Bam Noire Dark Farmhouse Ale

Now, I'll be the first to admit my memory is a bit fuzzy on this beer for two reasons. The primary one being that I've waited a little too long to do the review without having taken any notes while in the bar. The second is that this was the second to last beer I had at the trip to the cave. Still, it left more of an impression than the Censored or the Red Rice {both of which I'll probably have to try again before reviewing them properly}. This particular ale was special enough that even bad note taking and a couple of days in between the review and the drink itself aren't enough to make me forget. It'll never be my Three Philosophers or Duchesse, but it's none the less a worthwhile beer. It's also the first Jolly Pumpkin I've ever had, needless to say, I'll be trying more.

Stats:
Appearance - Honestly, this was fairly average. I mean, it's a darker ale. There's nothing special or shiny about it's appearance. It doesn't destroy light passing through it, nor does it add the reddish tint of lights in a cafe in Amsterdam. It's just a beer. It's got a fair head and it's lighter than Guinness. What do you want from me?
Smell - Very earthy and calming. There's not much sweet fruit like the tiny bits you get with the flavor or the smell you'd get with Duchesse or a cider. It's almost as if the beer has been around for a while and is being patient while waiting for you to come and try it.
Taste - This, for me, is what makes this beer most memorable. This beer had undertones of all things I consider fall that weren't already a part of the Tree of Might mentioned last review. It's got a bit of apple here and there with tiny hints of fruitiness buried under earthy and light chocolate and harvest grains. BeerAdvocate mentions some other things, but to each his own. I don't know about the raisins or other things it mentions. Still, I remember this taste and I'd definitely like to have it again.
Feel - This is probably where my memory fails me the most. I've been looking at BA to try and jog my memory, but I honestly disagree with them. I don't think it was as carbonated as they say it was. I believe the foamy head took care of that for me. It did make a nice lattice and was smooth going down without being watery. All around a pleasant drink.
Drinkability - I don't know if I could go through a six pack of this, but I do know I could probably have two or three in a row. Even for some of my favorites, that's not true. I feel like it would eventually {around beer two or three in a row} lose most of what it has. For that, I have to say is its uniqueness. That's where it also gains and loses points. It is unique, but it also can't retain its qualities after a few. Still, even after three or four other drinks, it will be the same interesting beer it was if your others were not Noire.

Drew's Ratings:
2-5 - I didn't think I'd find a beer that works whenever, but this one really does. It's not so unique that it needs to be your first beer, but it's also not going to mar your palate further so as to hinder the taste of your next beer. That being said, I certainly wish this had been my last beer rather than the Censored. That's the only thing I remember about Censored, was that it pulled me from the gravity center of the Earth that I found with the Bam Noire.

AND

F - In all honesty, I want to recommend this beer to anyone I meet, but it's not for everyone. For me, this was an amazing beer. It had hints of a ton of different distinct flavors and smells, a foamy head that stayed as long as I'd hoped it would, and was smooth going down. I could drink more than one of these in a row and that says something. It's a good place to begin or end the night and I really enjoyed it. The name, to me, says it all. It's dark and has an almost noire quality it imparted to the bar while drinking it plus the flavors reminded me of Phish's Farmhouse album while simultaneously thinking of walks I've taken in late autumn.

Overall: B+


Bright the cheeks and warm the heart,
-NEO-BS