Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial

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

Pours a murky, deep brown with a ridiculous sized head that is simply relentless...I wonder if I could turn my glass upside down and have this head keep the beer from spilling! Anyways, aroma is yeasty and spicy with a hint of chocolate in there...maybe a bit of citrus fruit and a general sour feel. Flavor is intriguing - typical JP sourness over a mash of other flavors, and this one works pretty well. Good level of sour, dark fruit, roasted malt, a touch of cinnamon, and a good level of chocolate...much more than I expected to come from this one. Pleasant as it warmed...I did enjoy this beer. Slightly overcarbonated, but not offensive. Can JP start selling more of their beer in smaller bottles though...hate always having to crack a 750, which keeps me from revisiting many of their brews...oh well, guess that’s for another time!

Pours a full dark amber’ish brown with a frothy head that settles to one finger. Very spicy with a strong, brown-ale-like finish. Even over the palate and the carbonation is just right. Aroma is even spicy on this one. Batch #349, & I just read Floback’s comment about it being a gusher when I popped the cap & had plenty of the brew crashing all over the bar & floor. My mistake was that I tried to stem the tide with my tongue, but it just went right up my nose until I got the bottle over the sink. Ouch. A very full beer, though, & for someone not normally a brown ale fan, very pleasant.

Bottle from Knightly Spirits. Batch #349. This bottle was a gusher and I couldn’t get it to stop for quite a while. This poured a typically massive head that is commonplace for JP brews and a murky brown color. The nose is sour yeast and dough. Flavors are coppery, full of sour Brett, and include subtle spices like cinnamon, apples, and evergreen. Quite malty with a bit of vinegar character. Lively carbonation and medium body. Good beer.

Subdued Belgian character, spices meld well together, very warming, some hot alcohol, light body but still some sweetness

Cloudy copper-brown with immensely thick puffy head. Sour, spicy, fruity, citrus scent. Tart, nicely bitter flavor with a great deal of spice and citrus, especially at the end. The cinnamon and cocoa are definitely there if you look for them. Quite nice.

Pours a hazy brown with a thick white, pillowy head that sticks around for awhile. Aroma is vinegary, sweet, and fruity. I smell stawberry, plum, and orange. Drinks very smooth, with a full mouth feel of the various fruits, with a nice sour finish. An excellent beer. This is my first of the Jolly Pumpkin beers (embarassingly), but I look forward to trying the rest of their aresenal. This is a very special brewing co.

Pours a hazed amber/brown. Nose is full of spice and citrus. Taste is very spicy, not very funky, but stlil present. Sweet malts and finishes dry.

Bottle. A hazy amber color with a tall firm light peach color head. Nose is very spicy, the cinnamon really comes thru as does the orange. Flavor is delicate, sweet malt, spice, vanilla, a little yeasty. Low bitterness, lots of warming alcohol. Great beer for a cold winter’s night.