Mad Meg Farmhouse Provision Ale - Jester King Craft Brewery

videofrog

Texas

4.78/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a 750ml bottle into a Jester King snifter. First batch directly from the brewery.

A: Cloudy burnt orange with a fluffy white head that settles into a ring that laces down the glass nicely.

S: Citrus up front, barnyard, faint malt sweetness. Some spiciness as well.

T: Follows the nose, except everything is more pronounced. Citrus in the beginning, maltiness in the middle, slightly bitter hops in the finish.

M: Medium and perfect for the style.

O: This is the best offering by Jester King since Black Metal. Gets better as it warms up. I can't keep my nose out of this one, as it smells amazing. Definitely a sipper to be enjoyed with a meal. If you want a widely available comparison, Boulevard's Tank 7 would be it. At the risk of sounding like a TX homer, I believe Mad Meg surpasses it.
Thanks, Jeff.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 00:53:13 | More by videofrog

lnashsig

Texas

4.48/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My #BOTG number 17. Officially ahead of schedule, yay! And, a nice celebratory brew for a big Astros domination of the Dodgers 12-0!

Poured from bottle into my JK Farmhouse Glass. Pours a rich looking and cloudy dark orange color. Nice head, leaves a creamy 1-2 fingers on the top of the beer. Nice looking beer. Smell- tapioca pudding, banana phenols, a whiff of brown sugar on the end. Maybe a whiff of creme brule? Interesting, smell delicious. Taste- grassy funk up front (clearly JK's new yeast strain), some creamy sweetness that carries on with the tapioca pudding taste I got in the aroma. At the end there is a nice burnt sugar ending. Mouthfeel is creamy, well carbonated. The ABV is hidden very well, but you can tell this is a big beer. Its a sipper, highly enjoyable. I will be buying this regularly if I can. Hard to clasify, I would not say that it falls into the Saison category, it is closer to a Belgian Strong Ale than anything else. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 23:15:09 | More by lnashsig

elNopalero

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a bold orange color, fizzy too. There’s a floral aroma with some orange zest and freshly squeezed juice. Tastes very floral, and zesty too—it’s hoppy, definitely, and spicy (rye, not pumpkin spices). There’s a lightness to it with a piney hop bite at the end. A strong, crisp saison with hints of a heavy Belgian-style triple from the floral yeasty notes and a great finish.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 21:23:33 | More by elNopalero

MattU

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at The Tap Exchange.

Appearance is a deep gold with a thin white head that dissipates quickly into a rim of foam that sticks around to the end of the glass.

The nose is sweet pilsner malt, perfumey warm alcohol and spicy Czech saaz hops, followed with traditional farmhouse yeast character.

The taste starts out with an implication of sweetness that is quickly replaces with the warm (but smooth) alcohol. Over ripe fruits (pineapple and pear) from the yeast along with a touch of spice. Finishes with a nice bitterness that is very smooth, tastes more like alcohol bitterness than hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is dry and full with bright and spritsy carbonation.

Overall a great beer. One of the better beers from Jester King.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 18:38:43 | More by MattU

HardTarget

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Deep haze in a golden glass with an amber core. Holds a bright white head high in the glass, a solid finger that leaves sticky persistent lace.

Smell: Lemongrass, over ripe peach, Belgian yeast and fruity esters. Heady alcohol edge, lemon peel bitter.

Taste: Just a touch funky. Hints of sour go a bit lemon juice with a leafy hop bitter that comes across as very German. It's a nice representative of the style, has the Trippel alcohol and hops, but comes out a bit sweeter and refreshing.

Mouthfeel: First hit was a bit soapy foam, but it settled down nicely and lets the bitter oil slowly soak after each sip.

Overall: Points for tasting like something made in a Belgian Farmhouse. They were generous with the Saaz hops giving a lot of punchy bitter, generous with the Pilsner malt giving a gritty, bready malt, and just funky enough with the yeast to give a ester perfume. I don't do sour beers, so I don't think I'd enjoy this after some cellaring, but will probably get another fresh.
Think this is my favorite Jester King so far.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 01:33:07 | More by HardTarget

LittleDon

Texas

4.24/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From a bottle stored refrigerated approximately one year.

Huge head the color of aging lace curtains. Great retention and lots of lace. Pale copper with a slight bit of haze. Floral aroma with a hint of caramel. On the dry side. Decent amount of carbonation with a medium-light body. Herbal/floral to start. Alcohol is slightly noticeable middle to finish in addition to a bit of acidity. Some Band-Aide funkiness in the finish with a low-medium amount of bitterness.

Given the review, I'd be interested to see how this drinks brand new.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 21:55:30 | More by LittleDon

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy golden-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. The head fades down very slowly leaving behind some nice lacing in the process.

