Maker: Jolly Pumpkin, Dexter/Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Style: Oak-aged, spiced sour ale
Notes: Blend 16, bottled November 19, 2012
Vintage: 2012
ABV: 9% or so.
Purchased for $11/750 ml
Appearance: Coffee brown with a robust foamy head on first pour.
Nose: Malt, balsamic vinegar, clove.
On the palate: Medium bodied and effervescent with underripe plum, hops, clove, aged balsamic vinegar
Finish: Fairly clean and short but with old, ashy oak that lingers for a long time.
Parting words: Noel de Calabaza is another holiday beer that defies expectations. It’s sour but in a more subtle way than many from Jolly Pumpkin. The oak rounds the whole thing out nicely. As you can tell from my notes above, it reminded me a lot of balsamic vinegar, the good aged kind. It doesn’t strike me as a particularly festive beer, but it’s really good. The price is acceptable. Noel de Calabaza is reccomended.
Sipology 