Lips Of Faith - La Folie - New Belgium Brewing

Domingo

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

New Belgium's premiere brew is terrific, and distribution is growing.
Pours a nice brownish-red color. It's the color of a cherry cider or even a fruit lambic.
Smell and flavor is wonderful. Cherries, oak, citrus, and just a general sour flavor that's just right and not too tart. Not a lot of hops, but lots of other flavors. I'd compare it to a gueuze, but with a slightly sweeter flavor...and the oak overtone. The strange thing about this beer (that even my wine-centric friend mentioned) is that the nose and flavor are very different. What I mean is that the flavor you get after smelling it isn't what you'd expect. It's not bad, just something worth noting.
Mouthfeel is solid. Just the right amount of carbonation to keep it form being too thin.
Drinkability varies on your tolderance for sour flavors, but I'd drink this any time it was available.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2005 23:39:18 | More by Domingo

OStrungT

California

2.9/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours a reddish brown with a thin white head. The head fades fast leaving far too few laces. This beer has a very sour aroma. It sort of has a sour milk aroma. I detect sour fruits. I think it has a slight viniger aroma. This beer has a very sour flavor. I think it is a little too sour. I can not distinguish anything other than a sour fruit flavor, it is that overpowering. It is not that I dont like this beer, but I am not particularly fond of it either. I feel let down. I was looking forward to this bottle, and it is not at all what I expected. This beer is well carbonated. This beer leaves a very sour aftertaste. I dont think this beer would make a good session beer bue to the extremely sour taste. Thanks mentor for helping me try this one. I doubt I will need any more help with this particular beer again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2005 03:06:14 | More by OStrungT

UnionMade

Colorado

4.9/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased at the brewery in late August, refrigerated since.
Looks like a liquid fireball, positively glowing a pure, brilliant red. Modest cap of foam, maintaining a thick film atop the brew. A plume of carbonation rises from the tulip glass, feeding the head. Sharply acidic in the nose, a delicate yet sturdy wooden presence. Heavy with grapey, vinous notes, sour as it comes, hinting towards sour cherry and green apple. A touch of vanilla, and molten caramel to a lesser degree.

The first sip....wow.

Immediately puckering with sour cherry and grape. I'd be happy with a beer this abrasive and agressive being fairly simple, but oh no. A wash of caramel bolsters the sourness, preventing it from taking over completely. Musty wild yeast flavors evoke a feeling of long waiting in wooden vessels. A bit of a stilton cheese flavor, moldy, sharp and delicious, nearly buckling under sour fruit. Oaky vanilla, perhaps a touch of leather and anise lurking in the far distance. Green apple. Cider vinegar. Perky carbonation moves the flavor restlessly across the palate. Microscopically small bubbled, fine like champagne. Lighter medium body, finishing so dry my tongue feels like paper. No real hop flavor save a vague, cheesy, herbal quality which may or may not be from hops. Plenty of sour acidity in the finish, which is right up my alley, even a bit of sour achiness in my belly after a glass. Perhaps lessening the drinkability some. Caramel sweetness maintains throughout, soft and golden. A wisp of vanilla and cheese right in the end. Beautiful.

A beer this gorgeous is a rare thing. I was a bit skeptical about the nearly $20 my girlfriend and I dropped on each bottle, but it was worth every penny. I'm having trouble believing this comes from the United States. Supremely good, even against the continental versions. Not only spot on for the style, but I like it better the classics, i.e. Rodenbach. Holy crap. We should have bought a case. I wonder how this might be after another 3-4 years?

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2005 04:18:25 | More by UnionMade

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tasted on 4/14/2013
(Served in a tulip glass)
Brewed in 2005
A- This beer pours a deep auburn body with a thin wisp of head that is supported by a strong carbonation of microbubbles trailing up the side of the glass.

S- The full aroma of gentle tartness and cellar mustiness complements some wet wood and earthy fruit hints in the finish.

T- The taste of old dry wood is soon overtaken by a tart fruity flavor that has some jammy qualities but is not at all sweet. There is a nice tartness in the finish that lingers with some mellow astringency and a nice musty pithy note.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a soft little carbonation but not much astringency in the mouthfeel.

