Lips Of Faith - Tart Lychee - New Belgium Brewing

Etan

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Hopleaf, served in a tulip.

A: Apricot orange with a nice white head.

S: Soft fruit - strawberry, lychee, musty yeast.

T: Slightly tart lychee, spice, some herbal notes, lactic, cakey malt base. Vanilla, strawberry, sweet grain.

M: Tingly carbonation, light-bodied.

O: Refreshing, tastes good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 00:30:29 | More by Etan

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-cloudy light orange with almost no head

S-oh boy this just smells more tart than any beer I've had in a very long time. Can't smell much past the sourness besides a hint of old cooked vegetables. It's odd. Strong scent.

T-not as tart as the nose lets on. Comes in with a Slightly tart taste of Sweet lychee and cooked vegetables. The after-taste is mostly cooked vegetables with a touch of alcohol. It's an odd mix that isn't too bad.

M-medium to low carbonation with a semi-dry finish

O-this isn't as good as other New Belgium sours that I've had. It is an okay beer though. The mix is just odd, though balanced. I wish it was a bit sweeter possibly. The bomber is probably best shared

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 02:32:37 | More by AdamBear

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a similar appearance to a witbier, had the dull gold color with lots of haze thing going for it. Thin 1/2" head on it, doesn't really provide much in the way of lace or retention, but she's pretty enough. Aroma of tart, berries, the kind you're not used to, cinnamon.

Taste, hey whatever lychee is, I like it, plenty sour, but has a unique vibe, the cinnamon, its like a bakery, sour beer and cinnamon toast crunch. It works well, could easily be the type of beer you could always pick out of a blind taste I would think. Not a massive sour bomb, but it delivers nonetheless.

Another winner from the Lips of Faith series.

Serving type: growler

07-22-2012 05:16:12 | More by Beerandraiderfan

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into tulip glasses. Can't find a bottling date, but this is obviously a new release. Thanks again to Brian for hauling this one back for me!

On the pour, it looks peach amber with some haziness. Fizzy head falls back to a thin layer from an inch-and-a-half.

Picking up a lot of cinnamon in the nose. Fleshy tropical fruit aromas come forth like cherimoya and lychee. Acid component behind the fruit esters and spices smell a little like candle wax. Definitely an exotic nose, overall. Getting wafts of backend Brett and oak.

More sweet than sour, the taste follows the nose. Pulpy lychee fruit, cherimoya, cinnamon candle wax, lemon peel, and goat cheese. Enough sweetness to kill any puckering effect, but there definitely is a nice dose of acidity in here. Semi-sour.

Very smooth for a wild ale. The body has some girth to it. The carbonation is right around medium.

A wild ale that accentuates the added fruit and spice. Quite the fascinating pairing from a palate standpoint. Nice subdued sourness and funk.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 04:40:58 | More by thecheapies

Glibber

Idaho

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice apricot color with a small white head that left little to no lacing. A mild fruit aroma, and a strong bitter taste. Had this on tap at Bitter creek in Boise, and it was refreshing, and a great beer to start the night off with. Citrus and peach flavoring that had a little alcohol burst.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 03:23:53 | More by Glibber

t420o

California

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

New Belgium tart lychee

A- pour produces a 1finger white head that recedes quick leaving little in the way of lacing. Beer is a deep straw color and cloudy. 3.5 

S- a little tart and sour with good malt balance. Smells good. 4

T- I really like this one. It's like a sour/tart tropical fruit flavor with a almost wheat like malt taste balancing it out. Slight cinnamon taste as well. My only complaint is the taste goes away quick. I'd prefer that it linger on the palate a little longer. 4

M- lighter on the carbonation but good body. 4 

O- it's a good beer but there is room for improvement. 3.5

B+

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 22:45:13 | More by t420o

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Lukahn (Reddit) for this gem.

Decent fizzy 1/2 finger head that fades semi quickly over super hazy peach golden colored beer.

Nose brings some tart funk, light horse blanket funk, lots of tart berry, almost cherry like but not quite, more like generic berry. Light acidity and soured fruit, with a light vanilla oak rounding. As it goes the cherry-berry aroma get a bit stronger, and a hint of cinnamon even comes through. Quite complex.

