Bière De Mars - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes:

Pours a very dark ruby/chestnut brown color that appears completely opaque in the glass with sligh mahogany edges and a two finger frothy beige head. Very good retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap that leaves chunks of soapy lacing behind.

Funky earthy aroma with a prominent barrel character as well as some bret, citrus fruit and zesty spice. Lots of earthy oak/wood as well as some coriander and citrus rind.

Full chewy body with a slightly creamy texture as well as some soft carbonation up front and a good bit of dry funk. Slightly tart wihout being acidic. Nice dry Bret presence along with a wrong barrel charater and malt backbone. Hints of earhy oak, dry Bret and other bugs,vanilla and citrus peel. Dry finish. Complex, refreshing and very easy to drink. One of my favorite beers feom JP.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 23:22:44 | More by corby112

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - hazy tawney-orange with a thin tan head that dissipates fairly quickly.

Smell - Very vinous. Sour, earthy, and funky. Notes of dark tart cherries, oak, and honey.

Taste - Echoes the aroma. Softly sour with a nice oak presence and a clean, lingering finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 23:20:01 | More by

GrandCruDrew

New York

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This has alwaya been my favorite beer of all time. Reviewing 2010 & 2011 side by side. 750mL. The 2010 poured in my New Belgium goblet. The 2011 poured into my Struise goblet. The points in this review reflect the 2011.

2010 A- Pours a dark amber or even brown, beautiful off white head that is a solid 3 fingers. good lacing that coates the glass.
2011 A- Pours an amber, lighter than the 2010. It has great head about an inch and a half, lacing is a bit thinner than 2011.

2010 S- very similar to the 2011, but a little bit lighter on each characteristic. A little more funkiness, little less fruitiness.
2011 S- smell of fruity, beautiful funk and sour notes, light caramel, toffee, tart cherries, and signature JP Brett & funk.

2010 T- Definitely reflects it's age. It has more barnyard, mustiness and funkiness, but less depth and fruitiness.
2011 T- Every thing that the nose offers reflects on the palate. I think I get the Lager strainds a little. Which I would only like in a beer like this.

2010 M- A much shorter finish than the 2011.
2011 M- Great mouth feel. Lingers, tart on the mis and back palate.

2010 Overall- Good with age, but I may drink all of my future BdM young! Except GR's!
2011 Overall- I prefer fresh to vintage. This is by far superior in taste and in the nose. It offers so much fruitiness, spicyness and depth. I love this biere!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 00:42:57 | More by GrandCruDrew

abraxel

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a murky orange-brown, with an off-white head and little, steady streams of bubbles off the bottom of the glass. Nice.

S - Lots of yeasty, slightly funky esters (pretty recognizable as Jolly Pumpkin's signature). A little sour, a little sour-lemon-citrus. It's an enticing combination.

T - More sour lemon, estery funk, and is it oak? There's a distinctive place I can't quite place which might be the oak barrels. It tastes quite good, but I'm not well-versed in the style and can't quite define why ("What a useful review," you're saying).

M - Soft and smooth, nice and comfortable. Not too thick, not too thin.

O - Overall, quite good. I'm going to the release of the grand reserve next week, and am quite excited, given how tasty the base beer is.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 00:04:14 | More by abraxel

webmanspidey

Michigan

4.47/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle poured into a large snifter. This is a clear translucent brown color, extremely well carbonated with a champagne-like fizziness. Smell is sour and funky with lots of lemon, barnyard, and blue cheese-ish qualities. Taste is a sour, pungent lemon.. very acidic and very drinkable. This is delicious. Jolly Pumpkin is a great brewery for sour beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 01:36:33 | More by webmanspidey

UMNbeerhunter

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 346/348Poured into a Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery Globe on 4/9/11.

Pours a dark brown with some amber red hues when held to the light. Pours a medium off white brown head that leaves no lacing.

Smells sweet but has a tang of cherries and smells of earth in the slightest since.

