Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga (The Firefly)

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

From 750mL Bottle. Rich, amber colored pour with splashes of honey and tangerine skin, topped with a gushing mountain of soapy white head. Beautiful bouquet of tart green apples, chamomile petals, and lemon rind. Fresh coriander is also clearly obvious. A bit of honey sweetness, cedar bough hops, and naturalist perfume round out the delectable profile. Medium bodied mouthfeel thats sadly lacking some of the carbonation elements left behind after the eruption disaster otherwise known as the bottle opening. The flavors really bring out a pleasant wash of dry, oaky chardonnay with some musty earthiness. Final smack of lemongrass and coriander stems. Wonderfully complex overall, and contains the signature jolly pumpkin balance between bretts and horseblanket thats much appreciated by this fan. My one and only complaint about this beer is that my patience was starting to wear thin while waiting for the gushing head to subside. Regardless, a delicious brew overall. Thanks, Tom!

Bottle. This was a gusher like no other. It’s really a good thing JP doesn’t cage and cork their bottles, because this would have broken a lightbulb. Anyway, this is a fascinating beer. When cold, there’s a very discernable hop presence, especially for a Belgian style. Very musty and earthy in the nose, like a good farmhouse. But, there’s a nice sweet, yet hoppy underpinning to the farmhouse. Very nice nose. Very complex in the mouth. Tart and lemony to begin, like a world class lemonade. Very thirst quenching and lip puckering. Every sip leaves you craving the next. The lemony citrus leads to a sweet backbone consisting of honey and a hint of banana. Dry, tart and hoppy finish. It almost defies classification, as it’s like a perfect melding of a saison and an APA, and it’s very Orval-like in it’s presentation. Excellent beer, and now I’m off to find a Grand Reserve ...

Pours deep amber into a tulip with a significant off-white mound of head. Spicy fruit and resin notes. Full and complex with upfront sour fruit and a slightly bitter lasting finish.

Nice copper color, great aroma; nice blend of spice and fruitiness. Nice smooth flavor with surprising complexity. Begs another taste to pick up the other undertones. Nice sourness to give a nice finish without overpowering. Good stuff.

Pours a reddish golden color with a voluminous bright white head. Aroma is sour & acidic -- a slight touch of vinegar -- with wood, fruit; vaguely floral; funky. Tastes are sweet/sour, caramel malt, light lemon/lime; some spicy funk present as well. Excellent beer; very refreshing, balanced, with everlasting aftertastes.

Thanks to TAR for this. Light red body with a mainly dark red body and a fat white head. This was a fun one to pour, it gushed on us. Hints of sourness in the nose. Smells like a hot forest, woody and floral that sweats. Rich velvety mouth feel, caramel sourness that tastes good, TAR said band-aids, but I don’t see it. I get salty, light lime sherbet, lingering sour finish. A touch of butter cream. The spices are working well here. A good beer with good company and good music as the day dies down on the back patio makes for a good time. Ap-4 ar-7 tas-7 pal-5 ov-16

Bottle. My favorite of all the JP brews that I’ve tried. Very drinkable w/ a hint of sourness. Great beer.

25 oz bottle, via Dough77. Pours a dark copper, clear on the first pour, with a meringue-like white head. Amazing retention and lacing throughout. Aroma is fruity and dusty with some cellar funkiness. A nice dry yeastiness with a touch of brett ties it all together nicely. Very dry and funky up front with just the lightest fruitiness on the finish. Notes of coriander, herbs, and a light hoppiness. The brett character really came out as it warmed toward room temperature. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with lively fine carbonation. Very refreshing. Just a beautiful beer. I really didn’t notice a huge difference between the GR and this one, but I drank the GR over a month ago. Either way, it’s awesome and I can’t get enough from these guys.