E. S. Bam - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 288/289.

The beer pours an orange-amber color with an off-white head. The aroma is brett, leather and some light citrus. The flavor is very leathery, I guess from the brettanomyces. I also get some citrus as well as dark fruits with low to medium hop bitterness. As the beer warms I get more caramel and toffee malts. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2010 02:27:05 | More by Mora2000

GilGarp

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 521/522. Bottled 3/11/10.

750 mL bottle served cool into my Watou glass.

E.S. Bam is a beautiful beer. It has a golden amber color with great clarity and thick head that fits the glass perfectly. It settles slowly leaving a sheet of lace behind.

Aroma is wonderful and complex. There is sweet fruit and floral notes, slight farmhouse funk, and fresh hoppy goodness.

Flavor is equally complex if not quite as enjoyable as the aroma. It has a pleasant grassy hop overlying the earthy/funky farmhouse ale body. It's actually very well done in terms of variety and balance of flavors.

Mouthfeel is medium-light in body and well-carbonated. It's sweet to begin and bitter/dry on the finish.

Overall a fantastically flavorful and complex beer. Expensive, yes, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 00:41:49 | More by GilGarp

b3shine

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml. to tulip. Looks good; dark and hoppy for a sour. Bouquet is good, with both the hops and sour present. Taste is it's best attribute. You get both the hoppiness and the flavor of a sour, which I admit, is a combination I'm both unfamiliar with and impressed by. Overall, a good beer that I'll be having again.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 23:53:14 | More by b3shine

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: cloudy, dark tan in color, 1 inch head, high carbonation

Smell: pepper, hay, and lemon

Taste: pepper, funk, hay, some small hops, and lemon

Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, light bodied, dry, sweet start with a more bitter sour finish

Drinkability: I really enjoyed the flavors in this one and could have several glasses. Not as hoppy as I expected and very well blended. I would look for this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 20:22:51 | More by tigg924

PerHops

California

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A- Lots and lots of carbonation! Have to pour about 6 ounces (at the most) at a time. Poured into a large snifter. I would say 50/50 body to head for the first 90 seconds, or so. Head eventually settles down to about an inch of whispy foam.

S- Lemons, barnyard funk and some minerals.

T- Bone dry. A little bit of a metalic, copper flavor. Some earthy tobacco and spice notes. Nice big bitter finish. Did not expect that one.

M- Exceptional. This is how I want a sip to feel like after a long day at the "office".

O- Less sour than I was hoping. In the same breath, as good as I could have hoped it would be. This is a quality beer and very unique, at that.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 00:05:56 | More by PerHops

rapidsequence

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. $12 from Bruisin Ales.

Appearance: The body of the beer is a somewhat hazy dark orange color. The head and lacing are second to none. The thickest, creamiest, rockiest head with furry lacing all over my La Chouffe tulip.

Smell: Its got a nice tartness and barnyard funkiness with wet hay and stable aromas. Lemon and grass. Spicy yeast phenolics aren't like cloves, but almost like bandaid without seeming off. A little sweet apple and pear and a whiff of underlying pale malt.

Taste: Hops come through much more in the flavor. Grassy, spicy, and bitter. Much less funk in the flavor, but it goes well with the hops, as does the tart lemon flavor. Nice crisp, dry finish.

Mouthfeel: The beer is highly carbonated, but still soft rather than sharp. I love the dryness from high attentuation and how the carbonation and bitterness accentuate it.

Overall: This is close to being really great. I love the idea of a hoppy saison, but this one has too much bitterness, and not enough good hops flavor. The bitterness covers up the funk and tart. Good, and different, but needs a tweak.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 00:35:57 | More by rapidsequence

SaucyA

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 267/268, straight from the brewery, into my La Chouffe tulip.

A - Beautiful, rocky, light tan, HUGE head sits atop a carbonated dark amber. Head retention is outrageous, like all JP brews.

S - Belgian yeast, green, freshly picked hops. Citrus notes plenitful. Nothing mind-boggling, but appetizing.

T - Slightly one dimensional, yet wonderfully balanced and tasty. Very reminescent of Bam Biere in my opinion, but slightly less dry, sweeter malts, and a little hop bitterness on the finish. Interesting perfumey hop/yeast interplay. The more it warms, the greater it becomes in terms of complexity and flavor. The final glass really displays the roastier side of the beer, with the malts playing a giant role in the taste... which is something I'm not very used to with this brewery.

M - Sparkly and light. Very Jolly Pumpkin. Gets creamier the more it warms.

D - Supremely drinkable. Great taste, undetectable ABV, and a truly well done brew. 3/4 into the bomber, I have a slight buzz... so my prediction of the ABV is around 5%.

