Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial

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

i love it. tyler guided me through his ratings and i kinda have to agree with him. but at the same time, the jolly pumpkins pretty much always seem awesome to people who have ever had them. as it is, i’m talking to zeswaft and cmubeerman and staring at a hopwhore and a madruiga especial.... i have no idea what i was writing about. i don’t remember much about this beer except that i liked it and it was probably my favorite jolly pumpkin. i’ll rerate it someday with an actual rating.

thanks to sersdf for this beer. guess what? it tastes like every other JP beer. Hey, have you guys heard of brett? ..........or different recipes? (frustratation) i hate these beers. looks fantastic. i just farted......I’m gonna go try to taste that.

Attacks the tip of the tongue with flavor! You can really taste the orange peel and it balances out for a smooth after taste! Refreshing indeed!

750 ml oz bottle via trade (thanks to whoever sent this!). Served at approx 50 degreees.This one pours a clear reddish brown with an average sized beige head. Nose is spicey and i think i detect cinnamon, netmeg, and some sublte floral hops. Tastes like it smells with some ginger, some fruity esters (plums) and a bit of butterscotch. Also some subtle woody flavors. Strong alcohol kick at the end. Medium body. High carbonation. Not a good beer.

At first, some part of my brain really appreciated the unique, complex, shifting flavors of this brew...fruit sugar to citrus bite to mulled spice to fig pudding and on and on...but that pronounced Flemish/Farmhouse extra-sourdough bread dipped in cheap vinegar note eventually drove me away. All I can say is this: For the people who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they like....but that’s not me.

Medium sized, rocky and frothy light brown head. Great retention. Caramel malts dominate the arpma, but also fairly expressive are notes of yeast, many spices(including cinnamon, coriander and nutmeg), toffee, sharp alcohol in moderation and melted brown sugar. Flavor is a bit cloying, but otherwise more of the same, with additions of banana esters and vanilla, possibly some tannic bite; that could be Brett or barrel, unidentifiable behind all the spice. Light bitterness enters at the same time as more dark sugars and spices. Finishes semi-sweet, very bitter and somewhat drying. Palate is medium to full and heavily carbonated, but fun nonetheless. An exciting adventure in taste from a fun brewery.

Light brett aroma with some malt scents--a nice aroma for sure. Murky reddish brown body with a thin head. The palate is medium to full for the style. Tastes are of tree bark, oak, brett and some dark malts. You get a faint hint of the spices--but thankfully they do not overrun the beer. Leaves a lingering "woody" aftertaste in your mouth.

750mL bottle, no date from Archer Liquors. Pours a hazy orange caramel with a one finger fizzy fading beige head. Aroma up front has the typical JP oaky funky sourness I get in all their beers with some unripe granny smiths. Since I read the bottle I can pick out the milk chocolate and cinnamon, and I dunno about sweet orange but there is some tart and bitter orange in there. The chocolate and cinnamon are pretty darn faint. Nothing dubbel about it, however it is nice. The flavor is still pretty tart with some sweet tobacco leaves, and I can’t pick up on any cacao or cinnamon. Too bad this is only 7.5% and I can fairly easily pick up on the alcohol--me no likey. The finish is dry but with some bready malts. Update--After the aftertaste towards the end of my first glass some cinnamon and vanilla began to build up in my mouth. Light to moderate carbonation with a light to medium body. This is not an Abbey Dubbel, though I still liked it.