Saison M
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Look: Pours a beautiful pale shade of golden yellow with a generous two finger head of eggshell colored foam. Leaves no lacing with low head retention.

Aroma: Not much to the nose; a bit of pineapple with some nice hints of peppery charred oak.

Taste: The flavor is slightly tangy, with tropical notes of pineapple jam and passionfruit, complemented by dry, floral notes of lemongrass and fresh coriander - even pink peppercorns. Some hints of apricot pomace and lemon oil here and there. Not getting much of the oak or barrel influence but that's probably just my taste buds not picking it up. Bitterness creeps over the finish in delicate waves, reminiscent of spruce needles - but it's very light. Sort of champagne / pinot grigio like flavors of Brettanomyces pepper the tasting experience.

Feel: Light and perfect for the style. Very refreshing, I had absolutely no problem drinking the entire bomber in one sitting.

Overall: This was very enjoyable. I didn't get any of those barnyard notes other reviewers have mentioned, but then again, it's been nearly 3 years since this beer was last reviewed on Beer Advocate and the recipe / ingredients sourced might have changed. I'd say if you're a fan of saisons you will probably very much enjoy this beer.

NOTE: 2½ year old vintage. Slightly past its prime. Bretta. starting to get on the "band-aid" spectrum. I suggest drinking within 2 years if future batches occur.

 

Curiously, a slow creep of bubbles snaked out of the bottle upon opening, yielding mounds of foam before pouring. Pours a hazy amber color with a couple fingers of fine, white froth. Mild, tart aroma includes lychee and hay atop distinctively Belgian yeast character.

This saison goes full barnyard, with a pastoral cornucopia of flavors that includes horseblanket and no shortage of funk. White pepper and lemongrass lend a floral bite that is reinforced by slightly chalky, zesty yeast. Biscuity malt remains under the radar as warming reveals notes of white wine. Tartness is not especially aggressive, but it's bilious character does not go unnoticed... Medium body and high carbonation make for a full, vivacious mouthfeel.

Overall, this is a saison lover's saison--it distills its essential flavors to just short of caricature without any gimmicks. It's almost too earthy for my tastes, but it's undeniably to style.

an all michigan ingredient saison, the latest in this lettered series of awesome wild saisons. it has a nice clean grain complexion to it, a wonderfully forward oak profile with hints of vanilla and pine, and a bit more hops than a lot of them have, kind of juicy and interesting, which i am finding is the case with a lot of michigan hops, very different from their northwestern siblings somehow. its cool that this pils and spelt malt was locally grown as well, its simple in this beer, but its fresh and it tastes good, not sure i get a whole lot of terroir from that, but i like the laid back and sort of delicate nature of the grain in here. i of course love the classic jolly pumpkin funk, which is always interesting and easily identifiable, mature and bretty, especially here with the wood on this, but also tangy and tart without being too acidic to drink, farmy and old worldy, one of my favorites really. perhaps not the most intriguing beer from these guys, but in the context of everything they do, its another awesome release. highly drinkable, fresh and mature at the same time, and the kind of beer i am finding myself drawn to more and more. i love these guys!

edit: this is really good, and seems to be improving even more with time in the bottle. its increasingly dry and complex, and the brett is really interesting. be in no rush to drink this if you have one sitting around...

 

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 7/12/2017. Pours slightly hazy medium golden yellow color with a 2 finger dense and rocky white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, melon, white wine, peppercorn, pine, oak, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aroma with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, citrus/pine hops, oak barrel, and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, melon, white wine, peppercorn, pine, oak, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Moderate peppery yeast spiciness, light-moderate pine/grassy bitterness, and light lactic tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, melon, white wine, peppercorn, pine, oak, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, citrus/pine hops, oak barrel, and moderate bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero astringent hop/oak flavors after the finish. Moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp, bready/grainy/sticky, and lightly acidic/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Zero warming alcohol for 7.1%. Overall this is a fantastic wild saison! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, citrus/pine hops, oak barrel, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and refreshing to drink; with the balanced bitter/spicy/drying finish. Awesome classic JP house funk and saision yeast complexity; with nice Cascade/Chinook hop and oak barrel presence. Balancing Pils/Spelt/Munich malts, with no residual sweetness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.