O- This beer has a great aged flavor with soft subtle depth that builds but is a bit hard to describe. I don’t get a bit tartness or brett character that stand out but there are lots of complimentary flavors that grow and change with each sip. Very tasty.

Drank on 11/20/2005
(Served in a nice tall goblet)

A- This beer pours a coppery-red body that is very clear and has a thin light tan head and a gentle carbonation.

S- The smells of slight sour cherries, with hints of wine vinegar and some earthiness in the background.

T- Bold unmistakable sour/tartness has notes of dark cherries and some softer pear like notes. The finish has a hint of some oak and wood characters with a little mustiness to it.

M- The mouthfeel was medium light with no alcohol warmth but it did make me pucker at the finish.

D- This beer is bold and sour but it has a nice complexity that leaves you wanting to drink more or it. The flavors are very different from typical beers and they are hard to describe. I can't drink this beer as a session beer but I really enjoyed the glass that I had.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2005 20:54:40 | More by rhoadsrage

pjwilson

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

had on tap at the toronado.

A: nice red color.. minimal head
smell: the smell was way too subduded for me. I could smell some brett but i really had to work.
taste: bam. taste is a fucking 5. this shit is so good i almost shed a tear it wasn't as common as budwieser which it should be. Sour, with a hint of sour, with an aftertaste of sour. But it is such a great tasting sour. I love this stuff
mouthfeel and drinkability: this a sipper no doubt. but each little tiny sip gives you the full flavor. which destroyes your palate. this beer crushes lesser beers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2005 01:32:44 | More by pjwilson

UncleFlip

Alabama

4.78/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A very healthy light tan head tops a liquid that's a strong light brown sugar color, tinged sort or dark apricot. It's rather hazy- but that may have been due to my pour.

The smell is yeasty, with bing cherries all over it. Just sniffing it, you know it will be sour.

The first taste is all at once woody and sour fruity. the wood gives way to a sourness on the middle of the tongue, that rolls back to a strong tanginess on the back of the tongue. There's still that cherry, as well. It seems more refined than others I've tried in this general style.

The mouthfeel is hearty, yet not thick. The carbonation cloaks itself nicely- the point where you don't really notice it, but know it's there.

I find this one very drinkable- but some others may not. Some folks may have to warm up to it....and the tang may get overbearing after a while.

This is young bottle- from just a month or two ago. I hear this one gets better with age...so I have another in the closet... :)

Be well
-UF

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2005 03:39:48 | More by UncleFlip

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at Toronado's in San Francisco. Presented in a tulip-style glass, it appeared dark red (or maybe more accurately orange-red) with minimal head.

The aroma was awesome, smelled like sour cherry juice a little. Actually I heard this was made by the same guy who worked at Rodenbach, so maybe this is similar to the ultimate benchmark for Flanders Red?

This was my second beer of this variety (the first was Monk's Red), and I have to say this was more impressive. Definitely a once-in-a-while brew. It's tart and puckering, but extremely delicious.

Grab this if you can find it!

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2005 13:32:50 | More by TurdFurgison

Silenus

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I tried this one at the tasting room at the New Belgium brewery while out in Colorado for the Beer Festival. I’ll have to admit right up front that I’m not a big fan of sour ales but I was willing to give it a try. It arrived in the tasting glass a nice rich orange color with a head of fine bubbles. I was warned to save it for last in my tasting so I did. The aroma was very sour (as you’d expect) and the first sip was very sharp. After a few sips my palate settled down and it began to taste almost of lemonaid. There was no strong hops in either the aroma or flavor but they came back in force when I later burped! Talk about a lasting impression! All in all I think this is a good solid example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2005 16:35:49 | More by Silenus

meathookjones

Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle complete with corn husk. Murky reddish brown body with nice sized light tan head. Strong sour fruit notes with a bit of funkiness to it. A touch of caramel sweetness seems to be hidden under the tartness as well as some woody notes. The flavor is similar with strong tart cherry flavors being upfront. Some funky woody notes mix in nicely. A bit of light fruit sweetness and possible some caramel shows through as it warms. Finishes with an acidic and puckering fruity tartness. This is surprisingly smooth and drinkable stuff. Also a bit refreshing to boot. Definitely one of the best the style has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2005 19:00:55 | More by meathookjones

