Lips Of Faith - La Folie - New Belgium Brewing

marksto

Florida

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle in Denver while at GABF 2007, was pleasantly suprised to see it for sale outside the brewery which used to be the only place you could get it.

Pours tawny, reddish amber. Cloudy, with a thin head that leaves some light lacing around the glass. The aroma has huge complexity. Enteric, phenolic, slighty smoky, cidery, and perhaps a touch of oak. Nice. That complexity carries into the flavor as well, but it has a huge vinegar sourness that tends to overwhelm it. Intensely sour, with a malt vinegar/balsamic character and a little sour cherry in the backgound. Mouthfeel is intensely puckering and leaves a slight burning sensation in the middle of the throat.

La Folie is a blended beer and obviously can vary from blend to blend and bottle to bottle. I've had it before and enjoyed other samples better. To me the vinegar element was a bit overpowering in this one, but some like it that way. Despite that, this is a classic sour ale and always worth seeking.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 15:01:04 | More by marksto

hopswap1

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-20-2013 00:51:17 | More by hopswap1

kustard

Illinois

3/5  rDev -29.7%

06-19-2013 20:01:59 | More by kustard

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-18-2013 23:46:19 | More by taylor714914

heytomcat

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +17.1%

06-18-2013 21:34:17 | More by heytomcat

andyfrancis

California

4.44/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2013 bottle

Short brown head erupted quickly and dissipated as quickly as it came, leaving a placid, cloudy reddish brown glass.

Wow, no doubting its sourness on the nose. That acquired vinegary delicious funk. Almost like bleu cheese just before it hits your lips.

Oh my god. So good. Just a great blend of sour with a sweet fruit back and funky bite. Every sip makes me want to take another.

Incredibly smooth and easy drinking for a sour. Has that astringent bite and finishes clean.

Not quite as good, but in the same ballpark as the Russian River sours and my favorite of the Lips of Faith series, Eric's Ale. Will definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 22:29:56 | More by andyfrancis

meich75

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -18%

06-15-2013 00:09:57 | More by meich75

Addison

California

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%

06-14-2013 18:28:02 | More by Addison

djre4orm

Virginia

3/5  rDev -29.7%

06-13-2013 20:12:26 | More by djre4orm

eulerthegrape

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-11-2013 19:51:18 | More by eulerthegrape

cgentzkow

California

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%

06-11-2013 04:43:37 | More by cgentzkow

kevrice88

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -23.9%

06-11-2013 01:34:07 | More by kevrice88

GraduatedCashew

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

06-11-2013 00:12:20 | More by GraduatedCashew

JammyV

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-10-2013 23:49:03 | More by JammyV

JRdaSconnie

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%

06-10-2013 11:27:52 | More by JRdaSconnie

chase2634

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

06-09-2013 14:30:12 | More by chase2634

WiscoBrewsco

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-08-2013 23:35:38 | More by WiscoBrewsco

jdklks

Nevada

4/5  rDev -6.3%

06-08-2013 15:05:23 | More by jdklks

Mscarpen

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%

06-08-2013 12:47:04 | More by Mscarpen

itracy63

Alaska

3.5/5  rDev -18%

06-08-2013 04:34:58 | More by itracy63

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle from 2013.

Pours dark mahogany with a thin, tan head. A mostly placid surface with occasional dots of lacing throughout the glass.

Aromatics lead off with balsamic-drizzled apples and worstershire. Hints of cider and wet leather follow though.

Medium bodied with an prickly but oily mouthfeel. Slightly waxy.

Vinegar-soaked apples and soured fruit starts the palate. Meaty undertones with hints of cherries and cider vinegar follow thorough.

Finishes with a lingering sourness and deep fruit undertones.

Great beer but the carbonation is a bit light for the style and this beer definitely deserves to go back into a cork and caged 750.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 01:01:04 | More by brewandbbq

zrab11

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

06-07-2013 18:01:35 | More by zrab11

jrohrbacher

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

06-06-2013 23:49:38 | More by jrohrbacher

sgoro

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

06-06-2013 21:36:08 | More by sgoro

Matthewpakula

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

06-06-2013 18:35:55 | More by Matthewpakula