Notes: This is a great beer that should be in JP's lineup year-round. Perfect for warm spring afternoons!

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2008 20:25:50 | More by SaucyA

emerge077

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very deep amber tone, hazy and murky. Fluffy foam, not as carbonated as the standard Bam. Bits of irregular lace here and there.

Sweet and bready malt aroma, floral hops, and trace amounts of wet stone that seems to sometimes be attributed to wild yeasts.

Malty body, light and ever-bubbly carbonation, mild floral and bitterness from the extra hops. They are more of the grassy/leafy variety. Some mild fruity pear also that comes and goes. Tasty and approachable, seems that it would definitely pair well with many dishes.

Although I still prefer the standard Bam Biére, this is a close 2nd, with Noire in 3rd.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2008 22:59:26 | More by emerge077

bort11

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I love my wife. She brought this home to me just because. This is my first Jolly Pumpkin beer and I am looking forward to more now that they are available to the area.

750 ml bottle, batch 288/289, poured into a Boulevard Smokestack goblet. Medium light tan head with a thick creamy consistency. Lace paint the walls of the glass with each sip. Color is a dark polished wood. Amber highlights when held to the light.

Smell is a rich earthy and medicinal herbal quality. Hints of caramel malts sneak in around the edges. Taste has more more caramel malt flavor, but is held in check by herbal hop flowers. A bit of orange peel and tea.

Mouthfeel is light but has a creamy texture. Very nice introduction to Jolly Pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2008 01:11:12 | More by bort11

drxandy

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Labeled Batch 278, 750ml poured to tulip glass, pours a foamy highly carbonated deep reddish peachy brown shade with creamy tan head - looks good :D

smells of funk, apples, sweet, yeastiness, hops

tastes just like the other bam lineup but with hops thrown in the mix, not a bad thing, but i just kinda hoped for something different and nothing extremely new/unique - but regardless that doesn't effect the score for me. Carbonation makes everything pop, good malts, hop usage is enough to let you know they're there but don't outstage the rest of the party. Love the balance, as the hops linger but don't disrupt anything, very very nicely played ron jefferies.
sweet, bitter, sour, tart, funk, yum, most likely my favorite bam so far :D

mouthfeel is crisp from carbonation, great head and retention, nice subtle lingering bitterness, great beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 17:45:46 | More by drxandy

tai4ji2x

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle from LS or bottletrek (i forget), by way of stevemcqueenjr.

batch 288/289, tasted in mid-may 2009. poured into tulip.

dark amber. clear if decanted properly. enormous 4+ finger, light tan head, slowly forms meringue and iceberg, leaving behind layers of lace before i even get to my first sip. head eventually fades to a stable thin layer, with a tiny creamy meringue in the middle. great lacing.

aroma: citrusy (grapefruit) hops surprise me upfront, with mild barn funk, horse blanket, musty leather, sweet grass and hay. then proceeds into malty caramel and malt and cider vinegars, with spicy anise and licorice in back, with some herbal notes and faint phenols. very complex.

taste: mild acidity with malt vinegar tones, into spice and hops, lingering strongly with citrus rind, hay and leathery funk, creating a spicy, moderate bitterness. just a touch watered down in comparison though.

medium body, gentle acidity and astringency, helped by moderate carbonation which can be tingly, fluffy.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 04:57:24 | More by tai4ji2x

everetends

Alabama

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on tap at the Brick Store Pub. Figured I would start a night of drinking with something light and tasty, and this caught my eye immediately on the tap list. Served up in a tulip.

A: Hits the bar in front of me and it is sitting with a pretty dark amber body with deep, rich red hues. Almost has a bit of a light purple tint to it at times (it is dark in here, so that may have something to do with it). Held to the light, it is absolutely darker than expected but the body has just a touch of haze to it. On the most part though, it is pretty clear. The tulip had a good two fingers of DENSE, pristine white foam sitting on top. Might as well call this cream instead of head. Just move it out of the way for sippin, but places for smelling and it works fine. Lace is all over this glass as I drink this one down. Very nice to look at indeed.

S: Funky goodness is what I am getting from the aroma. Lots of dusty and earthy notes coming out first and foremost. Hops are grassy and earthy as well. Getting a touch of wood in here. There is a little bit of a malt presence but it is a very light biscuity note on the back end. This smells like the end of a hot day in a field. You can smell the dirt from the earth, spicy grain, pollen, etc. Its nice.

T: Not much unlike the nose. Lots of earthy funkiness. Grass hops notes. Dusty wood, earth, peppery spice. Its funky but its not overly funky. It has a lightness to it that I can really appreciate. Behind that I get a little bit of some fruit notes in the form of orange and green apple. Just a little bit of sweetness and tartness. Malts seem to be an afterthought here as well with just a touch of biscuit and ever so faint caramel on the back end. This beer is just so damned clean and fresh tasting.