Taste is almost like wine. Lots of fruity tones and a nice hop presence. Lots of tang but well balanced. Other tones fights back the sour.

Mouthfeel is medium. Nice bite on the front and a little on the middle of the palate but its a solid brew.

Over all try this beer. Not great but l want people go at it. Great brew and I will seek it in the near future.

Cheer, Joe

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 05:10:28 | More by UMNbeerhunter

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a copper-red colour with thick white head. Head dissipates fairly quickly without too much lacing. Smells tart, with some oak and lots of yeasty aroma. Flavour has a very mild sourness, but there is a very big malty flavour to this beer as well. Aftertaste seems to be mostly sour, with my mouth puckering somewhat. Fairly big carbonation level. Another nice beer from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 04:15:38 | More by kwjd

AwYeh

California

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, Blend 2, 2/24/10, poured into snifter; thanks to Jesse13713 for splitting this one with me.

A: Pours a cloudy mahogany brown color with a finger of dense, off-white head, with good retention and spotty lacing.

S: Tangy, yeasty, musty, and oaky; quite complex while being tart throughout.

T/M: Quite sour, on par with a gueuze easily; acid coats the palate much like lemon juice. Oaky flavors are quite strong, along with some citrus fruits- the aforementioned lemon in particular (sour apple, while not a citrus, is also pretty predominant). Medium-bodied with light carbonation, quite smooth considering the acidity present. Sour/bitter finish closes things off nicely.

D: An enjoyable glass, I wouldn't mind returning to this one again in the future when I'm feeling something sour.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 05:44:17 | More by AwYeh

Jesse13713

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - About a finger and a half of head topples over a dark brown beer. Quite impressive lacing that clings to the glass. A slight coppery red.

Smell - Very sour with strong hints of grapes. Has a distinct red wine smell to it. Slight lemon. Quite a strong presence of Belgian yeast in this.

Taste - Definitely a take on the darker side by Jolly Pumpkin. There traditional and signature sour taste is combined with a darker reddish brown ale taste. Very heavy in the sour and lemon zest departments. Quite a bit of citrus and a light note of cherry. Slightly malty and the sourness balances out the sweetness perfectly.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability - As stated, slightly more sour than sweet. A very awesome tasting and well balanced beer. Slightly more the red ale and darker tasting side of J.P. beers. This reminds me even further of why Jolly Pumpkin is one of my favorite breweries.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 05:38:12 | More by Jesse13713

Buggies

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 250 ml bottle. My bottle has a sticker on it that says "Blend 2 Bottled 2-24-10. Not sure what that means. But anyway, it pours a dark ruby red with a thin fizzy head.

The aroma has a definite oak aroma. Also smells of grape. Has sort of that wine like aroma. You can smell the tartness before it hits your tongue.

Tastes great. The tartness starts to work on the first sip. Tastes of fruit... mostly grape. What a nice presence of the oak.

This is the first beer I have had in the style. Tastes almost wine like. The tartness is so interesting to me. This beer is a greater sipper. Overall, this one is well worth a try. These types of beers are so far left than many of the other styles that they are just fun to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 22:41:44 | More by Buggies

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I've had this before but didn't review it... I wish I had this laying around all the time... Bottle brought over and shared by DSC.

Pours a murky rusty cherry color with a tan creamy head... Nice curtains of bubbly lace. Nice.

Nose is dry oak, sour tart cherries, and some nice funk... Mmmm.

Taste is lightly sweet cherries, tart cherries, vinegar, dry funk, and oak. Wow. Nice sour bite. This tastes sooo good! As it warms up, there is a light spice note.

Body is nice and creamy. Certainly not overcarbonated or thin feeling. It is just right.

This is hands down my favorite Jolly Pumpkin beer... The flavor, funk, and tartness are everything I want out of a JP beer. This is so good.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 21:59:50 | More by AleWatcher

Beejay

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Hazy dark brown/walnut in the glass. Nice tan head, though it fades rather quickly.

S: Tangy. There is a nice sweetish sour note right off the bat. I am picking up lemon and berries, a touch of vinegar and some malt.

