La Parcela No.1 Pumpkin Ale – Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, LLC

I apologize that this one is a little behind schedule (it was supposed to be Friday’s post). Last September Brittney and I were getting married. This one, we’re moving. When will we get our priorities straight about drinking beer?

Alas, though the house is packed up in boxes and becoming ever emptier, we still had a jolly good time taking down a draught of the old squash rot. Here’s how it turned out:

 _____________________________________________________________________________________

Name:  La Parcela No.1 Pumpkin Ale.

Place of Origin / Brewer: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales LLC / Michigan, USA

Beer style / ABV%:  Pumpkin Sour Ale / 5.9%

Specialty Prep / Individuality:  The joke is Jolly Pumpkin doesn’t brew a pumpkin beer, but the jokes on you, as now they totally do. La Parcela is a sour ale brewed and flavored with pumpkin, Cacao, and spices, then aged in Oak. The result is definitely individualistic. We ripped into Batch 865/866 which was bottled 8/17/2011, giving it a nice year of age.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Packaging:

Everyone familiar with this brand knows their labels are works of art, but this is almost the perfect pumpkin beer label. Deep blue hues of fire lit twilight and jack o lanterns grinning in the darkness.  It captures all of the joy of trick or treating as a kid, without trying overly hard to be creepy or cartoonish, and it works so well. – Mike

Glowing jack-o-lanterns set against a setting skyline of hazy blues and greens, silhouettes of gnarled trees and scarecrows framing a perfect pumpkin patch on All Hallows Eve.  Jolly Pumpkin just flat-out wins as the best bottle illustration I’ve seen.  I want to frame it, buy a case of it to decorate my house, and walk inside of it and live there forever.  – Tim

The coloring on this label is awesome, the scene of the pumpkins, scarecrow and trees are creepy, haunting and beautiful. I also always enjoy a little quip from the brewers or brewery so the remarks concerning Jolly Pumpkins first and only pumpkin ale were enjoyable. – Brittney

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Color:  8

This brew has a very cool appearance. It’s dense and opaque with a slight ethereal glow to it. The coloration is a burnt umber yielding a yellow hue where the light hits it, with soft caramel notes in the center. Great head with big airy bubbles and decent lacing. Particulate is found effervescing after the pour  quickly settles to the bottom – it’s kind of fun to watch. – Rick

Golden-orange in color, this reminds me of a freshly juiced glass of apple cider. A solid ivory-tan head with a good amount of sediment throughout and the tiniest bubbles of carbonation you have ever seen. – Brittney

I think this is what Pumpkin juice must look like.  Hazy, yellow/orange with tons of sediment.  Like a spooky version of apple cider with a thick and velvety cream head that displays massive retention qualities and leaves the most amazing–and seriously longest-lacing trail I think we’ve yet encountered on a non-porter product. – Tim

M- 7 / T- 9 / B- 7 / R- 8.5

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

Aroma: 6

Sour and vegetal notes are in great prevalence, with the slightest note of bitter dark chocolate. There’s a play of spice, but it’s extremely difficult to narrow against the sour ale. Perhaps mace and clove? – Mike

Musky and earthy, not overwhelming with pumpkin or spice, and just a hint of limey citrus. – Brittney

In case anyone missed the note (like I did) this is a sour ale.  I love a sour ale, when I’m in the mood, and frankly, this smells just like what you’d expect (had I been expecting it).  After being a bit jarred, the usual, tangy scents of sour and spice finally started to break apart with just a hint of apple and cinnamon desperately clawing to overcome the tartness that assaults my senses. But where is the pumpkin?  – Tim

M- 6 / T- 5 / B- 8 / R- 4.5

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mouth feel:  6

Very airy and frothy with a good bit of a tingle on the tongue. It’s quite crisp and clean on the palette despite the full bodied appearance. It does have a bit of tartness though, which could be a little overwhelming to any novice of sour ales. – Rick

Given the boggy density of yeast and sediment, it’s actually a good bit on the light end of medium bodied, with a fizzy zip that really punctuates the tartness. – Mike

M- 6.5 / T- 6 / B- 7 / R- 5

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Tasting notes:  5.5

If this wasn’t brewed in Michigan, I’d swear it must be the eastern European approach to pumpkin ale. Sour like a lemon with the intensive bitterness of raw cocoa nibs it’s massive and complex, but almost to a confusing point. It reminds me a lot of the head expanding beers made by Brasserie BFM, but it’s going to be a total mindf@%* for the uninitiated. If the joke was that Jolly Pumpkin didn’t make a pumpkin beer, then the joke is on us, because though caustic and interesting, this is not going to be identifiable as a pumpkin ale to the average soul. That said, I do really enjoy it, particularly as it warms, even if I do have to pretend it’s Halloween in Switzerland. – Mike

I will preface this bit by admitting, I’m not a huge fan of the sour style so my palette may not be accustomed to it’s intricacies. With that said, this brew is way sour making it hard to discern any pumpkin flavor. The spicing may be subtle, but it’s hard to notice over the heavy citrus influence that accentuates it’s tartness. – Rick

