Bambic - Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Halcyondays

California

3.85/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood II,

A: Pours a somewhat hazy gold with a medium white head, good head retention and lace.

S: Farmhouse funk, lemon zest, green apple peel, citrus.

T: Has a definite saison quality, white pepper, coriander, yeast with a lot of lemon. Some solid lactic character as well, nice mix of styles.

M: Light-bodied, crisp, easy drinking, refreshing, tart.

O: A quality wild ale, a hybrid of styles. Glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2012 03:44:56 | More by Halcyondays

4.73/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Jolly Pumpkin pub in Ann Arbor.

Served in straight sided tumbler, just like straight lambic would be served in a Brussels cafe. It pretty much tastes like straight lambic from Brussels, too. This is not an aggressive beer, it is gently sour and vinous, with flavors of white wine, lemon, green grapes, and a wheat-like softness. The subtle funk is very well-integrated and blends seemlessly with the other complex flavours.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 13:13:20 | More by

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at the cafe last night. I killed the keg and Lindsey, the sexy dreaded waitress, was as kind as could be about it.

A slightly hazy yellow, sitting next to a fresh Bam Biere is is noticeably different. A tart aroma with hints of work booty leather and foot. The beer came in a strait sided pint glass with no head but it still smells strong.

Taste is great, tart and fruity. It slides down with an oily texture and a light carbonation cutting the aftertaste down to a mild funk and sour. Awesome all around, a super great brew from JP.

I think of this more as a tart wild ale built for speed, made for consumption. I wouldn't save a 12 oz bottle for three years and sip with my pinky out. I would pour it by the pint with friends, eat truffle fries and wonder about the girls with the big dreadlocks.

Jolly Pumpkin- Will you be my girl?

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2011 19:52:47 | More by olympuszymurgus

jale

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the release at J.P.

A: Pours a hazy yellow-gold with three inches of white head.

S: tart lemon. a little earth and some oak. Nice brett funkiness.

T: Slightly sweet citrus fruit, and little oak. Mild brett sourness. Not as sour as expected.

M: Great carbonation.

D: One is enough

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2011 00:23:53 | More by jale

punkrkr27

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy, yellow gold pour with a loose, bubbly white head. Straw and lemongrass aroma with a good note of tangerine and lots of lacto tartness. The flavor has a wonderful delicate blend of straw, and wheaty malt with some dry, floral brett in the middle with a long buttery, citrusy, and tart finish.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2011 21:57:47 | More by punkrkr27

jeonseh

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle

A - Dark golden hazy beer with a small white head

S - Tart, white vinegar, lactic acid and oak. Really tart in the nose that makes you almost want to back off while smelling it

T - Tart vinegar with lactic acid but not as tart as it smells. Slightly metallic, lemon peel and a small amount of funk to it

MF - Light carbonation with a creamy mouthfeel overall.

O - Decent Lambic but not as good as the Belgians. Soft sourness to it but not much funk to it. I think this would be better if it was as tart as it smelled

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:18:26 | More by jeonseh

homebrew311

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a cloudy pale yellow with minimal head and virtually no lacing. Not the most appetizing in appearance, but is not out of the realm for a Wild to look like this. The nose start with lactic acid, a bit of funk that I can't quite describe beyond using the word "funk", and some dank woody qualities. The taste is puckering up front with a big wave of acidity in the form of white grapes, tannins. This is followed by a gentle sweetness that makes for a nice refreshing balance. The carbonation is rather high with a medium body. This is a nice flavorful sour with plenty of character for the taste buds to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 06:19:20 | More by homebrew311

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 mL bottle, generously included by radio2525 in the Barrel Aged BIF. It was taken out of the fridge a bit early, and then poured into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip.

