Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza

Holy crap, a new glass!  I'm working on it, alright.  I left all my other ones in Ohio.  If you were unaware, I love Jolly Pumpkin.  In fact, I used some of their bottle conditioned wild yeast to make my own sour beer in the past.  I know that they probably aren't on the scale of some Russian River sours and others out west, but I haven't been out there.  Anyways, these are solid beers nonetheless and I will probably always have a fondness for them since they are what got me into funky/sour beers.  Although I have had this one in the past, it's time to review it!

Oro de Calabaza


Appearance- Golden yellow in color with a layer of persistent white head.  The body is slightly cloudy while lacing sticks to the side of the glass.

Smell- A sour tart smell pounds the nostrils immediately.  It seems mostly to be lactic acid rather than acetic as well as some barnyard funk as well.  Beneath all the funk and sour is some citrus, most notably that of lemon with some grassy character that probably melds in with the barnyard character as well.

Taste- A muted front with some slight funk.  The funky barnyard flavors begin to rise in the middle with an increase in sour as well.  There is some slight citrus, but not what I noticed in the smell.  Slight peak of tartness in the finish that carries into a barnyard aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- Medium-light body with moderate carbonation.  Very dry finish.

Overall and Notes- The last time I had this beer on tap at South Park in Dayton, there seemed to be a lot more umph and more importantly, more sour.  I know that Jolly Pumpkin has been said to be a little less consistent than other sour brewers in there creation because of a lack of blending (I believe that was the explanation, someone correct me if I'm wrong).  That being said, still a solid beer.  Jolly Pumpkin doesn't disappoint me and I'm sure any day I will find myself fighting the urge to buy one of every one of their beers.