So, it is a seriously sour – sour. (It is Jolly Pumpkin after all)  I get a lot of pumpkin, some spice, a touch of chocolate smoothness and a lot of sour granny smith apple. – Brittney

Astringent notes of citric acid, sour cherries, apricots and apples, dried fruit and just about everything else–even hints of metallic rust–but nary a pumpkin (vegetal or roasted) to be found. Cinnamon and nutmeg are the most prevalent spices but I’m sadly disappointed in the overall flavor strictly as a pumpkin sour.  As a sour it’s perfectly fine, but if it weren’t for the incredible artwork on the bottle and maybe a touch of that spice, I wouldn’t pick this for a fall brew if it were standing in a line-up wearing a suit of maple leaves, holding a turkey in one hand and a pumpkin pie in the other.  – Tim

M- 7.5 / T- 5 / B- 6 / R- 3

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Finish:  6

A wash of foam, and there it is. The huge bread yeast notes, the lingering dryness of wine — it makes me crave cheese.  The cacao notes also show here with the spice, leaving a creamy hazelnut in the back of my throat with a slight astringency that I would never notice in the powerful mix while it was still in my mouth. – Mike

After the initial pucker, this beer finishes clean, if not a bit bitter,with an apple cider vinegar snap. – Brittney

M- 8 / T- 4.5 / B- 7 / R- 4.5

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Flavor balance:  4.5

-         Pumpkin to Spice balance: 4

It’s a sour with some pie spice notes, together those two things work in pretty pointed unity, but it’s missing the key element of the equation–the pumpkin.  I’m sure it’s in there (for truth in advertising purposes) but it might as well not be for taste purposes. – Tim

It’s almost impossible to classify this one, as it defies the categorization. The spice in here is categorically buried in the multitude of directions this brew is going, and likewise, the sour nature of the ale has transformed the pumpkin into an entirely different, though intriguing, beast. – Mike

I’ve given low marks here because I’m not too sure that there is any spice in this ale. If so, it’s tough to pick out since the sour is so dominant. – Rick

M- 5 / T- 3 / B- 6 / R- 1

-         Sweet / Dry balance: 5

DRY. DRY, DRY, DRY, DRY, DRY. – Mike

I don’t expect, nor do I want sweetness–at least not pronounced sweetness–with a sour ale.  That said, I ‘d like a touch less bone-dryness at the close on this one to push my score a bit higher on the (broad) curve I’m grading this ale on. – Tim

M- 4.5 / T- 4.5 / B- 6 / R- 4

-         Multiple Drinkability?  5

Not being a huge fan of sours to begin with, it’s hard to see myself drink more of these. I’m not thinking pumpkin beer when drinking this, and that is the biggest turn off for me. – Rick

This beer was fun to taste and a glass would be enjoyable but that would probably be enough sour for me. – Brittney

I don’t really session sours, and this is no exception.  And, as sours go, I’d drink it again, but this is The Great Pumpkin Beer Review and if I want to be honest – as things go -about its appeal as a pumpkin beer, I think Jolly Pumpkin should retire this one back to patch and stick to making the staple sour ales that have long proved their prowess. – Tim

I love the sour explosion that keeps driving me back sip after sip. It’s parching and wet all at once, and I do love a good sour. So if my pocket permits, I’ll be back. – Mike

M- 8 / T- 3.5 / B- 5.5 / R- 3

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall:  6.00

M- 6.83 / T- 5.50 / B- 6.75 / R- 4.75

The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Flying Dog Brewery

Next up in our All Hallows Eve count down, Flying Dog offers us some great advice right on the bottle. In order to keep your fears from dominating you, we must embrace and conquer them. Not too shabby for beer bottle philosophy. How nice of them then, to include a little liquid courage with that nugget of wisdom…oh yeah, and those of you in the Maryland area maybe just ought to look into this weekend’s Halloween Smash and Bash party the brewery is throwing. It looks pretty damn cool.

*Warning: We may have gotten carried away with the puns on this one*

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

Name: The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Wild Dog Series

Place of Origin / Brewer: Maryland, USA / Flying Dog Brewery

Beer style / ABV%:  Imperial Pumpkin Ale / 9.0%

Specialty Prep / Individuality:  Brewed with Chico Yeast, Warrior and Williamette hops, pumpkin puree, and a (perhaps not so) secret blend of spices, The Fear weighs as a gravity laden, complex pumpkin pie crust and chocolate note oriented brew.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Packaging:

Part of Flying Dog’s “Wild Dog” series this bottle features a nightmare of a label pulsating with an ink blot canine that’s just screaming psychosis.  It’s just two steps away from a ‘Fear and Loathing Rorschach bat attack”.  I’m a little scared to drink this beer. – Tim

Flying Dog’s artistry will always hold a place in any Hunter S. Thompson lover’s heart.  Ralph Steadman has a style of art that is mad and impressive and hard not to recognize.  More specifically however we have Flying Dog’s The Fear label and in the true fashion of fear you can’t really tell what it’s supposed to be, but you know it scares the shit out of you. – Brittney

