Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire

Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Saison
Dexter, Michigan USA

On tap at the brewpub. A bit different than other saisons. Darker malts that mix well with a mild earthy taste. Some grassy hops, maybe? Light bodied. Drinkable, but not a whole lot of flavor going on.

THOUGHTS: Tons of flavor for such a low ABV beer. Very sour. Very Jolly Pumpkin. It went well with some Stilton cheese. Not a perfect compliment, but it completely cleansed my palate of the fatty cheese making each taste just like the first. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, very dark red that could be described as crimson. It was bright red in the light with very nice carbonation and an average to large, off-white head that left excellent lacing. The beer became nearly opaque once the yeast was added. The aroma was moderate earthy and cobweb-like yeast, along with a little funk, apple, cherry, sour fruit, ever so slight spice that increased once the yeast was added. There was also a little citrus. The initial flavor was sour, tart, acidic and slightly sweet; while the finish was slightly sweet, tart, rather sour and a little bitter with a long duration. There was sour fruit, apple, cherry, yeast, a bit ’o funk, some metallic hops, a bit of red wine, and some spices once the yeast was added. It tasted a little like spiced apple cider. The light to medium body was very dry with very tingly carbonation an a moderate to heavily astringent and lightly dry finish.

On tap at Slow’s Bar-B-Q. Pours dark brown with an off-white head. Aroma is slightly sweet apple with caramel hints. Flavor is apple, bubblegum, cloves, with funky flavors I generally associate with tart and sour ales, but no sign of sourness. Quite a contradictory beer, with a flavor that doesn’t match its appearance and flavor notes that suggest sourness where there is none. Quite interesting.

Bottle. 25.4 oz. Pours deep murky brown with a tall, solid off-white head. Aroma of hay, earth, pepper, dry hops, and raisins. Medium bodied with a smooth, slightly bitter finish. Decent Saison.

Bottle. Moderate malt aromas of grain and roasted, herbs for the hops, moderate to heavy barnyard for the yeast and background notes of nutmeg, fig and vinegar. Head is creamy, off-white with good lacing and is mostly lasting. Color is murky, dark brown with an decent amount of particles swimming about. Flavor starts moderately acidic and sour, then finishes heavily acidic and moderately bitter. Palate is light to medium, watery, with a fizzy carbonation and a finish that’s chalky, moderately astringent and very dry. The aroma is nice and complex, but the flavor falls off a little flat.

12 oz bottle the Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA, 04/26/08. Dark brown amber colour with a mostly diminishing fizzy and frothy off-white head. Tangerine and grapefruit, yeasty, bready, and lightly roasty aroma. Bready and grapefruit tartness with a yeasty, fruity, and lightly pithy bitter finish. Medium bodied, dry and refreshing.

13th April 2008 Dark beer with lightly toated and a nice sourness that reminded me of Duchesse Du Bourgogne. The marriage of the two works well.

Clear umber color with a foamy beige head. Light brettanomyces, plum, sweet spice and caramel. LIght and airy feel. LIght flavors bits of malt and citrus. Fairly bland in flavor, in that there is not much depth. LIght and refreshing though.