6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Interesting cloudy (opaque) peach-colored body topped by a thin off-white head. This is one of the densest beers I’ve tried in awhile, hitting the palate with banana and clove notes, opening up to reveal heavy spicing and phenols. After the initial yeast flavors orange peel and lemons create a sharp tanginess and a temporary saltiness. The sum effect is a thick apple or pear cider (not the alcoholic type but the kind you pick up at your local orchard). The oak becomes apparent on the finish. There’s so much going on that the beer becomes a bit too "busy" to fully appreciate.
Tried
on 01 Oct 2004
at 00:46
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
I was surprised when the interesting 750 mL bottle turned out to be a local microbrew. This beer poured fiery orange-red with a medium, dense cream/tan head. Rich aroma of bourbon, burnt caramelized sugar, toast, butterscotch, toffee, dark fruit, and cinnamon. The flavor tried to match that complexity but came up a bit short, with a strong emphasis on bourbon (oak/vanilla) that highlighted underlying toast and breads, spices (especially cinnamon and pepper), and alcohol. A nice dry, spicy, biscuity Belgian Strong Ale despite a somewhat hollow finish after the initial flavor development. A promising beginning if this is the quality Jolly Pumpkin will continue to produce. I would like to try the beer minus the effects of barrel aging, however...these barrels are becoming a brewing cliche.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Sep 2004
at 00:45
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Batch 1 draught fresh at MBGSBF July 2004
Pours a very dull, hazed pale white gold. Small head, mostly disipating. Aroma of oak, wet leather, yeast, coriander. Flavor is toasty and oaky from the white oak aging, but some of the coriander and yeast breaks through and further dries out the palate. There was a bittersweet finish, some hops and light malt (honey, white bread). Didnt find much citrus (orange peel or lemon) in this one, but that’s alright. Still unsure how I feel about the oak aging. Body was medium-full, lightly spritzy.
2006 and later bottles
Much improved, though also much different with the wild yeasts being present. New score/comments forthcoming.
Pours a very dull, hazed pale white gold. Small head, mostly disipating. Aroma of oak, wet leather, yeast, coriander. Flavor is toasty and oaky from the white oak aging, but some of the coriander and yeast breaks through and further dries out the palate. There was a bittersweet finish, some hops and light malt (honey, white bread). Didnt find much citrus (orange peel or lemon) in this one, but that’s alright. Still unsure how I feel about the oak aging. Body was medium-full, lightly spritzy.
2006 and later bottles
Much improved, though also much different with the wild yeasts being present. New score/comments forthcoming.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Jul 2004
at 15:32
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
2004 draught at MBGSBF. Pours a lightly yellow tinged pale-white. Hazy as all hell with plenty of golden tinges when held to the light. Plenty of foamy white head. Aroma has a dry, nutty, earthy yeast, though it’s not terribly funky. Some soft doughy sweetness from the malt and a hint of oak toastiness. Flavor is right away lightly bitter and almost citric. The yeast kicks in and dries it out as well as the alcohol, that psychprof speaks of. It definitely is quite powerful and just way too rough on the palate right now. The oak aging provides a toastiness but also more leathery tannins which give the finish an acidic/bitterness that the malt can’t quite balance. I definitely agree this beer is extremely young yet and needs to soften and ripen. Still, you can tell these guys arent messing around. This was a wonderful beer, full of promise.
Tried
from Can
on 29 Jul 2004
at 17:12
7.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
2004 draught at the MBGSBF. Pours a deep reddish-orange with some darker browns swimming around. Medium sized dark yellow/cream head, quite bubbly and translucent. Aroma holds some yeast, red berries, stiff caramel malt and some spicy yeastiness as well as a hint of the bourbon aging. The aroma dosent prepare you well enough for the flavor however, which is intensely bourbon tinged. Very interesting as this is my first belgian ale with bourbon aging. Strong and lightly bitter, but there is ample sweet malt to back it up. This kinda takes away from the belgian characteristics, though they are hard to hold down, as there is a ton of yeasty complexity in here. Maybe tone down the barrel aging and this would easily be in the mid fours.
Tried
on 29 Jul 2004
at 17:05