La Parcela - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

RussBecker1

1.75/5  rDev -55.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Served from a bomber into a pint glass.

A-Very very pretty beer. Gives of the very heir of pumpkin itself. A thick, cloudy mix of yellow and orange, with just enough amber to give it a very distinct character, topped with a nice head that has some real staying power.

S- Surprisingly lackluster. Given the look of the beer I was expecting a nose of equal accompaniment, but there was hardly anything there. Faint hints of yeast are there and you can already smell the tartness in the brew. The smell dissipates quickly however leaving nothing noteworthy.

M-The beer coats the mouth quite nicely to start, but the tartness quickly swoops in and ruins the experience. The brew puckers your lips and makes it hard to swallow.

T-The taste takes on the low notes of the feel and fails to pair them with any sort of upside. The label reads a brew mixed with all sorts of things from pumpkin to cacao to various spices, but none of that is apparent as the sweetness blows out each and every flavor. I gave this beer one shot after another hoping the flavor would meld into the other aspects of the beer, but it never came. Frankly, and I do not use this term lightly, I found it to be undrinkable.

O-Very disappointing on almost all fronts. The very essence of pumpkin is often misconstrued as a sweet and sugary taste, which often eliminates the more earthly elements of the fruit. To me, La Parcela takes that misconception and puts it on steroids. I will not be purchasing this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 01:41:01 | More by RussBecker1

Luddy37

1.78/5  rDev -54.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I bought the 750 mL bottle here last Sunday. The ale was bottle on 9-14-2011. The ale had a nice aromatic smell and the color I expected. The taste however, I did not find appeasing. It tasted more cider like rather than an ale to be truthful. It was very sour not what youd expect from a pumpkin ale. So if youre not a fan of sours, I would not recommend.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 23:50:54 | More by Luddy37

Chris1967

2.03/5  rDev -47.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Was pretty excited to try but excitement ended rather quickly. Nice color and smell but could taste hardly any pumpkin. Very sour and bitter after taste. Expected better from Jolly Pumpkin especially at an $11.99 price tag. Out of all the pumpkin beers I have had this year this at the bottom of the list.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 19:03:17 | More by Chris1967

thekanna

Maryland

2.25/5  rDev -42.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a stein. Gold with about 2 fingers of fluffy head.

S: Tart citrus fruits and applies, with a little horse blanket and funk thrown in.

T: Strong funk flavor: hay and horse stall, with some apple and pear thrown in, off-putting sourness and a bit of pepper. Definitely more of a wild ale than pumpkin ale.. I can barely taste the pumpkin.

M: Medium body with decent carbonation and a dry finish.

D: If I didn't know better, I'd say this was completely an American Wild Ale. I don't taste the pumpkin or the accompanying spaces at all... I would've thought a brewery named "Jolly Pumpkin" would produce a more pumpkin-like brew. And at $14.99 a bottle, it was completely not worth it.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 04:07:36 | More by thekanna

CuriousMonk

Virginia

2.55/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a $18 bomber (the most I paid when evaluating oktoberfest/autumn beers) into dimpled mug. I expected more out of this highly-touted pumpkin beer. Pours a nice golden orange with a small white head with a small amount of sediment floating around. Big aroma consisting of pumpkin, sour yeast, spices (nutmeg, cloves, coriander), with an almost mentholated funk. Largely tart flavor, minerals, grassy upfront with the pumpkin flavors subtlety lingering behind a large layer of funk. Acidic and somewhat hopppy. High level of carbonation usher in spices and funk that roll into an acidic finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 20:28:27 | More by CuriousMonk

smcolw

Massachusetts

2.55/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Frothy white head that settles lumpily.

My first impression is sweet & sour sauce. Odd, eh? Leans to the sour side. I do not detect any spice or pumpkin in the smell. I think if I were blindfolded, I would guess this is a Cyser.

It tastes like a Cyser, meaning it seems to have soured apples, not pumpkins. Very sour flavor. I frankly don't know what to make of this--I detect no pumpkin, cacao or other spices here. The finish is similar to sucking a lemon.

My wife thinks its okay. I'm finding it difficult to finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 23:47:11 | More by smcolw

GregSVT

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750ml capped bottle into a snifter - courtesy of Stigs

A: Pours a hazy orange with a giant white head that slowly fades to a ring and leaves a ton of lacing.

S: The nose is sweet pumpkin with bready malt and a bit of tart lemon. Good but not overly impressive.

T: The taste is tart lemon and citrus flavors with an acidic sourness. The pumpkin from the nose is overpowered by all the tart flavors. Not what I was expecting from a Pumpkin Ale but given JP's reputation it didn't surprise me.