S - Aroma is a mix of citrus, with some lemon zest, sweet caramel malt, farmhouse yeast esters with some spice, some floral hops, funk, and bread.

T - Starts off with some citrus flavors with some lemon peel, with some sweet caramel malts and some spicy yeast esters. Through the middle, some light barnyard funk comes through with some more yeast esters, floral hops, and some light bitterness. The finish is a mix of yeast esters, with some citrus and floral hops, sweet bready malts, and a touch of booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a estery, sweet, and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice yeast character forward beer. The malt and the other flavors keeps up well making for a nicely balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 05:53:25 | More by ngeunit1

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 1.8.13.
Thanks john!

A - Pours a cloudy medium dark orange with a two finger yellow-tan head that's fluffy with good retention.

S - Dry wood, oak, funk, floral, bread.

T - Spirng flowers, earthy-wood, oak and some bret.

D - Tons of carbonation with a light body and a dry finish.

O - Nice funky saison - floral, earthy and dry.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 06:21:50 | More by HuskyinPDX

champ103

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on cask at Hay Merchant, and again now in a bottle from Specs.

A: Pours a beautiful cloudy, hazed orange color. A massive white and rocky head forms with good retention. Lots of lace. This is a looker.
S: Passion fruits. Ripe orange and mango are most prevalent. Just a hint of Belgian yeast and a very slight acidity. Lingering Saaz hops which leaves a bitterness in the nose.
A: Like the nose, lots of ripe passion fruits. Orange and mango flavors. The yeast just peaks through. Slight funk and acid. Grainy malts that gives a nice grain/cracker note. Lingering hops that gives it a nice dry finish.
M/D: A medium body and very effervescent. So crisp and dry. Really easy to drink, and the alcohol is nowhere to be seen. A great sipper.

This is a very hopped up Saison. I wish the yeast was a bit more noticeable, but overall one of Jester Kings best. I have been critical of a lot of their offerings lately, but if I can get this and Le Petit Prince regularly I will be happy.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 22:34:56 | More by champ103

rtepiak

Poland

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

surprising hop note and excellent with chinese food. pour is a proper saison look with a golden hazy. nose bursts a really bright mandarin fruit. you know the oranges that smells really ripe and sweet but then is sour citrus grassy mineral in taste. palate is more so sweet and gritty... not too gritty though. tannins catch with food. good feel for something this big. nice saison almost belgian belgian triple candy note to it. rather dry and robust with that sweetness that lingers. i know just the 4 dollar chinese noodle house i would have this with in new york. if you can... try and have it with western chinese food. anything with lots of anise. good with oxtail and mild spiciness.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 05:18:03 | More by rtepiak

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a big Duvel tulip.

Orange body with some yellowing towards the bottom curve of the glass. Lovely lacing left down the glass.

Lemon and grassy hops jump out at me the most at first. It’s got a general fruitiness and spiciness about it. I’m guessing that’s from the yeast. A nice little bit of funk. On my second glass I pick up on some orange.

The lemon and grass are again prominent on the tongue. The flavor pretty much mimics the nose except with a touch of alcohol pops out for a moment as you swallow. Didn’t notice much alcohol in the smell. A little peppery.

Lots of little bubbles running around in the glass, but the carbonation seems more subdued in the mouth. The carbonation on this is much better than the past few bottles I had of JK brews which were over the top. I guess the new way they are carbonating the bottles is working(atleast for this one). Medium bodied.

I think you could pair this with a wide variety. I drank the last bit of the bottle with some homemade Tex-Mex styled food. Pretty darn good. It was quite the easy drinker for 9.6 so it's hard to drink much after this. A good nightcap.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 19:45:55 | More by MattSweatshirt

mwilbur

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 750 mL bottle into cervoise.
A: Bottle opens with a loud "pssfftt!" Watch out this is a live one! Pours a hazed orange-butterscotch with high carbonation producing a huge 4+ inch bubbly white head. Excellent retention. Nice lacing.
S: Pleasant mix of hops--citrus, soft pine, earthy, and floral. Orange peel, toasted and caramel malts. Strong yeast presence.
T: Quite different from the aroma... Medicinal herbs, peppery spice, toasted malt, soft citrus hops. Caramel notes come through with warming.
M: Medium-full body. Soft and creamy up front, then turns dry with moderate hop bite for the majority of the experience.
D: Excellent drinkability. Certainly an interesting take on a farmhouse ale. Refreshing with nice complexity. A solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 05:34:19 | More by mwilbur

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the Big Texas Beer Fest.

