Saturday, December 29, 2007

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

The Lost Abbey may have had a beer called Funky Barrel, but the brewery Jolly Pumpkin out of Dexter, MI might be the one brewery that continuously brings the funk. This is only the second offering I've tried from them (the first being their Winter seasonal) but from what I've gathered I don't think they make a non-funky beer. Jolly Pumpkin states that their production uses open fermentation and oak aging, which I'm guessing applies to all their beers.

La Roja is constructed under the style of Flanders Red Ale and the aroma immediately makes me think I'm in for a Supplication-like mouth quenching experience. That's a little misleading though because the taste is only mildly sour. There are a lot of other woody caramel and fruity flavors that take some of the focus away from the tartness. The high carbonation gives it a very fizzy mouthfeel. A good choice for any sour beer lover.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yep, all of the JP's have that sour funk, although I'd say Bam Biere is at the lower end of the spectrum and Calabaza Blanca on the puckery side. It's kind of like Hoegaarden but with some major lemon twang in the finish.

Boy do I love that funk. The Noel was phenomenal. Of their year round beers, La Roja is definitely my favorite.