Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

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

Lot’s-O-Gas! Nice carmel color, light tan huge head, plum/citrus nose, slightly sour but with a sweetish finish. This is a good "starter" beer for people who are interested in exploring the sour side of beer. It’s stocked locally at Liquor Loft. Market Square will order a case at a time. That’s what I do.

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip. This bottle took quite a while to pour due to intense foaming and gushing. Once I managed to get it into the glass, the ale poured a reddish brown color with a thick, fizzy, dark tan head that would not fade. The aroma was made up of cinnamon, sour apples and cherries, and some faint caramel and yeast notes. The flavor was a bit mild compared to the initial impression given by the aroma. A bit tart, but not overly sweet or sour. The barrel aging seemed to really mellow and balance this beer out. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied and full of fizzy carbonation. This was a really nice and refreshing drink. If you are a fan of the style, it is definately worth a try.

The liquor store put this on sale because no one was buying it. Who knows why, this is a really interesting flemish ale. I am really getting to love these sour beers. I can taste the cherries and the slight hint of ginger. A really nice layered beer. Cheers! P.S. Keep it on sale.

750ml Bottle: Aroma is lightly sweet. Smells of spices, cinnamon, clove, herbs, cherries, and a bit of sour mix. Poured a deep amber/orange color with a large tan head that lasted throughout. Very good lacing. Hazy. Some particles. Flavor is lightly sweet and medium tart. Very complex taste. Tastes of sugar, spices, coriander, clove, berries, light wood, a little cherry, and sour mix. Medium body. Tingly texture. Lively carbonation. Lightly dry, spiced, sweet, sugar finish. Overall, not as sour as I expected. Almost over-carbonated.

750mL bottle ingested early 8/2/07. Initial pour into my oversized Gulden Draak snifter yields a huge bubbly foamy almost mahogany beverage. Despite the huge bubbliness of the foam it sticks around for a while. Aroma is everything you look for in an oak aged sour ale, albeit a little more subdued than the "best" out there. Flavor skirts on the almost too tart for it’s own good, a little more sour than other bottles I’ve had, with just a touch of sweetness to keep things in check. All in all, hands down one of the best US examples of a centuries old tradition.

750 ml bottle in Duvel glass. Pours reddish amber with small head and some lace. Slight aroma of tartness and sweetness, like fresh caramel apples. Tart flavor with very mild sweetness and exceptionally dry finish. Not what I expected. Medium body. Medium carbonation. Almost too easy drinking. Needs more fruitiness, both sweet and sour. But, overall, pretty tasty. As it warms up, more fruitiness, more flavor, better palate.

Inviting brown colour. Beautiful oak flavour. Just a hint of sour though. I was expecting a bit more sour from a flemmish sour, but I have no problems with it. Nicely balanced.

Appearance- Nice amber color, very cloudy, thick head. Smell- very strong fruit smell, especially cherries, maybe a hint of cranberries since it was a bit tart. Taste- Very strong dark cherry . the alcohol taste was strong but not overpowering Mouthfeel- A bit of a medium body with a little bit of carbonation. Drinkability- I really enjoyed this beer. It was a bit tart which made it interesting. I will recommend this beer to friends