Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial

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

Bottle sampled. Pours deep amber brown with an average size off-white head. Aroma of fruit, cinamon, and citrus. The flavor is tart fruit, cinnamon, citrus, and oak. Good brew.

Nice aroma of orange, spice, cinnamon, and hints of oak. Pour is red/brown with a nice off-white head. Flavor is surprisingly tart. Orange, cinnamon, spice, and fruit with hints of vanilla, oak, and cocoa. Medium mouthfeel. A very nice brew.

750ml bottle. Aroma: Alluring sourness with a nice brett presence. Spices really jump out. Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg. Orange zest melds nicely with a light cocoa aroma. Some light wood/vanilla notes. Appearance: Reddish brown in color and fairly murky. Light khaki head was full and mousse-like with great retention. Great lacing. Flavor: The orange jumps out ahead this time with some juicy zestiness and a touch of kumquat. Spices and wood intertwined with cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, coconut, and light peppery notes. Cocoa comes on during the finish with the flavor of a high quality dutch processed cocoa powder. Through all of this is a nice tartness that enhances all the other flavors. Finishes dry with some of the tartness carrying over. Palate: Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Light alcohol warming in back of mouth. Overall: Another great beer from JP. Unique and so tasty. Loved it.

Bottle. Apricot-orange color. No head. Cinnamon, orange peel, tangy, like a BBQ glaze. Taste is imilar with a subtle fruity report down the throat, like a sour apricot. Somewhat thin body and surprisingly straightforward given the amazing aroma. Always unique, these guys.

750ml, tasted fresh from recent batch. poured hazy brown with hint of amber, creamy off white head. nose has wonderful brett, oak, vanilla, and soft hints of toffee. flavor is very much of the same with cinnamon, perfectly balanced. palate is soft, thin, and very refreshing and drinkable. another great jp beer i could drink for 40 days and nights straight.4.0.

12/16/07, 750ml bottle. 2005 vintage, oval label. aroma is very woody, bretty, and toasted grain. flavor is bretty, wood, while some toasted grain and cocoa finish it out. although i love this aged bottle, i’m not sure this actually gets better with age. sure the brett comes out more but it adds some harshness and almost clashes with the cocoa finishing notes. now this is being really picky, as it is so drinkable and tasty, but big brett flavors and cocoa notes just dont work for me. still the score is the same as i love this beer fresh or aged a bit. 4.0.

5/5/08, early 2007 batch, aged 14-18 months. pours murky brown with off white head. aroma is horsey tart, hints of toasted chestnuts and orange. flavors are sour tart cherries, woody, and toasted nuts. lively carbonation. a year of age is perfect for this one as its actually more balanced than the 2 year old oval rating i recently had.4.0.

750mL bottle, most recent batch. Poured a hazy medium brown with fiery highlights and a short cap of yellowy-beige head. Nose picked up a bunch of deep, mature spices (cinnamon, cardamom, and orange zest are all evident), light-fruity yeast, and powdery dark chocolate... quite spicy with some oak and vanilla accents. Flavor had an overriding funky sourness with a hefty dose of barrel accent (oak and vanilla.. pinch of bourbon)... wonderful blend of spices laced through this, tending toward the peppery side... left a warm, spicy finish. This was quite good, but the 750 is tough to finish with 1 or 2 people... would prefer this in 12’ers.

750 ml bottle. Deep blood-orange hue with a sparse white head. Great nose with pleasant qualities of apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and varied fruit skins. Apricot and orange characters come through in the flavor and the cacao adds a very distinct and incredibly novel element. Medium tartness and restrained oak impression that develops late. Palate is almost like a white wine. Nicely rendered beer that gets better with every sip. Ron Jeffries crushes another one over the fence in my park.

Pours deep brown into a Trappist glass. Offwhite head recedes to skim surface and rim. Mild cocoa and spice aromas. Bubbly and slightly sour with a light chocolate finish. Jolly Pumpkin rules.