Jolly Pumpkin & Monkish - Problem No Problem

There’s all kinds of interesting stuff happening in this one-off Jolly Pumpkin collab with Monkish Brewing. This briskly tart saison is brewed with a combination of raw sugar, sweet and bitter orange peel, green lentils, and “a funky homemade curry spice blend (cumin, ginger, mustard seed, peppercorns, coriander, and fenugreek, if you must know.)” For how potent that sounds, we’re surprised to find an incredibly refreshing and tart saison that’s reminiscent of our favorite versions of Jolly Pumpkin’s Bam Bière: briskly sour citrus, super refreshing, and built with a subtle bitterness around the periphery, keeping everything lean.

This pours a deep, honeyed and slightly hazy golden color, sunny and juicy in the glass. There’s a dense layering of white foam that’s continuously replenished from effervescence underneath. The aromatics here are particularly crisp and refreshing, leading with lean citrus like fresh lime and lemon, a subtle funk behind it, but ultimately a tightly wound core of funky wild yeast character revolving around citrus. The sweet and bitter orange peel might be the most potent of the special additions, bringing lively secondary notes. The blended spice additions remain subtle and stay on the periphery, appearing as hints of pepper and warming spice.

At 7.6%, it’s impressive how lean and refreshing this beer feels. The lentil additions seem to mostly be used as a fermentable, while those orange peels and the curry spice blend come through on the edges, adding some engaging, spicy structure that serves in place of overt hop bitterness. There’s beautiful, subtle structure to this beer. The core focus of fresh lemon-lime, citrus-driven tartness carries this one, carrying through that delicious brightness of Bam Bière, with fresh-cut citruses and tightly spun funk and salinity. There’s firm sourness, bracing but effortlessly refreshing, and there’s a super-easy-drinking beer at the core of this experience.

Probably best expressed fresh, though sturdy enough for some cellar time. This feels super versatile for pairings, and the subtle curry spice blend additions have us wanting to try this alongside a Burmese tea leaf salad, or a bunch of different Thai fare. But again: versatile.