Jolly Pumpkin Fuego del Otono (Autumn Fire)

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

750ml bottle, Oct. 2008 batch. Having had this beer several times, I can say it needs at least three months after it’s released to really come into its own. It was released way too young IMO. Moving on, it pours a really beautiful glowing, reddish honey with a pillowy beige head. Awesome. Gorgeous, vintage Jolly Pumpkin nose - softly-integrated brett, sour tropical fruits, and of course oak. The flavor is vinous, subtle, and refreshing. There is not that burst of flavor you might expect though. This could be a phenomenal beer if the flavors were more pronounced. I still really like it.

Light brown pour with a big, rocky white head. Aroma is big, bretty and oaky. Some funk, some sourness, a bit of nuts. Flavor is sour and spicey. Some wood, with a bready, nutty finish. Love the funkiness in this one.

0.75 l bottle at Konttori, Tampere. Hazy copper to amber color with creamy head. Horsey aroma with strawberry, grapefruit, star anise, red wine and hints of nuts. Horsey, oaky and gently spicy flavor with strawberry and red wine. Some tannins and warming alcohol. Nice complex beer.

750 ml bottle from Capones. Pours a a brownish/orange with a small to average fizzy whiteish head. Aroma is phenomenal, super funky with notes of brett, cherries, wood, lemon zest, barnyard. Medium body with a fizzy mouthfeel that dies down as this one is allowed to breath for awhile. Flavor is very washed out compared to the strong aroma but the funkiness comes through with some hints of wood and fruit. If the flavor stood up to the aroma this would have been a top ten beer for me but regardless it is still a great beer.

Bottle courtesy of sebletitje. Pours a hazy dark golden color with amber highlights and a thin white head. Aroma is malty and spicy with notes of brett, bread, spice, flowers, yeast, floral hops. Flavor is sweet and malty with notes of spice, honey, brett and nuts. Generally medium body with a pleasing sweet brett finish.

Batch #336. Love or hate JP beers. I was intrigued by the chestnut description, thinking this would be a bombastic style so often found in the Italian beers. No! Once again JP floods the aroma with the sour brett aroma, leaving almost no nose to be enjoyed. You take load of brett + slight chestnut and that sums up the aroma. It’s rather disappointing that JP keep doing this to all of their beers. Pours hazy golden with white head. Aroma as mentioned earlier is just filed with brett, and has very faint notes of the chestnut and spices. Taste was rather fruity, with lingering notes of cherry, light tartness with very light chestnut. Just too much of brett, way too much of it, please let me enjoy the beer!

Thanks sea bass for the share. Pours hazy clumpy yellow-brown with aroma of vinegar and sour fruit with noticeable spice. Flavor is dry vinegary, spicy bretty sour. Not bad, but not my favorite.

Bottle, courtesy sebletitje. Pours a hazy mango and copper color, with a fizzy white head and lacing. Aromas of spicy hoppiness, and mostly brett, dry clove, and cinnamon. Some apple cider too. Flavor is very dry with a bretty element with bread, cereal, and a spicy body gives way to a crunchy interesting finish. Very interesting character, doesn’t work THAT well but it’s still drinkable.