Weizen Bam Bière - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Vogie

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Blend # 10. Bottled on 08-17-2012. Served in a Duvel tulip glass with Salmen, Asparagus, and Cabbage. My first Jolly Pumpkin beer as well....

A: Pours a golden hazy color with a fizzy finger of head that quickly disappears leaving a thin white cap over the beer.

S: Lots of lemon, nutmeg, some banana, sour, yeasty, earthy.

T: Sour lemon and apple notes with faint banana.

M: Light, thin, lemony

O: Not my favorite style here. Very sour. Almost reminds me of drinking a lemonade. The Weizen yeast with the sourness just doesn't do it for me. I wouldn't mind trying other Jolly Pumpkin beers, but I'll pass on this one if I see it again....

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 16:34:52 | More by Vogie

yamar68

Minnesota

4.11/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Classic pale wheat gold with a wispy half finger of snow white head that recedes quickly but still manages to leave behind a bit of lace.

Malted wheat, banana, fresh clove aromas, a bit of soured grain, wet hay... smooth.

It's got a nice tang from front to back that I wouldn't expect. Some mellow citrus and blends nicely with the wheat and cereal flavors. Very easy drinking, thirst-quenching. I can definitely dig this one.

Thanks alelover!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:07:08 | More by yamar68

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle, poured into a Duvel tulip; blend 9, bottled 8.16.2012

Pours a dull, burnt golden color with a quick fading bone white cap. The bubbly cap rose about a finger before fading to a small ring around the edges.

Sour vinegar notes and barnyard funk, bordering on light struck, leap from the glass. White pepper and banana notes are in the background. Notes of green apple skins and tart white grapes are also present.

Sour apple cider vinegar and yeast esters dominate. Spicy clove throughout with faint banana notes and damp wheat. Some barnyard funk through the middle, mainly manure and horse blanket.

Light bodied with firm carbonation. Smooth feel. A little lingering lemon and hay.

An interesting combination of weizen and sour. The soft hefe flavors complement the barnyard elements nicely. Good sour.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:43:32 | More by ColForbinBC

kojevergas

California

3.23/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on-draught into a stemflute at the Happy Gnome in Minnesota. Reviewed from notes taken earlier this month.

A: Pours a hazy dull yellow head of average thickness, cream, and retention. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Lactic and a bit funky. Hints of sourness. Wheat. Sour mash notes.

T: Sour mash notes, including wheat, lactic notes, and hints of sourness alongside some funk.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Good carbonation and thickness.

Dr: Very drinkable but held back by its simplicity. I'd probably have it again at a good price. A nice offering from Jolly Pumpkin, but nothing to write home about.

High C+

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2012 00:43:08 | More by kojevergas

Beaver13

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle, blend 9 bottled 08-16-2012. The bottle was a bit of a gusher. Pours hazy yellow with a fizzy white head that quickly disappears completely (surprising considering the bottle gushed).

The aroma is wheaty malts with a little funky bretty sourness.

The flavor is slightly sweet wheaty malts with a bit of tart lactic fruit and funky spicy brett and a dry finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and a little watery.

Overall, a nice light wheat sour. Seems a bit like a berliner.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 07:17:13 | More by Beaver13

Pahn

New York

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into Duvel tulip. Sticker says Batch 411/412. I bought the bottle last Summer in Boston.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 1 inch frothy white head that sticks around and leaves a small semicircle of lacing. Pours a not-quite-translucent yellow and leaves a few spots of lacing.

Smell: Lemony and acetic at first (poured cold to avoid the bottle blowing up like every other Jolly Pumpkin beer I've ever had). Grass and sweet berries come out quickly, underpinned by some real barnyard brettanomyces funk. Gets a lot funkier with time, along with some bright estery aromas around the edges (if "around the edges" makes sense for an aroma).

Taste: Mineral-y with barnyard funk leading to sweet berry tartness--lemon and strawberry. Healthy lactic sourness up front.

A few sips in and I'm reminded that this is far and away my favorite Jolly Pumpkin beer (have had it a few times now). It's packed with really bright, clean flavors of fruity esters, bacteria-induced fruity and sour flavors, yeasty clove, a building banana note, etc, always sort of dirtied up by this musty but pleasant brett funk. Building acetic note compliments everything else more than one would expect. Lactic sourness is complemented by a nice (French?) oak undercurrent. Overall just a really nice flavor.

Mouthfeel: Light-, almost medium-bodied. Watery, but the lactic sourness and oak gives a creamy/milky backbone. High but appropriate carbonation. Puckering finish.