mentor

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle obtained from the brewery and consumed a couple weeks later (bottle # 05-1991). Funny, I've been using this beer as trade bait but haven't ever tried it because "I don't like funky beers". Well, here goes. Pours a one finger white initally fizzy head that settles to a thin layer. The liquid is cloudy brown rust. Smells like copper, iron and rust, soured cider, granny smith apples, blood, bile salts, oak and tannin, cherry. Sour and not too enticing, but rich and full of different flavors that I am intrigued. Tastes, oh! Potently sour and tart. Wicked! A glass of soured apple cider that's got a shot of whiskey and a shot of lemon 'pucker'. Bile salts, oak, acid, cherry. The oak is light and free of the dark characeristics found in so many oaked beers (ie, not dark oak whiskey'ed, like Oaked Yeti). Very dry woody, tastes like a dried up old red barn smells. Like a redwood deck baking in the summer heat. Oh, this is so potently acidic and finishes puckeringly dry. The brewer that sold me this case said that this batch is 'expecially smooth', compared to most of the previous batches. Mouthfeel is md-thin and the carbonation is moderate. Despite the wicked sour and parching dry, it leaves the back of the mouth watering and the tongue wanting more. How very odd...heartburn, here I come. Bartender, could I have another glass of dry-heave, please. Although not noticably alcoholic, one glass is plenty. Will th remainder of the bottle survive until tomorrow?

One final note, as the beer has warmed to room temperature, the oak has taken on a more piercing character that mixes with the aicd and tart in an interesting way. This was a very challenging and intriguing beer. My scores are certainly not to my preferences, as I prefer rich sweet malty beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2005 05:33:14 | More by mentor

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle obtained via trade with meathookjones. Corked and caged, #04-2903, with informative hangtag tied onto the bottle neck with corn husk or something similar. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed a 1/2" light beige head over the red-tinged caramel brew. Head fades down to a layer of bubbly foam, and laces very nicely, both of which impressed for a barrel-aged product. Aroma is oaky sour cherries. Taste is tart from the start, fleshes out with light wood, cherry and maybe even raspberry highlights. Mouthfeel is very, with the sourness well-tempered by the other flavors, and smoothed by the aging, and as such ends up quite drinkable. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2005 12:24:01 | More by ppoitras

lou91

California

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. Hand bottled and numbered #5-490. I had to pour this into a flute as recommended and it was the perfect glass. Beautiful clear amber color with a noisy crackling head, which released beautiful aromas of funky cherries – like a Cantillon Kriek. Wow what a shock on the palate! Super tart, and funky with a long dry finish leaving traces of subtle cherry to linger and linger. I’ve been to Cantillon and this beer takes me there with the wonderful mustiness and smell of oak and fruit. If you love the Cantillon style of lambics then you will love this beer. I remember having my first Cantillon and wondering if the beer was bad and wanting to pour it down the drain. But the taste grows on you. This is a special beer. As I polish off the bottle I’m left to wonder how in the hell is this beer made in Colorado?!?

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2005 05:12:43 | More by lou91

Bonhoeffer

Alabama

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Dude. Nucking futs. My first ever experience with a Flanders red. I'm no longer a Flanders virgin. Don't know if this one is over the top or if they're all like this.

By far, my favorite part of this beer was the smell. Very unique. I could tell from smelling it that it was going to be sour, but had no idea the extent of sourness. I just sat there inhaling for several moments, trying to anticipate what this rare brew was going to offer me.

First sip: Wheeew. [enormous pucker] Wow.

Sour, sour, sour, sour. I could somewhat taste what was going on behind the sourness, but barely. I enjoyed it as something different, but i'm thinking i need more exposure to this style... I do have a Duchesse at home.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2005 14:46:18 | More by Bonhoeffer

swid

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Corked and caged bottle, 2005, #1888.