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Color:  8

Don’t be fearful of this imperial ale’s deep dark color.  It pours lights-out opaque, like the darkest corner of the pumpkin patch.  With a blonde, toffee colored head at least two finger tall, you can’t beat it’s striking looks. – Rick

Black as sin with a hint of ruby when lit. Of course the light barely penetrates this ominous brew. The bone white head amplifies the effect nicely. – Mike

M- 7.5 / T- 8 / B- 8 / R- 8

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

Aroma:  7

The aroma screams roasted gourd and allspice and brother, they’re letting you know this is an imperial right up front because, believe me, you could get drunk just off the alcohol fragrance hovering in the air above the head. – Tim

Clove and allspice float adrift a sea hoppy goodness, and a strong insinuation of bitterness runs so deep, we might need an exorcist. It’s definitely intriguing. – Mike

This ale has a typical stout-like aroma, but there’s more to it than it first presents.  There are some spicy notes in there fighting for life amongst the smoky cloves that really dominate the bouquet. – Rick

M- 7.5 / T- 6 / B- 6 / R- 8

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mouth feel:  7.5

This ale explodes on the tongue right away with flavor.  It’s super poppy on the tongue letting it’s presence fully assimilate your taste buds, the whole time reminding you of it’s 9% ABV with a rabid bite. – Rick

Despite the intense looking nature,  most of this dog is the bark, or rather more in the spirit of a blood curdling howl in the woods, with just a bit of nip when you actually realize it’s a cute little wolf pup. Ok, maybe that’s pushing it. But what I’m trying to say here is, this is mildly bodied at best. – Mike

M- 6.5 / T- 6 / B- 8 / R- 9.5

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Tasting notes:  8

With deep molasses and huge roasted malts, they don’t call it “The Fear” for nothing.  This is agro beer.  It’s not pulling any punches, in fact it’s liable to clock you right between the eyes while you’re not even looking.  The sweetness here is masking a burnt sugar taste that handedly maintains the overall dominant assault that this beer is pushing. – Tim

The Fear definitely does not fall into the sweet pumpkin pie beer category and in true Flying Dog fashion creates a category all it’s own.  The spices and subtle pumpkin pull create a seasonal beer setting but the not so subtle malt and alcohol break the mold. – Brittney

There are some great hints of pumpkin spices lurking in the shadows of this full bodied imperial ale.  The smoky notes tend to stalk a touch of brown sugar as the ale navigates the tongue.  One of the stronger ales with a really bold taste, I can’t wait for a wide release of this brew. – Rick

Surprisingly sweet to start, it fades nicely into a much stouter bitter brew, that impressively doesn’t hide the pumpkin too much, but rather keeps it just below the surface giving you a solid and challenging imperial up front, and your seasonal treat once you’ve proven yourself worthy. It leans a bit on the cinnamon and clove nature, but, I can’t imagine that anything else wouldn’t just blend right into the dryer aspect of this one. – Mike

M- 7.5 / T- 7 / B- 7.5 / R- 9

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Finish:  7

Crazy long finish and bitter as sin.  But neither of those things are necessarily bad here–I’ve got to assume that the guys behind this brew were basically daring people to drink it. – Tim

This is going to sound strange, but I almost get a starchy pear finish, and the accompanying nearly parching dryness of the tongue that makes this a continual sipper by necessity. It’s definitely a statement among pumpkin brews, but I could see this getting old quickly. – Mike

Finishes with lingering notes of clove, allspice and nutmeg but those are all cut short by a bitter brew and I mean that in the nicest way possible. – Brittney

M- 5.5 / T- 6.5 / B- 7.5 / R- 8.5

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Flavor balance:  6.5

-         Pumpkin to Spice balance:

While it’s initial make-up seems to be of smoky cloves, it leans towards a gourd like flavor to really balance this great ale. – Rick

For all it’s frights, The Fear kind of fails at it’s one big opportunity to scare people–the spice arena.  I’ve got a feeling that if there were any subtle spices in here they got creamed by the ABV. – Tim

M – 6 / T- 5 / B- 7 / R- 8.5

-         Sweet / Dry balance:

This one has all the textural characteristics of sweetness with the 9% bringing it back and creating a dry balance. – Brittney

It’s way sweeter than it is dry but in a way that probably won’t endear itself to beer drinkers that are looking for a more saccharin brew.  But if you dig on the kind of complexities found in sugar that’s been caramelized just to point of blackness, then The Fear has a lot to offer. – Tim

M- 4 / T- 6.5 / B- 7.5 / R- 9

-         Multiple Drinkability?

Alcohol content be damned, I could really make a few of these disappear for good! – Rick

I think one of these would be most enjoyable, before the novelty wore off. – Mike

I tend to cut it short with the darker ones.  The body of this one could probably set me at two but The Fear would probably stop me there. – Brittney

Not for the faint of heart it’s a 9% ABV and I promise you can taste every bit of pain it’s offering. I’m afraid if I drink more than one of these then those ink blot bats are going to attack! – Tim

M- 4 / T- 3 / B- 6.5 / R- 8.5

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall:  7.33

M- 6.50 / T- 6.42 / B- 7.33 / R- 8.58