Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

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

Sampled at Great Orlando Beer Festival. It has a strong fruity aroma, with cherry notes. It tastes very sour, almost vinegary once the head has hastily dissolved. It was ok to pretty good, tasted like a red Calabaza almost.

Pours a deep hazy amber with an offwhite head. Fruity JP funk, a little vanilla oak, a tartness, some spicy yeast notes, over a subdued malt aroma. Yum, a little tartness up front, with some fruit and malt sweetness, with a drying hop spice bitterness to the end. Quite full bodied with a nice carbonation, drying brett tartness to the finish. Not quite as sour as I was hoping (I was hoping this was JP’s Rodenbach GC shot), but wonderful beer. Very drinkable and refreshing.

750ml, Blend 11, 2007. Sharp, fruity aroma, full of black cherry, red grape and oak, along with some lighter acetic and spicy tones and hints of dark malt sweetness in the background. Hazy garnet in color, bottle-conditioned, with a fine, uneven head leaving a thin sheet of lace. Flavor profile is nicely tart, fruity, winey and gently sweet, the oak largely making its presence known towards the finish, and suggestions of dark berry, pepper, yeast spice and faint earthiness. Drying, active, lightly bitter and gently acidic on the palate, body is fairly full. Really rather nice all around.

1 pt 9 oz bottle. Poured a nice amber color with a full off-white head. Aroma of sour fruit, slight hops, and caramel. Taste was not what I was expecting. I’d never had a Sour Ale before, and I wasn’t sure what that meant. I guess I figured it would have a little bite, or be a bit sour. I didn’t know that Sour Ale meant SOUR ALE...very sour tasting. Probably good if you’re in to that sort of thing, but I struggled to get through it. Clearly a well-made beer, but not my thing.

Pours a dark brown color with lots of particles floating about and light tan head. Aroma is of dark sour fruit, yeast and light spice. Taste is of dark fruit, brett, light vanilla, caramel. Palate is sour but is not brash on the tongue. Alcohol is well hidden. Pretty good, but I’d prefer a NG Enigma.

Pours a cloudy light brown color with lots of particulate and a medium offwhite head that leaves lots of sticky lacing. Aroma is sweet and tart. Taste is tart, sour, and creamy. Very good, but could use a bit more bite.

This is a very unique and well made beer but I’m afraid that it just did not sit well with me. Upon pouring it, I was intrigued by the colour, a rich rosey amber hue, but hardly any nose whatsoever...shame. The taste was interesting, but then about halfway through the first pint, I began to struggle to fully enjoy it. Taste is grassy, sour, gives me visions of plums and apricots wrapped up in soil...but the finish just left an unpleasant copper flavour on my tongue. Has potential and I *think* I might try this one again someday...but not anytime soon.

Pours a cloudy amber brown with a a decent sized off-white head. Nose of fruit, red wine, and spice. Taste is very tart with raspberry and oak both present. Mouth is full bodied and dry, with some mild carbonation. Overall, a very nice sour ale.