La Folie pours a hazy, amber-red color into my Worthy glass. A 1/2" head forms and soon dissipates. Moderate carbonation and lacing. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by the initial appearance (I had hyped this beer in my mind for quite some time). However, looks can be quite deceiving. The smell is appropriately funky; lots of tartness and wood aromas, with a bit of citrus and a slight hint of caramel malt.

The taste, though...WOW! It's like drinking Shock-Tarts, but infinitely tastier. The sourness and tartness is initially quite shocking, but after a couple sips, it becomes very inviting. There's many fruity flavors: cherry, raspberry, and grapefruit being prominent. The wood-influenced caramel malt can be noticed after a little bit. The taste is also funky, but in a very agreeable fashion. This beer is heaven on the tongue. It's full, yet light; sweet, yet dry, and sparkling all around. Finishes sweet, tart, and tasty.

All in all, an insanely drinkable beer. Highly recommended, and a gem from New Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2005 05:02:47 | More by swid

RoyalT

Ohio

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

Appearance – This ale came out of the bottle a beautiful reddish-brown in color. The head was modest but pitted well.

The above description doesn’t do this justice. The liquid is thick and a bit hazy with some live carbonation. The edges are tainted with a pinkish peach color that is very unique. It’s hard to describe, but in an understated way this ale is gorgeous.

Smell – The big sour notes come on strongly right out of the bottle. It’s not like lemon, though. It’s more like a spritzy, tart sourness that is of course heavily-laden with fine woody notes.

There is some serious sweet and sour action going on here as well. The toasted grainy malts and wood meld with this aroma to make a beautiful bouquet.

Taste – Ah, this is a good one. The sourness eases up a bit at the taste. It’s quite inviting with a little more malt than I picked up from the nose. The wood is almost all smell and hardly comes across at the tongue. This is a complex and interesting beer.

Mouthfeel – This is in between light and medium-bodied with a good but measured sourness and some modest but very tight carbonation. The carbonation really was a highlight for me. New Belgium did an incredible job in this area.

Drinkability – This is almost like sipping on an Applejack-infused peach champagne spritzer. It really is subtlety at its best, and a lot of brewers interested in getting into this style could learn from the modest nature of New Belgium’s approach.

Comments – I aged this 2004 vintage for a bit then popped it for my 1,400th review. It really is a unique and tasty ale that definitely deserves a look if you enjoy Red or Bruin Sour Ales.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2005 03:45:51 | More by RoyalT

egajdzis

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hand Bottled #1636? it was kind of scratched out... Poured a hazy amber color with a medium sized off white head and some decent. Tart aroma of oak, spice, sour cherry, malt and caramel. Sour cherry, cherry skins, apples, some yeast and oak, caramel as well. A little grapefruit and some lemon too, I found this very sour. But also enjoyable to have alittle of this in a night!

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2005 18:09:44 | More by egajdzis

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml review thanks to Mandy Miller @ New Belgium for the bottle!

Pours murky orange amber with golden highlights and a dense fluffy head of light beige that settles rather quickly and leaves some temporary spots of lace and eventually forms a thick ring.

I'm overcome by the aromas before I even get close to my chalice. Tart fruit, rotting concord grapes on the vine, pink bubblegum, plum, dry wood, earthy must, chalky minerality, and barnyard funk. Aromas concentrate as it warms to room temp, bringing out even more fruit.

My mouth is overwhelmed by an explosion of flavor. Bubblegum, rotting red grapes, starfruit, prunes, creamy oak, tart underripe cherries, and more. As it warms, notes of oak are more noticable along with more earthy root cellar and funky barnyard must. I could go on and on picking out flavors. Truely marvelous!

The body is medium with prickly tiny bubbles that enhances the tart and sharp character of the beer. Mouthfeel is lofty and creamy. Drinkability, are you kidding me? I could drink this by the bucket!

An absolute must-try for any true enthusiast. World class. Definately the best example of this style I have ever had. I can't imagine there are any finer.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2005 22:08:08 | More by AlexJ

pentathlete

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ah, the spectrum of beer. God loves us.

Thanks to babydoc for this 750ml bottle via BIF18. It was a great run of beers. To bad they didn't see much time in the cellar.

