Bam Bière - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

KDawg

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap at Jolly Pumpkin. Pours a hazy yellow color with a nice foamy head.

Balanced with decent depth and aromas of funk, navel oranges, bitter lemons and some spice tones as well.

Medium bodied with a nice smooth feel. Nice depth with notes of bitter lemons, spices, navel oranges and a touch of funk.

The funk would emerge more in the bottle. There is a nice crispness to it across the aromas and taste. A very good beer with nice balance as well.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 04:03:09 | More by KDawg

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Pours a hazy orange color with a huge white head. The head has amazing persistence and leaves a very nice level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is of lemon citrus and yeast. With this are some lighter aromas of a sour apple and some pine hop notes as well.

Taste – The taste starts out of a bread and lemon sour flavor. As the taste advances the sourness grows stronger with some tartness of hits the tongue. The bread flavor is rather light now and the sourness and tart flavors of lemon get stronger with some yeast flavors and a lighter earthy and grassy hop flavor coming to the tongue. The sour flavors transition from being just lemon to a more lemon-apple mix as the taste advances to the end with the flavor crisping up a bit to leave a bittered bite on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the lighter side with the carbonation level being rather high. Very standard.

Overall – A decent saison,, but at the price you pay for it is not really one to go after -rather standard.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2012 23:36:06 | More by Darkmagus82

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On Tap at the Public House in Las Vegas for 10$

Appearance – Clear yellow colour with a small size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 2-3 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains/wheat, citric/lemons, spices

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation. Most of the taste is made up of tart citrus and some vinegar. There is also some wheat/barnyard flavour and a bit of a spiciness. It ends with a tart lemon and spice aftertaste.

Overall – Very drinkable. A lot of gueze like qualities. Looking forward to trying more beers from this brewer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2012 14:08:15 | More by spinrsx

quirkzoo

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright golden yellow with a tight white head that has good retention. Nose opens with some tart lemon, then moves of to the funk, some wet mushrooms and forest floor. Not overpowering in the funk department, just enough to balance the tartness. The taste is more of the same, very well balanced beer. I get a little bit of an aspirin bitter aftertaste but not enough to ruin the beer for me. The mouthfeel is spritzy and thin and lends itself to high drinkability. Overall, this is a nice funky farmhouse ale, nothing overpowering or outlandishly funky but definitely drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 20:41:07 | More by quirkzoo

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Lion's Pride.

A - Poured into a tulip a clear gold with a one finger head that fades to leave a nice blanket with minimal side lacing.

S - Very light barnyard funk on the nose with some light citrus as well.

T - Similar to the mouthfeel with a nice funk. Its a fair balance between malts and floral hops, and citrus/funk.

M - Its light and crisp, smooth carbonation with a crisp dry finish.

O - Overall I was somewhat dissappointed by this Jolly Pumpkin offering. Its nice and lightly funky/sour but not as assertive as some other Jolly Pumpkins.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 22:22:39 | More by rudzud

osusullins

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy straw color with a frothy head.

Nice aroma for a sour. Smells like sour funk. Some serious floral notes. I love those dry-hopped bouquets.

Taste is very tart balanced with spicy malts and floral hops. Decent beer for a sour. My favorite of the Jolly Pumpkin beers that I have tried.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 02:28:15 | More by osusullins

iadler

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Local Option. Served in a snifter.

A- A slightly hazy straw yellow with a three finger head and lots of rising carbonation. Some thin lines of lacing are left behind.

S- Citrus notes are prominent at first with granny smith apple including the skin, pear and lemon zest. Barnyard funk follows after with hay and a bit of floral hops.

T- Follows the aroma with green apple, pear, lemon zest, barnyard funk, floral hops and some peppery spice.

M- Medium carbonation and low to medium body. Has a pretty crisp mouthfeel that finishes dry and clean.

O- A nice Saison that it sour, funky, yet very approachable and drinkable. This has the most barnyard funk taste I've had in a Saison, but am impressed with this brew and curious to try more of their offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 16:52:31 | More by iadler

Northsider

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Local Option, Chicago.

I really enjoyed the Goose Island Sofie, which apparently is the same style as this (-ish?). I was hoping for the great taste that Sofie had, and I was a bit disappointed.

The pour was golden/yellow, clearish. Head was massive and lingered forever. Some carbonation bubbles latched to the side of the glass.

Smell was very fruity and some spice. The taste was definitely crisp and refreshing, but didn't really follow up on the fruity smell. The bitterness took over after it hit the tongue, which I wasn't a fan of. It made finishing this drink a chore. However, the low abv made it easy to drink once I got past the bitterness.

