Beer Review: Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca

Ok, so as many of you know I "evacuated" my beer during Hurricane Gustav. It came out to about three cases of beer. This may sound stupid to you but if you ever find yourself in El Dorado, Arkansas you'll be wishing you brought your own beer as well. The selection, while not Mississippi or Alabama bad, was pretty pathetic. The only craft beer I saw in the area was New Belgium, Rogue, Boulevard and the local brew, Diamond Bear. The rest was "craft" from the BMC boys and your typical macro brew. So after about three days of small town, in laws, visiting an old folks home three times and a TV with one station I started going through beer withdrawal and the Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca was the cure. Enough talk, on to the review!


Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Beer: Calabaza Blanca (Batch #279)

Style: Witbier

ABV: 4.80%

Recommended Glassware: Pint Glass, Pilsener glass or mug

Serving Type: Chalice(it's all I had)

Appearance- The beer poured a hazy golden color with a nice medium white head that stuck around awhile. The lacing was present throughout the life of the beer.

Smell- Wonderful citrus aroma. Nice hints of orange and lemon zest. Nice barnyard funkiness with hints of spices and hops.

Taste- A nice grain taste with hints of orange, lemons, spices and a sour funkiness. Very clean and dry with a nice bitter finish.

Mouthfeel- Has a nice creamy mouthfeel with a medium high carbonation which gives it a nice crispness.

Overall- Another impressive beer from Jolly Pumpkin. This one isn't my favorite but is still a top notch, interesting brew. These beers make me want to try more wild ale beers!! Great stuff!

Score: 4 out of 5 Buddhas

Beer Review: Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza

On a nice, cool rainy day such as today I felt like having something big and different. After perusing the beer fridge for a minute I decided on my Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza. Jolly Pumpkin makes some damn fine beers. Hailing from Dexter, Michigan, Jolly Pumpkin, is notorious for their use of Brettanomyces, which is a yeast that produces a complex flavor profile.

Since I don't live in San Francisco thus missing out on Rob DeNunzio's Brett-tastic food and beer pairing aptly titled The New American Mavericks, I decided to have a little Brett party of my own. Yeah, I know, not much of a party with one beer and one person but hey, I'm a fun dude to hang out with so I enjoy hanging out with myself. That and I didn't think my non drinking wife would enjoy the party after the face of disgust she gave me after trying the beer. Plus, I have to be sober for my fantasy draft I'll be doing tonite with the boys!

Well, I can say I loved the beer and can't wait to get my hands on some more. What I'd really like to see is more similar beers enter the Louisiana market and perhaps do a beer and food tasting on the same scale as Rob's tasting. From the pictures it seemed laid back and enjoyable. Oh well, we shall see! In the meantime, on to the review!

Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Beer: Oro De Calabaza

Style: Biere de Garde

ABV: 8.00%

Recommended Glassware: Tulip or Over sized Wine Glass

Serving Type: Tulip Glass

Appearance- This beer poured a hazy orange with a nice egg shell colored head which dissipated to a small ring which stuck around for the ride. Lacing was present throughout.

Smell- Wonderful barnyard funkiness with sour green apples, grapes and spicy pepper.

Taste- A nice bready maltiness with sour apples and grapes similar to the smell. It also has a nice spicy pepper note in the front as well. The sour and tartness show up in the finish which is nice.

Mouthfeel- Crisp and clean medium body with high carbonation.

Overall- An absolutely fantastic beer. The two beers I have had from Jolly Pumpkin(this one and the La Roja)have all been excellent beers. This one in my opinion is the perfect substitution for those white wine lovers. This beer is a must try!

Score: 4.5 out of 5 Buddhas