Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

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

Decent amber, this one is just to sweet for me. light head head not to much by the way of lacing. This is a very distinct ale with hints of cherry, figs and caramel. Acidic dry finish. perfect for the autumn season Rerate 9/6/08 Carolina Crew tasting. Bottle courtesy of Todd! Thanks! 2005 vintage

750 mL bottle via Lubiere, shared with Ben, served cold in a tulip. MA30/07.

App.: Medium-deep reddish-amber, large frothy tan head (long-lasting), cloudy. Aroma: PILES of sour cherries + warm spices (cinnamon, clove, all-spice, ginger); light earthy funk, light barnyard; a touch of sweeter toasted malts and maybe vanilla and maybe molasses. Palate: Medium body, fairly lively, effervescent carbonation. Flav.: More malt that the nose but it still takes a backseat to the tart fruits – mainly cherries and crab apples; a medicinal twang, light funk; aggressive bitterness and restrained tartness provide a surprise finish; the toasted malts linger along with bread dough and bread crust.

VIVA LA ROJA!!

#150. Rated 7/3/07. 750ml bottle all to myself. Cloudy dark amber with a massive, rocky, off-white head. Had to let this one settle for a good 10 minutes before I touched it. Aroma is strong sour fruit. Could almost mistake it for a cider. Flavor is sour green apple, caramel and nutmeg. Maybe even picked up some strawberry and cinnamon. Very unique. Not my favorite style, but its pretty darn good and its nice to try something new.

bottle. clear amber red.....almost copper. nice big fluffy white head. good lacing. tart green apple aroma with light caramel vanilla and toffee notes. very light spice. tart sour apple with some bittersweet toffee vanilla and a hit of spice. tart dry finish. apple and light spice. medium body. lively carbonation. nice. very interesting.

bottle. hazy dark copper pour with frothy tan head. nice lacing. great aroma of cider, hopppy, spice, roasted malts, citrus and sugar. palate follows suit. cider flavoring is unique. I imagine this is in large part due to the barrel aging. flirts with being a sour or farmhouse ale. yeast and spice. truely different and delicious if not so true to style.

750ml bottle from Florian’s. Hazy brick red body with a quarter inch of off-white head. Smells malty, fruity, and spicy, with kind of a pithy quality to it. Tastes fruity, sour, and spicy. Very complex, can’t quite put my finger on some of the qualities in the flavor. One thing I didn’t notice in the flavor or the aroma is alcohol. The mouthfeel is definitely on the lower side of medium-bodied with a fair bit of carbonation, which suits this ale quite well. Very drinkable for the ABV and complexity. Reminds me of a lambic in a lot of ways. Very very good.

Aroma was fruity, kind of sweet with a touch of tartness. Pours to a thick tan head over a dark amber color. Taste was great, had a nice sugary sweet start that end ed in dry tart apple finish. Very Good!

Pours a fizzy, murky brown color with a big cream head. Has some nutmeg in the aroma with some indistinguishable fruit aromas to go along with the malt and woodsy scents. Initial caramel sweetness that quickly made way for a tart, dry fruit finish. Good stuff.