M: Light bodied with a wonderfully crisp carbonation. Little bit of tartness, little bit of sweetness on the palate. ABV is not worth mentioning because it might as well not exist in this beer. Can't find it. Aftertaste is a light lingering earthy funk.

D: Well I had to give it up to this beer because I couldn't stop pouring it down my throat. Just so damned easy to drink, I killed a glass of this in mere minutes. This being my first JP experience, I am quite happy to have gotten to finally have this and on tap no less. This is a perfect beer to drink on a hot day and thats probably why it hit the spot perfectly for me. Will have to see if I want to shell out the cash to keep bottles of this at home, but I will say that I am very pleased with this beer.

Serving Type: Draught Vessel Type: Tulip Price:NA

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2010 22:19:14 | More by everetends

VoiceOfTheSoul

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz into a tulip at Pinocchio's in Media, PA back in June.

A Pours a cloudy orange brown with a thick, pillowy off-white one finger head.

S It's funky and light, hints of pee (which isn't all that bad a thing), greens like celery or lettuce, slightly musty like a barn, citrus, hops. There's a spice I just can't place along with some pepper.

T Crisp, refreshing, light, slightly tart with some bready almost like spicy rye malts up front and in the middle. Bitterness in the finish with some sweetness and mustiness along with some acidic urine. Citrus on the tip and at the back changing from sweet lemons to tart limes.

M Thin, light, somewhat watery with decent carbonation especially at the front and sides. Something you'd expect from a summer beer.

O Refreshing, light. Great beer on a lightly breezy spring day to a schorching hot summer one. Nice complexity with intriguing undertones, some of which I can't quite pick out.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2011 19:10:18 | More by VoiceOfTheSoul

joe1510

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml
$9.99
Sam's Marcey

Batch 267,268

E.S.Bam empties into the glass a beautiful, juicy ruby red with a moderate haziness. A large bubbled beige head grew to three fingers on the pour. The head eventually falls to a thick dense one finger that the lively carbonation keeps in place. Stream after stream of tiny carbonation bubbles race to the surface. As the head falls it leaves behind some sticky, spotty, patchy lacing at first but soon leaves sheet lacing and thick drink lines. A really good looking beer!

One of the things I really enjoy about the standard Bam Biere is the summer field like funkiness and according to the nose E.S.Bam has all that same great funkiness. Dusty and slightly tart with a big helping of wild flowers and pollen. A nice grassy hoppiness throughout that really adds another layer of complexity that I'm very fond of. Extremely inviting nose!

The flavor follows the nose very well. A good deal of that wild flower like funkiness greets you right upfront and leads the way throughout. There is a slight earthy dusty and mustiness toward the backend. The grassy hoppiness is there on the swallow in small doses but the more I drink the more the bitterness piles up. This is a good beer without a doubt.

The mouthfeel is where it should be. Healthy carbonation leads to a light tingly mouthfeel that massages the tongue on the quick ride through.

This is an easy beer to put away. A thirst quencher with mild dryness on the swallow leaves you wanting more.

Another good brew from Jolly Pumpkin and I expected nothing less. This is right up my alley in terms of a farmhouse style beer. Keep 'em coming guys I have yet to find anything less then good from Jolly Pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 00:34:12 | More by joe1510

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 267/268
Pours a deep red/ copper color with a big light tan head. In the aroma, small tartness, earthy, and small hop hints. In the taste, earthy, a small fruity tartness, and small hop presence up front. A bitter and a medium mouthfeel, and a small dry bitterness, and a green apple tartness in the aftertaste. Not a conventional ESB, nice green apple tartness, and a good hop presence. I don't think Jolly Pumpkin makes a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2008 13:47:40 | More by OWSLEY069

Gyle41386

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a tulip. Consumed at a tasting with a handful of fellow BA's. Review is from tasting notes.

Hazy, light amber, straw colored. Very cool to watch this one being opened. After the cap came off, foam ever so slowly started coming out of the top of the bottle. Naturally, that translated to a huge, rocky, foamy head in the glass. Pretty good lacing.

Sour scent. I've had Bam Biere, and that had a little bit of sourness/funk, so obviously this is a step above it. Very interesting aroma because of the hoppiness.

Taste follows the nose. Crisp, refreshing, clean, dry finish. Very nice mingling between the hop bitterness and the funky sour.

