Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza

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

Blend 1, 2007 After the pour, the ample tan head slowly settles into a deep garnet colored body. The aroma is dominated by souring apples. Lightly sweet in the flavor, with some tartness and a bit of dryness that comes in at the finish.

Sampled at the North Park Belgian Beer Party at my house on 3-29-08. Pours with a cloudy, brown body topped by a thin to medium thick, off-white head with a good amount of lacing. It’s slightly sweet yet sour with an over ripe fruit note and a bitter note. Medium bodied and highly carbonated.

Blend 2, 2007: Pour is opaque ruddy brown with a big bubbled huge tan head...smell is strongly spicy with pepper, clove, coriander, and nutmeg...taste is faintly toasty and funky with hints of sourness, followed by a strong herbal spicy flavor with all of the same spices from the nose present in the flavor...no real alcohol...lingering herbal finish...7 3 7 3 15

Blend 1, 2007: Pour is murky ruddy mahogany with a big bubbled tan head...smell is lightly funky and tart with horseblanket and tart cherries...taste is lightly malty and faintly spiced with some nutmeg...nicely funky and tart with cherry and wood...some alcohol is there too...reminds me of a more spicy version of La Roja (and more alcoholic)...finish is lightly medicinal (maybe the aftermath of the spices)...(this is the batch that I rated)

750ml bottle. Blend 3, 2007. This beer exceeds Murky brown-amber color with a lively head. Funky barnyard aroma and taste rarely captured so well. Sour like an Oud Bruin at it’s best, with a full enough malt backbone to smooth it out. Completely covers the alcohol with the tartness, incredibly drinkable for 9%. This is one of the best beers out there, if you are into beers with a sour edge to them.

Blend 2, 2007, gift from WeeHeavySD, thank you! Dark reddish-brown with a foamy white head. Spicy aroma of malt, with hints of dark fruits and baked goods. Taste is both bitter and sour, of tart fruits, yeast, and malt. Light lingering tartness. Very interesting and tasty.

Poured a brownish red good head. Aroma was different funky cherry apple and something else. Flavor was much the same solid sweetness yet some sour funk as well. Solid beer

Pours a deep brown with a huge thick head. Head retention is excellent with a creamy consistency. Aroma is spicey with strong notes of malt. Flavor has a tartness with mixtures of fruit and spice with a strong malty background. Hops are present but nicely balanced. Finish has a sour touch.

Bottle, blend 2, 2007. Thanks to jsquire. Pours a dark amber color with a small off-white head. Malty spicy vinous yeasty aroma. Has a sweetish spicy wood flavor with some vinous hints. Finish is slightly oaky and spicy acid finish.