Lips Of Faith - Le Terroir - New Belgium Brewing

mdaschaf

Washington

4.34/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Had on tap at Brouwers during Big Wood. Review from notes.

A: The beer is a hazy orange with a foamy off-white head on top, minimal retention and lacing.

S: Really liked the aroma on this beer, nice sour/tartness with some tropical fruits and lots of pine on the finish. There is some lemon and a little bit of funk.

T: Quite sour! Surprisingly hoppy, lots more tropical fruit, lemon, grass, and a bit of pickle juice actually.

M: Medium bodied with light carbonation. Great level of sour/tartness.

O: Really liked this beer, very different. Basically a sour IIPA, loved how the tropical fruit and pine mixed with the sour/vinegary notes.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 00:43:08 | More by mdaschaf

ehammond1

California

4.28/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Cloudy but electric bright yellow with a thin white cap. Spots of lacing left down the glass.

A sweet and juicy aroma dominated by the smell of fresh apricots. There's an underlying yet strong aroma of biting sour tartness along with a touch of wood, earth, and more bright citrus: orange, lemon, ?and lime?

More sweet apricot flavor along with a bit of tart and stinging lemon and some earth and grass. The sourness is not overwhelming or dominant but certainly present.

Light to medium bodied.

A delicious and highly drinkable apricot sour. I would love to have a keg of this at home.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2011 19:03:14 | More by ehammond1

marikoangel

California

4.15/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a New Belgium bubble glass at Amsterdam Cafe.

A: It pours a slightly hazy caramel yellow with an inch of white loose head. Looks like a medium light body, with only a little spotty lacing sticking to the glass.

S: It has a wonderful fruity nose. Light lemon and grapefruit citrus, apples, dry tropical juices, light malts, with some of those wild yeast notes coming through.

T: I let this one open a bit. It has a great tart kick in it. There is a nice mix of fruits, ranging from lemon and grapefruit to touches of fresh apples. The lemon seems to come out more as it warms though. There is a nice acidity in this one.

M: There is a lower carbonation in here, with a medium light mouthfeel that thins out towards the finish.

O: It is overall a really nice well done wild sour. It's super drinkable. It's lighter than their La Folie, making it more of an everyday beer. I'm loving this one, and will be very sad when this keg kicks.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2011 02:12:43 | More by marikoangel

kirkmichel

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-brownish amber, opaque, and a tall off white head. Served in a snifter.
S-ginger, white grapes, spices..pretty complex and I suspect moresoe as it warms up or oxidizes. I am not planning on giving it time for that.
T-Sour (of course) like sour or crab apple, but not overdone and with a ton of fruity cherry and plum on the finish.
M-Fine...sourness clings a bit but doesn't make my mouth water for 5 mins like some of my faves in this style...guess that doesn't really count as mouthfeel, but whatever.
D-probably ordering another after this, but 3 would be too much, so pretty drinkable as wild beers go.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 21:05:51 | More by kirkmichel

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Toronado, in San Francisco.

I might be tempted to score the appearance a perfect 5 if only I had some criteria with which to judge it. Of course, no real rules exist for these wild compositions; they are at the mercy of nature which, in this case, was evidently quite good to it over the past two years. It is a glossy, lovely papaya orange tone with a fine, mossy head.

You want funk? You got it! Trying to throw light upon the sour, funky smells of a wild ale to someone who's never tried one is like trying to explain the theory of relativity to a kindergartner - wild yeasts and bacteria are ingredients that make almost impossible things happen. A perfect score hardly does such an extraordinary bouquet justice.

Wild yeast is a gamble in the great casino of nature, but New Belgium seems to have hit the jackpot. Tasting like dried out grains, the maltiness is rather blank and expressionless but that yeast (or bacteria, or both) swoop in with the sweetest fruity flavours I've ever tasted. Where are the fruit flies? This emulates an authentic lambic quite well, but with an added vibrant hoppiness that endows soft floral notes and tons of peach-y, pineapple-y fruitiness.

Terroir is a French word and a French concept that denotes the unique characteristics that particular varieties of foods and drinks gain from the geography, geology and climate around them. It's appropriate, therefore, that this beer captures the terroir of a French-speaking place: the Senne Valley in Belgium. The brewery will tell you that it's a taste of "their" terroir, but sorry New Belgium, Cantillon and the likes got there first.

