Bam Bière - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

Farmhouse aroma with attractive spices. Lace, cloudy yellow, thin head. Aggressive carbonation, tasty and very drinkable. Medium mouthfeel. Crisp, funky, citrus, ginger heat, corriander, pepper,sour aftertaste and spice burn like a hot chile pepper. Recommend with dinner.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2006 23:45:50 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Furiously carbonated marigold beneath a Belgianesque cap of light beige foam. The head resembles beer from that country in size certainly, but not in texture. Oops, I spoke too soon. The foam is a little rocky as it deflates and leaves the glass respectably covered with, if not exactly slathered with, meandering streamers of lace. I like the look.

The nose is an appealing mixture of fruit, spice and phenolic farmhouse funk. Too much of the last would have been too much, but it manages to stay on the polite side of the line. So far, I'd say that Jolly Pumpkin has done a more than creditable job with a style that many American brewers seem to have trouble with.

While Bam Biere isn't nearly as deep or as complex as the best Continental saisons, it's no slouch either. A big blast of flavor greets my every mouthful; I just wish that there was more behind the blast. I'm relatively certain that a near doubling of the ABV would effectively solve that problem, but this would then be a different beer entirely.

Unsweet pears and apples lead the way, along with a white peppery spiciness that is only moderately clove-like. There's still a fair amount of Islay whisky-like phenols, but not enough to turn off those who might shy away from such flavors. Bam is impressively dry and crisp. So much so that I'm pretty sure this is a candi sugar-free zone (the sub-5% ABV suggests that as well).

The body/mouthfeel weighs in somewhere between light and medium; it's difficult to tell with all the bubbles. Thankfully, the beer feels lively rather than chaotic and I wouldn't change the amount of carbonation one iota.

Bam Biere is an excellent JP offering and is second only to the outstanding Oro De Calabaza in my opinion. This bottle disappeared in the blink of an eye and I find myself wanting more. I love the idea of a sessionable saison that comes in 12 ounce bottles. I wish more American craft breweries would follow Jolly Pumpkin's example.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2006 13:50:52 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The pour was very nice with a rich golden yellow. Lots of haze and cloudiness here with a large two finger high head of white foam that just would not receded. Lots of carbonation coming up from the bottom to reinforce it.

The aroma was loaded with spices. Hints of lemon and cinnamon where abound here, with a rich earthy mix to it. Lots of almost a nutmeg I am picking up here. The flavor took off right where that left off. A rich mixture of lemon, fresh grass, light fruit flavors and a ton of spice. Nice hints of allspice, cinnamon and pepper here. Nice light to medium body feel capped it off very well and the overall drinkability was very nice,

Overall not half bad. Not the best in the style I had ever had, but definitely worth seeking out to try again.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 01:29:28 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

Bottle from 2009

A: The beer pours a slightly hazed golden orange color with a rocky white head and excellent lacing.

S: There are just a ton of different fruits here. Lots of peaches, lemons, berries, and apples. The usual spice, esters, and phenols of a saison are there and underneath is a bit of damp oak. Slightly tart in the typical Jolly Pumpkin fashion.

T: A lot of white grape, lemon, and apple. There are some nice yeast notes and a lot of "saison character". A touch wild with a more oak forward feel than the nose lets on. The same could be said of the more substantial tartness.

M: The body is medium with a moderate to high level of carbonation and a crisp, dry finish.

D: Probably my favorite Jolly Pumpkin regular line-up beer. This one is just fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 07:47:34 | More by womencantsail

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

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a nearly clear, yellow body with a fizzy, white head.

Smell: Meager maltiness with scents of must-ridden hay, dandelion petals, and a touch of coriander.

Taste: Light malt sweetness and flavor with a nice amount of lemons and, to a lesser extent, bananas. Some Belgian-type spices thrown in. Both lightly bitter and sour on the lasting finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: A simple lil' saison!

