Jolly Pumpkin Fuego del Otono (Autumn Fire)

Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Belgian Ale
Dexter, Michigan USA

Bouteille verte de 750 ml obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Le contenu a completement explosé lors de l’ouverture de la bouteille ne laissant que la moitié du contenu. Arôme: Odeur d’épice avec une pointe de caramel. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée voilée avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un large col mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’épices avec une pointe d’agrumes et de gomme. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement minérale. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût fruité. (Rating #1759)

Bottle and labeled Bottling 3, 2007. Medium sized off-white frothy and fizzy head that mostly diminished, hazy, one ring of lacing, visible carbonation, and a golden hue. The aroma was sweet, sour, tart, spicy, malt, some caramel, acidic, lambic like and brett. The flavor was sweet, acidic, fruity, spicy, sour, some malt and light caramel. Spritzy mouthfeel and medium bodied. I had a hard getting this beer rated as I was turned off by the aroma and the flavor as well as I just couldn’t get into the taste of this beer for some reason. This is definitely a beer I could not drink an entire bottle by myself. Next!!

Thanks to Drew for this one. (Batch 244, 245) Hazy golden color with a frothy tall white head. Aroma is tart fruit at first, along with some bretty funk, then also a touch of sweet spices in the background and some yeast and honey. Tart and bitter flavor up front, like a lemon rind, followed by some sweet malts and a nice touch of spices. A bit of bretty funk is present all the way through. The finish shows a bit of nuttiness, or wood. Very nice, very pleasant.

6/05/2008: Fuego del Otono (Autumn Fire) pours a mostly clear, light copper color with a HUGE, dense and rocky light beige head. There is a substantial amount of carbonation that sustains the perpetual thick head that creates puffy lacing on the glass. The aroma and flavor contain the tell-tale Jolly Pumpkin funk and spice. Some spiced (cinnamon) apple cider notes are also apparent in the aroma. The flavor is lightly malty, fruity (like apple sauce and white grapes), spicy (nutmeg, clove?). It also has the wonderful, subtle but not so subtle combination of sour, tart, and acidity. These subside a bit as the beer warms and combines to form a warm, lightly chocolately and nutty-like flavor. I also pick up some faint ginger notes toward the finish as well as a really, really light nuttiness if I hold the beer in my mouth for a bit. This beer has a medium body, yet it feels light and airy on the palate, and even soft and mellow. Overall, this is another good Jolly Pumpkin brew, but it seems to be missing the complexity - no, that’s not the right word - maybe uniqueness is what I’m looking for - to really differentiate it from many of the other Jolly Pumpkin offerings...

1 pt. 9.4 fl. oz bottle (6.1% Alc/Vol) from River’s Bend Wine and Spirits in Maineville, Ohio ($8.99+tax). Rating #217 for this beer...

OK, it’s official, I’m not a fan of Jolly Pumpkin beers. The last one was classified as a Sour Ale, and I didn’t like it. This one is classified as a Belgian, and it tasted again like a Sour Ale. 750ml bottle, poured a nice clear amber with a foamy off-white head. Very nice looking beer. Aroma was of tart, sour apple. Taste was tart, sour, and biting. Poured this one down the drain.

foamed right out of the bottle. cloudy amber color. nose that was sour and had a hint of vanilla. tastes of the sour vanilla as well.

Bottle to my head. Pours drown amber with white lacing. Light carbonation. Aroma is that classic jolly pumpkin funk, spice, and no etoh. Flavor is sour tongue tingling and dry. Maybe some nuts in the finish. Good.

Bottle courtesy of jrob_21.

This one is a gusher; the cap explodes off of the top and I swear at least a third of the 750 ends up all over my kitchen counter and in the sink. It just keeps bubbling up and out as a steady fountain until I pour most of it off into a couple of tulips. So...great big off-white head with what look like cinnamon flecks on top, glowing red-brown beautiful beer down underneath, some sediment. Lots of spice and chestnut in the aroma, amazing how strong the nuts come forward here, some musty notes, a whisp of sour. The flavor is heavily spiced but nonetheless beautiful: quite tart, again all of those chestnuts, mild funk, tannic, grape skins, leather, nutty sweetness, lots of spice. Mmmmm. Lovely. This one went down much too quickly.