Notes on beers brewed by
750mL bottle, Batch 610 bottled 8-13-10. Label says 5.9%, not 6.0% ABV. Jolly Pumpkin is a frustrating brewery to me - more of that later. The pour produces a burnt orange hue with a small head that produces some nice, white lace. Looks good. The nose and tastes are well ... Jolly Pumpkin! Light acidity, strong apple notes, plenty of cider character and the light funk and mild Brett character. They meld quite nicely together and the beer offers a sharp, refreshing and slightly ethanoic acid...
Jolly Pumpkin and Ron Jefferies remain a huge enigma to me; I just DON'T want funk in styles that shouldn't have funk! It makes no sense and it's an abuse of styles. Of course, this is a beer where it will be somewhat/definitely appropriate, so I have high expectations. 750mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Batch 411/412. Pour is a lovely, yellow, light butterscotch body with a bit of disappointing head (in terms of height, retention AND lace). Nose has some light funk, light...
750 mL bottle from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Batch 278. I'm always in two minds about JP; I generally like the beers that they brew AS LONG AS the style fits the funk. When I get a "stout" for example that has funk, then I'm annoyed. For that reason I am hoping that this beer will be a beer that I feel good about. Decent gunsmoke on opening and some serious head. In the Terrapin snifter the rocky, snow-capped head and lace is gorgeous, but the body is MUCH darker than I was...
750 mL bottle from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. $11.99. Batch 229. I've given JP plenty of grief in the past for putting funk into ALL of their beers when to me it is only appropriate with SOME styles, and NOT appropriate all over the map. I stand by that assertion, and I still get annoyed when we get funk, Brett and acid in beers that shouldn't have them. Having said that, here's a style that ought to lend itself wll to the JP treatment, so I expecting a nice brew. Poured into...
Thanks go out to nlmartin as part of Secret Santa '07. Delighted to get this, as I would probably not be buying this myself. 12oz bottle. OK, I've been critical of Jolly Pumpkin in the past because of the constant Brett profile of ALL of their beers - I KNOW this is their "thing", but it has got very annoying to pick up something labelled as a stout or a Belgian, only to find the funk TOTALLY taking the beer out of style. This is a Saison, so I am HAPPY to have the funk/sourness. IMO there's...
Thanks go out to nlmartin as part of 2007 Secret Santa. I'm grateful to him because I would probably not have bought this myself, but at the same time I am always interested to try something new and different. 750 mL bottle. Blend #002. I dunno, I guess this is just another Jolly Pumpkin brew that I don't really get. Chestnut brown pour with some red highlights and some floaties. Little or no head, a little bit lifeless in fact. Funky sourness dominates to the point that this just becomes...
I'm not in love with JP beers by any stretch of the imagination, mainly because when they classify a beer within a style I only crack it open to find a beer that is full of funk and therefore OUT of style. Of course with this being labeled a Saison, the funk is appropriate and I will score it higher accordingly. $6.00, 12oz bottle, Taco Mac, Marietta. Pours a golden hazy color with a good looking, rocky, large head. Ice-cream like on the top, but much less dense at the bottom of the head with...
750 mL bottle, Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. $7.99. Well, I just don't get it. This is simply another typical JP, over-funked beer. Don't get me wrong, I like funky beers but PLEASE don't label them as something they are clearly NOT. I don't mind style guidelines being stretched either, but making a "Brown Ale" or a "Wit" funked, just doesn't cut it - why not call them ALL American Wild Ales?? Nice head on the pour with a decent brown color. Unfortunately everything is overwhelmed by...
$2.49, Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 12oz bottle. Annoying huge head that eventually falls back to something managable and sensible. Some lacing. Great color - a hazed, clouded bright yellow, like a top quality Hefe or better. Nice looking pour. Aroma and tstes give the JP signature acid/funk. OK, now I am beginning to lose some patience with the brewery. This is nothing like a contemporary Wit, and to describe it as such is plain misleading. I like the taste of the beer with that...
$9.99 Green's Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. 750 mL bottle. Mid-orange body with thick, milkshake like head poured into the Duvel tulip. Some nice lacing. Looks very nice. Belgian spiced overtones and a hint of acidity and farmyard funk (apples and West Country Cider) in the nose. I dunno, this is the second Jolly Pumpkin offering that I have had, and the experience has been almost identical in each case. There is an inordinate amount of funk and acidity that would be OK in a cross between...
Well, interesting to say the least, but in the end it was disappointing. A difficult beer to review on lots on levels, but I'll have a go! Nice bottle presentation in the 750 mL size, $7.99 in lots of Atlanta outlets. This has been in GA for a few months. On opening, a large amount of carbonation serves to spill quite a substantial amount of the contents over the counter - a little annoying but I can get over it. In the Duvel tulip this has great presence in terms of the head and lacing...