Lips Of Faith - Biere De Mars - New Belgium Brewing

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had a nice lineup of new belgium at the sour tasting a few weeks back. all were quite impressive. split between three of us into snifters.

the pour is a wonderful golden color that has a very lively presence throwing up tons of carbonation and a huge head that seemed to reach a height of three inches or more and dropped tons of lacing all down the sides. the aroma was a mix of everything, light citrusy hops that intermingled with a fine little sour apple funk and a quick hit of light spice that popped on the tongue, really very complex and nicely put together. warming seems to just bring out more and more of the funk as apples, pears, an nice yeasty flavors mix in and give it a very tart dryness but never push it too far in any direction. i have no clue where the abv is on this one, i drank it like it was 5 percent as that how it faired, wow incredibly well hidden,

overall i was amazed by how well put together this one was. really just a great, well balanced beer that would be a good starting point for someone looking to get into sours.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 00:45:28 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: A sort of orange/copper color, about one finger of white foam that recedes fairily quickly.

S: Spice, yeast, not really any sort of funk that I was expecting from the Brett.

T: Rather bland, especially for what I was expecting. Mild spice and yeast flavors, otherwise bready. Again, where's the brett?

M: Medium body, not much carbonation.

D: This beer is definitely not a wild ale, or not a very good one, anyway. There is almost no brett character and no sourness.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 06:50:00 | More by womencantsail

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours out a delicately hazed, light amber body with a frothy, medium-large, white head. Meager, spotty lace on the way down.

Smell: Sweet, breadiness in the nose smelling of loaf bread lightly dipped in golden syrup. The lemon verbana brings a notable citrusy waft and underlying garden weed herbaceousness to the mix. Subdued, easy-going Brett notes all around.

Taste: Sweet, lightly bready barley rounded out with a small hint of wheat and faintly nutty oats. Medium sweetness. The added lemon verbana certainly adds a fruity, citrusy aspect to the beer, but it also gives a little sting to the tongue reminiscent of consuming ginger. Splash of sweet apple juice as well. Only rather mild Brett flavors coming through at this point with restrained touches of just-made cobwebs crafted by talking farmhouse spiders, squeaky clean saddlebags, and farm-fresh butyric acid. Semi-dry, fruity finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation. Fairly soft mouthfeel.

Drinkability: With its somewhat subtler Brettanomyces character it reminds me of Ommegang's Biere de Mars release, save for the lemon verbana, natch. I'd say I would pair it with some fine cheeses, but I'd say that regarding just about anything, no, instead let's pair it with a fresh field green salad with heirloom tomatoes, sweet onions, and a bright, refreshing lemon vinaigrette. Yes, that'll do nicely.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2009 22:03:05 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber color with a frothy head; does a fairly good job in the lacing department; retains nicely, too

Smell: Shortbread, coriander, vanilla, mango and a hint of lemon

Taste: Vanilla shortbread, up front, with a developing mango, lemon and coriander flavor; after the swallow, the sweeter flavors dominate though yeasty, herbal undertones linger

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: At first, I was on the fence with this beer as I thought it was too sweet without enough Brett and herbal complexity; the more I tasted it, however, I started to come around and I am enjoying the range of flavors even though I would still prefer it to be less sweet

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 02:14:02 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy honey orange with a beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is citrusy with some spices and a slight sour/funky aroma. Taste is pretty much the same with some grain/malt flavors too. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some nice fruit and funk aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 23:40:31 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle: Poured a clear deep golden color ale with a large foamy head that disappeared way too quickly without any lacing. Aroma of spices with bland malt base and light dry Brett notes. Taste is also dominated by light spice mix with notes of bland Belgian style malt with a very faint funky aftertaste. Body is a bit light for style with average carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very disappointing from a brewery who usual produce better offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 03:49:42 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Its one of those beers; either you love the eathyness or you hate it. Pours a dirty copper or orange brown. Smells of organic malting. Deep, rich, sour and yeasty. On the side of salty. Tastes of sour malt, American hops that give a bitter and metalic flavor. Body reveals organic flavors on the side of fresh water clams or oysters; similar in flavor to Orval trapist, but not as melded or complex. Finishes earthy and lingering although a medium flavor persists. Remains metalic and a bit buttery (actually helps). All in all, not a goood experience for me--too earthy.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2005 05:51:57 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not a style I would normally go out of my way to get,I havent had any in this category for awhile though so I grabbed it.Poured into a large tulip glass a lightly hazed burnt orange color with a nice fluffy head atop,minimal lace was left behind as it settled slowly.Light funk and leather is what I picked up most in the nose,after it warmed that lemon verbena came through slightly.Flavors are alot like the nose but more complex,light leather and lighter funk mixed with citric/lemon and candied pears,a hint of vanilla came through as well.Its not bad and not heavy on the funk (wich is good for me),but lacks a real punch to it in my mind.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2009 22:50:49 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's cloudy orange body and fluffy bright white head actually do a very good job of telling you what the beer tastes like... it's kind of airy in the mouthfeel; has a bit of orange flavor to it; and it's kind of dry and powdery which is a little like the look of its yeasty body might suggest.

