Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura

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

Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura 750 ml bottle Moderate pour in a goblet and tulip glass Released January ’07, plunged into 05/07 Poured black with a large mostly lasting rocky and fluffy light brown head and good lacing. Smelt of strong coffee, dark chocolate, clean fresh oak, sour grapes and cherries, bandaids, and lighter notes of different variations of the above. You could say licorice, plums, tar, or even frigging rainbows, because as dark as this is, it even smells like rainbows. A very evil rainbow. Taste was upfront strong to harsh sour dark fruit, like concord grape skins or cherries or and moderate roast and burnt malt followed by strong bitter and sourness, touches of oak, and coffee, and bliss, on a long finish. Palate was medium bodied, slightly oily on a slightly dry finish, lively carbonated, and lightly puckering. Overall, it’s a refreshing summer stout! Sour and feels light bodied. A huge palate punch that makes you turn the other cheek and beg for more. Magical. Dark Magic. Mommy!

Black with big, foamy cappuccino head / Sour, malty nose of green apple, cigar box, and roast coffee / Medium body, tart and acidic, with good balance and on the excellent, bitter finish / Flavors of malt, green apples, cherries, dark roast coffee, cigar box, bittersweet chocolate, and brett / More brewing genius from JP.

One of the most complex stouts I ever tasted. The taste of coffee is the first impression. A very nice full bodied beer. I am impressed by it

What a freaking beautiful beer. Perfect export stout. The funky JP aromas and flavors mixing with the sweetness of the stout is just brilliant. The nose is very roasty, with hints of bread, wine, funky cheese, molasses, brett, and loads of choclate and fresh roasted coffee. In the mouth it tastes practically identical to a Guinness Foreign Export Stout that I picked up in Bermuda and aged for 2 years. Super vinous and fruity, with tons of sweetness and a great sour funk. And to finish things off nicely, there is the perfect hint of an alcohol heat. Almost a marriage between a traditional Imperial Stout and an new school Oud Bruin, am I right? Sam Smith’s Imperial Stout meets Petrus Oud Bruin. And that is not a bad thing at all. I can not get enough Jolly Pumpkin. I’ll say it again, best Belgian themed brewery in the states, no question about it.

One of the best stouts I’ve had. Flavors were roasted and slightly smokey including chocolate, coffee, and even caramel. Smooth and dark. Very tasty!

Batch 265 Bottle. Thick black pour, inky opaque with a big bubbly brown head. Strong funky chocolate aroma, sweet and sour. Peaches and dark-roasted coffee. Flavor opens with sourness that fades into some sweetness into a bitter finish. Extremely deep and well-layered. Sourness comes and goes, interlaced with bitter and sweet dark chocolate notes.Sourness shows up much more as it warms. Unique and delicious. Full-bodied and smooth palate, the acidity breaks up any cloying from the intense sweetness. Conceptually near perfect, and well-executed. Easily one of the best beers I’ve ever tasted.

I don’t know why but I really judge a stout heavily by its appearance. Maybe there is a connection to the first time I saw the beauty of a perfect nitro pour of Guinness. I was curious if the mad scientist Ron would be able to meet my appearance standards of a stout. I wasn’t let down. Perfect tan head. Dark and smooth like, as if it didn’t come from a bottle but the nitro keg I earlier mentioned. Wow does this have a great mouth feel. mouth feel, like appearance, means a lot to me when drinking a stout or porter. Ron hit a homerun in this department. (I name drop Ron as if we’re bowling team buddies or something). Next step: Can I handle what I know is going to be a sour stout. Yes sir I can. On the front end is such a tasty roasted malt taste. The back end seems to be dominated by brett but somewhat offset by the smooth mouth feel. Not present is that overblown hop crazy Imperial Stout taste I simply don’t like. The 8 percent alcohol is completely masked. Then, at the very end, returns a quick flash of roasted malt again. A great beer. RERATE Wow. I actually had this on tap in Ann Arbor. My god its good. This may very well be my favorite beer of all time.

750ml bottle.Served in a large brandy snifter. Pours a dark black color with a big tan frothy head. Lacing covers the glass through the beer. Nose is lots of roast and chocolate with soem dark fruits, raisins, grape skins, a light bit of funk and oak. Palate is nice and thick, a bit of fizz tickles your tongue. A light roast begins and is blown away by a big sour attack on your mouth. Wow, this is unexpected but so very interesting. Lots of sour grapes, with a dark roasty overtones fill your mouth. A finish that brings in a taste of chocolate. and finishes with your tongue guessing what the hell just happened?