Taste starts quite tart and acidic, funky flavored but not really horseblanket, just funk. Fruit is explosive, strange fruit flavors though. Again cross between a sour cherry, generic berry, and rhubarb like. Acidity bites through a bit with the tartness, and a little phlemy, but not super sour. Sweetness is a bit more than I expected, with a light bready malty flavor, almost syrupy fruit extract syrupy like flavor, and a hint of cinnamon. the oak comes through as well, with some vanilla rounding and light toasty oak flavors. There is also a hint of esters. The finish stays phlemy and dries just a bit, with a slight bready malt, nice acidic bite, hint of booze coming through, some more vanilla oak with a touch of cinnamon, all linger, but the fruit really stays for a while, tart berry and rhubarb.

Mouth is med bodied, a little phlemy and almost slimy like, sweeter than I expected, although the carbonation is decent but could have been higher.

Overall pretty good, but mixed feelings. It has some nice parts to it, but others that could improve. Nice and complex with lots of interesting flavors blended, great tart fruit and oak, and the hint of cinnamon is an interesting unique addition. However, just a bit too sweet, not funky or sour enough, the finish doesn't dry as much as it should, etc. Maybe if this sat for another year it will be great. I'll have to get another bottle and find out.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 01:26:40 | More by jlindros

KomodoDragon

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Delicate pour into a lambic glass led to a modest white head aloft a very hazy golden ale.

S - Fruity - lime/pear - grassy and wheat

T - They warned us - pucker up. Sour, tart, but presence of malt, wheat, and fruit flavors keeps this from a sour patch kid brew. Complex - dry bitter finish; fruit flavors -probably lychee - lingers. Noticeable alcohol presence. Became less approachable as it warmed and I re-cooled it down before continuing. I did pick up light cinnamon, but no oak presence or earthy tone. Think light, summer.

M- Thin and lightly carbonated.

Given how much is going on with this ale, there is balance. These lips of faith series are an enjoyable leap of faith.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 03:27:26 | More by KomodoDragon

scottfrie

California

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle.
A: Pours a hazy apricot color with a finger of bubbly bright white head that quickly fizzed away into nothingness.
S: Extremely fruity and complex nose. I get notes of stone fruits, peaches, apricots, lemon, dry oak, ambiguous berries and a splash of lychee.
T: Follows the nose. Fruit comes through strong alongside a nice blend of buttery oak, dry barrel, sweet lychee and a hint of cinnamon and other spices in the aftertaste. Very smooth and well integrated. Tartness is mild but refreshing. I love the complex fruit profile.
M: Medium-full body, drying mouth but still a good amount of slick butteriness, carbonation is soft and balanced.
O: One of the better NB beers I’ve had in a while. I could drink this all day. Not huge lychee notes but very flavorful none the less.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:54:04 | More by scottfrie

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a couple of tulip glasses.

Pours a hazed apricot color, with a finger of fizzy bright-white head. This retains with some moderate ringing around the edges of glass, leaving back some light foamy lacing that quickly slides down the sides. The aroma is tart in the nose, with a white fleshy fruit character standing out and being complimented by some added notes of light earthy oak, a touch of funky Brett and a little cinnamon across the back.

The taste has a sugary sweetness on the edges with a tart yet juicy fruit core and that cinnamon adding some pizzazz to the profile. The finish is all Brett and to a much lesser extent the barrel, with a dry finish that lingers. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a softer creamy crispness in the mouth and then more of an underlying oiliness to the feel that really keeps this smooth and helps those tart flavors flow. I’m hardly getting any of that 7% ABV here.

This was interesting and ultimately pretty enjoyable. This was my first experience with lychee and I really liked the combination of juicy fruit flavor and more tart grape skin like character that this brought to the table. The wild and barrel characteristics here did a nice job of supporting that and didn’t overrun the profile in any way. New Belgium sure comes up with some interesting beers in their Lips of Faith series and this one is no different.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 15:55:32 | More by Kegatron

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy light blond body, with a bit of nice lace.

Tart, kinda tangy vague funky nose. Nice.

Awesome tart taste that nails the lychee flavor. Lingers a bit

Pretty standard feel. Carby.

