Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

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

Re-rate 10/2/09. This bottle is probably a couple of years old. Murky reddish-brown pour with a real thick long-lasting head. Heavy lacing. Tart and sour, cherries with bretty funk, ripe plums, some yeast and apple. A bit astringent in the finish. Seemed a tad muted, perhaps a little past it’s prime? I don’t know, this is still very tasty, but I’ll have to compare this to the one year old bottle I have. I’m going to leave the rating as is. Original Rating: This was a bit of a gusher. I had to pour it fast for minimal losses. A deep murky amber color, or brownish, with a huge khaki head that is controlled quick enough. The aroma here is yeasty, some champagne, flowers and some fruit. Very nice. Tart cherries with some raspberry kick off the flavors with a little bit of a spicy bite, funky brett and wood notes show as well. Dry and sour in the finish. Pretty complex, I’m not sure what exactly I’m tasting at times but I like it. Good beer.

(bottle - 750 ml - 2005 vintage) Cloudy dark amber color with a very thin white head that disappears quickly. Aroma is earthy and sour with hints of oranges, wood, and some citrus. Flavor is nice and sour with some good hints of wood, earth, sour citrus, and some caramel. Finishes dry and clean with a light tartness. Holds age very well.

750 ml bottle poured a cloudy orange amber with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of sour orange, carmel, light earthiness and a hint of wood. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of wood, orange, carmel, and apple with a lingering lightly tart finish.

This poured a dark ruby red color with a small white head. Aroma was pretty sour and maybe some citrus fruits as well. Flavor was very sour but lacked any outstanding flavors behind it. This seemed like a very bland sour to me and not nearly as good as the grand reserve

This one has been sitting in my cellar for at least a year. A- Pours a hazy reddish brown with a nice, fluffy, 2 finger eggshell head. S- Smell is very malt forward, lots caramel, citrusey sour fruit at the end. T- A bit of a letdown from the look and smell. It’s about the reverse of the smell, with very muted caramel notes steamrolled by a slightly sour wave of bret. M- Medium bodied with quite a bit of carbonation. D- This one was looking like such a winner until I took a sip. I felt like I would either love to see it more sour or more caramel barleywinesque with just a touch of sourness but the balance that was struck didn’t quite do it for me. I’d love to try a fresh bottle for comparison.

Gusher, saved most of the bottle by bleeding off pressure. A moderately sour Fllemish Red. Oak character was subdued, decent residual maltiness

Sampled at Beerhawk’s Beer Gods in the Boro, aka 1000 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, By God Beer God Gathering, BG1K Tasting. Murky reddish brown pour with light tan head and lacing. Sweet tart aroma. Funky sourness that I associate with most sours. Moderate carbonation. Bottle 12 of 2008. Fun label. Not bad for what it was.

pours a murky red brown. Lots of funk and fruit in the nose. Smells like it’s been in a basement for a while. Flavor is tart sourness, sweet malt, some cherries. Dry finish.