Name: Oro de Calabaza

Brewer: Jolly Pumpkin

Style: Biere de Garde

Vintage: 2007

Cellared On: October 12th, 2007

Original Tasting: October 21st, 2007

To continue my pumpkin-based tastings this week (also check out my Weyebacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale first tasting) I have this fantastic brew from Jolly Pumpkin Brewery. I was overjoyed to see this beer in my local shop (Oliver’s Beverage in Albany, if you must know) and scooped up every bottle they had.

Pale gold in color and highly carbonated, one could almost mistake this beer for a champagne as its poured. A huge head still formed in my glass, even though I was pouring very slow and steady. It smelled mostly of tart fruits - apples and pears - but with hints of oak and funky Belgian yeast.

I’m not sure if all beers of this style taste like this one - if they do I’m going to have to drink this a LOT more often. It’s almost as if a beer, a wine, and a cider were all perfectly combined into one beverage. It’s very light and bubbly in body, but big on flavor. Sour fruit are the predominate taste here, with apples and pears coming to mind. There’s some oaken-vanilla background thing going on, along with some faint but tasty malty sweetness on the palate. Spicy Belgian yeast begin to rise up as the beer finishes, and the sour fruit ride out as the taste fades out.

It should be noted that my normally beer-hating wife Lisa LOVED this brew, and made me pour her a glass. I can see this beer, and maybe some others of the style, becoming much more common in my house.

Six Month Tasting: April 23rd, 2008

Geez, there’s a ton of stuff going on here. I almost don’t know where to start.

The apperance and smells where pretty much the same as my original tasting -  with the exception of a faint earthy/straw-like aroma.

The mainstays of the flavor of this brew have remained constant - big apple flavors paired with a crisp sourness (lemon flavored?). There’s a little bit of peppery spiciness, with an understated but distinct hoppy presenence. The only real difference is a grassy/straw like flavor making itself file, which I’m assuming is due to the presence of Brettanomyces yeast. There’s also a touch of oak on the dry, mildly bitter finish.

There’s so many different flavors going on here, and I’m not sure it’s working too well together. It’s a bit touch to drink, but there’s a surprise in every sip.

Cellar Outlook: Should be pretty good in the cellar, as the style is known for doing well. It has everything going for it - 8%abv, it’s bottle-conditioned with wild yeast, and more acidic then a normal beer. I have no idea where the flavors will go, but it’s going to be fun to see.

Six Month Outlook: I still have no idea where this is going! With the Brett character starting to assert itself, I expect to see more of those flavors coming to the front. What little sweetness is left will probably dry right up, letting the sour character become even more apparent.

Next Tasting: October 2008

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com