Overall not a bad beer, but not the great experience I had with Sofie from Goose Island. I wouldn't get this again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 02:12:55 | More by Northsider

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Poured a clear golden-yellow, with a small white head that dissipated rather quickly. Musty smell, sweet malts, and a touch of sugar. Sweet toasted malt taste, grassy with extra dandelions, some hay and light sugar notes. A subtle sensation of bitter hops also noticeable in the finish. Light bodied and moderately drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2011 04:00:45 | More by Rifugium

Rayek

Colorado

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at City O' City in Denver. Served in a snifter.

Bam is cloudy peach with a wispy eggshell head that quickly falls to a ring of foam. Leaves bits of lace.

Saison is a style I've really been digging of late, but this one just isn't doing it for me. The body is thin and the taste is too. Funk is the theme here. Apple, pear and straw fight against a lemon and vinegar sourness. Something seems way off. A light earthy hop presence tries to get through the sourness. Finishes dry, tart and puckering.

I like a good Saison and Bam is hitting few of the right buttons for me.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2011 03:50:06 | More by Rayek

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at devils den in philly

Pours a clouded straw yellow, thin white head, clouded film, plenty of carbonation, and some patches of lacing.

Spritzy citrus with lemon and peel, fruit sweetness and bretty funk.

Nice yeasty citrus up front with lemon and orange. Rind and pith with a decent backbone, straw and lemon grass. Some biscuit malt and tart brett funk. Finishes tingly and dry with some lingering flavor.

Lighter medium body, high carbonation, refreshing and drinkable. Nice flavor and good integration of tartness, fits in nicely with the rest of the JP lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 21:37:22 | More by xnicknj

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a slightly hazy straw color and it was served to me with a thick, firm, bright white cap.

s: One of the funkier saisons I've come across. I found lots of funk, but not the obnoxiously overpowering kind. Zesty, tart fruits, lots of phenols, and a hint of peppery spice.

t: Wonderfully tart and refreshing. I tasted lots of earthy, musty fruits, plus a nice peppery spice bite. They found a great level of sourness for a small saison.

m: Fuller bodied for a small beer with prickly, effervescent carbonation.

o: Just an outstanding, refreshing, unbelievably drinkable small saison. Loved it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 11:17:35 | More by DIM

smakawhat

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap into a tumbler at Pizza Paradiso.

Super fluffy white head with almost perfect uniform pinhead sized bubbles throughout. A very yellow cloudy body like a lemon skin. Minimal lacing while drinking but some. Beer looks suspended.

Smell just seems strangely fresh. First a faint hint of cardamom spice, then giving way to sour yeast. A real refreshing sense of sea salt also and even some hints of butter. Enjoying that.

Mouthfeel is what I feel first on the taste, it seems really chewy in texture. Sour lemon with some decent tartness that is tolerable. Real neat tight carbonation on the finish. There is along with the lemon taste just a bare slight hint of sweet cream.

I am pretty impressed with this one overall. I am not usually a big fan of this style but this just might be my favorite so far.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2011 22:44:32 | More by smakawhat

DefenCorps

Oregon

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's the other day.

Light straw yellow with a dense, white head with great retention and lacing. The nose is great. Plenty of Brett and funk, this has a great balance between old leather and hay, bringing to mind a good BDSM session.Straw, wheat and a little yeast are present. With no malt or hop character, is is all about the yeast. The palate has a complex Brett character, leather, straw, clove and hay. The clove plays second fiddle here. Light in body with high carbonation, this is drying and mildly spicy on the finish. A great deal when on tap at Max's, the bottles are just too damn pricey.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 03:41:22 | More by DefenCorps

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From tap to 4oz snifter at ChurchKey on 3/14/11
*From notes

A: Lemony haze - it looks like a field of sunflowers. Small .75 finger head that runs away quickly, leaving some faint traces of lacing. When swirled, it reappears quite quickly.

S: Wild brett funk and lavender.

T: Twangy and a bit sour-funky up front. The malt busts through within seconds, providing a stable and relatable backbone to a light and fairly acidic brew that reminds me of warm spring days.

M: Light and airy. It's well carbonated and rests pleasantly in the mouth. Inoffensive.

O: Jolly Pumpkin's Bam Biere is a nice little Saison. It doesn't rank at the top of the list, but it certainly has a home in the upper middle class.