The beer pours a hazy yellow-orange color with a white head. The aroma is fairly complex, with some biscuit, grass, earth and a little bit of tartness and funk. The flavor is very similar. There is a strong Belgian yeast component to the flavor which is complimented nicely by some herb, floral, earth and some light citrus notes. There is also a little bit of tartness, but not near as much as you would get in the sour. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 02:11:37 | More by Mora2000

TX-Badger

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An offering from Jester King Craft Brewery, a 750mL bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A - Mad Meg has a cloudy blood orange appearance to it, with a nice amount of off-white foam head that lingers for a little while.

S - spice, cirtrusy esters, along with a noticeable amount yeast.

T - on the palate I mainly get an earthy spice with hints of citrusy hops. There is also good balance between the hops and the malt.

M - full-bodied, some chewiness, but to be expected with the cloudiness of the beer. The carbonation is almost spot on, maybe a little more than what I would like for this style of beer, but nothing to noticeably take away from the beer.

O - a very good Belgian-like saison/farmhouse ale. I like the fact that the 9.6% ABV does not kick you in the pants. The higher ABV is subtle and doesn't dominate the beer. I have another bottle that I plan on letting rest for a few months. It will be interesting to see how this ages.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 18:17:35 | More by TX-Badger

merc7186

New York

3.99/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into snifter glass.

A: Amber/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Some Lacing

S: Apples, Grassy, Pears, Mild Black Pepper

T: Apples, Black Pepper, Pears

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Spicy, Mildly Drying

Overall, a pretty nice 'sessionable' saison, nice spicy, fruit profile.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 23:46:31 | More by merc7186

MutualAid

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours out a golden haze with a beautiful, sticky off-white head that clings to the inside of the glass.

S - Nothing over the top here. Hints of barnyard funk, a good helping of sweet malt, and a slight hop bouquet.

T - The yeast definitely makes itself known here: lots of green pepper and clove. The finish is dry, which is probably attributable to both the presence of wheat on the bill and a highly attenuative yeast.

M - As with all Jester King beers, the mouthfeel is in the Goldilocks zone: somewhere between drinking water (or light lager) and a poorly brewed Russian Imperial Stout.

O - As with all the Jester King beers I've had this is a well executed ale, although I think it's more of a Biere de Garde than a Saison. Also, while Mad Meg is a great beer, I'm not seeing a lot of difference here from several other Jester King offerings; the brewers may want to either streamline their catalogue or amplify the differences between the beers so that more of a distinction can be drawn.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 03:32:49 | More by MutualAid

TexIndy

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml crowned bottle into a tulip glass. No dating info that I could see. It was a slightly hazy orange amber color with good carb streams especially with the etching kicking up a lot. It had a massive 3-4 finger head that finally settled to a constant 1-2 fingers. Good lacing with some sticking.

The aroma was led by spicy yeast and a good amount of funk on top of some noble hops and alcohol. Smells dry and peppery. The taste follows the aroma with good spice and pepper bite complimented with a good funk finish. Dry finish to go with the medium mouthfeel. Over carbonated but that could be due to the etching so next time I'll put in a non-etched glass.

Overall, a great funky saison that satisfies both urges if you looking for a saison or something funky. It's pretty dry and good dose of funk so, for me, I need to be really looking for that when I drink it or it might be a bit too much. Available here in TX obviously. Rotation: can see a few bottles a year but as noted I need to be in the mood for this particular taste profile.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 01:41:28 | More by TexIndy

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, Spring '12
Victory tulip

A: Pours a bright golden orange color. Nice fluffy HUGE egg shell white head. Tons of carbonation. Tiny bubbles streaming up the sides of the glass. It's over carbonated for sure. Can barely pour out without over pour. Score knocked down for this.

S: Farmhouse yeast funk. Spice: coriander and clove hints. Clean Euro hop aromas that lead to that citrus note that I am getting.

T: Get that spice right at the tip of the tongue. Leaves some bitterness. Then you get those Euro hops adding in that zesty citrus flavor. There are some simple malts in there to balance it too. The funk is more on the nose, although that spice hint is coming from it throughout. Finish is dry like most Saison styles. The ABV is hidden very nicely. It's actually refreshing.

M: It's a medium bodied brew. Carbonation really helps make this one very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 18:06:15 | More by inlimbo77

weonfire

Kentucky

3.96/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A - Orange/Brown with a touch of red. HUGE head. straight to brim. demands a VERY slow and careful pour. obviously high carbonation, big bubbles, very nice lacing.

S - Lemon, orange, grass, clean, hopps

T - initially- creamy carmel. followed by grass but a bit bland. finish is a mellowish wheat but very hoppy, sour bitter citrus. 9.6 ABVs are strong. booze comes thru.

M - really nice and frothy, viscosity is med/low, very high carbonation.

