Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca with Hibiscus Flowers

Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Dexter, Michigan USA

Cask at Redlight. Pours hazy light copper color with small white head. Mild JP funk with a floral aroma. Sweet and slightly tart flavor with a flowery taste to it. Medium body with light carbonation and a dry finish. Very good and refreshing.

Cask at Redlight Redlight. Cheers for getting this amazing offering down to FL. Pours a nice light reddish, almost pink, with thin white head. Aroma and taste, overly sweet and smooth for a JP beer. This is what could put JP more on the map and away from these overly sour/tart beers. Some sourness in there but just mild and very enjoyable. Hibiscus adds a very nice herbal touch, and a palate that is borderline sweet and sugary with touch of vinegar , some tart berries in the after taste. Glad I tried it, this one just an amazing beer.

Cask at Redlight. Pours a reddish gold with fluffy head, room temp. Nice hibiscus floral herbal aroma. Some funk and sour in the taste, smooth crisp malt very herbal. Veyr refreshing and way too easy to drink.

Cask at redlight redlight. Pours a reddish orange color topped by a good sized, pillowy white head that shows good retention. The nose is actually pretty sweet with hints of strawberries, orange, flowers, and a hint of the funk from the barrel. The flavor follows with tart berries and fresh flowers to go with the light funk and wheat flavors. Some oaky vanilla smooths things out and adds some sweetness to the tart fruits. Medium bodied with subtle carbonation with a pretty dry finish. Pretty refreshing with interesting flavors. The hibiscus changes the whole complexity of this beer. I’m glad I got to try this.

Cask… Brilliant orange/red ale with a very small, creamy, white head. Living in a town that refers to itself as “Hibiscus City” means that I’m surrounded by this flower. It’s in the landscaping of pretty much every community and yard in Vero Beach, including mine. I’ve not noticed an aroma of any kind coming from this plant/flower and I’ve certainly never tasted one. However, it totally transforms this beer. Not only is the color completely charged, the aroma and flavor are totally altered as well. The aroma provides less funk and grain, but has captured (and now offers) more vinous, fruity and floral notes like gardenia and orange blossoms, sangria and berries. The flavor is tangy, nearly tart, but has lost most of its funkiness in favor of a fruitier, vinous, sweet-tart character. Medium-bodied with a watery mouthfeel and almost no carbonation, this beer finishes up tangy and finally dry. Thanks to Brent at redlight redlight for affording me the opportunity to try this rarity!

Cask @ redlight redlight. The hibiscus flowers really hides a lot of the subtleties of the original, though not in a bad way. Orange-pink body with a foamy 1 finger white head, nice retention. Big fruity nose with a bit of the funk coming through, honey malt. In flavor the fruitiness is more restrained, berries, tart, some wheat, the coriander comes through, some astringency at the finish a little spicy earthiness from the brett is also evident. Light and finishes dry with lowish carb due to cask.

Cask at Redlight Redlight. Nice work, Redlight! Strong fruity and floral aroma with strawberries and bananas. This definitely needs to be a little warmer to get the aromas and flavors out. Flavors are more strawberry-banana with a very floral bite. Light and refreshing with a great flavor for a hot summers day. The only thing it may be lacking is a little carbonation. Otherwise, a fantastic summer brew.

Cask at Redlight Redlight. Pours lightly hazy, medium orange amber in color. A foamy, frothy, snow white head settles to a lasting, 2mm blanket. Some flares and spots of lacing do their best to cling to the glass. The nose is sweeter than the typical JP brew, hints of candied pale malt and dehydrated strawberries joining fresh flowers and mildly funky, doughy yeast. Crisp floral and fruity tartness has berry connotations, with dry wheat and grain underpinnings. Traces of lemon zest add a little zing. The palate is medium-light on the tongue, lightly carbonated, and mostly dry. Very interesting brew. The hibiscus really changes everything, lending a much deeper color and sweeter, fruity tendencies. I’m very glad to have tried this rarity.