Overall: This beer is exactly what it should be. Maybe some other similar beers have more wow factor, but this one is just spot on; you can tell the intention behind this beer (showcase oak, funk, and a really delicate hand with the base beer), and they nailed it. Refreshing, lots of subtlety, tons of flavor, and holds up for well over a year. Masterful beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 06:51:06 | More by Pahn

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Blend 12
Bottled 08-22-2012

A= Pours a hazy light yellow color with a thin bubbly active head that rises to a half finger and falls fast into super thin ring around the glass. Little to no lacing is present.

S= Smells poopy and sour. A little horseblanket smell coming from it and a solid lemony aroma.

T= The taste is an excellent lemony yeast wheaty flavor. The barnyard horstblanket is less prominate and the wheat comes through much more without being poopy like the aroma. A litle watery in the finish.

M= Really solid with high carbonation.

O= This is a fine beer. A soild flavor with low abv. Nice and sour with great flavor. Worth buying again and again.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 22:42:17 | More by jjanega08

spoony

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a bottle (dated 8-17-12) into a tulip.

A-This beer poured with a solid off-white head. The head hung around for a bit. The beer was very cloudy and had a light straw color with hints of orange. Good looking stuff.

S-Slightly funky smell of wheat, lemon, orange, green apples, and a hint of banana. Not particularly concentrated, but pleasant.

T-The tast starts out with some mildly tart lemon and orange. Then the beer slides into a little bit of funky wheat with a touch of spice to finish. Pretty nice, but again, not terribly concentrated.

M-Light bodied. A touch watery feeling to me.

O-This was a pretty refreshing "light weight" beer. It had a little twist from other lighter-bodied brews and I would drink this again on a hot day, but if you are after something super complex or concentrated, there are other brews that are better.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 15:57:31 | More by spoony

DRBiser

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

7/9/12. Bottle from The Wine Source. reviewed from notes

Pours an orangey gold, slightly hazy with appearance of high carbonation. Foamy head and nice lacing around the glass that holds (though i poured it too cold at first).

Not much on the nose - refreshing funk with lemon grass and perhaps a touch of wheat and sugar.

Sourness off the bat. Really nice tart profile but not a lot that follows it? The tartness of a lambic but no body or follow-through, and the refreshing spice of a farmhouse saison. A small dose of dryness after the swallow.

I really appreciate this beer and it's super refreshing (especially if you dig sour), but it could have a bit more character. If I'm in the mood for a refreshing tart summer funk, I will revisit

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 17:23:19 | More by DRBiser

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Jolly Pumpkin continues to find success with their saison "Bam" series. When the recipe of this dry, fruity, peppery ale joins with the distinctive micro flora that defines Jolly Pumpkin ales, the results are absolute delight.

As with most saisons, Weizen Bam introduces herself with a translucent straw colored glow. Lively carbonation dances through the beer and layers on a firm white sheet of foam that continues to release aromas and cap the beer with visual appeal. Light lacing produces speckled foam around the rim of the tulip. Charming little beer, she is.

As the nose nears the glass, the assertive pang of acidity strikes the olfactory sense with mouthwatering effect. Tart chardonnay, dry cider, and cucumber notes emit along side of a brisk wheat and pilsner scent. Crab apples, lemons, sea air, and acetic notes deliver wave after wave of varying aromas as the beer breathes.

Tartness of under ripened berries, crab apples, sea brine, and mild yogurt frame the early acidity, but the commencing and more aggressive notes pucker the mouth as the mouth becomes awash with dry cider, vinegar, and pickle juice in its most refreshing form. The low lying malt has hardly an impact until the brunt of tartness subsides and the dry cracker taste of wheat returns in finish. Lightly peppery to start, the balance the the tart fruit develops into the spicy alcohol taste to close the taste.

Light in body, the combination of assured champagne bubbles and premiere acidity both pulls from the soft tissues of the mouth and penetrates them at the same time. There's little rebuttal from malt to suggest anything other than a quick and dry finish. Warm, peppery, and pleasantly astringent; it seems that the beer gets a final balance from wood-like tannin.

As one of the cleaner and more refreshing of Jolly Pumpkin ales, Weizen Bam is focused, disciplined, and refined in its sheer sour complexities. And she does so with ease and finesse.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 17:15:00 | More by BEERchitect

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Bottled 2011-06-14
Glass: Tulip glass

Tall head of small, dense, pure white bubbles. Retention is above average, lasting several minutes before settling to a thin cap atop the body of the beer. Head leaves some lacing along the sides of the glass: a few washes and thick clumps. Body is a hazy light yellow-gold, with very evident carbonation.

Aroma of tangy lemon, light brettanomyces, some basement mustiness, all amidst a backdrop of generally sweet pale malt that yields slight pear aroma. Could be a touch stronger, but still fine.

Tasting opens with light malt sweetness and mild brettanomyces funk/cellar must, leading to light wheat malt grain, faint toffee, apple/pear juice, and lemon tartness. Goes to back of palate with a modest bitterness, where the tartness and apple/pear flavors increase. Pleasing lingering aftertaste of grain and light lemon tartness. More Brettanomyces influenced than lambic-style sourness.

