Jolly Pumpkin Rec?

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by emilystrikesagai, May 12, 2012.

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  1. emilystrikesagai

    emilystrikesagai Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Illinois

    Can anyone recommend a good bottle of Jolly Pumpkin to try? I'm a sour newbie and want to acclimate myself. Went to Binny's today and there's quite a few to choose from and none seem to be traditional sours.

    Any thoughts?
     
    #1 emilystrikesagai, May 12, 2012
  2. chpueblo22

    chpueblo22 Initiate (0) Oct 4, 2007 Michigan

    I would start with La Roja and Oro de Calabaza.
     
    #2 chpueblo22, May 12, 2012
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  3. bluejacket74

    bluejacket74 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,305) Jul 4, 2005 Ohio
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I'd try any JP brew you could get. I don't think I've been disappointed by anything I've had from them.
     
    #3 bluejacket74, May 12, 2012
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  4. DrDoitchbig

    DrDoitchbig Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2009 Michigan

    Oro de Calabaza is a great beer, it's not sour at all but it will get you used to the funk. It was my first Jolly Pumpkin beer and it was a great way to start. If you want to take baby steps I'd go to Bam Biere next as it's very mildly sour and a little funkier than Oro in my mind. Then I'd move to La Roja if you're enjoying the stuff. But really like bluejacket said I've never been disappointed by JP.
     
    #4 DrDoitchbig, May 12, 2012
  5. Nachos4two

    Nachos4two Pooh-Bah (1,944) Nov 26, 2011 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The Saison is one of my favs
     
    #5 Nachos4two, May 12, 2012
  6. KzooBeerBrian

    KzooBeerBrian Initiate (0) Oct 15, 2011 Michigan

    Biere De Mars!

    and La Roja

    La Roja was my first beer from JP and if I had drank a couple of the other I have tried from them I would have never continued to buy their beers. really so far biere de mars and la roja are the only ones I would revisit, especially the Biere De Mars, very tasty.
     
    #6 KzooBeerBrian, May 12, 2012
  7. travMI13

    travMI13 Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2012 Michigan

    After you pop your JP cherry, Baudelaire IO and Noel de Calabaza are my two favorites.
     
    #7 travMI13, May 12, 2012
  8. BoneyardBrewer

    BoneyardBrewer Initiate (0) Apr 24, 2005 Michigan

    Madrugada Obscura, yummm!
     
    #8 BoneyardBrewer, May 12, 2012
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  9. Skye1024

    Skye1024 Initiate (0) Oct 3, 2009 Indiana

    To me, this beer is the perfect blend of stout and sour. Amazing drinkability. I think this beer was the quickest Ive ever drank a bomber or 750.
     
    #9 Skye1024, May 12, 2012
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  10. emilystrikesagai

    emilystrikesagai Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Illinois

    Thanks all!

    I've had a few sours, mostly sips or shares from friends who have ordered one at a bar. I knew Jolly Pumpkin had a great reputation and they're local so wanted to start there. But like I said, none of them seemed to just say "sour" so was curious which one is a good one to start off with.

    I think I'll grab a Oro de Calabaza and go from there.
     
    #10 emilystrikesagai, May 12, 2012
  11. abraxel

    abraxel Initiate (0) Aug 28, 2009 Michigan

    Jolly Pumpkin doesn't really do traditional sours, though some of their beers are sour, like La Roja. They're more about the funk: All their beer has a certain funkiness that is interesting, tasty, and totally unique (at least, I've never had anything else quite like it). It's great beer, but don't expect it to be representative of anything made by any other brewery.

    Edit: Oro de Calabaza is a great place to start. Enjoy!
     
    #11 abraxel, May 12, 2012
  12. Jerome1929

    Jerome1929 Zealot (533) Sep 11, 2008 Michigan

    In the summer, I like to drink Weizen Bam. Low alcohol and refreshing. The JP growler I bought awhile back has definitely been put to good use.
     
    #12 Jerome1929, May 12, 2012
  13. emilystrikesagai

    emilystrikesagai Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Illinois

    Ended up going to Fountainhead in Chicago later that day and drank Oro de Calabaza on draft. Loved it! Excited to try more from them.
     
    #13 emilystrikesagai, May 17, 2012
  14. mbockstruck30

    mbockstruck30 Pooh-Bah (1,800) Dec 31, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    If you are going for sour, here is my list:

    1. Biere De Mars - by far my favorite JP (however, I have not had any of the Grand Reserva offerings)
    2. Madrugada - sourness level tends to be bottle/batch fickle from what I've had; but when its sour, its fantastic
    3. La Roja - my first as well and still one of my favorites
    4) Oro - slightly less sour than Roja

    As Abraxel pointed out, most of the other JP's focus more on the funk than sour.
     
    #14 mbockstruck30, May 17, 2012
  15. WolvAlerine

    WolvAlerine Initiate (0) Jul 6, 2010 Michigan

    Maracaibo Especial, while not like any other brown ale I've ever had, is one of my favorites, and it has a good balance of tart and funky.
     
    #15 WolvAlerine, May 17, 2012
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