Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga (The Firefly)

Next from Jolly Pumpkin is the Luciernaga. The pour gives a thick tan and tangerine head that shows no sign of fizzling down after a sizeable wait. The beer itself is an eclipsed orange and brown with a blizzard of bubbles. While the head never really dissolves, it slowly breaks down into a fascinating block of bubbly ruins and castle turrets. The aroma is rich and soft, though the aromas themselves are from sharper things - tobacco, leather, fried food, scotch, butter, dandelions, pepper, Jalapenos and a little lemon. Rich, but very desert and Southern hemisphere, without the creams and sweets I typically enioy. The taste features these same kind of "musty" flavors", like shoe leather, tobacco, peppers and scotch again, and the acquired taste of olive. I like it, but it’s odd. A bit old mannish in its appeal, but for that very same reason, distinctive and sophisticated.

gusher. pours dark amber brown with sticky frothy head. has that jolly pumpkin profile - lightly tart, musty and dry. moderate bitter hop. some light spice on exhale if you’re looking for it. the flavors are subtle all around, which would make it a nice sessionable belgian if it didn’t cost so much. an excellent beer, no doubt, but for the money i think i prefer bam, roja and golden a bit more.

Tasted 6/22/08. 750ml bottle. Hazy with a golden amber hue. Two fingers of bone white head. Woody, tart raspberry aromas. Green apples and spices. Rather medium bodied with a tart palate. Big effervescence. Citrus notes. Slightly burnt malt character. Muted hops. Nice palate switch between the tart and sweet. Mildly sour with a higher drinkability.

Hazy orange with a massive white head. Aroma is wheat, citrus, hay, spice, tied together with a nice overarching sour ale quality. Taste is pretty similar, with the spice/sourness becoming the most prominent flavors. Very smooth, yet the finish is clean and dry. Very nice beer.

Bottle. Pours a hazy orange, nice fluffy white head. Aroma is a little funky and citrusy. Flavor is a little sour and very Wit-like, almost like an Imperial Wit (if there were one). Orange, lemon and spice dominate the flavor profile. dry and bitter on the finish. I’ll buy this one again.