Buddha's Brew
Jester King Brewery

Buddha's BrewBuddha's Brew
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Jester King Brewery
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
Ranked #557
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
90
Ranked #10,362
Avg:
4.01 | pDev: 9.73%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
160
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 23, 2022
Added:
Sep 16, 2012
Wants:
  64
Gots:
  22
The first Jester King beer to be brewed entirely in oak. Unfermented wort was racked directly to oak barrels and inoculated with souring bacteria. From there, it spent months aging in our barrel room before being blended with live kombucha at bottling. Unfiltered, unpasteurized & naturally carbonated through re-fermentation in the bottle.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by dkw0063:
Photo of dkw0063
Rated by dkw0063 from Texas

4.75/5  rDev +18.5%

Oct 28, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.68 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jul 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.27 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

May 14, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 10, 2020
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.04/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
i thought this was awesome, but also expected the kombucha element to be way more intense. maybe a well aged bottle will show more of that, not sure how kombucha really evolves over time, but this is pretty mild. i have had some kombucha blended beers before and never been too moved by them, something about that vinegar profile in styles i am not used to it in, but here it makes perfect sense, and actually now think the jester king funk profile is pretty sympathetic to the natural acidity in some kombucha. also, they certainly picked some good stuff to blend with, its mellow to me in here, citrusy and flavorful and springy, but not a dominant force in flavor or feel, its definitely still beer first, and thats a great call to have made. pale yellow in the glass with a great head, on tap at the brewery, it probably doesnt get any better than it is right now. lemon flesh, farmy brett, and noble hops are here, its not overly complex for the kombucha, just seems like tart farmy session beer, almost akin to noble king, but with more of a citrus profile and a little less body and grain heft, siblings though, cousins at least. the flavors are awesome, wheat and clementine and meyer lemon and hay or straw, earthy and with an oncoming summer vibe. these guys make so many intense and distinct beers i kind of liked this one being a little more relaxed. i was worried the kombucha would be too much, but its not at all, i almost wish i tasted a little more tea here. looking forward to trying it from the bottle here soon!

edit: finally cracked the bottle, batch 2 from 2016, about six years old now, its doing just fine, a little faded maybe, and not as lively in texture as it could be, not up to their usual bottle conditioned liveliness standard, but the flavors are doing well, some nice citrus to this, no more kombucha than there ever was, which i think i am relieved by, not too sharp or puckery at all, still kind of delicate, although i definitely get some pils type malt, even a european thing to the grain, some raw wheat perhaps too, this is kind of starchy and fuller feeling for what it is, but maybe the lesser carbonation is skewing it that way. not sure this one was intended to be aged so long, but it still tastes pleasant and subtly distinct. i think they were smart to blend in only a little kombucha, its a nuance not a driver. maybe better fresh, but still cool. these guys can do anything well!
Mar 05, 2019
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This one pours a light and slightly hazy orange color, with a fluffy head, and lots of lacing.

On the nose I get funky wheat and citrus, with additional citrusy tea aromas that I assume come from the kombucha- it's kind of a peachy green tea aroma that I really dig.

This is a really cool beer, and I don't even really like kombucha. The funky tea-like flavors are great, super citrusy, a bit herbal, and they meld well with the basic Jester King wild base underneath- wild hay and wheat flavors are the main things I get here.

This is light bodied, crisp and very clean, with just a hint of lingering acidity on the finish. There's a soft level of carbonation, and a slightly creamy body.

You can always count on Jester King delivering supremely unique beer that are definitively "them."
Jun 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4.16 by aaronyoung01 from New Mexico

Oct 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.9 by atrocity from Virginia

Jul 14, 2017
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass; Batch #2, bottled on 8/23/2016. Pours slightly hazy/cloudy pale golden/straw color with a 1 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pineapple, melon, green apple, pear, white grape, white wine, pepper, oak, hay, straw, herbal, grass, tea, wheat, and cracker; with lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, white vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, tea, oak barrels, and moderate pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pineapple, melon, green apple, pear, white grape, white wine, pepper, oak, hay, straw, herbal, grass, tea, wheat, and cracker; with lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, white vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light lactic tartness and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, peach, pineapple, melon, green apple, pear, white grape, white wine, pepper, oak, hay, straw, herbal, grass, tea, wheat, cracker, light funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, tea, oak barrels, and moderate pale malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/spiciness balance, and zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Moderate dryness from tart/spiciness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp/grainy/acidic, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4%. Overall this is an awesome sour/wild ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, tea, oak barrels, and moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink with the mellow acidity/tartness. Classic Jester King house funk with nice kombucha tea balance. A really enjoyable offering.
Jun 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.78 by gibgink from Missouri

Apr 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.97 by g45215 from Texas

Mar 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.34 by Ben1313 from New Hampshire

Feb 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.86 by jaydoc from Kansas

Feb 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.16 by Evan from Maryland

Feb 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Karibourgeois from Texas

Feb 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.39 by Duffman79 from Connecticut

Feb 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by cherche from Washington

Jan 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.23 by CSO from Illinois

Jan 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by geodonnokepyo from Pennsylvania

Dec 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by JamLand from District of Columbia

Dec 20, 2016
Buddha's Brew from Jester King Brewery
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 160 ratings