Jolly Pumpkin Perseguidor (Batch 1)

Formerly brewed at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Sour Ale
Dexter, Michigan USA

750 ml bottle at pre-RBSG tasting

Thanks to Blake (1FastSti) for sharing this gem. it was my last sample of the night and I passed up quite a few other things to wait for it. I wasn’t disappointed either. As usual Jolly Pumpkin comes through with a quality release that makes me wish I could get everything here in Wisconsin. I can’t wait to get my hands on the only one I’ve yet to try (the Fuego).

Aroma / Appearance - White grapes, brettiness and cherries underscore a very funky nose. Blue cheese, honey and fruits create a very strange combination that is somehow still attractive. The cloudy caramel body swirls beautifully around the glass decorated by a one-finger high bleached white head.

Flavor / Palate - The first sip reminded me of sparkling white grape juice - tart, dry and vinous. The bretty funk adds a nice kick without being too strong. Unlike some beers where the brett goes right to my stomach this one somehow calms the digestive system. The sour dry finish is very nice. This is very agreeable for the style and another winner in my book. If they have this when I visit Ann Arbor/Dexter I may ask for a few bottles.

(12oz bottle) Lightly hazed dark amber body topped by small beige head that rapidly diminishes to a ring. Aroma is moderately sweet, cherry sourness, oak, light caramel. Taste is medium sweet, grape/vinous, cherry, oak. Fairly sour. Medium body, some acidity, quite drinkable even if a bit thin. This is yummy, and I recognize that my spare description doesn’t do it justice -- thanks to artusory for hauling it back for me.

Bottle courtesy of Styles. The pour is a deep matte orange-ish red. The head consists of a thin white ring and some white wisps. The aroma is sour, fruity like cherries. The flavor is the same sour cherries up front but the finish shows off the oakiness. Some sweetness is present as well. The sourness is exciting and refreshing, but the rest of the beer is less than exciting even with the oak. I can see where the excitment of the bam biere collides with the less than exciting la roja.

Pour is still looking brightish red with a ring of a smal bubbled white head...wonderful aroma...pears, brett, dank musty wood, light cherries...light carbonation starts out...wow, I was expecting the same delicious delicate sourness and depth as the aroma....but was disappointed...still solid and tasty, just no depth...light mouthfeel and flavor are fine, but just didn’t go along with the aroma...a faint sweetness up front with lots of toasty wood flavors coming on...lightly sour and bright yet dull (f that makes sense) finish...

I have had this beer for awhile and finally got around to drinking it to celebrate my roomates last day of college. I have had it once before at the brewery poured by the brewmasters wife. This time was much better. Poured a wonderful amber color with a solid head to it. The aroma was incredible and reminded me of some of the great sours. Flavor was allright. A slight sourness, oak, and a light malitiness. Well balanced and dry. It was awesome to try this again.

Bottle courtesy of bu11zeye. Pours brownish red with sparse carbonation. Smells of red wine, lots of oak, some barnyard hints, sugar, some Rodenbach qualities, hints of boozinezz and some cherries. I could smell this one for an hour. Tastes of oak, hints of bitterness and has a somewhat watery mouthfeel that just doesn’t live up to the brilliant nose on this one. Lots of lemony tartness persists up to the finish and beyond. I decent experiment, but not as good as just about everything else he’s had a hand in brewing.

Burnt dark amber colored body, small foamy but solid white head. Exceptional nose of burnt nuts and brettanomyces. Lightly spicy toasted bread crust up front, turns even more spicy and sour over the middle with the brett sourness kicked up a little bit. Finishes a little thin and watery, with some muddled and moldy rye and cereal grains flavors. An interesting beer, would liked to have seen it more heavy or more spicy, but the yeast is a bit thin and the body suffers. Not too bad though, but I don’t think the resultant rye and soaked grain flavors from the blend work well.

Bottle. Hazy amber colour with a medium beige head. Malty, light acid, sweet fruity aroma and taste, wood. Medium body with a dry light acid finish.