Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca

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

All the five flavors (sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter) are present in this finely crafted witbier and the only one I’ve ever raved about. Jolly Pumpkin’s is an extraordinary execution of this style. Other brewers have tended more toward the sweet side of the flavor spectrum or worse--avoided flavor altogether to produce a beer that looks better than it tastes. Not so with the Calabaza Blanca! Its crazy combination of flavors makes this a beer to come back to. Delicious and nutritious. According to Eastern medicine, all five flavors should be present in every healthy meal--and apparently it works for beer too.

750ml, square label. Huge funky nose of brett, floral notes, soap, wheat and hay. Instantly tart and sour on the tongue, with lemon, sour and very dry woody wheat and hay, and a moderate presence of brett, showing up more as a prickly tart/sourness than a true funkiness. Finishes with lingering lemon juice and whisky and gin flavors. Interesting and unique.

Bottle. Hazy yellow color/ Nice wheat aroma with a big white head. Taste a little sour and the spices really don’t come through as much as I would like. I am not sure if the price justifies the product, but it is still a really good Witbier.

10/13/2007: Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca pours a cloudy golden yellow color with a moderate amount of carbonation. The white head is quite large and shapely with stiff peaks (reminds me of whipped egg whites). It lasts from the initial pour all the way through the last sip and leaves foamy lacing on the glass. The aroma is a bit sour with some woodiness present. It is very inviting. At first the sourness of the Brett and the dry oaky flavor from the barrel jump out, but then the yummy funkiness melds into the other flavors with each subsequent taste. Some of the delicate underlying citrus and spicy qualities of the Wit beer can then be found. The coriander complements the tartness nicely and really cuts through as the beer warms up some. This beer has a medium-light body and is lively on the palate. This is a really good and unique White Ale. Jolly Pumpkin makes great beer and even though the 750 mL bottles are cool, I hope that they start to offer their other beers in 12 ounce bottles like this one...

12 fl. oz. bottle (5.9% Alc. by Vol.) from Firemoose15. Thanks Mel! Rating #381 for this beer... Rating: 7 4 8 3 15 = 3.7.

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5/27/2008: Calabaza Blanca Artisan White Ale has a hazy/cloudy pale golden color. There is a high level of carbonation that crates a large, pillowing, and completely lasting white to off-white head. The aroma is lightly fruity and tart. A lemony acidity combines with some delicate apple, pear, spice, and yeast. The flavor is a little tart like citrus/lemon pithe and slightly sour and funky. It is really quite refreshing and exciting on the palate. The spice is very subtle and the finish as somewhat dry. The beer is light and crisp on the palate and has a smooth texture. This is such a great beer and perfect for both who are interesting in adventuring into the world of sour beers as it is a good cross-over/starter beer for that! I think I prefe this older, lower alcohol version in the larger bottle over the newer, stronger version in the 12 ounce bottles. It seems to be more balanced...

750 ml bottle (4.8% alc/vol) with oval label and a blue cap from River’s Bend Wine and Spirits ($6.99+tax) in Maineville, Ohio. Rating: 7 4 8 3 16 = 3.8.

750 ml bottle, from Holiday Wine Cellars. This bottle turned into a gushing fountain just after I opened it, emptying approximately 1/3 of the contents onto my kitchen counter and into my sink before I could get a glass under it. Maybe I’m just grumpy tonight, but this pisses me off. Anyway, the remaining liquid was a slightly hazy golden color with a huge fluffy white head. Aroma of sour apples, yeast, clove lemon and a bit of funk. Flavor is like a tart cider just turning to vinegar, with sourdough and yeast, bitter herbs, light spice and orange zest. Light body with gently fizzy carbonation. I’m deducting a couple of tenths from the overall for the gushing surprise upon popping the cap.

Tallahassee, Fl. - Liquor Loft - 12 oz bottle. Medium golden, murky, with a long lasting sticky snow white head. Lemon and vinegary aroma with hints of coriander. Crisp, fresh flavor which leans heavily to the sour side of the spectrum. Similar flavor accents find their way from the aroma to the taste buds. Hints of sour cherries, vinegar with some lemony notes as well. Very different for a wit - but I have come to expect sourness when I buy Jolly Pumpkin now. Spritzy mouthfeel. Decent.

A great witbier. Slightly different than its competitors in that it retains the slightly sour nature of the JP family (secondary to brewing technique). Nice coriander, spice components without being overpowering. Finish could be a little cleaner for this style. Overall a good brew, but there are better offerings by this brewery.

Bottle from canals in Jersey. Clear yellow pour with big head. Orange and spice aroma. Heavy carbonation taste, a little thin and bland for me. It was ok.