Biology students take note - this is a beer worthy of a thesis. How one can take wild yeast and bacteria, let them fester in beer for two years, and come out of it with something appealing is beyond me. But while this may be challenging to drink for some, for my tastes it is one of the most simultaneously unique and pleasant beers I've had the pleasure of trying.

I don't think it would be unfair to say of New Belgium that they are still tinkerers, rather than trained engineers, when it comes to wild ales and barrel-aging. But it must be said that Le Terroir is a masterpiece that doesn't just approach the best American sour beers, it actually surpasses many of them. A beer like this is worth paying whatever the asking price for.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 18:24:38 | More by biegaman

illidurit

California

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Burger. in Santa Cruz. POurs an opaque tangerine bronze color with a sticky white head. Aroma is lemons and unripe berries, blackberries in particular come to mind, seedy and tart. Flavor is acidic unripe fruits, citrus and berries, something subtly herbal, lemonhead candy, slight honey malts in the finish, very dry and tart. Palate is very nice but I'm somewhat underwhelmed by the depth of flavor. Reminds me a lot of unsweetened lemonade. Still a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2011 01:08:30 | More by illidurit

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-dark golden with a very thin cream colored head

S-smells like white grapes. fresh baked italian bread, and olive oil. very unique.

T-wow this is sour! a great sour. it comes in with a beautfiully tart tastes of white grapes and olive oil. its a very strong and great taste that lasts and continues to the after-taste. the flavors are real strong and of good quality.

M-medium carbonation with fairly dry finish

O-well this is one of the most sour sours i've had. it comes in with great appreciation. the flavors are unique and tasty. i'll be craving this one for awhile. please seek this out!

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2011 07:44:57 | More by AdamBear

dgilks

Australia

4.35/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazy light amber colour with virtually no head. Fine given the sourness.

Nice, tart aroma with notes of lemon, moderately intense funk and a hint of herbal character. Nice.

Served in a Rogue XS chalice this is one hell of a beer. Sour, funky and full of Brett character. The tartness presents as lime and under-ripe peach. There is also a hint of sweet cherry in the background that provides a hint of balance. Nicely crafted and very, very delicious.

Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. Spritzy but it works.

A really, solid Wild Ale. I love the balance combined with the intensity. Great.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2011 21:40:40 | More by dgilks

jibbyvonjibb

California

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: copper color. Slightly hazy. Little head.
S: Orange, grapefruit. Earthy hops. Oak. Very pleasant bouquet.
T: Lime, mandarin, orange, pineapple, pomelo. Fruitiness reigns. Earthy hop aftertaste but bitterness is subdued. No Brett funk.
O: an excellent sour beer where the mixture of hops and acids intertwine seamlessly.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2011 20:35:42 | More by jibbyvonjibb

ncfranklin

Alabama

3.78/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Flying Saucer in Nashville, TN

A: A deep orange with copper highlights. Solid finger white head. Plenty of carbonation as I see bubbles rolling up from the bottom of the glass.

S: Bitter apple, vinegar, and grape.

T: Very heavy in the vinegar acidity, large tart apple notes along with some citrus orange. Light bitterness on the finish.

M: Medium in body, with good carbonation leaving a light crispness.

D: A super sour brew. Needs a bit more complexity for me, maybe some sweeter flavors of vanilla.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2011 16:39:24 | More by ncfranklin

Phelps

Arizona

4.08/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the tap into shaker pint at Flanny’s.

Le Terroir means “of the earth,” a reference to environmental conditions that affect the beer. It’s been dry-hopped with Amarillo, which is unique for a sour.

Slightly hazy apricot in color, with a half-finger, fuzzy head of off-white. The bubbles eventually lower themselves to a thick, lingering blanket, leaving some sticky, reaching arms of lace.

Intriguing nose — the dry-hopping really adds interest to this beer. I get sweet apricot and a bright earthy hoppiness that delivers notes of orange and pine. In the back is a moderate tartness and some subtle funk that reminds me of Thai food — sesame, perhaps? I dig it either way.

Earthy, woody, sour. First I get pine and bright orange peel from the hops. Moderate acerbic notes swoop in next, along with sweet apricot and lime. The hops combine with other flavors to give impression of lemon-lime soda. My buddy Ricky says it reminds him of tart gummy worms. The finish pops with flavor, the amount of sourness is perfect and it’s unlike any sour I've had.

Medium low, massaging carbonation inside a smooth medium body with a moderate amount of fizz. The acidic tartness slides off tongue slowly, deliciously.