T: Tart and sour right off the bat. There is perhaps a touch of mustiness in this, and perhaps a little bit of leather/licorice. As it gets warmer the sour seems to fade a little and some malt tends to come out a little more.

M: Light on body, very high carbonation, and slightly filmy, yet somehow drying as well. Odd.

D: Overall I think the sourness covers up a lot of the other flavors. Nearly all the oak character is covered up by the sourness. As I continue to drink I can pick up a bit more of what the beer beneath the sour is, but I still think this could be nearly any base beer and many people wouldn't be able to pull out the original style. It's good, but I think this degree of sour muddles up anything that the base beer was.. I enjoy it, but I probably wouldn't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 03:19:06 | More by Beejay

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bomber thanks to bobsy, we were thinking Bier de Garde but this one is anything but traditional.

Pours a dark ruddy brown with hints of amber and purple. Nose reveals the sharp sourness, which has a bit of funk and vingar like quality, that matches wits with a caramel and toffee base, loads of dark fruits, hint of cocoa, light roast. A little acidic and sharp for my liking, lacking the integration of many of JPs other offerings. A little too sharp carbonation which presents the beer as thinner than it is, just wasn't that drinkable for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 20:20:31 | More by ritzkiss

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

4.58/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy brown almost an amber color with good head and some lace. The aroma is very funky with cheese horse blanket sour cherry and some bread. The flavor is very sour with some lemon peel and is well balanced with a good strawberry and fruity character. The beer is dry and oaky and has some vinous notes. Beautiful.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 18:59:04 | More by BieresDesMoines

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Paired with a turkey dinner.

Pours a rich honey brown with a finger of creamy head that put down some nice lace spots. Caramel, earth and funk on the nose, along with very light vinegar notes. Interesting flavour. Surprisingly malty, with caramel and cocoa notes that provide a decent sweetness. A light funky acidity lurks underneath, but doesn't seem as pronounced as others indicate other batches have been. Medium body and carbonatio work well for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 15:46:42 | More by bobsy

7ways

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Holy shit, a Jolly Pumpkin beer that doesn't foam like a 3rd grade science project! Almost no head actually, but I've had this beer at least three times in the past with the opposite result, so I'll rate on past experience. Warm dark brown, a little iridescent, with no lace.

A lot going on in the aroma, but hard to pick out because the head disappeared so fast. Cocoa, pepper, apple, grape, cola, and old furniture. Not as musty or funky as I expected. A little sweet vinegar.

Tastes much more sweet and sour than it smells. The hell with Bière de Garde, this is more of a flanders red than La Roja. It has that caustic apple cider vinegar/sour cherry/rhubarb/oak that I associate with the best Oud Bruins. A little roasted malt in the finish combined with the traditional JP funk and feel makes for a hell of a complex treat.

Carbonation is right on, acidic as hell, but it leaves a pleasant lingering dryness and coating. The body is a little light for my preference, but perfectly acceptable.

Yum.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 02:27:42 | More by 7ways

beerhan

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL 9/26/2010

Biere de Mars pours a warm honey amber color with a nice frothy head with some yeast showing through. Some sediment did remain but nonetheless did not effect flavor.

Smells very sour and dry similar to a champagne or a geuze perhaps.

Tastes very similar to a flanders old bruin. Very dry, feel and tart taste. Few red wine notes stick out making this a very fascinating beer. Reminds me of a pumped up monk's cafe but less refreshing in a sense.

This beer is a sipper. It took me about an hour and a half to get the bottle down and I did in fact enjoy it. The smell was beautiful and it did taste great. My only beef with this is I feel that it is too hard to take down a bottle. I did enjoy it a great deal but I felt that it was a bit too alcoholic for the style. I would have enjoyed a smaller serving but next time I will probably split this. A little pricey but for sure worth trying

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 16:14:57 | More by beerhan

aesopsgato

Alabama

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm not sure why this one is so much harder to get ahold of than jp's other beers, but I'm really glad someone decided to give this to me as an extra. After La Roja, I knew I had to seek out more of these guy's beers.