Poured into a snifter a translucent ruby brown, with minimal to no head. The nose is a chalky acidic with cherry notes, smells dry. Taste is a mellow cherry over an aspirin bite. The mellowness musy come from the wood aging. This is not puckering tart, the tartness is pleasant and blends well with the fruitiness and the alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium for the style, the finish is long, tart, and slightly sweet. Not many beers in this style are so drinkable. This one is a keeper. Get it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2005 02:13:44 | More by pentathlete

dwvarner77

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to kmpitz for sharing, enjoyed in a session with sheepnutz and clvand0.
Pours a copper- or umber- shaded orange, with a slight coating of fine carbonation.
The aroma is strong and delightful. Smells primarily of sour cherries, with a hint of plum and someting else that's funky but I can't quite identify.
Tastes fantastic. A burst of sour cherries hits me at first, but it mellows nicely. There's a slight hint of sweetness after the initial sour subsides, as well as an indication of ester and/or alcohol. I don't pick up any distinctive tannin flavors that one sometimes gets from other beers aged in wooden casks.
Light mouthfeel, with a hint of carbonation to tease the tonge. A bit of lingering sour aftertaste, but it's an asset, not a liability.
Very tasty brew with high drinkability. Will certainly aspire to return to this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2005 00:42:12 | More by dwvarner77

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.9/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Geoff.

This is my second dance with this beer. I loved it the first time, but I want to see how I feel about it again.

It pours a rosey orange color with a small head that falls to a light coating. Nice. The nose is incredible. Huge tart funkyness with sweet and sour cherry. Also hints of creamyness as well. It smells divine. The flavor is very nice as well. A blast of tartness hits immideatly, followed by sweet cherry and slight cream. It leaves slight stickey spit in my mouth. The feel is moderate with a lively carbonation. I could easily sit and drink a whole bottle of this. I enjoy the flavor, nose and feel.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2005 00:32:43 | More by kmpitz2

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

WOW! I loved this beer so much that I was originally unsure of my own thoughts on it. However, after going over it for a while, and then rushing out and tasting some of the beers from Flanders (the one's without the extra sugar added), I really do feel that this is an exceptional beer that not only rivals the originals, but ranks very highly among them! The fact that a brewery in the United States produced this absolutely proves that we are the greatest beer nation in the world! So, if this be folly, then let me be a fool!!!

From a 750ml green glass Champagne bottle, corked and caged; 2004 vintage.

The first pour from a longstanding bottle is crystal clear (I can see my fingerprints through the glass). The body is copper colored with a reddish cast and glittering orange and gold highlights; beneath a massive head of creamy white froth that unfortunately settles fairly quickly to a standard collar and whispy surface covering. It does leave some large splashes of lace however, but they are transient and disappear after a minute or so.

The nose is tart with the acid produced by the Brettanomyces and bacteria, and it comes off like tart fruit. Once warm, woody notes become apparent, giving it greater depth; and some tropical fruit appears (mango, papaya, melon).

In the mouth it's light-medium bodied and just lightly tingly on the tongue due to the carbonation, but the acidity also helps to give it some zest.

The flavor starts tart and fruit juicy with an undercurrent of sweetness that appears at the swallow. Across the middle, the barnyard (musty, musky, feral) and oak character appears. It's superbly balanced in its tartness, and the oak isn't over-done.

Note: Once the yeast is added, it softens the flavor greatly, and I'd suggest you store this in your refrigerator for a long period before opening it to let the yeast settle. when you're ready, pull it out, open it, pour it carefully and enjoy it 5 minutes later. You will eventually get to the "yeast pour", but the first few glasses will be great!

It finishes bone-dry and slightly chalky with a mineralistic/barnyard characteristic from the Brettanomyces that leaves it slightly reminiscent of bleu cheese.

