Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan
Purchased: 750mL bomber bought at in Lakeview Liquors in IL; 2011
Style/ABV: Belgian Strong Ale, 8.0%
Today we take a trip to Dexter, Michigan, the most interesting named city in the United States. I'm serious: Dexter is an amazing TV Show, and having a city called Dexter is just...cool. Jolly Pumpkin actually has three enterprises: a restaurant, brewery, and distillery located in Traverse City; a cafe and brewery in Ann Arbor; and a factor for their Artisan Ales in Dexter.
The brewery itself was founded by brewmaster Ron Jefferies. Ron began brewing professionally in 1995, and quickly became known as a respected brewer among the Michigan craft beer scene. In 2004, Ron opened Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Jolly Pumpkin is known for brewing beer that is aged in wine barrels containing brettanomyces. Brettanomyces is a naturally occurring yeast that is typically unwanted in beer because it imparts a "sour, leathery, barnyard, horse funk" profile. When used properly, beers made with brettanomyces can have desirable flavors. These flavors are often found in Lambics and Geuzes, and more recently in American Wild Ales.
And indeed, today's beer is a Brett-based Belgian Style Ale aged in large oak casks and bottle conditioned. If you check out the Jolly Pumpkin beer page you'll see that the Oro de Calabaza is brewed in the "Franco-Belgian tradition of strong golden ales." The website states that this beer features gentle hops, spices and pepper, and wild yeast. "Oro de Calabaza" literally translates to "Golden Pumpkin," so you should expect a golden, funky, effervescent take on the Belgian Strong Ale style.
In fact, in terms of styling, the BJCP still has not caught up to the American Wild Ale craze. Ratebeer has categorized this beer as a Belgian Strong Ale, which is completely accurate. BeerAdvocate has dumped this into the Bière de Garde category which I do not agree with; especially since BeerAdvocate recognizes and uses the American Wild Ale category. American Wild Ales are American-pioneered beers that feature the use of wild yeasts like Brettanomyces. The fact that this beer is barrel-aged and features Brettanomyces also hints at flairs of a Flanders or Lambic/Geuze. So this is an ambiguous and ambitious American twist on beer. Let's dive in and see what this is all about.
A WARNING to anyone opening a Jolly Pumpkin beer. These things are gushers. I often take precautions with Belgian beers when I open them, but I open all my Jolly Pumpkin beers over the sink. You should probably do the same.
And indeed, when I opened the beer I was hit with an explosion. Actually, this time wasn't as bad as last time. Last time I opened the beer it literally exploded all over my counter. This time I greeted the rising carbonation with my glass and I didn't lose any beer. But I only poured half of the beer, and there are 4-fingers worth of carbonation sitting inside the bottle. That's a lot of pressure.
The pour yields a dark orange beer in low light. I was able to get 2-fingers worth of super creamy white head on this beer. When held in bright light this is clearly a murky orange-yellow beer that looks like juice. There is sediment floating around, and you can see a storm of carbonation. This is super carbonated. The head is actually very white in bright light, and is already leaving lacing. The head does not look like a typical Belgian Strong Ale: it has that funky, "infected" look you get from wild yeasts. Like one step more funky than a Saison. It is a gorgeous looking beer...just watch out for that carbonation.
One last cool tangent is the fact that Jolly Pumpkin clearly labels all their bottles with a born-on date and a batch number. My bottle is Batch 656 brewed on 2-1-2011. That makes this beer nearly one year old. Brett beers tend to develop increasing Brett notes as they age. I did have a fresh bottle of this beer and it was quite good. I'm guessing this one will be slightly more funky.
You get blasted with Brett-funk when you open the beer, and blasted again when you pour it. Make no mistake, this is a Brett-infused beer aged in wood. I'm smelling huge Brett notes: sour, leather, horse hair. I'm also picking up really thick wood notes: wet wood, wood floor, and oak. There are definitely some acidic fruits in here: lemon, apple, pear, currants, and some vinegary type note.
The taste is really awesome. It is a creamy, sour, carbonated, acidic, Brett-kick. I'm also picking up sourdough, lemons, currants, vinegar, huge oak and wood notes, apples and pear, and a really sour and tart finish that is dry. There is also a lot of Brett funk: leather, horse hair and horse blanket, and that patent "band-aid" note you get. Some other interesting tasting notes I'm getting are peaches, and canned fruits. I'm also getting a touch of sweet tropical pineapple - I'm guessing that is a play off the oak/wood.
Today we take a trip to Dexter, Michigan, the most interesting named city in the United States. I'm serious: Dexter is an amazing TV Show, and having a city called Dexter is just...cool. Jolly Pumpkin actually has three enterprises: a restaurant, brewery, and distillery located in Traverse City; a cafe and brewery in Ann Arbor; and a factor for their Artisan Ales in Dexter.