Beer is medium to medium-light in body, with higher-level carbonation that foams the beer substantially across the palate. Overall mouthfeel is at first fizzy, then smooth and creamy, suitable for the style. Closes dryly, with notable bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:11:32 | More by falloutsnow

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a Hennepin tulip. Batch 563, bottled on 6/9/10

A- pours a faint shade of yellow with a two finger pure white head. Lacing is gorgeous, head sticks around for awhile....quite nice

S- faint banana and faint funk. Eh

T- very light tartness, nice lemon, light clove...this is amazing

M- medium bodied, on the thin side...I'd say it's a little thin for a saison and a little thick for a weizen

O- this is a fantastic beer. Perfect blend of two styles.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 00:40:06 | More by bigfnjoe

Kromes

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Didn't realize until I got this one home that the date on the bottle says "bottled 8-24-2010". Should be interesting....

A cloudy straw color with a thin soda-like head. Lots of carbonation bubblues coming up the sides of the glass. Wild yeast, cork, earthy hop, tart cherry, lemon and alcohol aromas. A nice tart cherry, apple, and lemon flavor with some funky/fruity yeast flavors. A good earthy flavor mixed with a refreshing fruit tartness. Feel is light with a very good wheat soft smoothness and peppery carbonation. Very well crafted Saison. I like the tartness and depth of flavor along with the feel. Everything is top class.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 17:01:16 | More by Kromes

MasterSki

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Jake Melnick's. Served in a 'Reserve' glass.

A - Thin white collar settles to pretty much nothing. Murky urine-colored body.

S - Sour wheat aroma - a mixture of funky brett, lactic sourness, unmalted wheat, a bit of spicy yeast and oak.

T - Tastes exactly as advertised - banana, clove, wheat, as well as some oak and mild lemony sourness.

M - Medium-light in body but a tad heftier than you'd expect for only 4.5%. Pleasant carbonation, dry finish - pretty refreshing stuff.

D - A nice lightly sour wheat ale, but somewhat overpriced at nearly $9/glass. Quite easy to drink - would make a nice farmhouse table beer if it cost half as much.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2012 19:22:27 | More by MasterSki

jsisko01

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a pale golden color with an inch thick head that dissipates instantly. Looks highly carbonation.. It leaves a nice lacing.

Smell - Has a strong scent of coriander, followed by a funky bitterness. I also smell banana, citrus, pepper, and maybe some clove.

Taste - Identical to the smell, except for the fact that there's an overwhelming flavor of lemon citrus. It tastes good, but it doesn't go over well with my acid reflux.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with high carbonation.

Overall - It's a good beer but WAY too acidic for me..

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 02:53:31 | More by jsisko01

srv33

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful clear pale yellow with an ourageous amount of thin white head that take awhile to fade, excellent lacing. Scent of lemon, wheat, a hint of funk and grass all are apparent. Taste is much the same - with a peppery lemon funk the best way I can describe this rather unique taste. There is loads of fine carbonation in the mouthfeel, and the whole thing sits very light on the palate. The aftertaste is really something - it lingers for awhile but it is an incredibly clean taste, with notes of lemon and that indescribable hint of funk. I would definitely recommend this beer for someone who enjoys the style and wants to try a unique take on it. Another thing I appreciated was how the batch number (825/826) and the bottling date (6-23-2011) were marked clearly on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:02:40 | More by srv33

MadScientist

New York

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: This pours a pale straw in color with excellent clarity and a few fingers of enthusiastic bone white head. The head is long lasting and leaves some lacing on the glass.
S: There is an initial sharp sourness that gives way to some barnyard funkiness. There is slight wheat malt aroma. After a long and enjoyable search some citrus fruit and spice aromas come through; there are moderate to moderately-low levels but the sourness just dominates.
T: The citrus flavors make your mouth water only to have it completely dried out in the very dry finish. The moderate tartness an moderately-low sourness make this so refreshing. There is some lemon and lime citrus flavors. Middle palate there is a attack of spice and hops bitterness with moderate flavors of clove, pepper and nutmeg.
M: Light bodied with very high carbonation stopping just short of fluffy. There is a slight prickel on the tongue after the dry finish and bitterness fade.
O: A very dry and refreshing somewhat soured wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 22:47:26 | More by MadScientist

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured into a tulip glass with an airy and bubbly 2 fingers of crisp white head. A pale clear wheat colour with one or 2 streams of bubbles rising, minimal retention and very minimal lacing.

S: Upfront sour fermentation with lemon, wheat and fresh grass. A good barnyard funkiness is present followed by some oak and ripe banana.

