Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

Very, very nice. I was very scared of all the Flemish Sour talk, ’cause me don’t like that style, but I found this very good. I would never compare to FS, but I can see where others might. Slight sourness and moderate alcohol combined for a very nice brew.

Served in my Duvel tulip. Pours a ruby colored brown. The bottle started to foam out the top just upon taking the cap off. Had to quickly get it into my glass. Poured a 4 inch beige colored marshmallow head. Smell is fruity spices and some belgian brewers yeast. Taste is spiced cherries with plenty of belgian yeast. Their is some definite sourness coming through. Kind of tart, but wonderful. I think that is the best thing about this beer. Mouthfeel is full and creamy with plenty of carbonation.

Pour is a hazy dark orange with a good sized off-white head. Aroma of oak and cherries. Flavors of fruit, caramel, spice, wood, and cherries. Very much like a flemish sour.

WOW. Nice to see such wonderful craft here in the United States. Biere de Garde? This was much more like a flemmish sour red. Who cares about semantics when the beer is this good, though? Oaky sour dried cherry aromas layered over malts and yeasty breadiness. Small bubbles abound in this medium bodied refresher. Flavor is dry rather than sweet, with a rising sugar element coming forward as it warms. Balance towards sourness and infinitely refreshing. A MUST try. Classic beer. Wish I could afford a case.

Having the opportunity to try the barrel aged grand reserve and this version, I have to say that this version is hands down significantly better. Pour is a hazy reddish brown color with a nice medium sized head. An aroma with dark vine fruits, with a funky nose almost like a sparkling cider on steriods. Mouthfeel is alive and tingly. Flavor is dry, acidic, tart and funky with a heavy dose of fruitiness but its damn near perfectly blended. Nothing really trumps anything else on the palate, which leads the consumer to a fantastic beer.

Beautiful! I wonder if some of the other on here are for the same beer...my bottle says "flanders tradition" rather than "biere de garde" tradition. pours a slightly hazy amber color with a huge head which dissipates fairly quickly. aroma is of sweet tarts, caramel, sour fruit and ambrosia. taste is tart, fruity and complex. fairly light final gravity in the mouthfeel. excellent. A must try for those who (like myself) didnt think americans could brew a decent belgian style sour ale.

Slightly sour but malty aroma. It’s a spicey aroma. The color varies with light from brownish amber to ripe apricot. The white head goes quickly, but there’s enough carbonation to toss a little lacing around the edges. Starts tart, maybe a bit sour, fine carbonation, stone fruit and oak. The sour could be a brettomycean thing, but, if so, it’s not all that sour. It is reminiscent of Russian River products though. The finish is dry and woody. For sipping in large sips.

I didn’t like this beer at first, but after a little bit I started enjoying it. (Be careful when you open the bottle - it is fizzy as all-get-out!) The odor is rather unbeery but pleasant, reminding me of a nice brandy. Taste is also brandy-ish, unlike any other ale I have ever sampled. This brewski is smooth and imparts a nice tingly sensation, with a strong but not disagreeable bitter aftertaste. You have to love the pirate kitty on the label! I admit I bought this beer because of that, but I am glad I did because the contents were a pleasant surprise.