Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura

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

Dark black beer with a thin tan head.. Aroma is quite light with black licorice, light chocolate and the classic JP lemony acidic wildness. Earthy and roasty with a surprising depth of dark chocolate and roast coming through in spite of all the lactic acidity. The flavour is quite light, with lemon/lemongrass citrus mixed with dark malts, soft earthiness and a lingering chewy roastiness. As the beer warms, the chocolate flavour intensifies giving a slight sweetness to the overall impression. Nice earthy, funky flavour, moderate bitterness. It’s a strange, but tasty beast.

Bottle: Deep brown pour with a tan head, thin looking. Interesting aroma with some chocolate/mocha, accompanied bite papery, lactic/lemony sourness. Flavor has many strange stages. First there’s a lemon sourness, then a hint of light roasted coffee, and the finish goes back the tartness with a hint of lemon-rind. These sour Stouts have grown on me, but this one in particular is not balanced.

I personally don’t find it fitting for a imperial stout to have a sour taste due to the type of yeast. Its rich in Chocolate, Coffee and spices. but the flavor of sourness just turns me off. I most likely won’t be having this one again.

The aroma had me intrigued with chocolate, deeply roasted malt, and a touch of coffee. The appearance was nice too with it’s tan head and dark brown color. The flavor was off putting. The dominate flavor is sour which is not a good thing for a stout. There is also an oaken taste as well as bitter hops and all the elements from the aroma. But I just could not get used to the sourness. Then palate is OK. Overall I am not all that happy with this.

Re-rated on a lazy, but tense Halloween evening. Pours 3 cm of head, intricate webs of tan lacing, the color is black as a zombie’s soul. Nose is sour yeast, chocolate, and roasted malt. Very surprising tastes of sour yeast mixed with dark, rich, chocolatey stout malts. A sourness mixed with heavy stout qualities is a strange concept for some people, but I’ve learned to keep an open mind and to expect almost anything. Refreshingly balanced carbonation and full body. SO full of flavor, it hurts! love this beer. Cheers to Jolly Pumpkin...

Bottle. unpleasant sour. head thin big bobbles that disappears fast. Not good to brew stouts with Belgian yeast

First pour of 750ml in a pint glass. Pours deep dark brown/black with dark tan, dense, lasting head and lace. Faint aroma of coffee, chocolate, yeast, chocolate chip cookies. Pause, to let it warm up a bit. Slight chocolately flavor is overwhelmed by sharp sour/tartness. Body is light to the point of almost being watery for an 8% beer. I just don’t think this type of sour aging fits all styles of beer. Jolly Pumpkin Gold is great; the white is ok; but this one I can’t see having again, with all the great stouts out there.

Bottle. Black coloured with a beige ehad. Roasted and light acidic aroma of wood and brett. Roasted and acidc flavour of vanilla, brett and liquorice. Very carbonated. Don’t like the combination of roastiness and acidity.