Jolly Pumpkin La Roja Grand Reserve

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

Bottled. An unclear amber beer with a thin beige head. The aroma is sweet with notes of bourbon, peaches, and grapefruit, while the flavor is sweet and at the same time acidic with notes of malt, over ripe fruit, and light notes of bourbon. The body is a bit thick.

(Bottle 37,5 cl) Pours an unclear amber with a small, off-white head. Fantastic bourbon aroma. Medium body, lots of woody and bourbon accents and a distinct tartness. No real bitterness. Courtesy of madsberg. 120207

Bottle. Hazy orange coloured with an off white head. Aroma of fruits, wood, vanilla and hops. Light acidic flavour of fruits, wood and vanilla.

Name: La Roja - Grande Reserve
Date: 06/08/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

dark clear amber, sweet tart aroma with a huge alcoholic tartness, sweet tart oaky flavor, lots of oak, and more oak, lots of tart oak, did I mention the oak?

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

(12oz bottle) Medium beige head atop fleck-filled deep amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, wood, cherry sourness, some caramel, light bourbon. Taste is mild sweet, sour cherry, wood, vanilla/bourbon. Effervescent medium body with moderate acidity. Decent, but I much prefer the regular La Roja -- even though the bourbon aging doesn’t overwhelm the wonderful beer underneath, it certainly does it no favors.

Bottle. Hazy amber colour with a small beige head. Heavy malty, raisin, dryed fruits, vanilla aroma and a dry fruits, light acid, wood, vanilla taste. Medium body with a dry light acid finish.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with Styles (thanks!). Poured a deep and cloudy brownish color with a small sized off white head. Once again, for the record, let me state that I’m a sucker for barrel aged beers (especially when they are done right!). Aromas of oak woodiness, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, light spices, and had an all around tartness quality to it. I also swear I got some leathery/brett in there as well. Tastes of tart green apples and cherries, oak, caramel, and light bourbon. Some lacing left on the glass.

Dull cloudy dark copper pour covered by a light white ring. The nose is explosive with its strong minty bourbon character. Just like the firefly reserve, tobacco derivatives are strong in nose and taste. The roja indeed shows plenty of herbal, parsley like character that contrasts with sticky, sweet prunes, cherries and wood stick thickness. Salty bourbon dominated the mouth as well where fennel makes an appearance that might be the sole divergence with the aroma. Woody astringency leaves a sweet film on the gums. Medium bodied, liquorous, fitting carbonation of moderate activity. Good, but substandard for Jolly Pumpkin.