Stunning! An amazingly refreshing and drinkable beer that is surprisingly compelling.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2005 23:21:14 | More by NeroFiddled

gbontrag

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

bottle #7253/04
this is the color of a pretty reddish liquer held against an aged barrel. A toasted meringue doesn't jump, but sits at a finger heighth and holds, and holds before coating my NB snifter with lace.
Smells like freshly mown cherry wood, resiny and sour.
A huge vanilla kiss after the shocking sour cherries and unripe pear. Tastes like little sour apples and fruit blossoms. Fresh sawdust clings to the roof of my mouth. This makes me weep with thoughts of an orchard fed through a chipper with blossoms still clinging to the branches. Then, I'm inexplicably celebrating with a cherry vanilla phosphate. My palate, nay, my whole face has been whipped with fruit twigs. And there's sprinkles of cracked green jolly ranchers everywhere. Yo, I'm a happy, jolly la Folie rancher!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2005 02:47:08 | More by gbontrag

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The cage and cork are off, the bottle poured into glass and immediately the nose is hit with a tart cherry/berry intensity. But let's look at this first:
Lush, deep crimson color, cherry red, really, with active carbonation, and an impressively stable pinkish head.
Aroma: sour, and a touch sweet. soft fruit. Perfect balance, though, and at times angelic. Something sublime there. A poetic, eniticing aroma.
Taste: Acidic bite leads off, then the serious pucker, the mouth twisting sour, saved by a blast of sweet berryish flavor. Very nice.
Solid mouthfeel, excellent texture, full body, with a long, fruity, ultimately dry finish.
There is some serious refreshment happening in the mouth, here.
Just gorgeous, really. Easily the match of any Flanders Red I've met, and the better of many more. A pity it's so rare, but easily this fine brewery's best work.
So mellow, but jam-packed with flavor, oozing character. The wood did well with this one.

Impressive.

I think I'm in love.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2005 10:16:17 | More by feloniousmonk

swamiswamu

Indiana

5/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Corked and caged at the Chocolate Bar in STL, not on menu.

I eagerly asked the maitre d' whether or not they still had La Folie in their possession and after asking a few more employees they managed to find one, despite its not being on the menu. At $22, it wasn't cheap, but also was not to be missed. This is my first straight 5s and I don't anticipate seeing many others that meet this. My first sour beer was only a couple of months ago and I've gone from not being able to choke down kriek to lusting after Cantillon like a addict craves the needle. I was visibly excited when the bottle came with its "do not disturb" label hanging around the neck. I was with my fiance and soon to be mother in law, who was immensely intrigued by this mysterious beer in front of me. It poured a deep rich magenta with little head. I let it breathe for a little bit before taking my first sip. The nose was strongly influenced byt the oak with hints of vanilla and plum. The taste was simply incredible. Plums, cranberry, apple cider, a little bit of malt, oak, and a citrusy cleanliness. Perfect. My fiance's mother stated that it was the most incredible flavor she's ever experienced, period. My fiance loved it, despite her extreme aversion to sourness. I could have drank it all night if wasn't driving and it wasn't a small fortune. Best beer ever.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2005 19:08:04 | More by swamiswamu

LuckySevens82

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

750ml Bottle (# 04-3296) courtesy of babydoc. I can't thank you enough for this one Mike.
Pours a reddish orange when held up to light or a very orangy brown when in normal lighting. A whispy, loosly bubbled, white head adorns this beer. Not much in the way of retention or lacing.
Smell is vinegar, citrus, sour cherries, some spiciness (I think I detected cinnamon and/or nutmeg) and of course some oakiness.
Taste is very good. Lemons, vinegar, cherry pits, and brett funk dominate. As the beer reaches the back of the palate, however, this is a distinct woodiness (some tannin, but not nearly enough to do anything but balance out the already immence amount going on in this beer)
Carbonation is near perfect as is the mouthfeel. I was honestly a bit surprised as to how light this beer was. I was expecting something much heavier in flavor for some reason.
Overall, I'd say that this is a fantastic rendition of the style. It's really hard to consider a US brew on par with the Flanders' ales of Belgium, but I think that New Belgium has really hit the nail on the head with this one. The only reason that the drinkability score isn't higher is because 750ml is a lot to drink of this beer by one's self (that isn't to say that I wasn't able to...but still, it's a little bit much for one sitting I think). A fantastic beer...seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2005 03:20:23 | More by LuckySevens82