La Roja - Grand Reserve - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 330 mL bottle into a snifter. Thanks to bauermj for bringing this over.

Appearance: This has almost no head from light carbonation and a bright copper color with transparent edges.

Smell: The aroma is very sour and scorches the nose a little bit. Toasted bread and caramel malt fade behind a soft funky presence with a nice sour cider aroma.

Taste: The flavor is sour more than anything. Lemon citrus fronts light toasted bread and a bit of caramel malt. Some cherry in the background. It is sour all the way through.

Mouthfeel: This is lighter, more dry, and flatter than the regular La Roja I have had.

Overall: I can't quite decide if I like this better than an aged La Roja or not. It is more sour and lighter bodied than the regular.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 02:08:07 | More by KickInTheChalice

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.2/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled March 2012 (> 1 yr old now), Batch 454 & 469, Review #700 in a bad ass fantome glass

The beer pours a murky, rusty brown with a centimeter of off-white head that dissipates into a thin halo with little lacing and some sediment. The nose is relatively mild with notes of tart cherries, vinous grapes, and a touch of nail polish. I remember the regular la roja being quite astringent, but this drinks a lot smoother with rounded fruit flavors, malt sweetness, good oak, and less acetone. The mouthfeel is initially molassesy sweet and fruity with a non-bitter, dry, acetone/fruity finish. This is definitely a better beer compared to the regular and is worth trying at least once, but I wish it was more available and at a lower price point.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 23:39:24 | More by ThePorterSorter

ravot

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

04-19-2013 03:54:17 | More by ravot

readbaron

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

04-18-2013 19:02:48 | More by readbaron

spycow

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

03-31-2013 16:55:23 | More by spycow

beergorrilla

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

03-21-2013 11:38:37 | More by beergorrilla

Envelopes

Ohio

4/5  rDev -5.4%

03-15-2013 01:51:00 | More by Envelopes

drummermattie02

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

03-02-2013 21:01:24 | More by drummermattie02

aasher

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

03-02-2013 02:40:09 | More by aasher

knight84

California

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

03-01-2013 17:45:48 | More by knight84

bonkers

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was excited to get this in the sours for dummies BIF, bottled 3/12. Poured from a 330 ml bottle into a snifter, ruddy amber pour, slight white head. The aroma has sour cherries, apple cider vinegar. The flavors have lots of sour fruit, oak, very tart and very drying. The body is light, slight carbonation. IMO a good flanders red, very glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:53:48 | More by bonkers

BMMillsy

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -17.3%

02-21-2013 04:07:51 | More by BMMillsy

arniepnminne

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

01-24-2013 01:31:08 | More by arniepnminne

acurtis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -5.4%

01-21-2013 23:59:33 | More by acurtis

StaEva

Pennsylvania

3.36/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

lots of acetone, vinegar, ugly raisin sweetness. not the best showing by JP. lots of oxidation in the bottle, possibly not purged before filling? I'd rather drink BamBier all day everyday.

don't go out of your way to get a hold of this, as it was not yet ready to be consumed.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 04:56:51 | More by StaEva

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

01-13-2013 19:43:28 | More by AlexFields

Tony412

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

01-03-2013 05:25:32 | More by Tony412

MrRockstar

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

12-29-2012 19:06:05 | More by MrRockstar

thewimperoo

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.4%

12-27-2012 20:23:00 | More by thewimperoo

zvanwink

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -29.1%

12-17-2012 05:26:53 | More by zvanwink

cfrances33

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

2011 bottle, poured into a teku glass.

Pour: A copper, rusty body. Absolutely no carbonation, and is dead flat. A couple bubbles on the rim. This is an ugly beer.

Smell: Some nice sour cherries up front, along with a burnt caramel and a light oak. Some vanilla comes through as well.

Taste: Starts off with a big tartness up front, characterized by tart cherries and vinegar. I'm honestly getting a little bit of oxidation, and the flavors are quite dull, despite the strong sourness. A caramel sweetness comes on the back, and the most redeeming quality is a nice oak and vanilla on the finish. I would describe the overall taste as stale.

Mouthfeel: Horribly flat, which sometimes is okay, but is NOT here. Muddles the flavors, and makes each sip difficult. Finishes dry, which is nice.

Overall: If someone poured me this beer, and I didn't see it go right from the bottle into the glass, I would be convinced is got left out overnight, put in the fridge to cool, and then served to me. Very disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 23:43:05 | More by cfrances33

cocoapuph

California

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

12-05-2012 05:44:45 | More by cocoapuph

BoneyardBrewer

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

11-20-2012 00:26:36 | More by BoneyardBrewer

mikecharley

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 2012 stubby bottle into my new favorite glass: my Tripel Karmeliet tulip

Pours a semi-ruddy amber/ruby/copper/reddish hue with a small ring of head. Looks much like a light-ish oude bruin. It is kinda dull looking, really, but it is hard to majorly ding a beer this good for the looks, so I give it a 4.

The nose is OUT OF THIS WORLD for this beer. So much going on. Musty Cherries. Oak. Apple. Apple Cider Vinegar. Funk. More Vinegar. 4.5

Taste does one better, which is not very common for any beer. Usually it is unfortunately the other way around. The taste is such a soft vinegar. The malt is present, but not assertive. Some semi-sweet notes from the malt. Sourness does not over-power in any way. Cherries come through nicely in the flavor. One of the better beers I've sipped in a long time. 5

M/O The feel is medium, with a light amount of carbonation. I personally think it fits this style very well 4.5 Overall, one of the better beers I've had the pleasure of drinking in quite some time, and will be doing my best to seek some more out, however unlikely this success is... 4.5

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 02:08:58 | More by mikecharley

BigShel

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Well I have had this brew on my personal wish list for quite some time. I am happy to say it was well worth the wait.

Taste- Sour but not sweet like some fruit lambics can be. Lightly fruity with some apple and cherry. A good amount of vinegar but not so much to be off putting. Toasty with caramel and vanilla on the finish. The flavor really develops as the beer warms.

Appearance- Rusty reddish brown with a decent lacy head. It most resembles a raw cider. Plenty or carbonation, enough to rattle my 4 oz stopper placed on top to preserve the taste. The head was off white and persistent more than I expected for this type of brew.

Nose- Bourbon, Honey, Vanilla, Vinegar, fruit, Light spice.

Overall I give this beauty 4.5 out of 5.0

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 04:34:29 | More by BigShel