Lips Of Faith - La Folie - New Belgium Brewing

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a tumbler pint glass. My first sour ale! I'm so excited...

A: Pours a translucent dark burgundy color with excellent clarity. The head is a two finger light mocha color featuring a moderate texture and poor head retention. Not much lacing, either. Still, the body color is so beautiful, I had to give extra points.

S: This really has a lot going on. Tart fruits (such as pear, apples, and cherries), a nicely done oak note, and so on. Like I said, there's so much going on, it's hard to pick out individual scents; even still, it's a fantastic smell.

T: Hella tart, but it's an excellent sensation that's kept in check beautifully. Initial tart cherries give way to a subtle malt backbone, while the finish and aftertaste is full of accumulating oak tannins (not to mention a great lingering sourness - not overdone or too weak, just right). Very vinous, like I expected, with nuanced, pleasant vinegar notes popping up on the flavor profile every now and then. The balance between sweet and savory is pulled off with gusto, as well.

The only thing preventing me from scoring this higher (read: a 5) is simple: I'm not used to sour ales. Like I said, this is my first one (and I don't friggen' care how expensive they are, this won't be my last), but I reckon this would be a great introduction to the style, and it's balanced fantastically enough so that most drinkers will be able to appreciate some of its subtleties without suffering too much palate overload.

M: Moderately creamy smooth, up until the midtaste, where it becomes prickly, coarse, and dry from the oak tannins and healthy carbonation. Quite mouthwatering at times. It's at a weird middle ground in terms of drinkability: do I sip it slowly to appreciate all of its nuances, or do I chug it at a semi-quick pace because it's so damn good? Guess I'll do both options intermittently, 'cause I'm hardcore...

O: As a student who's pretty much on a budget, trust me when I say I'd still buy this again and again. I probably won't in the near future, because of that fact, but it's good to know such an excellent sour is so easy to find in my area. Plain and simple, this rocks.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 22:51:04 | More by ThisWangsChung

ajzy

Wisconsin

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%

05-26-2013 01:18:12 | More by ajzy

jtladner

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-25-2013 11:38:13 | More by jtladner

bnes09

Illinois

3.26/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Nice ruby brown color. Weak soda-like head on the pour with zero retention and almost no lacing. I anticipate that the lack of head is expected with this style.

Dark fruit aroma of prune and black cherry juice. Sweet character overall.

Some dark fruit ester notes and mild spices up front (e.g. ginger and nutmeg). Then the aggressive lactic and citric acid sourness dominates the palate, eliminating all other flavors. Finishes on the spicy end with lingering tartness. If I let it sit on my tongue for more than a second or two, the aggressively sour flavor reminds me of stomach acid. My recommendation, drink it quickly.

Light to medium bodied with a sharp, aggressive carbonation. Bone dry in the finish while leaving sticky sugars on the lips.

This may be a good example of the style but its just not my thing. I'm disappointed too because I really enjoyed Monk's cafe.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 03:50:33 | More by bnes09

csfcmitchell

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%

05-23-2013 15:59:53 | More by csfcmitchell

hannydawg

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-23-2013 14:00:47 | More by hannydawg

Callmecoon

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-23-2013 02:22:32 | More by Callmecoon

Michigan

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-21-2013 03:43:57 | More by Michigan

jgluck

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-20-2013 22:25:23 | More by jgluck

ericwa1154

Texas

5/5  rDev +17.1%

05-20-2013 21:57:25 | More by ericwa1154

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-20-2013 03:59:11 | More by Kmat10

Ctrauty

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-20-2013 01:42:35 | More by Ctrauty

510a

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-19-2013 21:47:27 | More by 510a

Kreko7

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-19-2013 15:53:07 | More by Kreko7

ShawnMH

Indiana

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-19-2013 15:36:13 | More by ShawnMH

TheConnMan

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-19-2013 06:07:34 | More by TheConnMan

smartassboiler

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-18-2013 22:31:11 | More by smartassboiler

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%

05-18-2013 21:22:21 | More by Photekut

Fargrow

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -18%

05-18-2013 19:30:57 | More by Fargrow

HopBrain

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-18-2013 16:22:38 | More by HopBrain

jono0101

Missouri

5/5  rDev +17.1%

05-18-2013 15:48:34 | More by jono0101

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-18-2013 15:13:58 | More by ShemRahBoo

badboy7113

Florida

4/5  rDev -6.3%

05-18-2013 03:11:49 | More by badboy7113

FranzBC

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

05-17-2013 20:10:37 | More by FranzBC

MarioM

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

05-17-2013 05:27:21 | More by MarioM