T: Initial taste of vegetative sourness followed by wheat and lemon. Grassy notes, earthiness and a barnyard funk are accompanied by ripe banana and white pepper.

M: Light body with champagne like active carbonation. Clean, crisp and bone dry finish.

O: A elegant, almost delicate, take on a farmhouse ale while still having enough punch to hold up to a good meal.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 03:03:03 | More by FondueVoodoo

grittybrews

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottled 6/29/11, opened 7/13/12. Poured a brilliant, clear gold with two fingers of bright white head and just a few dark brown yeast floaties. Slightly tart aroma of clove, apple, and lemon.

High carbonation and a dry, crisp mouthfeel. Tart lemon and hints of apple up front with a wheaty backbone, light spice, and some hints of oak on the tail end.

Extremely refreshing and packed with flavor for such a light brew. Really excellent.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 01:27:06 | More by grittybrews

superspak

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled 6/2/2010. Pours lightly hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger foamy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some light spotty lacing clings to the glass, with some decent carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big tart apple, lemon zest, hay, grass, earth, herbal, wheat, pepper, clove, and funkiness. Excellent and well balanced aromas with nice complexity. Taste of tart apple, lemon, pear, herbal, grass, hay, wheat, pepper, clove, earth, and funk. Good amount of fruity tart acidity on the finish; with lingering notes of lemon, apple, pear, hay, wheat, herbal, pepper, and funk on the finish for a good bit. Great balance of flavors with nice complexity. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a slightly slick and very crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with pretty much zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic farmhouse wheat ale. Great flavor balance and complexity; and extremely smooth and crisp to drink. Aged Jolly Pumpkin bottles almost always turn out awesome.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 04:30:09 | More by superspak

brentk56

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 562; bottled 6-2-10

Appearance: Pours a hazy straw color with a fairly impressive head that sticks a lot of lacing around the glass

Smell: Lemon yoghurt, wheat bread, green apple and barnyard funk

Taste: Wheat bread, up front, with a tart lemon and green apple character that develops by mid-palate; lactic sourness takes over through the finish, bringing along a vague hint of banana and salt water; very dry and oaky in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, with crisp carbonation

Overall: A Berliner Weiss on steroids, this beer brings along a lot of subtle elements; another fine achievement by Jolly Pumpkin

Thanks, arvjunk, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:59:22 | More by brentk56

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Gushes a bit, pours light gold with 4 fingers of pearl colored head. Hazes up with great head retention & lacing

S: Dirty & peppery

T: Slight tartness, lemoms, lemon zest, white pepper, wheaty & grainy notes up front. More tartness as this warms a touch of grapefruit, & more lemon zest &a bit of oaky twang. Finishes tart, refreshing, & smidge of funk & sour cherries & light grassyness

MF: Light with a sparkly carbonation

Drinks very easy, pretty clean tasting for this brewery, sort of a suprise to me, The oaky tart/sour really pushes through as it waarms

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 02:15:09 | More by russpowell

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow, this is incredible! Never had a sour beer that was this well balanced and modest. Poured at a good temperature with a nice sized, off-white, foamy, head that soon subsided and no lace. Color is a clear yel low with lots of bubble trails. Aroma is yeast, grass, malt, sour, floral. Flavor's like nose, fairly dry, bitter is superbly balanced to carbonic tang. Body reflects that balance and in spite of the potential for extreme, there are no high points while carbonation is exactly where it should be. Finish is like flavor, has good length, and is surprisingly drinkable. Outstanding brau!!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 21:57:01 | More by drpimento

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, batch 829, bottled 6-29-11. Initial pour is a clear, bright gold with tons of atreomg bubbles. White, airy head rises to the top and even over the sides of the glass. With all the carbonation, the head lasts forever. When it gases a bit, there are some serious patches of lace. The secondary pour adds some cloudiness to the party.

Tart citrus notes up front. Some earthy aroma, and a bit of Brett funk. Slight peppery and hay notes.

Tart and dry up front, but not puckering. Earthy notes, with a funky feel. A bit of lemon zest. Pretty dry all around. A hint of banana gives a weizen feel. Oak is very slight, and lends to the drying character overall.

Lighter body, with great carbonation. Carbonation gives a nice feel without being overbearing. Very refreshing, with some great character.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 00:22:24 | More by Bierguy5

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks really nice: hazy, sunny color, with a bright white three finger fluffy head. Laces nicely. The aroma is bright with tinges of citrus, a bit of brett funk, hay, wheaty breadiness. Might get some oak, but it's very mild if at all. The taste shines a bit more with some brett boldness, wheat, light sweetness, hay, and a bit of oak. Not shy on the carbonation, light-medium bodied.

Overall, it's a pretty enjoyable saison. I think I'd prefer the Bam Biere with Brett rather than the Weizen...

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:55:20 | More by EgadBananas