Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial

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

750 ml bottle poured a hazy copper brown with a lasating creamy amber head. Aromas of sour citrus, cinnamon and light cocoa. Palate was light to medium bodied and crisp with a tart finish. Flavors of orange peel, light spice, light carmel. light funk and a hint of cocoa with a crisp lingering tart finish.

Hazy dark brown pour with a dense, lasting, off-white head. Aroma smells of subtle cocoa, dark fruit, slight oak, orange, nutmeg, some phenol pepperiness, yeast, and funk. Tart black cherry flavor with some dry cocoa, yeast, lots of wood character, some spice, a little orange zest and the typical JP funk on the finish. Creamy, full mouthfeel with nice subdued carbonation.

Bottle (from jrob_21, iirc). Sweet yeast aroma, candi sugar and cherries with light caramel. Tart fruit, reminds of a lambic, and lesser touches of anise and nectarine. Typical very active gush, a murky mahogany/chestnut pour with a big, lacing, creamy beige head. Puckeringly tart at first but eventually very creamy feel, taste has some mild acidity, finish warms the chest like cold medicine. Cherries and light nuttiness, a great woody tartness with some late bittering orange rind. Passionfruit and light spice. I’ve always had problems rating JP, they’re unique for the American market and usually pretty good [not quite as good as the Belgians they aspire to be], but they’re a bit thin and metallic.

Pours a hazy dark orange amber with a two finger creamy light tan head that leaves a sticky lace. The nose is sweet and spicy, cinnamon, earthy Belgian tones, yeasty. The flavor is sweet, earhty, Belgian yeast, fruity and spicy, cinnamon here too and it actually causes the beer to taste a little hot. Like chewing a lot of Big Red. Fairly carbonated and finishes spicy.

Poured a murkey brown with light colors on the edges. Head is a beige foamy color. Aroma is sweet, fruity, sour. Taste is of sweet fruit, sour funk, yeast, caramel, spice, with a bitter finish. There is also a vinous characteristic as well. Sourness is the overwhelming flavor. This should probably be classified as a sour, though it is less sour than La Roja. Body is not too big, medium, with some mild carbonation. A nice complex brew.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy orange-brown with a thin, off-white head. Aroma is slightly sour, of tart fruits and spices, with notes of chocolate. Taste is nicely sour, with just a hint of bitter chocolate. Light lingering sourness. Very tasty, but I was hoping for more chocolate.

6/01/2008: Maracaibo Especial (Special Brown Ale) has a deep caramelized brown color (almost the color of milk chocolate) and is hazy with a flury of small carbonation bubbles. The biege head is thick and foamy and leaves good lacing on the glass from start to finish. The aroma is sweet and fruity. The presence of caramelized malt combined with some chocolate and something slightly acidic really pulls one in! The flavor is strong and nicely balanced between sweeter, caramelized and fruity (cooked green apples?) malt and a tart and tangy, acidic and slightly more dry and bitter finish. It tastes a bit like red wine and chocolate at first and then tranisitions to a slightly sour white wine, tart citrus, and a hint of spice (i.e. cinnamon). The alcohol does not immediately jump out, but the strength of this delicious beer comes through in the flavor. The linger flavor/after taste is like chocolate which must come from the cacao nibs that this beer is brewed with. Very tasty indeed! This beer has a medium-full body that is smooth and moderately carbonated on the palate. It is really good and probably one of my favorite Jolly Pumpkin brews!

750 ml bottle (Alc/Vol 7.5%) with oval label and a black cap. Rating #295 for this beer...

750ml bottle at Dieu Du Ciel. Cloudy brown color. Nose of cherries, yeast, some slight floral aromas, and a good amount of sour funk. The flavour is sour, and funky, and the chrries really come through, its very much like a good malty sour cherry, very interesting, but extremely drinkable!