M: The feel is crisp but the carbonation has too many of the big bubbles...really reminds me of a BMC product.

D: This one's not for me and not what I would consider a good representation of a Pumpkin Ale. If this was labeled an American Wild it would have probably been a different story.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 05:23:22 | More by GregSVT

lordofthewiens

Maine

2.88/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Batch 865/866
Bottled 8-17-2011
In a pint glass the beer was an amber color with a fairly small off-white head.

Little aroma. A hint of pumpkin and spice. No cacao.

The taste revealed more spice, seemed to be mostly nutmeg. A little bit of pumpkin taste.

This beer was way to harsh. Not pleasant at all.
I had a difficult time finishing it.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 22:09:33 | More by lordofthewiens

jmaharaj

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Quick review (at the bar right now)
fairly simple. It gives you a good tartness but not much else. Fades quickly and bitter. Will do as a fix, but would not seek it out again. Looks decent, smells tart but there is simply no complexity. No malt sweetness and a mildly unpleasant bitter finish.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2012 01:04:55 | More by jmaharaj

gdfan47

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

really excited to try this one

it poured a pretty appealing merky yellow with a good amount of head

it smelled simular to the la roja

i was really excited to taste the pumpkin but I could not at all

pretty good beer, not nearly as sour as I was expecting, nor as pumpkinny

but it seems pretty rare

not bad, just not as good as I thought it would be

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2008 07:59:55 | More by gdfan47

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.1/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 604. Bottled 8/17/10. Blazing jack-o-lantern orange with honey hued highlights and an expansive crown of alabaster colored cream. Despite the use of cacao, this is one the lightest versions of the style that you'll see. In time, fairly extensive sheets of shotgun-blasted lace appear on the glass.

The nose is pleasant... for an American wild ale. Olfactorily speaking, this brew really isn't even recognizable as a pumpkin ale, which is why the score is below average. The use of wild yeast in *everything* is one of the problems that I have with the way JPAA does business.

Seriously, what's the gourd damned point of La Parcela No. 1 Pumpkin Ale? If a brewery named Jolly Pumpkin is going to brew a pumpkin beer, shouldn't it taste like pumpkin? Or like pumpkin pie spices? It does a little (very very little), but the barnyard quality of their yeast dominates all and levels the flavor profile like a daisy cutter levels... well... a field of daisies.

It tastes like there's nothing darker than pale malt present, along with a fruity sourness, threads from a horse blanket, and extremely subtle spice. No cacao is appreciated at all. With a different name, a different label, and a different style designation (wild ale), this would be better than average beer. Maybe even good beer.

Even though the mouthfeel is nothing to write home about, there is nothing seriously wrong with it either. Given the ABV, it's big enough and holds on long enough. Capable carbonation too.

This was not an easy translation, but it seems as though La Parcela means The Patch. As in pumpkin patch, presumably. My view is that this seasonal brew needs a pretty massive patch of a different sort, since it's one flat tire of a pumpkin ale. Ease off the wild yeast already.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 12:44:26 | More by BuckeyeNation

codsmith

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 611 (Bottled 8-18-10)

A: dark gold/red with a huge white fluffy head that laces the side and maintains a half finger head throughout the beer

S: Sweet and sour on the nose. The smells is very typical of the several Jolly Pumpkin beers that I have tried. However, there is some

T: There is an overwhelming sourness that really masks the majority of the flavor. It takes a good amount of the beer to get into it and start identifying the underlying flavor profile. There are slight subtleties of the spices, pumpkin and cocoa, but would be much better if it wasn't masked by the overwhelming sourness. It finishes very bland and dry

M: Very thin and with a good amount of carbonation that plays well with this style

O: If you like sour beers or other Jolly Pumpkin beers than this is for you, but not to my liking

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 00:10:17 | More by codsmith

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Jolly Pumpkin- La Parcela

A- Light clear golden orange with no head.
S- Light amounts of pumpkiny nutmeg and shortbread malt.
T- Very light flavors of pumpkin, nutmeg, allspice come through with a dose of buttery malt.
M- Very light and watery. Slight tangy vinegar feel.

Overall- Not bad but flavors are weak. Slight touch of tart tanginess make it enjoyable. Very easy to gulp down but don't seek this out.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2008 21:33:09 | More by NJpadreFan

Phelps

Arizona

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

La Parcela

A pumpkin ale...from Jolly Pumpkin? MADNESS! This bottle was received in a trade from Bulbman and poured into my perfect pint glass. Batch 610, bottled 8-13-10.