I am all about this beer. The dry-hopping adds an earthiness that plays nicely of the funk of the yeast. A very drinkable, interesting sour.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2011 23:00:28 | More by Phelps

MowryJC

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap in a New Belgium Globe.

A - Lightly hazed tarnished yellow-orange capped by a finger and a half of foam that thins out pretty quickly. Leaves light lacing down the glass.

S - Apricot and peach moves into both a lactic and acetic sour smell. Very light funk. Perhaps the funk most others mention isn't as prevalent in the draft form as the bottle.

T - Same balance between lactic and acetic sourness, with a nice peachiness. I like how sour it is while still being pretty balanced. A sweetness at the end that is a bit much. A little citrus from the hops (I assume).

M - Moderate body with nice carbonation, but the cloying sweetness at the end clings to my tongue and mouth, not driving me to want to drink as much of this.

All in all, a good Wild Ale, with the issue of not being dry enough IMHO. A little dryer and the drinkability would go up. Could also use a little more funk, but like I said, maybe I'd get more of that in the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 12:45:00 | More by MowryJC

metter98

New York

4.3/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is slightly hazy yellowish orange in color and does not have any visible carbonation. It poured with a thin layer of bubbles on the surface that quickly faded away.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of sourness in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the overall taste is quite sour and has some hints of citrus from the hops.
M: It feels medium-bodied and somewhat tart on the palate with a light to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is quite easy to drink for the style because it’s not too sour.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2011 02:41:15 | More by metter98

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Fountainhead.

A - I have no idea what color the brew is, Fountainhead is dark. In this lighting, it looks good, sorta like an IPA served in a Trappist goblet, replete with frothy head and lace.

S - The nose is quite hoppy (for the style), and I can definitely pick up on the citric-tropical notes imparted by Amarillo, and especially and overripe peachy note. As it airs out, I get more musty-earthy acetic notes than I do fruit.

T - The flavor is exactly like it hypothetically would be, in my mind: a tart-fruity sour beer with bright notes of medicinal pinapple-y brett fusing with bitter tangerine peel, overripe peach and sticky-sappy mango. As I get deeper in the glass, I pick up on apple skins, lemon pith and tannic oak.

M - Nice carbonation and body; it feels as much like an IPA as it does a Champagne-like Sour.

O - Very nice; this is one of the best Lips of Faith brews, if not the best, that I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2011 19:15:36 | More by ktrillionaire

drowninginhops

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Standard pint glass.

A: Hazy orange-copper color complete with a one-finger off-white head.

S: Citrus aromas and tropical fruit hops.

T: Tastes very similar to how it smells. But the tropical smell is now the refreshing taste of mango. Slightly tart

M: Very good.

D: Want more, please.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 16:02:05 | More by drowninginhops

glid02

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Leon’s Full Service in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy orange-copper color with a one-finger slightly off-white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of medium malts with large amounts of tart citrus aromas. Also present are slight amounts of tropical fruit hops and slighter amounts of funk.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Medium to light malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by moderately tart fruits – berries and pears if I had to choose, although it’s not terribly close to either one. Joining in midway through the sip are bright citrus hops that fade out into a moderately tart ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It’s got a nice thickness with solid carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass very quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I had to have this beer again after being a big fan of it from the bottle, and it didn’t disappoint. The slight age does temper the the hops a bit, I'd be interested to see how this tastes in a year or two, although I can't imagine it getting better. Well worth a shot however you find it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 02:37:54 | More by glid02

Sideswipe

California

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass at Barley and Hops

The beer is a hazy amber color with a thin coaster of white foam atop it. The aroma is lemon zest and light funk. Taste features big citrus notes, bitter hops and acetic tartness. Starts out sweet and fruity followed by a very nice hoppy bitterness and a sour, tart finish. Feel tends toward the lighter side with a nice level of carbonation. Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable offering from New Belgium. Light, refreshing and very easy drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2011 22:12:13 | More by Sideswipe

alleykatking

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap.

A- Pours a semi-hazed orange color with some golden highlights to it. One finger white head shows medium retention. Couple of streaks of lace on the glass but not much else.

S- Citrus hops in the front of the aroma. There is a light citrus undertone to the rest of the nose which creeps between the lactic sourness and some barnyard funk. Light green apple notes in the ending with a soured alcohol ending in the nose. Overall a nice aroma for the style.