Pours hazy brown, opaque, with one to two fingers of head. Good retention of head, good lacing, good carbonation, this beer looks good.

Smells sour, due to the "two yeasts" this bottle asserts it is brewed with. Its not that funky, more sour. Vinegar is present, which is slightly unappealing. A little fruit and oak present.

Taste is much the same, sour, dry, slight malt. Slightly fruity, slightly oaky. Vinegar continues in the taste. Mouthfeel is dry, light, perhaps a bit too much so.

Drinkability good, I would certainly try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2010 17:49:26 | More by aesopsgato

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Surprised to see this one on the shelf at The Andersons. The bottle looks bad ass. Black cap, dark glass and a tan and black dominant painting on the label. It looks mean, it looks rustic. I dont really know what to expect because others of this style Ive had werent great, really grainy with strange alcohol over top but I know Jolly Pumpkin beers pretty much all have a nice sourness to them. Here goes nothing.

A- Poured into a Unibroue tulip. The beer creates a fizzy head that is small and of a rustic tan color. I dont expect much in the way of retention out of most sours and this one falls into that category. It fades and the beer looks flat, as many sours do. The beer is a rusty red. Its clear but a little hazy. The color is nice, its a very rustic looking beer.

S- Weak on the nose but still pretty good. Mostly crab apples and plum skins. Swirl it up and you get oak and yeasts. The yeasts are undeniably wild and funky and sour.

T- Very nice! This isnt anything like the other Biere de Gardes that I have had. Its very Jolly Pumpkin and very good. The others didnt have any sourness. They were very malty and grainy. I like this much much more. Lots of plum skin and crab apple sourness. A little bit of funky yeast. Old oak rounds it out.

M- Fizzy but not too sharp. The sourness creates a nice dryness.

D- I really liked this beer. The sourness is just enough, not too strong but still there through the whole beer. Its a very refreshing beer. Lots of juicy fruits.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 04:28:29 | More by MbpBugeye

bamadog

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cracked a bottle of this the other night with my buddy Jeff. The review is from notes taken on 6/10/2010 and poured from the bottle to a tulip.

Appearance: Pours a dark, murky, toffee brown; starts with a big 2 and 1/2 finger light tan, creamy head with solid retention and slowly dwindles to a full cap; the body is murky and mostly opaque, but shows strong and tiny carbonation by the sides of the glass where it's possible to see in; all kinds of different patterns of lacing, ranging from a foamy cloud to spots and streaks.

Smell: Smell is quite potent and just smelling it makes me want to pucker as the very tart cherry and green apple scents blast out; very faint brett funkiness in the back and it smells very appealing.

Taste: Total blast of sour at first when it touches the tongue -- lots of tart cherry and acidic green apple flavors; after the initial blast of tartness/sourness, the flavors mellow and become much smoother and the sour gives way to smoother fruit flavors and the brett funk comes out a bit more with a bit of an astringent oaky woodiness.

Mouthfeel: Quite nice -- carbonation is quite light and allows the body remain pretty smooth; body is of medium weight and really leaves a nice stick all over the palate; I really like the strong puckering at the beginning and I wish it lingered longer, but I also appreciate how it mellows and almost becomes a bit like a merlot.

Drinkability: I love the flavors and the refreshing tartness; it's not overpoweringly sour or funky; a solid body with a little weight that isn't killing the stomach; the acidity gets to be a little much after a while, but it is still most definitely enjoyable. Yet another solid offering from JP! Cheers and mahalo!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 22:34:17 | More by bamadog

drtth

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard shaker glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: The beer as poured is a lightly hazed dark amber, almost brown color, with a ¾" thick light tan head that leaves lots of lacing and persists for much of the beer.

Smell: The aroma is lightly musty and sour with some dried fruit. There are also traces of caramel malt in here.

