Mad Meg Farmhouse Provision Ale - Jester King Craft Brewery

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

dfwprosportsjon

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had at the house and poured from a bomber.

A: Pours a cloudy, golden orange with a nice billowy head that lasts awhile. Has legs as you drink it.

S: The smell surprised me as it lacked the saisson yeast smell I expected. This smell was all belgian with only a slight hop aroma.

T: Has a slight spiciness to it but overall it lacks the tartness I expect from a farmhouse ale. It's very smooth for a big beer (9.6% ABV) but isn't that flavorful for a Jester King selection and underwhelmed me.

M: Good thickness to the beer with a nice carbonation to it. If anything it's too carbonated but I prefer my beer at a lower carb than most.

O: I was excited to try this beer but it was very bland with some spiciness and mild hop taste that never went anywhere. Jester King is known as a high priced boutique brewery where you pay for quality and to me this was an average beer that left me unimpressed. I actually would have graded it lower if not for the smoothness it exhibited at nearly 10% ABV. It was more belgian than farmhouse to me and just was too bland for me to rate it any higher.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 20:31:25 | More by dfwprosportsjon

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

champ103

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

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 nicet 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 this is a nicely made Saison.

Serving type: bottle

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

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

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.68/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to texasclimber for the bottle.

Pours bright orange with a sticky 2 finger head leaving good lacing down the glass.

Smells like dirty laundry. Dank aroma with some big Belgian spice notes. A little alcohol and some malt sweetness.

Big bold spice flavor. Belgian yeast seems to dominate any subtle flavors. There is also heat from the alcohol with some floral and pepper notes as well. All over the place and not particularly pleasant.

Medium body and carbonation.

Weird beer and not to my liking at all. No elements of funk at all which is how I prefer my saisons. Complete spice bomb and the higher ABV isn't hidden well.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 15:28:13 | More by jmarsh123

FosterJM

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1253rd Review on BA
Bottle to Goblet
750 ml

No bottle date

Thanks to Lnashsig for this one

App- It's orange. I mean really orange. No other colors in the glass. Huge 2-1/2 finger slightly off white head with great sticky cling and a great web of lace.

Smell- All Jester King beers kinda sort all smell the same to me. A very distinct yeast strain. Has a few outlying notes of citrus, some dampness and some pungent wheat.

Taste- A solid offering from JK. I am finding with this particular beer that I found one particular flavor that is throwing the whole thing off for me. A bit of a saison, a bit DIPA and one more flavor I just cant pin down! Brings across the wheat, citrus flavors pretty well though.

Mouth- A fairly wet beer with some big spicy, malty citrus notes remaining. A bit of a medium body with a medium carbonation level.

Drink- Pretty tasty. Wanted more but that one flavor just pulls it down for me. Maybe another time I can snag another bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 23:27:39 | More by FosterJM

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

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

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

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

Sean9689

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased at WLV.

A - Pours mirky golden color, cream-colored head, sticky lace.

S - Floral, herbal, light funk, hops, light spice. Lots of stuff going on here, but all working well together.

T - Pretty much right in line with the nose, perhaps a little more funk on the finish and some light tartness. The alcohol is really well-hidden for 9%...I'm impressed.

M - Medium body, good carbonation, dry finish.

O - A nice saison that I can't believe is 9%. Really easy drinking and complex, but I couldn't drink a whole lot of it in one session. My 4oz pour was perfect.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 02:01:43 | More by Sean9689

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

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

emerge077

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Quick review transcribed from written notes, sampled in a mini-pint.

Pours an amber color with active trails of carbonation along the sides of the glass. Thin layer of creamy foam on the surface, the beer has a slight haze to it.

Perceptible alcohol right of the bat, and not in a good way. No hiding from the abv pushing 10%. Some lightly grassy noble hops compete in the aroma.

Phenolic and bitter taste, somewhat sour with a bitter peppery aftertaste, becoming medicinal with successive sips. Medium bodied with an ample level of carbonation. Alcohol is a little too pervasive here, and combined with the heavy handed spices, it's not something i'm a fan of personally. Seems like it could use some tweaking to make things more cohesive...

Sounds: The Fast Set - Fascination

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 01:56:08 | More by emerge077

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

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

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