Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca

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

Pours a yellowish color. Aroma is spiced with bubblegum, which I must say I never understood until smelling this beer. The flavor is quite tart, moreso than other Belgian whites I’ve tried. Its very fruity, with again a flavor of bubblegum. Slightly spicy too. There is a hint of oak (a Jolly Pumpkin signature it seems), that gives a dry finish. Overall, its quite tart, fruity, and pretty refreshing. Unique.

750 ml bottle. Hazy pale golden beer, creamy white head. Quite a good-looking brew. Soft fruity aroma up front with light bretty mustiness. Earthy and slightly leathery with a soft sourness apparent as well. Lemony citrus and very bright smelling with loads of wheaty spice as well. No real orange but the coriander is definitely present. Soft lemony flavour with a touch of wheaty spice. Light yeasty spiciness as well. Warming brings up a lovely fruitiness… white grape, apple and a soft floral character as well. Finishes quite dry. Crisp and refreshing… I like this brew.

NorCal tasting July 07 - I could seriously get into this beer. It has all the nice character that I like in my wit’s, plus it brings the funk which is always nice. A sharp lemony, orangy sweet aroma, lightly spicy with subtle corriander hints. Appearance was a pale, pale yellow, cloudy with a smaller sized white head. Brett played a big time role in the flavor of this beer, orange notes, lemongrass, a bit dusty with a dry finish. It almost had some wine-like character to this beer. I definitely recommend this beer as it is really beer apart. On a side note, excellent labels from JP.

Re-Rate 5/28/2009 OK, this bottle was not quite as good as my first one, which was some time ago. This had almost no wit character at all, flat on the front end of things (flavor wise, not carbonation) with a high degree of funkiness. Missing were any semblance of fruit. Seemed like a mini-gueuze at times. Still, enjoyable as it was I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did the first time.

Cloudy white gold appearance. Lovely and unique nose sensations. Autumn leaves, balsamic vinegar, and that unmistakable j/p apple tartness. Further notes of sourdough and a bit of salt. Coriander, cayenne, white pepper and partially reduced pears on the tongue. Spicy, lively, and a little crazy. Finishes on a dry desert shrub sensation. Palate is strawlike - taut, earthy. A different and interesting take on the style that is far more pleasing than plain yeast and sugar. Simply lovely.

Open this over the sink! The bottle conditioning gushed out of the bottles I had. Thick long lasting white head makes it difficult to drink. Flavors have a nice oak background with a musty aftertaste. Good spice notes in the aroma. Pleasant, but frustrating to loss so much in over flow.

A great take on one of my favorite styles. Aroma of yeast, oak and lemon. Pours was a cloudy white with a nice one finger white head. Taste was citrus, coriander and spicy with a faint wood and sweetness in the aftertaste. I like the tartness in the beginning but I could do without the oak flavor. Oh well, it was different and good.

Like a Hoegaarden crossed with an Orval. Typical slight funky sourness that JP is well known for. I like it but found the lactic sourness just a bit misplaced in this offering. Refreshing summer brew nonetheless.

Nice aroma of wheat and spice, pours a clear light yellow, with a quickly fading white head, and just a light speckling of yeast floating within. Wonderful crisp taste, nice spicing, and carbonation to lift it all off the tongue. Amazingly tasty on a sweaty summer night.