Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca

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

Tap @ Spuyten Duyvil - what a great beer this was. Pours a cloudy straw color with a fluffy white head that left plenty of lacing on the inside of the glass. The aroma is citrus, coriander, clove, and a bit of Belgian yeast. Aroma is the same, with the citrus and spices melding together to form a sublime and surprisingly complex drinking experience. I think this was a great witbier and really well done by these guys.

Pours cloudy straw with huge fluffy white head that descends with plenty of lacing. Classic citrus and spice flavors with strong hint of sourness. A must for Hoegaarden fans.

Bottled. Pours out in a hazy pale golden colour with a rich frothy white foam. Tart aroma of lemon, wood, orange-peels and mild pepper with yeasty undertones of green banana and coconut. Fairly light-bodied with notes of tart lemon, leaves, vanilla, yeast and oak. Lemony finish with touches of oak, coconut and yeast.

750 mL bottle from Sam’s Quik Shop (Batch 285; brewed 2/29/08, to oak 3/5/08, bottled 4/2/08). VERY carbonated and this one did gush just a bit (but not nearly as much as the 3 bottles of Oro de Calabaza I’ve had). Light, pale yellow in color with a very fluffy white head. The swirl at the end of the bottle finally gives this the cloudy, Witbier look. Pleasant, citrusy sour aroma. Even with Jolly Pumpkin the sourness was a great surprise. After the aroma the fact that this has a tart taste is no longer a surprise but it is very welcome. The finish is clean and refreshing. I think this is totally misclassified as a Witbier but as a beer it is fantastic.

Batch 279. Appearance: Pours out a cloudy, straw-colored body with a frothy, tall, white head. Smell: Pleasant mixture of tangy wheat with tart-scented fruits, earthy, freshly-ground spices, piquant oak, and some punchy lactic notes. Taste: Soft white wheat with a scant, brief honey-like sweetness. Tart fruity flavors of pears, white peaches, and, lastly, some tastes of sweet and bitter orange peel. Then, in comes the spice hints of coriander and powdered ginger. Relatively smooth, but still slightly puckering oak wood hints. There’s sort of a ubiquitous lactic sourness throughout. Finishes rather dry with lingering, lasting touches of oak, spice, and tartness. Mouthfeel: It’s just a hair under medium-bodied. Well carbonated, no question there, and quite bubbly from beginning to end. Drinkability: To help "set the mood" for this beer, I stepped out into the unpleasant, grotesquely humid, hot Atlanta weather for a few minutes. Though it ultimately lacked the body and creaminess of some witbiers, I felt it excelled surprisingly well in terms of both refreshment and enjoyment (at least with Batch 279). With some beers, clearing through a mere twelve ounces is a chore, but finding the end of this 750ml was a breeze!

750mL Bottle: Slightly cloudy gold topped w/ a small white head, bubbles dance throughout. Citrus, coriander & yeast in the aroma. Nice wheat tartness, citrus (lemon/orange) & spices. Tart & dry w/ perfect carbonation. I can see myself killing many a bottle of this, delicious!!

gunshot crack poured to hoegaarden tumbler. appearance is sunshine yellow with well clouded structure. flavor is bracingly tart, bordering on sour. nose of strong yeast notes but without outright funk. citrus fruits come and go but grapefruit -- probably due to the bitterness -- lingers. dry, refreshing and interesting.

Hazy gold pour. Fluffy off white head and spotty lace. Orange and coriander aroma. Lightly tart with atypical wit flavors. I never thought I was really going to like this one, but i did! Another excellent beer from JP