This is a really agreeable and sessionable Farmhouse Ale that's better had being sipped.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2011 22:14:53 | More by Rhettroactive

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate yellow-golden with a nice white head and some pretty good lacing. The nose is quite good with some moderate funk, light grain, green apple, and some oak. The taste is a bit peppery with some oak and funk. Some very light fruit. Really good feel between the oak and the funk. Drinks incredibly well and is absolutely sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2010 04:11:46 | More by Thorpe429

twelvsies

Maine

4.65/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz tulip on draught at fine establishment. A very lively pour, so much so that the bartender had to let the beer sit for a minute or two to give me an honest glassful. After that the beer settles nicely into the glass with a huge and long-lived head, atop a bright orange biere. Fresh and lively, inviting. This beer is all about the fresh and the lively - zippy aroma of fresh grains, light grassy hops, and a slight musty funk. Subtly complex yet maintaining a simple, straightforward quench and drinkability factor. Nice woodsy funk, slightly sour, dry and earthy, slight hints of soap and bitter hop, lemony fresh and light grains. Real dang tasty. Finishes dry and refreshing. Quite possibly a perfect beer. Jolly Pumpkin embraces the barrel and so should you.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2010 20:09:43 | More by twelvsies

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap @ Capone's for a saison event, this is from old notes.

A- Light golden with a slight bronze attitude, kinda like a new olympic medal. A nice tight cap around top full of the white stuff. Spray paint lace.

S- Oak from american wood without the vanilla and a slightly tart scent coming up. Wild berries, yeasty, earthy.

T- This is one fine saison that reminds me of a mix of saison and berliner weiss. A great balance of oak, tannins, apricot and lemon and a yeasty finish.

M- Light bodied with moderate carb. Some tartness that fades away leaving a dry finish.

D- Since having this a few more timesw around the city, I gotta say it's one to go back for. It's not super complex, but an easy drinker with character.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 15:15:08 | More by onix1agr

shodrod

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours with a golden straw color with a beautiful head that clings to the glass and recedes very deliberately. A heavy green apple presence in the aroma which comes from their love of open fermentation. The flavor is exactly what you expect from the first sniff...lots of green apple and heavy sour notes. Not a beer you can drink several of in one sitting because of the sourness. The finish is quite dry and one would expect from a saison style. If you want to experience the pinnacle of open fermentation brewing, get your hands on just about anything this brewery makes!

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2010 07:02:10 | More by shodrod

zoso1967

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served up a cloudy, slightly golden yellow with a nice foamy and creamy head that leaves droopy lacing on the sides of the tumbler. Aroma is of fresh citrus, pepper, grass and summertime. It also carries are fare amount brett tartness. The flavor is quite nice and much more complex than the smell. Lactic tartness, pale malt, sour apple, pear, spice, a hint of skunk, lemon grass, grain and cellar. The body is fairly light and it has a slightly sticky and lingering finish. This is a very drinkable beer that would make a great summer session choice.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2010 00:19:59 | More by zoso1967

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Draft. Stopped in the brewery and had a little sampler of several beers. Pretty cloudy yellow pour with a white head. Spice and slight fruit aroma in the nose. Spicy farm taste as well. Funky finish with fruits. Light/Medium mouthfeel. Not really something that I thought was spectacular but not terrible either.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 18:19:25 | More by kbutler1

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draft at Birreria Paradiso in Georgetown.

A: Hazy yellow with a large, white, fluffy head that resembles a cloud. Great lacing all over the glass.

S: Lemons, brettanomyces, hay.

T: This beer is quite light and refreshing. The low abv and easy drinking feel make this a great summertime beer. Funky brett flavors and a quaffable beer makes me happy. It's not incredibly sour by any means, but the brett aspect is instantly recognizable, and plays a major role in the overall taste profile.

M: Smooth and easy, but perhaps a bit under carbonated.

D: Very easy to drink. Sour, but not overly so. Low alcohol content with a pleasant aroma and taste. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2010 18:54:01 | More by Huhzubendah

jrallen34

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

In tap at the jp pub as part of a sampler...Pours a light gold semi clear, ok retention and lacing...The aroma and taste are both dominated by sourness, there is not a lot going on here in terms of complexity or flavor. A typical jp sour beer but a little below average for them.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2010 01:22:02 | More by jrallen34

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This particular saison beer comes out of the tap a hazy, barely translucent light honey golden. Strong aroma is sweet, fairly malty and slightly spicy. Malty flavor is somewhat honey-sweet and slightly spicy and hoppy. Texture is lively, fizzy and tingly.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2010 00:45:35 | More by Cyberkedi

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had on tap at the brewery.

A-pours a hazy golden orange color with a pure white head.

S-the nose is light, musky basement, fruits come in, pear, peach, hints of acidity and some lemon rind in back.

T-earthy up front, notes of pears and a light vinegar, hints of tartness, grassy marijuanna in the back, a little watery.

M-full bodied, medium carbonation but still has a crisp drier finish.

D-flavors thin out in the back, the balance is there but it seems a little watery.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2010 01:06:25 | More by cpetrone84