Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

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

Another subtle winner from JP. Poured a dark amber color with an aroma of peaches witha hint of cinnamon. The taste had burnt bread crust. There were also cherries and spicy cinnamon. I like the Oro more than this one.

Barnyard character is most pronounced in this one as compared to the other offerings from this brewery. Barrel aging is also noticeable with oak and vanilla tones to the nutty, earthy and musty aroma. Clear, brown/amber with decent, off-white, fine-bubbled head that recedes to lasting cover with some lacing. Strong maltiness in the very fresh fruity flavour with plenty of wood and vanilla leading up to strong bitterness in the finish. Fine-bubbled carbonation and soft texture to the medium body with some light alcohol warming. Bottle enjoyed with MartinT, muzzlehatch and Rastacouere.

Bottle: Rich brown hue topped by a long-lasting frothy beige head and oustanding lace. The aroma has notes of caramelized malting, floral and grassy hops, coriander and white pepper, plum and orange peel, and earthy yeast esters. Outstanding and inviting! The taste starts moderately malty sweet before a nice dose of spice and bitters add a cleaning effect to the palate. A touch of oak and yeasty character makes it a wonderful tasting pleasure. The feel is fizzy but that helps more that hinders the experiance as I find myself drinking this way too quickly. Yet another well crafted brew for this upstart artisan brewery. A piece of French farmhouse ale in my backyard, Bravo Jolly Pumpkin! (A must try for anyone who thinks American microbrewing is NOT all about hops and alcohol !!!)

bottle shared with CapedBrewsader... Brown tinge of red ... woody nose ... very woody some malts ... little sourness ... odd subdued but not working for me. Glad i shared this with some one who appreciated it.

Bottle. High creamy and long lasting light brown head. Hazy orange red to brown body. Spicy fruity hoppy aroma with notes of alcohol. Complex flavor of mild fruits, rhybarb and cherries I think, and spices with low carbonation, fair amount of hops bitterness and a long bitter sweet aftertaste. Alcohol well hidden.

Sample at joebrew’s Friday beer tasting at Cellar’s Wine & Spirits in St Paul, MN. Pours a dark coppery amber brew with an average off-white head. Aroma of funky years, sour apple and oak, with a touch of grapefruit. Taste is a strong sour beer with apple. lemmon and a touch of bing cherry. Finish has a slight bourbon whiskey aftertaste and then smooth.

Bottle. Poured a hazy rosy/amber with a well-retained off-white head. Full aroma of dry and musty yeast, cherries, and a soft breadiness. Flavors picked up a floral component... funky yeastage was remniscent of an old basement... tart cherries and alcohol were sparkly at the back end with the rather high carbonation... and there was soft caramel deep down. Felt good, but not great on the palate... but very enjoyable on all other counts.

Poured a clear deep amber color with a small off-white head. The aroma has a light tartness to it. Caramel malt with notes of wood and vanilla. The flavor starts with a malty caramel and light tartness before it goes to a dry bitterness at the very end. Mouthfeel is smooth at first but the you get a fizzy carbonation on the tongue.