Aquamarine Dream
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Pours a murky red color with a minimal head that disappears quickly. Aroma is sour fruit. Taste is sweet and tangy fruit, blueberry and lime. Crisp and dry.

Look is a very opaque purple, with some chunky-floaties, and a small white head. Okay lacing, leaving some streaks.

Nice and tart, ripe blueberry-blackberry, zesty, sour and funky-smelling.

Sweet, sour, funky, quite sour; tons of blueberry, black, and lime; hay, barnyard funk, fairly clean and tart crisp finish! Alcohol very masked.

Medium-plus-ish feel, well-carbonated, smooth, delightful feel, actually. Ends cleanly.

Amazing fruited wild-sour saison. Absolutely tasty; would buy again, and would highly recommend!

 

 

Where Saison typically prefers the yeast spices and elevated hop rates over that of fruitiness and juiciness, Jolly Pumpkin begs to differ as they sour their farmhouse ale and complement it with blueberry, blackberry and lime.

Pouring a blend of lavender and mauve, the bubbly Aquamarine Dream teems with a racy froth to deliver a host of tangy, fruity, peppery and lightly funky perfumes with a culmination of rose wine and weathered woods. As a low level sweetness skirts the tongue, hints of sourdough, taffy and wafer set an early dry malt stage.

The sourness floods over the middle palate, washing the tastebuds in zesty acidity. Lime, lemon, grapefruit, green apple and gooseberry tease the palate while the juiciness of added dark berries and citrus add a curiously fruity taste to the otherwise sour ale. Trending tart, dry and refreshing, the late palate is peppery with oak, light hops and a general hay-like character.

Medium-light in body, the ale wants to read wild ale to the palate, but trying hard to hold onto those Saison roots leaves the beer a little thin and watery in the middle and finish. Still refreshing, characterful and tangy, the session closes peppery, fruity and succinctly tart.

 

 

 

Drying finish has a touch of lime peel. It’s rich, with a more heavy berry character. Doesn’t quite do it for me though. I do appreciate the thinking behind it, however.

Pours a hazy light red with a light, thin white ring of foam. Aroma is blackberry and lime, with a tangy note. Taste is tart, with blueberry and blackberry dominant, followed by just a hint of lime at the end toward the back of the throat. The beer is light, fruity and quite tart, with almost a metallic tang.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a cloudy blue violet with a thin head that quickly dissipates.

Aromas of dark spicy fruit hit the nose almost immediately along with a funky/earthy spread.

Tastes of blackberries, blueberries, and citrus roll on the palate and are follow by a balanced salty oak funk finish. There is a mild sour brett taste that persists throughout, but it seems to have a balanced pH and subtle character.

Feels more on the drier saison side (coming from the yeast and salt) which complements the oils given by the oak conditioning. Jolly Pumpkin has a signature feel that really suits their brewing style, especially this one.

Overall, I am truly impressed. Yet another enjoyable, delightful, and unique saison that can easily pair with a hearty supper. Highly recommended to those who appreciate the intricacies of farmhouse style brewing.

From tasting notes 03/03/18
Had on-tap at HopCat in Ann Arbor, MI

Appearance - Served up in 6oz snifter, cloudy and salmon orange in color with a thin, broken layer of suds sitting atop. No lace.

Smell - The aroma is fruity, funky and slightly spicy. Tart berry emerges as the brew warms.

Taste - Follows the nose. Funkiness is prevalent, while notes of tart and fruity berry sweetness sneak in as secondary characters. Light salinity. Oaky undertone. Finish lingers with oak and mild berry sweetness, while traces of funk and salt remain.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body with low carbonation. Slickness that quickly turns bone dry, not unlike a chardonnay.

Overall - Very interesting brew; certainly one of the more unique and better saisons I've tried. I wish they offered more than a 6oz pour, but alas.

Pours a cloudy copper color. 1/2 inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of herbs, floral hops, slight salt, hint of bacterial funk, wine, hint of pale malt, slight alcohol, hint of fruit. Fits the style of a Saison/Farmhouse Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is an elevated dryness. Tastes of herbs, floral hops, slight salt, hint of pale malt, slight alcohol, and wine. Overall, body muted compared to aroma, but great complexity and blend.