I’m finally digging back a bit on the older reviews I have notes on but haven’t written up here. Tonight it’s Jolly Pumpkin‘s Bam Bière, a Farmhouse Ale from the Michigan brewery.

Jolly Pumpkin has been making a name for themselves by brewing in a style that I guess I’d call “rustic Belgian”—something unusual for American brewers. They employ open fermentation vessels and are liberal with their use of yeasts—Brett-liberal, I want to say.

Bam Bière, at 4.5% alcohol, is described as, “An artisan farmhouse ale that is golden, naturally cloudy, bottle conditioned and dry hopped for a perfectly refreshing balance of spicy malts, hops and yeast.”

Appearance: Very bubbly, straw-orange in color with a rocky, active white head, one finger thick, not collapsing as it’s replenished from the active carbonation.

Smell: Light, fruity, tart and effervescent aroma, very farmhouse-y in character. Musty, green berries, green grass…

Taste: Very tart! Earthy, sour, a zing of green bitterness cutting through the middle… Some green apple, some bitter woody/twiggy notes; that earthy character is strong throughout.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp, thin and puckery—tart. Very drinkable.

Overall: I thought some of the upfront bitterness was at first a bit harsh, but overall a pleasant, sour, drinkable beer.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores an overall grade of B+. On RateBeer, it scores 3.66 out of 5, and is in their 92nd percentile.