Beer Pick of the Week - Oro de Calabaza Golden Ale

Open fermentation and oak barrel aging are employed in the production of this beer brewed in the tradition of strong ales from southern Belgium and northern France. Sold in a 750-milliliter bottle, it is priced more like a wine than a beer, and it shares some of wine’s complex characteristics. It pours slightly hazy and pale gold, with a huge yeasty aroma of pineapple and spice. The biscuity malts are light and mildly sweet, almost woody, and the wild yeasts impart a funkiness that is redolent of tart fruits like green apple, white grapes and lemons. There is also a warm spiciness of pepper and clove that balances the tartness nicely. Light- to medium-bodied with a bone dry finish and a bracing alcohol nose, this is a summer sipper to be savored.

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, Mich., 8 percent ABV.