The nose is dryish with some coriander, wheatish malt, and a light hint of yeasty fruitiness; and it's pillowy-soft in the mouth with a very-fine bubbled, median carbonation that leaves a delicate caress on the tongue as it passes smoothly away. The flavor is dry with coriander and lightly sweet with wheat-accented malt; a touch citrusy and just slightly acidic; yeasty but not overly so; and backed by a sublime bitterness that helps to dry the finish in concert with its lingering spiciness. It works well at almost any time of year, but is particularly nice as a summer and fall beer; and it pairs well with some of the lesser-spiced Thai foods, mushroom-stuffed chicken breast in cream sauce, grilled pork chops, and baked apples.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2005 01:16:08 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a plastic tumbler.

This may color the following, but I honestly don't know what makes this a wild ale. Just sayin'. It pours a slightly hazy straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises wheat, grass, lemon zest, and a light farmy funk. The taste brings in more of the same, with proportionately more wheat and greens than before. A pinch of cardamom may or may not be in there as well (we'll never know for sure). The body is a very light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a nice saison-esque brew, not much wildness going on, but pretty good beyond that.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 18:19:33 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hazy, bright orange color, as in a ripe apricot. Head is initially thick, fluffy, pure white. Aroma is fresh and fruity, citrus large and in charge. Soon, a supreme hoppiness sets in and makes itself quite welcome in the nose and on the palate.
Thrilling and tasty bitterness on the mouth, with a deliciously citric (orange, mostly) finish. Very yeasty, and quite well-balanced. Body is medium, hops are out front, but the brew is altoghether a rounded one. This is a very special ale, and when all the parts come together, I'm left wondering...am I drinking some kind of liquefied orange bread?
Quite a nice accomplishment from a brewery of well-deserved fame. Both jeffboo and marc77 provided me with samples, and I thank them in stereo!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2003 18:40:22 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer is yellow and hazy with a thin white broken head that leave a little lacing on the glass.

Aroma is spicy, smells a little like ginger and tea.

Beer is medium bodied, has a little alcohol on the front, the rest is oddly dry and spice. Drinkability is fine, mouthfeel is OK, its a good beer. Spicy tea, in beer form.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 04:18:50 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours golden orange with a white head. The aroma is light brett funk with some chocolate and caramel malts. The flavor is caramel malt with yeast and brett funk. You also get some citrus fruit and toffee. Medium mouthfeel and low carbonation.

A very good beer, but not as wild as I think wild ales should be. I think this is more accurately a biere de garde.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 17:19:40 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a semi-opaque, copper and orange color with a foamy, off-white, two-finger head. It left sticky rings of lace.

S - It smelled very fruity and yeasty. It had some nice caramel notes, too.

T - It tasted fruity (sweet fruits) and spicy. It has a nice strong yeast flavor.

M - It was crisp and sharp with a dry finish. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is delicious. I'm glad this beer was brought back.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2009 01:27:48 | More by zeff80

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange-gold color and is topped by an off white head. Aromas of lemons and herbs waft from my glass. There are also some thin malty notes in the nose. The taste is lightly sweet up front, and is quite crisp and clean. Some subtle notes of herbal lemon character are present. Nice, crisp, and refreshing, with perhaps a hint of acidity in the finish. Basically a good hot weather beer.

My biggest complaint is that this beer is being released in the wrong season. It should be a late spring/ summer beer. For this to really work, for me, the alcohol should be boosted up to about 8%.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2004 19:29:26 | More by Gueuzedude

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer poured out as a bright yellow color with a fizzy white head on top. The retention was decent but the lacing was minimal. The smell of the beer gives off so light sour notes as well as some fresh lemon and grains. The taste of the beer is sweet upfront with a subtle sourness in the finish with some additional citrus flavors. The mouthfeel is light bodied, highly carbonated and dry. Overall it's not a bad beer at all, was glad I tried it. Not something I need to seek out again though.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 22:50:22 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

BBD of Oct 06

Pours deep honey to amber color with pretty good clarity & a fluffy white head. Great lacing & head retention

Smell: Slight leather and fruit notes

Taste: Citric & apricot notes, slight tea-like bitterness with dryness. Finishes fruitty (dates & apricots) & dry,

MF: Slightly sruppy, but nicely carbonated

Pretty drinkable, just not sure I'd enjoy more than 2, due to the style. Pretty spot on representation IMHO

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2006 02:48:09 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a dark gold with a medium white head, leaving excellent lacing.

