Citrus Commander
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

 

-hazy, deep ruby-amber tap pour with minimal visible effervescence and a rich sour-cherry aroma. The flavor includes oak-aged orange and lemon, stone fruit and tartness from wild yeast. The flavor persists pleasantly in the finish. This is great.

A: Pours a dark orange/reddish color. A one finger head rises and recedes to a cap that sticks throughout. Some lace is left behind.
S: Citrus fruits for sure. Grapefruit, orange peal, juicy fruits. A biscuit and nutty aroma. With a musky basement/cellar aroma coming through in the finish. Interesting, and enjoyable.
T: Like the nose, all the citrus and fruit flavors are in spades. Though with a much more puckering sourness and acidic bite. Grapefruit, orange peal, lemon. Just a touch of vanilla and oak flavors, then the toasted biscuits and nutty flavors come into play. Finishes just a bit bitter, and just a bit of basement like must.
M/O: Medium body with crisp but moderate carbonation. That becomes more smooth as this breaths and finishes on a dry note. This is interesting, and I do very much enjoy it. I will have no problems finishing the bottle. The balance here is really nice, considering it could have been a mess.

Normally something with this much flavorings added (all the fruit and nuts, etc) I find to be either a mess or all the elements are so subtle I am wondering what the point was. Here, everything is in good balance, but all the individual parts are noticeable in a very good way. Very nice.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 1/26/2018. Pours lightly hazy deep orange/copper/amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy red grapefruit, tangerine, mandarin orange, lemon, lime, citrus peel/rind, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, peppercorn, toasted oak, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, chestnuts, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of roast, oaken vanilla, leathery/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus fruits/peels, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, chestnuts, and dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy red grapefruit, tangerine, mandarin orange, lemon, lime, citrus peel/rind, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, peppercorn, toasted oak, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, chestnuts, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of roast, oaken vanilla, leathery/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, citrus tang; herbal, floral, grassy, citrus peel/rind bitterness; and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tart/tangy citrus, citrus peel/rind, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, peppercorn, toasted oak, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, chestnuts, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, roast, oaken vanilla, leathery/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus fruits/peels, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, chestnuts, and dark/bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt, bitter, tart, tangy, spiciness balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness, tart/tangy fruit, and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth and moderately bready/grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic, and fairly crisp balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.7%. Overall this is an awesome fruited sour/wild saison. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus fruits/peels, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, chestnuts, and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/spicy/acidic/drying finish; not overly lactic. Awesome balance between classic JP house Brett/Bacteria/Saison yeast complexity, citrus/earthy hops, and citrus fruits; with a great chestnut and bready malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with lingering crisp dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example as expected.