Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire

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

Bottle courtesy of jrob_21 -- thanks!

This was my first disappointment from Jolly Pumpkin. It’s not taht bad, but it’s not on par with the other offerings from Dexter that I’ve enjoyed to date. The beer pours a very dark brown with an ample beige head. Sour brett-driven aroma, some lemon, some goat cheese, mild nuttiness, plenty of funk. The flavor is familiar Jolly Pumpkin sourness, but atop a much less supportive base than I’ve found in La Roja, etc. Somewhat thin, somewhat metallic (sucking on a bloody lip), roasty bitterness capping the sour brett to a non-so-successful effect. Oh, and in the flavor there’s some vomit, in a bad way, rather than in that inexplicably good way that I get with some lambics. It’s tolerably refreshing, but simply not in the upper echelon of either saisons in general or JP beers in particular.

12 oz bottle. Dark brown/ruby pour with huge rocky head that lasted forever. Aromas were very nice. Tart cherries and other fruits. Some caramel in there too. Flavor fell off a bit for me. Some earthiness and a bit sour. Not as much as in the nose, however. Finishes with some earth and dust. Not bad.

Different type of saison.. I did appreciate their creativity with this beer but didn’t feel it did justice to the style. Darker color, fluffy beige head. The cherries hit your tongue as soon as you hit the head. Tart, very lactic. Thin on my palate. On tap at La Cav.

bottle. Dark red-brown color with a medium sized light brown head. Bretty funk dominates the aroma, some earthy maltiness. Phenolic funkiness with tinges of tartness. Slight toasty malt notes, herbal hop character. Lingering barnyard character in the finish, with vestiges of the aforementioned toast. Mouthfeel is a light medium, somewhat dry.

Poured from a 12oz bottle and served in a tulip. This beer poured a dark mahogany with a frothy head of tan foam that lingered for a while. A decent amount of fine, bubbly lace was left around the glass. The aroma of the beer was made up of dark fruits, cherries, funk, and some mild roasted notes. The flavor consisted of lightly roasted malt, a muted sourness, along with some dark fruit and a mild hoppiness. The mouthfeel was crisp and light-bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer smells delicious, but the flavor wasn’t quite there. Decent enough, but I’d take the regular Bam over this any day.

Hmm. Curious initial aroma that hinted at soured malts plus a hint of banana and just a little more plummy fruit. Deep burguny color with a pretty small head, and moderately low carbonation, although there’s a peppery tingle of it at the front of the tongue. Flavor starts surprisingly, with a light ashy roast, a touch of chocolate and more plum but it quickly moves on to a sour funk, along with an olive brine sour/saltiness. Not much else to this, and the sour finish doesn’t come across as pleasant as I’d like.

22 oz. bottle purchased at Gomers in Lenexa, Kansas. Pour is a dark brown, ruby highlights and a big, rocky dark tan head. Very dark and ominous looking beer. The signature JP funky yeast is the first thing you smell. Behind the yeast, is a lot of dried fruit sweetness, tart, and then our of nowhere some malted roastiness. Unique nose to say the least. All of the elements of the nose are present in the flavor, yet it really doesn’t work too well. The funk, fruit and roast all seem to battle for attention on your taste buds. Its unique also, just not nearly as pleasant. I give it to JP for having the sack to make a beer like this.

First thing to say about this is it had tons of carbonation. When I opened it, a foamy column started creeping up from within the bottle. Poured with a gigantic head and it took me about a minute to pour the whole bottle because the head was so lasting. The beer is a dark brown with a slight reddish tint. Had some nice lacing. The aroma is the great Jolly Pumpkin rye / funky horse blanket with some apple cider vinegar. The flavor wasn’t too sour. Instead, there was a coffee roasty flavor in the background. Some bitterness in the finish as well. A pretty solid beer.