Jolly Pumpkin La Roja Krieked

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

gtmw09.... pours a muddy amber brown with a thin wispy off-white head....tart cherries make up much of the nose along with softer vanilla undertones....flavors were woody with tart cherry flavors. light on the carbonation but still pretty nice. i came back to this one more than once...

(Draught) Pours a hazy reddish-brown with a medium sized bubbly off-white head. Aroma of cherry, wood, caramel, almond, and some wood notes. Flavor of cherry, some funkiness, grass/herbal, and earth with a dry woody finish.

On tap at GTMW 2009. Pours dark orange. Awesome aroma of some tartness but a big sour cherry aroma really dominates. After such a big aroma the taste is a bit of a letdown. It is thin bodied and has a vinegary tart taste. It doesn’t advertise itself as anything different than a sour beer with cherries but given the aroma I was psyched for something a little more on par with New Glarus Belgian Red. Certainly not bad, but for me a bit of a letdown.

(On tap at GTMW ’09) This one was the highlight of the fest for me. Pours a light murky red with a little white head that dissipates to nothing after some time. The aroma is huge on this, with great scents of macerated cherries, wet wood, earth, funk, leather, and wet paint. The taste also begins with sweet crushed cherry, cherry pits and skins, that quickly transitions to a bone dry barrel character on the finish. A bit vinous as well, tart, and a little salty with a funk kick at the end. The mouthfeel was medium. In sum, a great beer that really showcased the added cherry, and was quite refreshing for a hot summer day.

On tap at GTMW 2009
While this tastes much like Roja with some cherries thrown in that still makes it a solid beer. It might not be the star of the show but I have not yet run across a Jolly Pumpkin beer I would not want to try again. This one will hopefuly show up again at other festivals so more people can try it.

Aroma / Appearance - Tart and dry the nose clears the space around effectively. Smelling like a bretty Belgian Red it stands out like a sore thumb. The other aspects are typical Roja.

Flavor / Palate - The taste is very similar to regular Roja with the addition of cherries. Not terribly different I wonder if you could get the same effect at home. Still I’d try it again if it ever shows up when I visit the Jolly Pumpkin cafes.

Sampled at GTMW 2009 (Madison, WI). Pours a dark brownish amber with small offwhite head. Aroma is strong tart cherries, a touch of good oakiness, dry and prickly. Body is light, takes on more of a sweet cherry character than necessarily desired. Oak in good amounts, dry and vanilla. A bit better than the original. Solid finish, flavors are all there. Elevated a bit above the base, but not considerably different

Sampled at the ’09 MBG Summerfest. Ruby color with a small white head. Vinous, spicy and floral with tart cherry, honey, and cinnamon. There’s a touch of red wine vinegar on the finish. Sticky medium body with soft carbonation.

MBGSF 09. Pours a light reddish hue with an off white head. Nose is malty and grainy with a nice cherry backround. Palate is full and filmy. Flavors of light malt notes with some cherry hints.