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2007 02:46:00 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cloudy honey color with a huge head that retains well and leaves all kind of dancing lace patterns around the chalice

Smell: Bretty funk and coriander, with undertones of peach

Taste: Starts out with an immediate blast of barnyard funk that only intensifies by mid-palate; underneath, there are growing hints of pepper and coriander, along with some peach and orange peel flavors; after the swallow, the massive tastes actually settle down and come together into a nicely fruity, but sour finish; an interesting floral aspect appears well after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with foamy carbonation

Drinkability: A first class effort; funkier than most saisons (limiting drinkability from my perspective), but that is the Jolly Pumpkin signature

Thanks, TheBungyo, for another great experience

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2007 01:01:27 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle courtesy of Thebeercellar2: Poured a slightly hazy blonde color ale with a huge foamy white head with great retention. Very interesting aroma consisting of brett with some sweet malt, some funk and some wheat and spices. Taste as some sourness and funkyness which is well balance with some sweet malt, some light spices and some oak characteristic. Very well done and very interesting from this brewery, which just seem to continually amaze me.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2006 15:54:57 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Great for the upcomming warm season. Very citrusy and musky. Looks a hazy yellow with fleeting head retention. Promises to be thin and tart. The nose offers a tart / sour taste and feel. Lemony and orange-ey with a bold spice undertone. It turns from an upfront creamy and smooth to a finishing thin and tart. Lightly barnyardy and musky. Lightly acidic, alcoholic and astringent. Very clean and crisp. A true refresher for the warm summer evenings.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2006 20:16:00 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Ashley's in Ann Arbor,poured a light golden with a fizzy white head that was gone pretty fast.Aromas were nice quite phenolic and lemon zest with hints of black pepper and coriander.In my opinion this beer is a little to phenolic and yeasty there with notes of green apple and peppery spice in the finish.Its a decent brew but I was somewhat lrt down by it,its ok but I wouldnt seek it out again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2006 22:06:02 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Jolly Pumpkin's bottle-conditioned farmhouse ale pours a cloudy golden body with an orange cast beneath a massive, rocky head of white froth. The head retention and lacing are excellent, obviously buoyed a bit by the streams of tiny bubbles teeming from below.

The nose is initially very yeasty and peppery (black pepper, the fresh seeds of garden peppers) with a delicate citrusy side. As it warms a bit, some more fruit shows (papaya, melon rind), floral hops, and a more complex, earthy and mineralish character reveals themselves.

The flavor offers a dollop of sharp, thin fruit (golden delicious apples, white grapes, spent lemon wedges) upfront, followed by a wash of acidity and then some increasing yeastiness (as in actual yeast flavor, not fruitiness). As it warms some delicate maltiness also appears across the middle; and notes of dusty earth, citrus rind, and trampled floral hops give it depth in an otherwise thin-base. Yeasty black peppper comes forward in the swallow and lingers a bit, leaving it quite dry in the finish. Everything else disappears immediately (the fruit and acidity) leaving it very short and refreshing. The pepperiness and earthy/mineral/slate-like character (Brettanomyces), however, remain, and cut down on the refreshing side by just a little bit.

The body, not unlike the flavor and aroma, is at first sip seemingly thin or lacking. It becomes apparent almost immediately, however, that the balance between the light-medium body and its delicately zesty carbonation-level is perfectly done. Any more would leave it dulled, and any less would leave it vapid. As it is, the piquant display is just right for accentuating the delicate nuances it offers.

Overall it's quite impressive. The initial broadness of the yeast softens as it warms to reveal its full range, and the combination of muddy Brett and floral hops is engaging. This is not a beer for the mainstream or entry-level beer connoseur, but rather a teasing delicacy for those familiar with the complex beers of Belgium and southern France.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2006 13:56:32 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Turbid, bold and golden...huge, active, crystalline white head, leaves some lace, bounces around...lots of bubbles dancing around this one....

Tart, lemony nose, straw and spice, citrus aplenty...alert and a-lively, perfumey and perfectly pleasant....

Lemon looms large in the taste, as well, some minor pepper notes, then it softly fades away. Slides serenely and effortlessly down the windpipe, past the gullet, into the tummy. A prince of a drinker, with lingering lemon and lime in the finish, coating the tongue ever so gently. Very effervescent, kindly carbonated.

Would've liked this more with a fuller body, but that's okay,you can't win them all, can you?

Good, though....not bad in the least...