This works really well, quite refreshing and a bang-on good sour.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 00:09:09 | More by zaphodchak

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Well hazed bright orange color. Two fingers of fizzy white head. Retention is a touch below average and just a few whisps of lacing are left.

4.0 S: Mild in terms of acidity and funk, but still enough to please. Lychee, peach, and apple come through well. Rotting wood and earthy funkiness. Cinnamon is subtle cold, but comes through quite strong as this warms up.

4.0 T: Load of cinnamon and lychee. Only a mild tartness with a bit more lactic tang. Peach and apple again. Woody funkiness with wet grass and apple orchard.

4.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good higher level of prickly carbonation. Reasonably creamy. Good here.

4.0 D: I love it when a unique beer is tasty and this certainly is tasty. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 19:01:16 | More by DavoleBomb

Koufax21

New Mexico

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a tulip glass. Pours a deep orange with a white head. Acidity quickly dissolves the head and leaves just a thin ring within seconds. Big nose of tart tropical fruit and mild wood. Taste is very light. Mildly astringent. The oak doesn't come through as much as I'd like, but it does come through a little more on the backside. Good mouthfeel. Not too dry, but just right. Pretty good beer and nicely priced compared to other sours.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 01:24:37 | More by Koufax21

nataku00

California

3.6/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a cloudy light yellow orange, with half a finger of loose white head that quickly dissipates to a thin collar of bubbles and a slick of film. Really hazy with a bit of carbonation at the edge of the glass.

Nose is interesting, lightly floral, apricot and grape skin astringency, sweeter stone fruit, sweet wheat beer flavors of light biscuit, and a light cinnamon. The lychee, already a very light aroma is probably overwhelmed by everything else, unfortunately.

Taste leads with fruit skin astringency, grape and plum skin, some wheat, light biscuit, light cinnamon and with a linger tropical fruit flavors. Kinda bland with no aftertaste.

Light bodied and easy to drink, decently flavored but not as lychee flavored as I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 03:02:23 | More by nataku00

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber into a Cantillon flute. Shared with schen9303.

.5 finger foamy white head with moderate retention. Beer is a slightly cloudy pale pear color. Lacing is patchy and thick with no cling. A bit poor on all fronts for the style.

Nose is slightly sweet with some yeast and cane sugar notes. Some very mellow tartness (which I can't attribute to anything distinct) lingers in the back. Very very mellow.

Opens sweet with a spiciness upfront. A flavor that I'm guessing is lychee sweetness in the middle. Brett in the back that's overpowered by the sweetness. Some cinnamon notes in the end coupled with a brief tartness. Brett with a sweet sour aftertaste. Decent but a touch one-dimensional. The fruit is barely noticeable.

Light bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Prickly and effervescent in the mouth and slick and messy in the finish. Lingering aftertaste. Really refreshing and easy drinking.

Lychee fruit is one of my favorites so naturally, I was very excited when this beer first got made. Sadly, the fruit flavors are a bit lost in this beer and all that's left is a big, sweet brew with a slight hint of tartness at the beginning and end. Decent but I'm a bit disappointed since my expectations were rather high.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 22:55:53 | More by SpeedwayJim

mychalg9

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured 22 oz into Immort Ale globe

Orange tinted yellow color with a one finger white head that dissipates rather quickly, leaving a bit of lacing on the glass. Funky, tart scent and taste with a bit of sweetness. Good carbonation. Overall I enjoyed this one but next time I would want to split it with someone.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 02:46:12 | More by mychalg9

mtlasley

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tart Lychee pours a deeply hazy light amber/yellow color. Carbonation is visible but only provides a half finger head that is gone as soon as it shows up. Reddish Amber peeks from the center when held to the light

Very similar "sour" profile to La Folie and I wouldn't be surprised if the beer used in this was aged in the same oak. There's a lightly sweet fruit scent under the sour that blends with oak and a roasty cinnamon. A nice layering effect in the scent here.

A quick flash of malt up front is chased away by the La Folie sour profile of Lacto and oak. This is followed by an almost fruit juice like sweet character that makes the whole thing go down almost too easy. The roasty cinnamon is also there in the end but not very noticeable. Tart Lychee is not as sour in the glass as it is on the nose.