Bambic pours a mostly hazy goldenrod, with minimal visibility through the glass. Maybe a finger of white foam crowns the beer, but it fades relatively quickly and quietly. The nose is almost gueuze-like, with wet hay centric funk and bright lemon acidity coming together and battling for aromatic supremacy. The flavor manages to add a bit of depth. That same wet hay brett character leads things off, before being interrupted by a somewhat sharp citric tartness. The finish has plenty of mellow oak, supported by a subtle flash of black pepper. The mouthfeel is pretty nice, with a well dried out body. The carbonation falls just short of being lively enough to be truly great though. I've enjoyed most of the beers I've had by Jolly Pumpkin, but Bambic has to be one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 03:54:12 | More by axeman9182

Arbitrator

California

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chilled bottle into a glass -- 375 oz batch 1, courtesy of lurchingbeast. Thanks, Frank!

A: Pours a hazy golden-straw body with a pinky finger of off-white head.

S: Lemon tartness -- the first whiff suggests brett, but thereafter I only find sour and tart notes, so maybe it was just a temporary thing. Kaffir lime, green apples, oak, pepper.

T: The taste reveals more of the brett character that the nose dropped -- barnyard funk mixes well with kaffir lime and lemon tartness / sourness; oak, green apples, vanilla, pepper -- this reminds me a lot of Temptation. Sorry to compare Jolly Pumpkin to another brewery and rob it of the chance to establish its own identity, but this was my very first, and unshaken, thought regarding the beer: "early Temptation."

M: Light-medium-bodied; carbonation is on the low end, so it's not a perceived mouthfeel, just a genuine thin-ness. Not a deal-breaker, but it's worth noting.

O: Surprisingly good, especially after the Lambicus Dexterius earlier in the evening, which has faded out to nothingness.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 03:15:12 | More by Arbitrator

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a lightly hazy yellow color with a small white head. In the aroma, sweet peaches, sweet yeast, and a note of funky cheese. In the taste, sour peach skins, and just a touch acidic, but WOW, is this tasty! A sour bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dryer sour peach skin in the aftertaste. Sour all day, dry peach skins, and not too overly acidic.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 11:51:47 | More by OWSLEY069

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Perhaps mellow after 2 years but still the foamer. Dark brown, with initially lots of foam. Neutral aroma. A wild ale, some acidity, but not that sour. How shall I say it, dish soap soapy residue aftertaste? Good drinkability, though just OK. Thanks for the rarer one in these parts, Steve.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 02:14:08 | More by northyorksammy

SalMineo

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ron Jeffries hit the nail on the head once again for this beer. I absolutely loved it.

Pour-Had that beautiful hazy clouded tinged yellowish golden color to it. It had a bit of nice white head on it. The carbonation was perfect.

Smell-Does anything smell as good as lambic that's been sitting for awhile and fermenting? I detected brett, lemon grass, citrus,spice and tropical fruits. Of course I usually received that beautiful punch in the nose aroma of sour funkiness mixed with Oak.

Taste-The most enjoyable part of this beer. Very acidic and enough tartness to make you want to pucker. I love it. I got some earthy notes from the taste as well as some tropical fruits citrus and lemon. Finishes with tartness that put Jolly Pumpkin on the map.

Mouthfeel-As always the case with his beers. The feel is very crisp. Full mouthfeel and a long finish.

Overall I loved this beer. Ron Jeffries really hit a home run with this beer. Excellent sour beer. It is true that it is a bit tamer than the traditional lambics such as Hansens and Drie Fontein or Cantillon but I don't it's meant to compete with those. I wish I could my hands on some more of this stuff. This beer to me is a perfect example of why Ron Jeffries can put along side Vinnie Cilurzo as the best sour brewers in the United States.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 14:46:31 | More by SalMineo

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazed golden yellow

Very sour for jp. Lemon acidity. Lots of fruitiness. Kinda of funky and bretty. A slight medicinal flavor in the end. Solid.

Light bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends pretty clean.

Overall,  a very tasty offering. Very sour and funky. I dig this one.

Blend 2
3-15-2011

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 00:28:59 | More by mothman

Sean9689

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle thanks to jale!

A - Pours a yellow/orange color, white head, spotty lace.

