LA Roja The Red

Okay, Okay-- I know I said I was heading to Europe to try there beers, and I since then I have I only tried one. That may be true, but even though I haven’t been drinking European beers I have been drinking European-style beers that are brewed by our own guys and gals here state-side.

These beers are starting to grab the attention of everyone in the nation not just us NoCo’ers, Washington recently passed legislation to help microbreweries get there name out to the public, by giving samples at grocery stores!

The beer I am giving free advertising to today is La Roja from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in. It’s a Flanders style amber ale extenuated by sour cherries which are, in the sprit of the region, allowed to naturally ferment in oak casks.

This beer is tart but not too sour. Case in point, you can serve it a dinner party (which is where Roja was drunk) and it will go over fairly well.

The beer is quite beautiful with a light head and a nice mistiness that comes from Pumpkins’ filter-less style.

There are hints of flavor that shoot your taste buds in all kind of directions based around the sour cherries. This beer makes you want to drool as your drinking it. Yet it’s never too over powering; the tart never gets into your cheeks.

It’s the calmer, more well mannered cousin of La Folie; if I were to make any compressions.

The brewery is something else too, the small operation tucked away in the village of Dexter, MI. It puts out quite the quality of beer, most of which beers is barrel aged.

Roja is quite pricey going for about $10 a bottle, so go in on it with a buddy or a cutie girl who likes a sour beer.

If you’re not sure about “sour beer” this is a good steppingstone to invigorate your taste buds. So go for it life’s too short to not drink sour beer.