. Flavor is quit dry and consisting of flavors some cinnamon, wintergreen, peppermint, a bit of nuttiness, though finding it is a strain. I’m not finding the flavor to be as complex as the nose, as the dryness of this beer really seems to be overshadowing the flavor layers. Well-crafted, but I’m just not getting enough complexity to move this to the next level for me.

2 year old bottle at GTMW. Poured almost clear medium caramel with a tall, well-retained cap of off-white head. Soft nutty sweetness pairs well with spicy yeast and some Brett on the first impression on the nose.. definitely getting more sour and complex as it ages.. bit of lemon peel comes through right in the end.. warm and inviting. Flavor was skewed toward the sour side, which I am perfectly OK with!.. sweet caramel and chestnuts at the core with lemon and vinegar notes emanating outward.. left a toasty chestnut and sour lemon finish. Medium-bodied with pervasive and well-executed sour notes around. Great stuff!

Cloudy dark golden body topped by a very large off-white head. Spicy hard-candies, crunchy dry toffee, caramel dipped chestnuts, candied apples and added spices of the nutmeg/cinnamon family. Overall impression of drinking a spicy and crusty pecan pie. The brett is well integrated in the beer. Actually I’m not sure I would have picked it up if I hadn’t known it was there. Body feels full yet fluid. Original and hard to categorized. As with most spicy beers I found a 750ml to be a bit too much, better in smaller doses. Far from my on my Jolly Pumpkin favourite this is nonetheless an wonderful beer. Cerveza del glouglouburp.