S - Fruity sweetness, lactic tartness, light funk, and oak.

T - Sweet tarts, lactic tartness, buttery, funky, and oak. There's a nice pucker, but this wild isn't overly sour like Beatification. It's an easy-drinking wild and finishes tart and oaky.

M - Light body, refreshing, good carbonation, dry finish.

O - A nice wild that's very easy to drink and enjoyable. I was able to crush the 12oz bottle with little problem at all and I'm already looking forward to finishing off the 3 remaining bottles I have. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 17:40:11 | More by Sean9689

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Brad. Beer is yellow and hazy with a soft white head of small bubbles. No lacing moderate retention, interesting beer.

Aroma is tart and sour with hints of brett and some lactic / acetic character.

Beer is light and sort of tastes like temptation, that is to say it tastes good. Beer has a nice finish. I'd have this again, a very agreeable sour.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 01:35:19 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.55/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Shared by ygtbsm94. Thanks Brad!

The beer appears straw yellow colored with 3/4" white head which leaves a thick sheet of sticky lacing slowly cascading down the snifter.

The aroma is delightful. Sour, funk, grass, lemons, lemon zest, pepper.

The flavor is equally enjoyable. Complex and well balanced. Loads of funk with a floral hop finish. Lemons and a hint of assorted citrus. Really drinkable. I would love to have more of this. One of the most delicious beers I have had from Jolly Pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 20:20:28 | More by Huhzubendah

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I cant get over the grape smell in the air around the freshly poured bottle. Cloudy yellow with a fizzy white head. Apple vinegar, and a harsh lactic sourness up front. Green grape skin and a nice touch of oak barrel. All of which are highly characteristic of Jolly Pumpkin brews. If it were Belgian, I would call it a gueuze.

Nice sour lactic presence, but nothing special. Maybe its more of a lambic. Slight acidic sour presence is there, but its not anything rediculous. Cantillon Classic type sourness, but mellowed out.

Feels almost spicy in its tartness. Different than other Belgian Brett infested beers, and its not a bad thing. Finish is dominated by that grape type flavor from the smell.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 20:18:42 | More by VncentLIFE

Stigs

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - pours with a very short lived loose, white film. settles to a thin ring. the beer is almost crystal clear, pale yellow in color...odd for a sour/wild.

S - nice mix of sour/funk, with prominent green apple, farm fields, lemon rind and a pleasant grassiness. smells very much Belgian and authentic.

T - begins with a flash of sweet, almost corny and wheaty malt flavors. turns towards slightly lactic sourness, bringing along some pear, green apple, and a slight funk.

M - lightly bodied with crisp carbonation. finishes extremely dry yet nicely balanced between sweet, sour, and funky. very well put together, thirst quenching, yet not overpowering in any way.

O - solid beer all around, very happy to have picked this up at an Ohio store recently. great balance, though nothing spectacular. would love to try again, if it can be found.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 04:23:15 | More by Stigs

Scotchboy

Idaho

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another one from schwaeh, thanks man!

Bambic Winking Lizard, 25th Anniversary Oak Aged Sour Ale, Blend #2, 3/15/2011.

Poured into an oversized wine glass.

A: Hazy gold, fizzy white head with surprisingly decent retention. Looks refreshing.

S: Tart sourness, lemon peel, touch of citrus rind, hints of apple cider vinegar & wet hay. Not much oak here.

T: Lemon, sour white wine, tart grapes, juicy tart fruit, and a bit of grassy funk. Again, having a tough time pulling out the oak.

MF: Tart medium-light mouthfeel, thinner body. Good carbonation.

O: Not the most puckering or tart, but right up my alley. Solid and drinkable, the best sour I've had. Thanks Steve!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 15:41:43 | More by Scotchboy

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle poured into tulip

Pours a hazy golden color with a frothy white head resting on top. Retains nicely with patches of lacing left along the glass.

Funky and tart in the nose with some hints of citrus. Straw and grassy hops with faint bitterness. Oak and lemon peel with some sourness.