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2007 09:43:51 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a cloudy gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a refreshingly fruity scent of yeast esters and spices. It's a bit tart, but nothing over the top. The taste is good. It has a dry earthy pale malt and yeast flavor. It goes down easy and finishes peppery with a mild tartness. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a good drinking beer. I love the aroma. Also, the hops in the finish add a nice complexity to the palate. It's light and fruity with just the right amount of earthiness.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2007 00:22:28 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Bottle does not have a born on date. Beer is yellow and completely hazy. Its dark yellow, almost brownish. Carbonation is moderate and steady made up of small bubbles. Forms a medium head about two fingers deep and the head falls away leaving some lacing on the glass. Looks like a saison.

Pretty sweet and fruity aroma for a saison. Was not expecting that. What is this going to taste like. There is almost no sulfur character at all.

Lots of carbonation in the mouth. There is a lot of fruit character to this beer. More than expected with a slight aftertaste of grain. The fruit character is tropical, almost pineapple, mango. Second taste, medium bodied, drinkability OK. Its pretty good. Flavors seem to be off style slightly but its interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 02:09:37 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

Thanks to RBlaszak for sending this bottle as an extra. Batch 548/549. Bottled 5/6/10.

The beer pours a hazy straw color with a white head. The aroma is very heavy on the brett with some pepper and orange citrus notes mixed in. The beer smells very inviting.

The flavor is also very heavy on the brett. I get a lot of orange and lemon notes, as well as a heavy leather component from the brett. There is a light sourness and a medium amount of funk. Very tasty and easy to drink.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 03:01:02 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a slightly hazy, orange/golden color with a small, bubbly, eggshell white head of foam. It left some soapy residue on the glass.

S - It smelled of some barnyard funk and sour fruits.

T - Good funky flavor with sour fruits providing a little pucker factor. Good Belgian spices with some sweet caramel to balance out the sour.

M - It was crisp, sharp and finished quite dry. A medium bodied beer that is very easy drinking.

D - This is a very nice saison. I love the sour/bitter combo with just enough sweet caramel to make a very tasty Belgian-style ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 16:19:41 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is clear golden yellow in color and has a high amount of carbonation. It poured with a two finger high bright white head that has good retention properties and consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: The nose is spicy and has moderately strong aromas of peppers.
T: Like the smell, the taste is spicy and has flavors of pepper and yeast along with some notes of sourness and hints of lemon.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied, crisp and a bit thin and watery on the palate with a high amount of carbonation. The finish is rather dry.
O: The beer is easy to drink and is quite refreshing. The low alcohol content makes it very sessionable.

Note: Batch 695/696, Bottled 12/17/2010

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 21:13:23 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.9/5  rDev +25%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12-oz bottle, Sampled February 2006
Pours an incredibly hazy, orangish-yellow color. It is well carbonated, which produces a pale tan colored, frothy, fairly dense, almost meringue like head that leaves a coat of lacing on the sides as I work my way through this beer. Ah, the aroma is exactly what I hoped; lightly tart, with a bit of lemon, plus a solid funkiness that reminds me a bit of damp (perhaps even slightly moldy) cotton, and a slight farmhouse cheese note. There is also a real nice floral aspect to the aroma, which makes me think of a field of fragrant wildflowers. As I delve more into this, some spicy character begins to become noticeable; I get notes of white pepper, some definite orange peel, a hint of spicy ginger. The aroma on this beer is really nice, incredibly complex and definitely wild with funky aromatic notes that make this outstanding.

The taste is light up front, with a hint of sweetness in this pretty much bone dry beer. As the beer passes through it starts to pick up that funkiness that was found in the nose; I would describe it as a lightly astringent, with a solid funky brett-like note of musty blankets, which carries through to a long finish. There is also a really nice light acidic tartness to this beer that has note of soft lemon and a bit of Curacao orange flesh to it as well.

The aroma is definitely the best aspect of this beer, everything else is world class as well though. I have really become a sucker for these low alcohol, yeast & wee-beastie flavor driven profiles. They are so refreshing, yet fully complex and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2006 00:17:42 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a short white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains and odd funk that I've never encountered along with Belgian yeast, some spices and light malts.