S: Notes of herbs, bready malt, sage.

T: Tastes to style with a little bit of a hop kick initially, guess it's that American brewing. It gets more traditional quickly, light herbs, quite yeasty, some tropical fruit, pineapple.

M: Smooth, easy to drink, biting carbonation.

D: A nice spring beer. I don't think I've ever had an American version of this style aside from Lost Abbey's, so I was anxious to try it. Solid brew I thought all around, though I got a little bored by the end of the glass.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2009 22:06:07 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Slighty hazy amber / copper in color with a 1" head. The aroma is a pleasant combo of citrus and grass. The flavor is mildly spicy (pepper), citrus, wheat, honey, with hints of caramel and yeast. Decent amount of carbonation bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass.

Mouthfeel is smooth and mildly crisp at the start. The finish is short with most of the flavors lingering on the tongue for a second or two. Medium bodied. Nice drinkability as this is refreshing brew. Drinking a few of these in one sitting is easy.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2005 12:13:58 | More by Gavage

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Three Squares in Maple Grove. Served in a New Belgium globe glass, it appeared mildly hazy and light amber. While I applaud NBB for taking on sour beer, I wish I could say it stood with classic lambic and geuzes.

This beer is more of an introduction to sour brett beers. There's a big aroma of wild, fruity farmhouse over subtle bready malts. There's just not a lot going on here, as far as sour beers go.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2009 23:59:10 | More by tempest

Wasatch

Utah

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy yellow/orange color, some carbonation, tiny head, basically no lacing.

S - Scents of malts, yeast, floral, and slight citrus.

T - The taste is tangy/malty and bready.

M - Light body. There's a carbonated feel in the mouth.

D - Drinkable. This is my first Biere De Garde, very tasty brew from NB. A nice thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2006 18:22:24 | More by Wasatch

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a tulip glass)
A- This beer has a clear glowing orange body with a thick antique white head that is cobweb. The head sticks to glass long after the rest of the beer is gone. There is a sea of tiny bubbles gliding through the surface.
S- This beer has a slight biscuit malt flavor under a soft orange peel and green vegitiation with slightly sweet musty finish.
T- This beer has a soft citrusy flower taste with a nice viburnum herbal note. There is a finish smooth creamy funk with a double cream brie rind finish. The soft biscuit notes grow as the beer warms up.
M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a crisp finish note with no alcohol heat.
D- This beer gets better and better as it warms there is a soft funk that is nice with a unique brightness that keeps it light and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2009 14:26:17 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

4.22/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at the Blind Tiger, NYC, New Belgium night.
Poured cloudy, yeasty orange with a soft head and leaving nice lace. Delicate flavors of citrus, earth, spice, honey. The gathered beer geeks told me this was real rarity on tap in the east. so I ordered another glass! Fine stuff, delicate, nicely balanced, worth seeking out especially for those, like me, who are into this style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2004 02:12:43 | More by Billolick

mdfb79

New York

2.88/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From 12/04/10 notes.

a - Pours an amber color with one finger of fluffy white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of brett, sour fruits, floral hops, and some of that barnyard/musty smell. A little odd of a mix, didn't work great together.

t - Tastes of brett, sour fruits, floral notes, and earthy notes. Can't put my finger on it but something is off in the taste.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - There was just something off in the smell and taste to me; not infected or anything, I just didn't feel that the mixture or smells and tastes worked well together. Wouldn't seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 17:21:00 | More by mdfb79

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from mentor as part of BIF 33. <Team Spring Rules!> Thanks for the opportunity. Label says best before 7Jul06. Enjoyed at cellarish temp, since my fridge crapped out last night.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/4" off-white head above the cloudy amber brew. Head lasts well, fading slowly, with lots of sticky lacing. Aroma is malty sweet and abundantly spiced. Taste is lightly sweet, with a citric tang, and spices on top. A bit busy for me. Mouthfeel and drinkability are not bad, was just hoping for a little bit more. An acceptable Biere de Garde that I would revisit if the occasion presented itself.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2006 16:06:18 | More by ppoitras