T- The citrus hops in the front of the aroma does come in the flavor at first as well. Some soured green apple flavors come through next with hints of barnyard funk. This comes through in the middle with more of a lemony and citrus orange light sour tone. The backend of the flavor profile shows some wood notes along with a final light sour note. Piney hops show up for a split second which ends on a light alcohol tone.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Soured fruit and more soured fruit left on the palate. Aftertaste is light alcohol, soured fruit, and hints of wood. Flavor were well balanced for the style with this being not too overly sour. No off flavors were detected while it would be hard to find if there was. Heavy alcohol drying on the palate with each sip.

O- This was a nice drinker overall. The sourness to this beer was never over the top and the ABV was never really a problem while drinking. I think this was left in the barrel for the perfect amount of time. Nice job New Belgium on making yet another great tasting sour.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2011 23:04:45 | More by alleykatking

cpmichael

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy golden-yellow color, with .5 finger white foam that stuck around awhile.

S: The nose is very citrusy, specifically lemon, with a hint of pine from the hops and a touch of funk.

T: Very acidic, sour apples, lemon peel, piney hop character. Not puckering, but def. sour.

M/D: well carbonated, light body. Thought it could have been a bit thicker.

Overall: A very refreshing wild. I thought the beer could have used a little more body and maybe a little more on the nose.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 15:57:47 | More by cpmichael

Offa

California

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy golden deep amber, small off-white head long lasting and slowly shrinking to thin ring, wisps, a little nice lace.

Aroma is sour fruits, lemon rind, light funky yeastiness and hint of vinegar.

Taste is citric, tart-sour fruits, some sweetness, light earthy yeastiness, hint of grass, with vinegary lemon and crackers really dominating the finish and aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 21:03:17 | More by Offa

emmasdad

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this one on tap at the Rackhouse in Denver tonight. Poured a slightly hazy golden color with a nice rocky white head. Nice tart aromas, with lemon, vinegar and wood. Light bodied, refreshing and tart, with flavors of lemon rind, vinegar and grapefruit.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2011 04:36:22 | More by emmasdad

gpatt55

California

4.68/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy light toffee color, nose is full of sweet green apple fruit and bretty straw/hay. On the palate this makes itself known with good acidity, but it's balanced with a lovely ciderlike sweetness. This tastes fantastic, an almost perfectly balanced sour that leaves your palate with the impression of sweet apple fruit but stays fresh and acidic enough to keep you coming back for more. There's only a hint of acetic/vinegar character. This is a knockout sour from New Belgium. Not as impressively powerful as La Folie but perhaps their best balanced offering to date.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 01:32:28 | More by gpatt55

Lessurluck

California

4.33/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yellow not to carbonated light tangy. Like a pear jelly belly. Can taste the spicy hops in the nose at first sip. Pretty wild! little bit of lemon zest at first reminded me of apricot and lemon hybrid. Malty after taste, very tasty. A little bit of dry to it making you want more, well done! Similar to la follie maybe yeast but of course 2 different styles plus the hops make it completely different if that makes sense... Wonder how an IPA sour would do?

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2011 05:31:00 | More by Lessurluck

notchucknorris

California

4.45/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy, honey color with a frothy looking white head that holds up pretty well. Eventually, the head settles to a thin ring around the rim of the glass.

S: There's a lot of funk to the smell with a lot of tart cherries and apple cider vinegar in the nose.

T: There is a ton going on here. I picked up apple cider vinegar, black cherries, a little spiciness, apricot and a little white wine as well. The sourness is big (though not as big as some of RR's sours) and the prickly carbonation really does well to enhance the sourness. There's a bit of bready malts in the background that hold the tartness in check a bit. Overall, this is a really well done sour. It reminded me a lot of Compunction and it may be better. I'll definitely be trying this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2011 16:11:14 | More by notchucknorris

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at itap, served in a tulip

pour was a deep golden yellow with a light fizzy head.

the tap was more subtle on the hops bringing out more of the sour base. more peach than anything else. a light hint of oak. bits of sweetness.

very peach forward with light citrus fruits beneath. a very moderate sourness that was pretty consistent from start to finish. light malt backbone. hints of oak still remained.

nice tartness hits the gums. moderate carbonation and dry finish.

seeing as the dry hopping was far more subtle, this was almost different. tasted more like a fresh Eric's Ale. very good in its own way.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 18:24:16 | More by hooliganlife