Heavier body than Bam Biere. Creamy and smooth. Easy drinker, as any good saison should be.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2009 05:42:23 | More by Gyle41386

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer appears a hazy, light brown with a nice, big head. Nice retention and lacing. Hops and brett aromas are very inviting. Some nice earthy notes as well. Distinctive Jolly pumpkin funkiness with a pleasant, sour finish. Smooth mouthfeel with a nice balance of carbonation / creaminess. Another tasty offering from Jolly Pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 03:08:25 | More by Huhzubendah

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a hazy golden yellow brew. The head was pretty vigorous and lasted quite a while. The smell of the beer was pretty sour and I guess there might have been some hops in the distance. The taste was more sour I thought than hoppy. The hops might have enhanced the tartness of the beer. The mouthfeel wasn't too bad, it felt like it was on the medium side. This was decent in my opinion.

Revisit 7-27-11: paired with a flat iron steak entive salad. It really brought this beer back to what I think it was supposedto be like. No sour quality at this point. The taste of the beer almost had an earthy vanilla flavor to it. Very impressive pairing at the Trapp Door.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 23:56:47 | More by Knapp85

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazed amber with a huge cap of foam that climbs over the lip of the glass despite a gentle pour.

Nice lemony tartness, coarse grassy bitterness, slightly salty sea air aroma, brett funk, leather. Firmly bitter.

Despite the "more malt, more hops" claim, I find regular Bam more expressive. However, this is still a serious farmhouse ale and the amount of flavor packed into a sub 5% beer is pretty remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 20:19:21 | More by bump8628

Big78CJ

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This cask was tapped five minutes ago at Trappeze Pub in Athens. It poured a nice brownish color with a little auburn highlights in the light. Kind of murky glow with very little head. It smells very acidy and sour, typical of a Jolly Pumpkin. Flavor is much more subdued than the aroma, however, with a mild sour taste. The carbonation is nice and low with a flavorful wood (sherry cask?) taste that ends nicely. Mouthfeel is light and easy. I can't wait until this beer hits bottle!

Serving type: cask

02-14-2008 23:30:27 | More by Big78CJ

quasimoto

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice amber color topped off with a nice light off-white head, that would have stuck around had I not swirled the glass so much.
The aromas of oak, bread, pine, earthy horseblanket, some sugary candy, almost a cumin/garam masala flavor, start off the nose,
The taste is woodsy, caramelish sweet malts, light pear-ish, maybe. with the flowery taste of the hops. The finish is of a light peppery note that cleans off the palette.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied and pseudo-dry. Lightly carbonated.
Overall a very easy drinking farmhouse style ale. A great one at that.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2008 23:26:43 | More by quasimoto

oberon

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an oversized wine glass a medium brown with a bit of deep orange tint a creamy slight off white head atop leaving broken lace behind s it never completely settled.A mix of herbal and earthy hop mixed with juicy fruit and just a touch of wet grainy funk,flavors are a mix of hops,somewhat earthy and medicinal with an underlying sourness all up against a hard slighty sweet maltbase.I liked this brew more than the regular Bam, much more hop complexity.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2008 23:30:31 | More by oberon

demitriustown

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into a Tulip glass. Aroma is Sour apple, yeast, tart, some malts in the backing, and nice and rounded light floral hop aroma. Pours a cloudy amber with a milk tan head that lingers. Taste is got more of a hop presence than other JP beers then melds into the classic belgian tastes that I'm used to from Jolly Pumpkin. With the sours apple, yeast, and a slight amount of roasted malts intermingled. Palate is bubbly and lively on the tongue with an aftertaste of slight tartness. Overall, A really enjoyable session brew in my opinion. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 18:00:12 | More by demitriustown

habanosdarklord

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle date of 4-15-11

Poured into a Riedel Burgundy wine glass.

Looks great for a Farmhouse. Nothing to get too excited about though. Typical, maybe darker than usual. Smells of orange orange rind, bannana, clove, malt, and some sourness. Rich, complex nose with a "fresh" sense about it. I really enjoy the aroma of Jolly beers, there is a signature smell to them that's great. Smells great for a Farmhouse. Taste is on board with the smell. Starts off with a great citrus flavor, lemon maybe. Great creamy mouthfeel, good carbonation as well. I pick up some "green" on the palate as well. By "green" I mean herb and green vegetal. Not a bad flavor though. Mostly on the finish of this beer. Slight dank note to this beer as well, along the lines of grassy. If you like farmhouse ales this is a great offering. Complex, interesting, refreshing, all around nice beer. Get it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 03:22:33 | More by habanosdarklord

brc

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. Half was frothy white head which stays billowy and cavernous for many minutes. Beautiful. Cloudy amber liquid with some orange color.

Smells of lemongrass, fruits and flowers - a wisp of springtime.

Tastes fairly mild for its name, though it's complex. Piney and herbal with a slightly bitter kick, with some sweetness underneath. Slightly lemony.

Dry and very filling mouthfeel.

A lovely find.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 02:23:38 | More by brc