A: pours a cloudy tangerine, obscuring my fingers behind to scattered shadows. A sticky, poofy one-finger head of light sandy orange caps the pumpkin-colored brew, setting up camp for quite a while. Lovely, super-thick webs of lace decorate the glass as I drink.

S: from the smell of it, this will be my first experience with a sour pumpkin beer. Tart lemon, apricot, wheat. In the background is an enticing sweetness: pumpkin puree! A tiny bit of spices (clove and nutmeg) round it all out. Interesting.

T: the tartness from the nose drops off dramatically here. It's still present in the form of lemon juice, but in a largely subdued manner. There might be a bit of sweet pumpkin, but I'm struggling hard to find it. Spicy clove and cinnamon emerge slightly as the beer warms, but there's no hint of the cacao the label so proudly proclaims. The finish is obliterating: upon the swallow, pretty much all semblance of flavor is washed away; only a lingering soft tartness remains. Crisp, for a wild ale. I actually enjoy it more between sips than I do while drinking.

M: soft and smooth about the palate, medium-light in body, with a medium-light peppery carbonation.

D: La Parcela holds no secrets. It's more tolerable as the beer warms, but I became tired of the beer halfway through the bottle. There just isn't enough complexity -- or enough pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 06:46:52 | More by Phelps

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On draft at Churchkey:

Pours a brown/amber color, with almost zero head and little carbonation. Very cloudy in appearance. Nose is a little underwhelming, but not bad. The main things I get are a little funk, tartness, and squash, as well as a couple spices. Taste is about the same as the nose profile, but it's SO weak. Almost nothing to this beer, tastewise. Feel is thin and fizzy. Overall, this is by far the most disappointing brew I've had from this brewery (and I'm a fan). I don't think I'll look for this one again- I'll stick w/ some of their better brews.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2011 21:35:20 | More by jayhawk73

champ103

Texas

3.18/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A big thanks to Onslow for sharing this with me and a few other BA friends. Reviewing from notes.

A: Pours a clear but dark orange color. A beige head forms, but recedes in a moment. Light lace is left behind.
S: A nondescript tart/sour/acidic/funkiness that you would except from JP. Maybe some spice and oak, but hard to tell.
T: Follows the nose. Pretty much sour, tart and acidic with some spice. I really don't get anything else that would suggest a Pumpkin Ale.
M/D: A medium body that is crisp and dry. A bit to much carbonation. Not hard to drink, but not really something I am going to come back to.

I get the joke, JP needed to make a Pumpkin beer and this is it. Though it is just the typical sour and funky JP beer. Just kind of nondescript sour at that. Not much nuance that I usually get from their funky Farmhouse beers. I really like most of their beers, but this is a style that just does not go with funk. Interesting to try once, but that is it.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 19:02:18 | More by champ103

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.18/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Dark orange-amber pour. Very bright. Not much head or lacing.

SMell: Humm very little pumpkin, slme light brett and some sort of gourd or root.

Taste: Very light, some brett and spices, perhaps some caramel and toffee, and perhaps, if you try, some light pumpkin. Not sure why they didn't go all out. A little off. My friend who had tried this one before said it had much more pumpkin a few months ago.

Mouthfeel: Average, medium-body and carbonation.

Drinkability: Very ho-hum, didn't finish it and moved on. Certainly not Jolly Pumpkin's top offering

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 03:36:43 | More by craytonic

ccrida

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Batch 604, Bottled 8-17-10. Poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, La Parcela is dull burnt gold / pale orange, with a thick of white head, rust tinged, meringue like, long lasting, leaving chunks of foamy lace. Served very cold, in case it was a gusher, which it wasn't. Great label art.

Smell is sweet, pithy citrus. Maybe a hint of gourde as it warms.

Taste tart, some green apple, a bit of brett funk, pretty generic wild ale, not overly funky, but no distinguishing characteristics. Not getting any of the pumpkin, spices or cacao. Maybe the pumpkin, but I'm probably looking to hard...actually, the vegetable flesh seems to gain strength as it warms, but isn't particularly good.

Mouthfeel dry, medium light body, crisp, acidic.

Drinkability is ok, nothing special, an average wild ale, nothing really stands out from the other JPs with similar malt base. I won't bother buying again. If I want a wild ale, I want more funk and no gourde. If I want a pumpkin ale, I want a richer, maltier base, and distinct pumpkin flavors!

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 01:23:29 | More by ccrida

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter. Batch 862, Bottled 8-24-2011.

4.0 A: Reddish brown color. Nearly three fingers of foamy white head that retains well and leaves a a good bit of irregular lacing.