Taste: The flavors are slightly sour mixed in with the slightly sweet caramel malt. Also floating around in here are some tart cherry, some apple and some oak.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium to full bodied with lots of carbonation that gives it a nice prickly feel. The finish is moderately long, rich and complex as the various flavors slide in and out leaving a bit of sour or tart plum at the end

Drinkability: At first I thought this beer was only ok, but then I realized that this is a beer takes some getting used to. I have the suspicion that it's the type of beer that will grow on me over time. I certainly intend to revisit this beer to see if I like it better or less the next time around.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2010 01:19:41 | More by drtth

DaveHS

California

4.72/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow. This is one hell of a good beer! Pours a rusty orange color with a creamy,off-white head. Leaves lots of sticky lacing. The aroma is oak-heavy, with tart notes of cherry, granny smith apples and apricot. Some funky farmhouse notes and
brettanomyces earthiness. Mouthfeel is light to medium with moderate, refreshing carbonation. Dominant oak flavors are
balanced by black pepper, funky brettanomyces, and apple/cherry tartness. The finish is yeasty and lingering, with a bracing sour bite.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 21:16:09 | More by DaveHS

BeerAndBourbon

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A. Pours a very dark copper/red color with a thick creamy foam that quickly dissipates to a thin layer of tan/off-white foam that sits around for the entire session.
S. I mistakenly thought I was getting into a beer aged in bourbon oak barrels rather than oak barrels so I was quite shocked by the smell. It smells a bit like a kriek; it's a sour citrus smell with Granny smith apples and cherry pits; quite intriguing.
T. It tastes a lot like the smell: sour apples and cherries. It also has a grape/red wine flavor. It finishes with some pepper and barnyard funk.
M. A bit thin with a very mild (appropriate) level of carbonation.
D. This beer is not meant to be consumed as a session beer so it's drinkability is appropriate. This is a beer that could be used between courses to help refresh the palate.

All in all this is a terrific beer. It would be a good introduction to real lambics since it has some of the same characteristics, but is a bit more restrained than many of the lambics that I've had the pleasure of tasting.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2010 02:27:48 | More by BeerAndBourbon

Gorgoroth

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

1 pt, 9.4 fl. oz. capped bomber, purchased at Siciliano's Market, Grand Rapids, MI

Batch ID sticker reads "Blend 2/Bottled 02-24-2010"

glassware: oversize snifter

A - gentle pour yields rich ruby brown color with light carbonation and half-a-finger wide creamy, off-white head that dissipated almost entirely within a minute

S - immediate in the nose are acetic apple vinegar with Belgian yeast; notes of raisin, plum, and brandy with faint undertones of cinnamon, clove, and barnyard

T - strong acetic, vinegar taste on the front of palate, bolstered by sour cherry, sour apple, and oak-aged red wine; the finish is a potent barnyard funk with lingering herbal bitterness and mellow strains of yeast

M - very light, effervescent carbonation which becomes less and less detectable as the beer warms; medium body with slight alcohol warmth and dryness in the finish

D - very complex and potent; best drunk slowly for maximum enjoyment; I finished the better part of the bomber myself, so it's definitely drinkable.

Passingly paired this beer with turtle cheesecake and tiramisu desserts from an Italian restaurant we were eating; paired well with the bretty and acetic complexity of the beer balancing the sweet and creamy attributes of the desserts

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 03:34:55 | More by Gorgoroth

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, sticker on bottle says Blend 2, Bottled 2-24-10. Served in a tulip glass, the beer pours a reddish/copper color with a half inch off-white head. Head retention is low, not much lacing either. Aroma is nice and tart, the brew smells like tart apples, vinegar, funk, cherries, and an earthy aroma. It tastes pretty much just like the aroma, but with the addition of some oak, peppery spice and some grapes/red wine. The tart/sour taste is the most noticable out of all the flavors, which is definitely a good thing for me! Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit dry and has moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's easy to drink and I enjoyed it. Overall I think this is a good brew, it's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2010 22:16:13 | More by bluejacket74