Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere Farmhouse Ale

This bottle has a big ol' dog on it, so it has me with packaging. There are actually three more little dogs over on the left side of the label, so they are really playing to my sentimentality. Aside from this label detail, I know pretty much nothing of the brewer, so I come into it with no preconceptions, and that means this is exciting.

The dusty gold beer has a good enough froth of white head that dissipates into a white lilypad in the middle of the glass. The aroma is funky yeast (smells like bret to me) and citrus. I don't know that I would have picked such a funky yeast for a farmhouse ale, but I'm not the brewer; I'm just the consumer.

First sip is 50 shades of that funky yeast. I just looked at the label, and it doesn't say what the yeast is, but it says that this is supposed to be a "balance of spicy malt, hops, and yeast," yet I'm only picking up the yeast. It is, to say it nicely, overwhelming. I can taste the citrus hops, but they are barely overcoming the yeast. A swig might help all this.

Tip-in is moderate carbonation burn and a tart yeast with the spices in the malt that the label told me to expect. While it has spices, it also manages to be a bit doughy. The middle is more funky yeast, but it is joined by the citrus hops. The effect of the combination of the two is like a grapefruit juice with carbonation. The finish is spices and tartness. Trail off is the funky yeast that I'm going to flat-out declare MUST be bret.

Bottom Line: Not as tame as your average farmhouse ale, this is tart and flavorful. Not bad, but a little acidic.

3.0/5