Crimson glory

La Roja Artisan Amber Ale 
Sampled: March 16, 2012
 
Jolly Pumpkin produces sour ale for all occasions. Bam Biere and Oro Calabaza could pass for everyday libations. On the initial pass, I’m tempted to drop the same applause on La Roja, an amber ale brewed in the sour Flemish style.

As its name translates, "the red one" doesn't shy away from sour flavors. Only the barest hint of caramel malt escapes the sour pucker. With no head to note and only the thinnest of lace, La Roja has a rich burgundy body. Pucker is an overstatement. Rich with red fruits and notes of sour cherry backed by an occasional finger of Granny Smith, La Roja is a more sessionable sour than many.

Too many sours seek to strip away tooth enamel, and this take never overreaches. Maybe I lucked out with Blend 17 from Sept. 16, 2011. Jolly Pumpkin produces La Roja by blending unpasteurized ale that has two to 10 months of barrel aging. The alcohol runs 7. 2 percent well below Oro Calabaza and way above Bam’s unconscionable 4.5 percent (which I would mind less if the Orval clone did not cost $12 for a 750 mL).

La Roja runs the same price, but delivers a more complex punch. La Roja isn’t Rodenbach but aspires to be its own sour red, which earns points from me. It can be a stretch to call any American sour balanced, but La Roja definitely never goes over the edge.