JOLLY PUMPKIN “BAM NOIRE”

Well I’ll be hornswoggled – a black saison. I’ve taken some issue with JOLLY PUMPKIN in the past, not really thinking that their beers quite matched the hype that’s swelled up around them. One of the beer blogs I cling to my bosom (VICE BLOG? CAPTAIN’S CHAIR? BEER ROVER? Can’t remember) said that BAM NOIRE was their best, so I figured I’d get over myself and give it a try. This time I’m happy to report that they deliver.

BAM NOIRE is pretty neat – a low (4.3%) alcohol dark saison ale that’s about as earthy and musty as they come. As my houseguest said, “now that’s an interesting beer”. Interesting in this case equates to a drinkable but still mildly funky, thin-bodied ale. I don’t want to overplay the fruits present in this one, because they’re barely shouting distance from the surface, and are lingering way off in the distance. But what’s there is tart and plum-like, maybe blackcurrant as well. It’s that yeasty, earthy, dry taste that you’ll remember the most, and then you’ll understand why the farmers used to drink this style by the slop-bucketful. 7.5/10.