O - It was descent. Very bitter. Enjoyed the funky floral flavors. But the whole brew hasn't blended fully. goes from bland...to very high ABV hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 18:51:01 | More by weonfire

Florida9

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Mildly hazy amber in color. Forms an enormous white head that actively attempts to escape my glass. Eventually reduces down to a fairly thick finger of dense foam. Some clumpy lacing.

S: Aromatic. Mild caramel malt notes. Strongly herbal with notes of spice, green pepper, and a hint of acetone.

T: Mildly sweet caramel malts on the front end. Again, quite herbal almost to the point of being medicinal. However, the herbalness is balanced by the mild sweetness and the notes of apple and pear. Finishes with a mild citrus sweetness and a bit of alcoholic heat.

M: Medium bodied with heavy, prickly carbonation. Mild to moderate bitterness with a bit of heat from the alcohol.

O: A decent beer. Certainly not the best Farmhouse Ale I've ever come across and, from reading the reviews, there seems to be a good bit of bottle variation, but it does drink easier than it's 9.6% ABV would suggest and I felt it paired nicely with Asian food.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 19:35:03 | More by Florida9

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A. Semi-hazed orangish-amber in color with a three finger soapy foam head that leaves behind tremendous curtains of lace on the glass. It sticks around for several minutes, as well.

S. Oranges and peaches with tons of earthy hop tones and a nice level of bready yeasty goodness. Also there is a fairly large component of alcoholic booze carrying through over the top of the caramel malt aroma hanging around in the background.

T. Loads of yeast-derived spiciness, with plenty of herbal and grassy hopping flavor to complement, a mid-sip sting of dry lime paired with dry alcohol reminds me of a vodka gimlet. It all finishes up rather dry and lightly tannic.

M. Medium body, highly carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 23:03:19 | More by WastingFreetime

GregSVT

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a hazy dark yellow with a huge white head that fades to a layering and leaves some big lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is full of citrus and funky brett aromas. The citrus is in the form of orange and lemon.

T: The taste is a great mix of citrus, hops, and funk. There are nice orange and lemon notes along with a touch of pine and funky brett.

M: The feel is medium bodied and very bubbly due to the carbonation. It's almost overcarbed.

O: This is a tasty Farmhouse Ale and one I could drink on occasion. The funk isn't over done and actually complements the other flavors. I'd love to try this with a few years to see how everything develops. This and Thrash Metal are the better of their regular lineup.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 02:12:54 | More by GregSVT

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to the BA who sent me this one so I could share this one at a recent tasting! Served from bottle into a Sweetwater 15th Anniversary snifter. Poured yellow-orange with a one finger white finger head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised sweet malt, citrus, orange peel, and orange. The flavor was of sweet malt, citrus, orange rine, and orange. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. While I did enjoy this brew, I did have a few things about it that I didn’t find to be above other brews of the style. I really wish this one would have been quite a bit more complex on the flavor. The aroma on this one was really quite nice for the style as it really stood out from others. I would definitely love to try this one again, especially if it were a cask with some citrusy fruit added to it. Worth your time trying this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 10:44:49 | More by thagr81us

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle, the ale had an aroma that I would associate with a cordial type of liquor. It had characteristics of the funk in a farmhouse. The color was yellow straw with a bubbly white head. I can see how this beer might have erupted for other drinkers. The initial taste was a smooth liquory type of taste with notes of corriander and lemon. Some farmhouses make a drink feel like he/she has a mouth full of lemon rind. The lemon in this ale is strong enough to be noticed, but not overwhelming. The lemon yields in the aftertaste to a pleasant sweet peppery profile.

I am not big on farmhouse ales, but I did enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 16:09:58 | More by JohnnyHopps

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a hazy (almost milky) copper to amber in color with some light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation, moderate to significant amounts of dark visible sediment near the bottom of the glass, and some orange highlights. The beer has a huge head, at least four fingers tall dense foamy light beige head that slowly redues to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Very significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate amounts of caramel malts with some light amounts of fruity yeast (apple, grape, and apricot). There are light amounts of herbal and earthy hops.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate amounts of caramel malts which contribute a touch of sweetness with some moderate amounts of fruity yeasts (apple, grape, and apricot). There are light to moderate amounts of herbal and earthy hops which contribute a light amount lingering bitterness. There are some spicy notes as well including clove and pepper.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of alcohol warming and some light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This beer had one of the biggest heads I have ever poured on a beer - it was huge and just continued to grow with the pour (the bottle was foaming the minute I opened the bottle). The beer is big from an ABV perspective, possibly the biggest saison I have ever had. This is a sipping beer but definitely one to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 22:41:33 | More by dbrauneis