Calabaza Boreal
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Calabaza BorealCalabaza Boreal
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From:
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
7%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 10.95%
Reviews:
62
Ratings:
399
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 24, 2022
Added:
May 27, 2014
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  66
Collaboration with Anchorage Brewing Company. Ale brewed with grapefruit peel, juice, and peppercorns. Oak barrel aged and bottled conditioned.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by heerboth:
Photo of heerboth
Rated by heerboth from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mar 12, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
750 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7%. Oak barrel aged and bottle conditioned. Brewed with grapefruit peel, juice and peppercorns. Golden colour, large white head. Aroma of farmhouse kitchen, oaked apple cider and apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, citrus and green peppercorns. The flavour is distinctly peppery and oaky, moderately sour (not as much as some other JP beers), notes of grapefruit and oaked cider. Pepper and fairly bitter hops in the finish. Interesting beer.
Jul 24, 2022
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.91/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle: Poured a slightly hazy dirty yellow color ale with a nice large foamy head. Aroma of tart notes with some herbal and piney notes. Taste is a nice mix of herbal notes with some sour notes with typical funky Jolly Pumpkins strain and a dry finish. Body is about average with good carbonation. Bottle is a bit old but another wonderful creation from Jolly Pumpkins.
Aug 03, 2019
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Poured into a Duvel tulip to a light golden yellow topped by a dense and rocky two finger white head which retains well and fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with decent lacing.
S: Smells of lemony tartness, some spices, a little oak, some funk and a little horseblanket. A little grassy at times as well
T: Taste is slightly tart and funky with a slight peppery note. Nice spice and slight grassyness in the middle with a lemony tart undertone throughout. On the swallow this beer has a slight grapefruit rind like flavor with some lingering tartness and spice.
M: This beer has a moderate amount of body with a slightly slick and oily mouthfeel. Carbonation is surprisingly low for the style but not too low as to significantly detract. The finish on this beer is quite dry which is overall pleasant and expected.
O: Overall this is a really nice beer. It has some great flavors with a good bit of complexity that make it a joy to drink, This one has aged well and doesn't taste like it has fallen off at all. It's worth a try if they remake it.
Oct 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.83 by Mikexw from New York

Oct 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Danmullens1 from Wisconsin

Aug 14, 2017
 
Rated: 4.02 by Benish from Utah

Jul 12, 2017
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle dated 6/2016:
I watched the small white bubble lava flow rise up the neck before I poured. It was very slow, but I knew to pour slowly. With that caution, half my glass was still fluffy white head. The other half was chill haze golden.

Nose is wonderfully funky, with a hint of spice. Barnyard hay, musty wood, funk countered by what actually smelled like carbonated lemon seltzer. How does one smell carbonation? I don't know, but there it is.

Taste starts with earthy funk, joined quickly by a tart grape and lemon note that barely sets foot on my palate before the barn falls over upon it. Fuzzy, but softly so, the horse blanket softening the tiny blows a tad. A citrus zesty, lingering funky bitterness ends the beer, though my tongue still has a tingle upon it - thinking more a light spicy flavor than lingering carbonation.

Quite enjoyable, as many JP beers I've had are. I like the earthy funk. The tart notes aren't strong enough to overcome this, but put up a battle. I could use a little less tart, but only bring it up because you asked.
May 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by LostHighway from Minnesota

May 06, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by Karibourgeois from Texas

Jan 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.12 by MIbeer27 from Michigan

Dec 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.08 by Casey_L from Texas

Dec 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.85 by SomethingClever from Ohio

Nov 30, 2016
Photo of Mike_Aguirre
Reviewed by Mike_Aguirre from Mexico

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Pours yellow, with a very light white foam head. Aroma is spicy and sour, lots of brett, pepper, cloves and grape fruit. Taste is complex and not easy to drink, an ale for advanced pallates. Cheers.
Nov 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.77 by Wajohnst from Canada (ON)

Nov 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by jwat from Pennsylvania

Oct 18, 2016
Photo of rlee1390
Rated by rlee1390 from Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Not retired. More peppercorn than grapefruit. Nice tart flavor. Tad watery. Not that sour.
Sep 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

Sep 17, 2016
Photo of LAp
Reviewed by LAp from Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Tried in a glass on tap at Jolly Pumpkin. I was extremely excited to try this beer, particularly given the breweries involved, and the story behind the collaboration (and how JP inspired the founder of Anchorage to start a brewery) is tremendous. That said, this beer, while excellent, didn't quite live up to the hype.

There was a distinct brett funk, and good interplay between sour and saison, but the body left a little something to be desired. I was also disappointed that the peppercorn and oak didn't come through more prominently. They were certainly there hiding in the background, but not quite to the degree I would have liked to see. Nonetheless, a great beer, and one well worth trying.
Sep 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by DrMindbender from South Carolina

Aug 24, 2016
Calabaza Boreal from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 399 ratings