Jolly Pumpkin Bière de Mars

Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Bière de Garde
Dexter, Michigan USA

Poured a clear copper color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma was sweaty, earthy, with some brett, toffee, raisin, and fresh dough. Taste of caramel malts, with earthy yeast, strawberries, and a some what tart finish.

750mL bottle. Murky burnt orange color with a thin film of white head. Sweet alefruit aroma, with perfumey tinges of spice and a phenolic yeast character. Earthy and tannic shrouds over a slightly doughy and dark fruity malt flavor. Tart finish with residual caramel and alefruit. Mouthfeel is medium, somewhat dry.

Bottle from Ross. Coppery brown, small bubbly off white head that settles quickly. Fruity aroma with a a background of wood and spice. Medium body supported by a light tingly carbonation. Sweet fruity flavors quickly take a back seat to a pleasing sourness that continues into a tangy finish which is helped out by some drying bitterness. I’m not a big fan of sour ales, but I found this pretty good.

Courtesy of Shadey. Multi brown. Small layer of off white foam. Funk nose of vinegar, oak, earth, barn, plum, zing, and subtle grain. Flavor adds an underlying bitterness throughout and a light toastiness. Dry, sour, bitter finish. Medium body is a bit more bubbly than balanced, which works well. Great brew.

[Mondiale de la Biere, 2006] At first, I thought that this beer was inadvertantly infected. This is mostly because Biere de Garde is not a sour beer style. Ever. Okay maybe not 400 years ago, but not nowadays. Later, someone told me that Jolly Pumpkin puts Brettanomyces in all of their beers. I guess that’s one way to avoid cross contamination. This beer gets a big thumbs down for being so off base. Either that or they get an F for serving up an infected beer at an international beer festival.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow & tupalev -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. The 4th Jolly Pumpkin of the night! Pours a hazy reddish-orange with a small diminishing white head. Aroma of sweet malt and spices with some sour fruit and some funkyness. Flavour is slightly sour, fruity and malty with some spices and fruit...and then my notes just say "man I’m drunk". I know it wasn’t one of my favourite Jolly Pumpkins but it’s still a fine beer.

Bottle shared with GregClow, Hogtown Harry, and Blankboy, Blankboy’s bottle. Dark brown, small white head. Real malty sourness and acidity in aroma - underlying sweetness. Surprisingly watery mouthfeel. Taste is malty with a weird sort of dark fruit edge to it. Simple, easily the least complex Jolly I have tried - still tasty and sweet, just average by their high standards.

This beer whispers to me, "Get a better job so you can buy Jolly Pumpkin beers all the time...ooooo."