Starts off with a saison-type funkiness and some slight tart hints. Oak with lemon peel and sour notes build up throughout the profile. Straw and horse blanket notes fill the senses. Finishes sour and dry.

Medium body, decent carbonation, pretty creamy and smooth on the tongue. A nicely done wild ale with some tasty sour and citrus notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:41:41 | More by xnicknj

womencantsail

California

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, Derek!

The pour is a slightly cloudy golden color with a rather tall white head. A nice tartness on the nose. Plenty of lemony notes as well as a bit of peach and green apple. Some mild funk to it like straw and grass, too. The flavor has a touch of cereal sweetness, but otherwise it's mostly tart apple and lemon flavors with a little bit of grassy funk. The oak is subtle, but definitely there. A medium body with high carbonation and long finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 03:17:50 | More by womencantsail

illidurit

California

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared at the December iteration of the Santa Cruz tasting series. Pours a pale orange with a white head. Aroma: diet Beatification. Flavor: diet Beatification. Enjoy the crippling sourness of Russian River’s gueuze-esque magnum opus with half the calories! Seriously though this is a less intense Beatification: lemon/unripe citrus sourness coupled with an arid dryness.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 08:23:56 | More by illidurit

jcartamdg

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy gold color with a cloud like head. Aroma of funk and vinegar. Taste follows with sour pucker up front and funk in the back. Lighter than most wilds, easy to drink. I like this beer, it's not very complex but it's a nice beer. I'm glad I had the chance to try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:52:23 | More by jcartamdg

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an E&J Cask & Cream glass on 12/29/11

Blend 1; Bottled 12/01/10

Lazy-eyed golden sunset in color. Lots of clinging and rising bubbles. A fizzy, bubbling head dissipates and compresses to about 1/4th inch layer. Good retention for the style. Minimal lace is scattered about, never managing to hold much.

Tangy and funky aromas jolt the nose; haven't had one of these in a while but both attributes seem more prominent than when fresh. Perhaps the damp barrel notions are picking up steam? Notes of rain-drenched lemon grass and overly ripe, fermenting tart apple. Suggestions of stinky cheese. Calmer fruit esters and mild yeast spices linger underneath. The aroma opens up to reveal a rather clean bouquet. Very nice.

One sip is telling - quite sour and tart with a moderate funk presence. Cheese, cobweb, scathingly sour apple, termite-augered oak, barnyard hay and straw. The finish is dry and has all sorts of barnyard recollections drifting to and fro. The flavors seem much more aggressive than when I had a fresh bottle earlier this year - it had a cleaner, lemon and grass flavor. Thankfully the sour lessens over time (or as my palate acclimates); at this point musty barrels take hold.

The feel is light, edging into watery, but a resilient crispness-in-spite-of the-funkiness keeps the body from dipping too low in the deep end. Carbonation kicks too much upfront, what with the sourness and all, but simmers over time.

Bambic is a decent enough beer, but I don't know as that I'm on board with [what was, at the time] the fuss and price of entry. Plus, I liked it better fresh. I reckon I'll factor in a few of my recollections to give it the benefit of the doubt. Regardless, it isn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 01:22:12 | More by Ryan011235

Keffa

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Blend 2, bottle from schwaeh, thanks Steve.

Live review poured into my Ephemere tulip.

A: Pours a hazy golden yellow, small white head, leaves little lacing, settled into a small cap. Some small yeast particles floating about. Not bad.

S: Sour, funk, and oak dominate. Light lemon, cracker like dry malt behind the main notes. Slightly floral. Very nice.

T: Taste follows the aroma. A little cheesy funk and powdery yeast thrown in. Dry finish. Lightly puckering, but not nearly as bad as some I've had.

M: Lightly carbonated, lighter body, thin on the palate, sucks the moisture out of your mouth on the finish.

O: Not a bad sour. Actually, pretty good. I'd drink it again. Price and availability might hurt that though.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 00:54:17 | More by Keffa