Thursday, 08 January 2009

• Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere

  First off, I had to go back and make sure that I've written about the story of the Saison style because it really is one of my favorites.  It had been so long that I just couldn't remember but sure enough, it was one of my first posts.  Follow the link to get a little refresher course. 

  Onto the beer at hand, Bam Biere from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales.  I'd tried this beer once before, early on in my craft beer drinking career.  This Dexter, Michigan brewery has been long heralded for its commitment to high quality, traditional brewing.  The thing that most differentiates this brewery from others is the maturation in wooden barrels.  Most beer in this day and age go through a quick maturation process (or secondary fermentation) in stainless steel tanks.  This gives the beers flavors a chance to congeal and for any extra sedimentation that would ultimately produce a more aesthetically pleasing beer (this factor is more important in some styles more than others).  Jolly Pumpkin takes a different route.  Their beers, all of them, mature in oak casks.  This is not to say that all of their beers will take on a "woody" flavor profile because the barrels in question are fairly neutral.  What it does mean is that because wood is naturally porous, the slightest bit of oxidation occurs, leading to a depth of flavor not found in most other beers.  Enough about the brewery, onto the beer.

  Bam Biere is one of a couple different Saison (Farmhouse) brews these guys create.  The first item of note has to be the package.  A nice, sturdy 750 mL bottle with great artwork.  I know that this has nothing to to with its contents, but it's a nice touch.  A big hiss sounds as the crown cap is cracked.  The beer pours a vibrant golden peach color with insane carbonation.  The head is hard to contain in the glass.  After a couple top-offs, the glass had a sufficient amount of fluid.  Great color, tons of tiny bubbles (appropriate for style), and a head that wasn't going anywhere.  As far as I'm concerned, this beer has a perfect appearance.

  I'm going to skip ahead here for a second and let you know that I was enjoying this beer alongside another piece of Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery that I wrote about not too long ago.  Not exaggerating one bit, this may be may new favorite beer and cheese pairing.  Just saying...

  The nose has it all.  In no particular order:  white pepper, coriander, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, lightly kilned malt sweetness, a faint floral quality (from the hops I'm assuming), and of course, a little bit of that funk that I love so much.  I feel that I harp on this all the time but there is balance in the aromatics of this beer which I adore. 

  After battling through the mountain of foam, the first sip made me again realize why I love this style so much.  Sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter flavors jump all over.  The high carbonation helps this medium to full bodied brew dance on the palate.  It starts off with a slight tang on the front of the tongue.  As the beer moves into the middle of your mouth, the malt comes into play, showing sweetness that's balanced off by the peppery esters from the yeast.  That lemon juice that was apparent on the nose makes its presence known on the sides of your tongue, near the back, only to be finished off with a crisp bitterness from the hops.  An absolutely brilliant representation of the style. 

  Even better news, this beer comes in at a mere 4.5% abv.  Most in this style will hover around 7%.  With this alcohol content, Bam Biere jumps into the lead for my favorite session beer.  Now, to bring it back down, this beer is not only tough to find in the Seattle area, but it's also expensive.  $14 for a 750mL bottle is steep.  At this price, I won't be keeping a case of this on hand in the fridge.  What I will do, is suggest that if you find one of these in a store, pick it up and enjoy it.  I'm also going to suggest that this could be a perfect aperitif for those throwing a dinner party.  This beer will go perfectly with just about any appetizers you can throw at it, and it would look great in a champagne flute, to boot. 

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