Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial

Copyright 2006 by Ratebeer.com


Jolly Pumpkin's homage to the Trappist dubbels is simply incredible. I'm not suprised, as everything I've had from them so far has been above and beyond the average "Belgian-style" beer made here in the U.S. What really blows my mind is that they can make such tasty beer for such a reasonable price ($9.45/btl) when they could easily follow the example of some other "artisan" breweries and charge $14.95 per bottle for it.

"Fusion" has been hot in the food world for years and now it seems to have infected the minds of brewers as well. The combination of a Belgian sour brown with tropical flavors might not seem like a good idea, but the cacao nibs and cinnamon blend stupendously with the toasted malt and belgian-yeast flavors to create a truly unique beer.

If you let it settle properly, Maracaibo pours a clear, dark mahogany color with a creamy, tight head. A soft, fuzzy cocoa/spice aroma drifts out of the glass. The head manages to contain the majority of the aromas until you take the first sip, at which time notes of citrus and cherries tickle the senses and start you on the journey. A slight alcohol note comes in after a while and kicks up the sweet malt flavor and more fruitiness, which leads to a dry, balanced finish. The cacao nib and orange peel flavors come back strong after the swallow and stick with you, leaving your tastebuds begging for more.

It's really too bad we could only get 12 bottles of this wonderful nectar because I could drink a lot of this. If you're a fan of "sour brown" ales you won't want to let this one pass you by.

Oh, and we still have a few bottles left of the J.P. Calabaza Blanca (witbier), Oro de Calabaza (strong golden ale), and La Roja (strong amber ale), all of which are delectable beverages.