T: The taste starts out with tartness from flavors of citrus and some spice. The some bready flavors of Belgian yeast and a thin malt character come in. The hops presence is mild but complementary. The after-taste is slightly sour.

M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style even though it's a bit on the sour side, although there are better beers in the style this is a good beer do drink for a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 03:41:29 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This was paired up with a red cheese wild mushroom puff pastry with ginger plum chutney, awesome combo. The smell of the beer had a really nice dry hopped aroma and earthy farmhouse smell it to it. The taste paired with the food was very nice, the sour hoppiness was matched very well with the creamy cheese. The mouthfeel had a healthy amount of carbonation. Overall this beer was very enjoyable with the pairing and on it's own.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 01:13:17 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Cheers to ddarden for this one!

Pours a slightly hazy bronze with a tightly packed 1.5" white head. Great lacing & head retention in my chimnay glass

Smell: Lemons & latic acid, a bit overpowering

Taste: Tart & more tartness (grapefruit) that just wraps around the whole tounge. Finishes dry and grapefruitty

MF: Light & effrvescent, probably a touch too light for the style.

Drinks okay on hot day like today (just got finished playing catch with my boy & raking a lot of dead grass). But tartness would prevent this from being more than a one or 2 beer selection. But having said that I didn't like about 1/2 the saisons I had in Belgiue either. First I've had from jolly pumpkin, makes me want to try some more

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2006 02:59:06 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On cask at the Map Room, from notes over the summer.

Pint glass arrives with a honeycomb of irregular bubbles floating atop a deep orange liquid.

Smell is intensely funky yeast with a citrus note following it up.

Taste is tart, smooth, predominately lemon zest, and dry lingering farmhouse funk. Cask conditioning seems to lessen the carbonation, focusing the flavor somewhat. Again, tart citrus, yeast, and maybe a light clove are the major flavors in play.

Mouthfeel is smooth and mellow, not as effervescent as it's bottled counterpart. Saison is characterized by it's zesty carbonation, and on cask it falls a little short in that respect.

Drinkability is good since I had 3 in a row...

Serving type: cask

12-29-2006 03:04:10 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.2/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle,

A: Pours a hazy yellow-orange with a cloudy, puffy, full rocky white head with excellent retention and gobs of pillow like lace.

S: Some Brett, tart yellow apples, pear, wet dog which is appropriate considering the label.

T: Orange marmalade and lemon jelly, with wet wool and lactic acid. Brett is prevalant, but not taking over lending its characteristic horse blanket flavour. Needs some rustic fare to sink it's teeth into, not a traditional session beer.

M: Creamy and smooth, thick feeling for its 4.5%, moderate acidity that melds well with the flavours.

D: A very good saison sour hybrid by JP. Really their flagship beer and one of their best.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 00:02:52 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a hazy pale yellow color with a 3" fluffy merangue-like head that lasts forever. Some spots of lace develop.

Smell: yeast, pepper, tart citrus, and barnyard funkiness make up a pleasant aroma.

Taste: the yeast imparts a strong flavor here. Tart lemons, green apples and a big pepper bite is balanced with some nice bitterness. Hint of sourness with a decent amount of musk rounds it out.

Mouthfeel: crisp from start to finish. The finish is a touch dry. Medium bodied beer. Aftertaste is a bit sour and funky, but the peppery yeast tones are the longest lasting.

Drinkability: easy to quaff this one. Very enjoyable farmhouse brew that everyone should give a shot.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2007 21:23:39 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

750 ml bottle:

Pours clouded golden with a white fluffy head that descends to a rocky, lasting cover. Some foamy spots of lacing stick.

The smell is of lemon peel - lemon pretty strong, but not overpowering. Herbal/earthy/grassy spicing and some barnyard-y mustiness lend a nice complexity.

The taste is of lemon tang with underlying sweet grainy maltiness, some barnyard mustiness and grassy, herbal spicing. Sweet, tart, and a touch of bitter. Finishes refreshingly dry.

The light-to-medium body is effervescent while not being too fizzy.

It has the characteristics of the style, and they work well together. Pretty complex, in a subtle way, with a lingering lemon zest. Modest abv for style.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2008 21:40:51 | More by jwc215