The brewery itself was founded by brewmaster Ron Jefferies. Ron began brewing professionally in 1995, and quickly became known as a respected brewer among the Michigan craft beer scene. In 2004, Ron opened Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Jolly Pumpkin is known for brewing beer that is aged in wine barrels containing brettanomyces. Brettanomyces is a naturally occurring yeast that is typically unwanted in beer because it imparts a "sour, leathery, barnyard, horse funk" profile. When used properly, beers made with brettanomyces can have desirable flavors. These flavors are often found in Lambics and Geuzes, and more recently in American Wild Ales.
And indeed, today's beer is a Brett-based Belgian Style Ale aged in large oak casks and bottle conditioned. If you check out the Jolly Pumpkin beer page you'll see that the Oro de Calabaza is brewed in the "Franco-Belgian tradition of strong golden ales." The website states that this beer features gentle hops, spices and pepper, and wild yeast. "Oro de Calabaza" literally translates to "Golden Pumpkin," so you should expect a golden, funky, effervescent take on the Belgian Strong Ale style.
In fact, in terms of styling, the BJCP still has not caught up to the American Wild Ale craze. Ratebeer has categorized this beer as a Belgian Strong Ale, which is completely accurate. BeerAdvocate has dumped this into the Bière de Garde category which I do not agree with; especially since BeerAdvocate recognizes and uses the American Wild Ale category. American Wild Ales are American-pioneered beers that feature the use of wild yeasts like Brettanomyces. The fact that this beer is barrel-aged and features Brettanomyces also hints at flairs of a Flanders or Lambic/Geuze. So this is an ambiguous and ambitious American twist on beer. Let's dive in and see what this is all about.
A WARNING to anyone opening a Jolly Pumpkin beer. These things are gushers. I often take precautions with Belgian beers when I open them, but I open all my Jolly Pumpkin beers over the sink. You should probably do the same.
 |
| Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza |
And indeed, when I opened the beer I was hit with an explosion. Actually, this time wasn't as bad as last time. Last time I opened the beer it literally exploded all over my counter. This time I greeted the rising carbonation with my glass and I didn't lose any beer. But I only poured half of the beer, and there are 4-fingers worth of carbonation sitting inside the bottle. That's a lot of pressure.
The pour yields a dark orange beer in low light. I was able to get 2-fingers worth of super creamy white head on this beer. When held in bright light this is clearly a murky orange-yellow beer that looks like juice. There is sediment floating around, and you can see a storm of carbonation. This is super carbonated. The head is actually very white in bright light, and is already leaving lacing. The head does not look like a typical Belgian Strong Ale: it has that funky, "infected" look you get from wild yeasts. Like one step more funky than a Saison. It is a gorgeous looking beer...just watch out for that carbonation.
One last cool tangent is the fact that Jolly Pumpkin clearly labels all their bottles with a born-on date and a batch number. My bottle is Batch 656 brewed on 2-1-2011. That makes this beer nearly one year old. Brett beers tend to develop increasing Brett notes as they age. I did have a fresh bottle of this beer and it was quite good. I'm guessing this one will be slightly more funky.
You get blasted with Brett-funk when you open the beer, and blasted again when you pour it. Make no mistake, this is a Brett-infused beer aged in wood. I'm smelling huge Brett notes: sour, leather, horse hair. I'm also picking up really thick wood notes: wet wood, wood floor, and oak. There are definitely some acidic fruits in here: lemon, apple, pear, currants, and some vinegary type note.
The taste is really awesome. It is a creamy, sour, carbonated, acidic, Brett-kick. I'm also picking up sourdough, lemons, currants, vinegar, huge oak and wood notes, apples and pear, and a really sour and tart finish that is dry. There is also a lot of Brett funk: leather, horse hair and horse blanket, and that patent "band-aid" note you get. Some other interesting tasting notes I'm getting are peaches, and canned fruits. I'm also getting a touch of sweet tropical pineapple - I'm guessing that is a play off the oak/wood.
Rating: Divine Brew
Score: 92%
You know, I really love this beer now that I've had a chance to age it and see how it holds up down the road. This is a super drinkable, medium-light, soft, highly carbonated and slightly creamy brew. The palate depth is wonderful and this has medium complexity. You get Brett, sour, and fruit notes up front; this rounds into sour notes and vinegar and sour dough; this rounds into a dry and tart back end. This reminds me a bit of Orval, and is a fun play on the Belgian Strong Ale style.
I foresee myself buying this beer again. What's great about this beer is that you can lay it down or drink it fresh. It actually held up very well. The only difference a year has made is slightly less hop kick, and a lot more Brett funk. The Brett also tastes more "rounded" now. This is just a really good beer though, and it pairs wonderfully with pizza and heavy cheesy foods. The acid really cuts through the cheese. I love this beer...and look forward to trying more Jolly Pumpkin beers in the future.
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