3.5 S: Well this definitely is a JP brew. There's no doubt about that. But, if the label didn't contain Jack-o-Laterns staring at me, I'd have no reason to think this was a pumpkin beer. There isn't much in the way of pumpkin and the spices provided come off ineffective. There's hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, but I want these spices to hit me hard rather than being in a minor supporting role. Still, the nose is nice. Barnyard funk with hay and horse. Neutral, maybe lightly bready maltiness. Oak is very soft and the cacao softer.

3.0 T: Dry, biscuity maltiness. A lot more oak than in the nose. No signs of the cacao. Some of the pumpkin comes through, but none of the spices do. Barnyard funk, apple orchard, wild apple, pear, and lemony tartness. Aside from all but ignoring the pumpkin aspect, this isn't much of a wild brew either. Very tame and uninspired, but still tasty.

3.5 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Could be creamier, but not bad.

3.0 D: Atrocious pumpkin beer and a solidly mediocre wild. JP makes some good beer, but this isn't one of them. Terrible price as well ($13).

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 01:41:17 | More by DavoleBomb

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Figured I'd try all the pumpkin beers at my disposal while they're here, so that means a probably sour one should be mixed in with all the spicy others. This one pours a cloudy auburn-amber topped by a finger or so of dirty white foam. The nose comprises lemon zest, nutmeg, clove, light banana peel, honeydew, tart pineapple, blood orange, and a touch of honey. The taste hols notes of melon rind, lightly sour grapefruit rind, pumpkin shell, lemon zest, iceberg lettuce, clove, and a hint of white wine grape. The melon and pumpkin rinds seem to overpower everything else, destroying any hope of spicing and even o'ertaking the sour aspects, which don't even try to resist being drowned out. The body is a limpid medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a slightly oily feel. Overall, this beer just missed the mark for me. There was definitely a pumpkin character, but it was all rind, and it conspired with the melon flavors to destroy pretty much everything else. Not a big fan, here...

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 00:03:51 | More by TMoney2591

wheelinshirt

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this on tap at Capone's, left over from Black Friday. Poured into a Leffe glass.

Color is a slightly cloudy, golden orange, modest off-white head, decent retention (considering it is a sour) and some okay lacing.

I think this was served a bit too cold, tried to warm it with my hands a bit. Smell was tart, some vinegar and cider, not a whole lot of anything else. No discernible pumpkin.

Taste is also sour and tart, but moderately so. Mouthfeel is light, prickly carbonation. Finish could be cleaner.

Drinkability is good, probably couldn't drink more than one or two, but the lack of pumpkin would keep me from plopping down another $7.50 on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2008 20:21:27 | More by wheelinshirt

ebby82

Virginia

3.28/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy light amber into a pint glass.

It smells really weird. I've never had a beer that smelled anything like this; funky, sour, with a slight hint of pumpkin spice in the foreground.

The taste is also a little strange. Certainly sour, it puckers the lips a bit. An aftertaste of pumpkin spices like nutmeg.

The mouthfeel is dry and tart.

Overall, a really strange beer that I'm glad I tried but I wouldn't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 01:41:12 | More by ebby82

Onibubba

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled this one for Halloween. Typical JP pour, meaning nice carbonation and nice head. Dark auburn body, nice off white head. Aroma is all JP funk, and to be honest, not that different from La Roja. And, I am sorry to say, taste follows suite. Some oak, some dark fruits and apples. Lightly tart and funky. But spice? Not getting it. Not getting it in the nose not getting it in the taste. That being said, this is a delicious beer, and I would definately buy it again. But as a pumpkin beer, this one falls short.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 14:53:08 | More by Onibubba

domtronzero

California

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Murky orange copper brown with a big fluffy whitish head. Tons of lacing left throughout.

S - Light tart and funky character, with sweet pilsner malts and a muddled spice aroma. Light alcohol.

F/M - Bready sweet pils malts with a nice lactic tart flavor. Moderate brett funk with muddy pumpkin pie spices. Light bitterness with a dry finish. Medium bodied with moderately high carbonation. Lingering tart nutmeggy flavor.

D - Okay, but a little too much spice flavors. They just don't mix well with the tart/funky flavors also going on, and the flavors linger a little too long into the finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 05:53:35 | More by domtronzero

Ghenna

California

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy Pilznerish color, white head, recedes fairly quickly.

Nice mix of sour and pumpkin pie spice on the nose, caramel sweet on the end.

Taste is- kind of light. bit of lemon, weak in terms of sour (like a lighter lemony bitter). Crisp carbonation.

I guess I'd say that this is pretty weak in terms of a pumpkin beer. Not an aweful lot of pumpkin involved, unfortunately. It is a good sour to introduce nubs to sour beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 03:35:55 | More by Ghenna