Lightly dry in the mouth up front but "juicy" as it goes down . Decent carb, could have used a bit more though.

Decent but for the price, I could get a 750 of Lindemann's Cuvee Renee for a much stronger sour profile. Still, incredibly drinkable and tasty. An alright showing from Fort Collins, something about this just keeps beckoning for sips and I'll buy another if only for that effect.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 03:03:01 | More by mtlasley

draheim

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a hazy pale yellow w/ a 1-finger white head, thin film of lacing.

Aroma is tart up front, and that's about it. Just a sour slightly acidic aroma, hint of damp moldy basement.

Taste is brightly tart as well, reminiscent of a watered-down Sanctification. Sharp, crisp, refreshing. No hint of cinnamon. Dryness from the oak, a hint of crushed aspirin.

Mouthfeel is crisp and very dry.

Overall a good wild ale but I was hoping for more. Lacks the refinement of the top tier in the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 05:21:33 | More by draheim

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received a bottle of this as an extra in a trade. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a nice hazy orange golden hue with a big, creamy two finger head that faded to leave a nice creamy white blanket and solid lacing.

S - This really, really has to warm up in order to get the cinnamon aromas. Get nice La Folia style sourness that is pleasant, getting NO lychee though but the cinnamon is quite nice and different.

T - Interesting. Not really quite as sour as I like from these guys, with maybe some slight sweetness from the lychee. There is an odd flavour that must be the lychee. Not bad. The end note with cinnamon was pleasant, surprisingly so.

M - Mouthfeel is a bit thin/flat for my liking. A bit too lowly carbonated.

O - Overall this was a good beer but like other Lips beers the recipe doesnt quite translate over for me. Glad to try this though.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:06:28 | More by rudzud

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle. Served in a Unibroue tulip, the beer pours a hazy golden/orange color with about an inch off-white head. Head retention is decent, and there's a good amount of lacing left on the glass. The aroma seems light to me, it smells like sweet and tart fruit and some oak. But it is a nice smelling brew. I couldn't tell you what a lychee smells like anyway, so I have no idea if the fruity aroma is from the lychee or not (but I assume that's what it is). Luckily the flavor is stronger in comparison to the aroma. It tastes like tart and sweet fruit (it kinda tastes citrusy and like a strawberry too, but I guess it's lychee), and a little bit of cinnamon. I'm liking the taste of this brew more and more the longer I drink it! Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's well carbonated and quite refreshing. It's a bit slick, too. Overall I think it's a good brew. At $9.99 a bottle, I'd buy this one again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 22:30:06 | More by bluejacket74

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.15/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I wanted to try this, but not so badly that I was ready to pay $9 or so for it. Then, I got to try this at the Lost Abbey tasting last night. Thanks, Jamie!

Light yellow/orange with a dense, white head that falls off to a ring rather quickly. The nose is sugary, mildly tart with a nice lychee aroma. Sourness is minimal, and this smells dusty, Bretty and mildly melony. The palate opens with melon sweetness, sweet and ripe lychees and floral notes. Stale pale base malt is noticeable. Light in body, moderately carbonated, a little too much IMO. Drying, clean finish. Decent.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 00:41:42 | More by DefenCorps

DaveHack

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a nice, hazy orange. Very little head.

Smells very faintly of a musty basement, with just a touch of sweetness

Taste kinda let me down. The taste is of a grapefruit? soda. I'm sort of confused by this flavor. Wild Ale is something I NEVER would've guessed for the style. It is more like a fruit beer gone wrong.

Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied.

This beer was ok....I don't think I'll feel the need to revisit this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 23:35:01 | More by DaveHack

DCon

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-tap @ The Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar in St. Louis, MO for $6.50. Tapped from a Yellow/Red "L.O.F. Surf Board" Tap Handle into a 12oz Pint Glass.

Aroma- A subtle kriek aroma passes off as this one. A good amount of cherries and a background spice hits the nose as well.

Appearance- Received with a .5 finger head that dies soon afterwards. Has a cloudy, golden colored body and leaves thick lacing behind afterwards.

Flavor- Sweet, malty, and a great deal of musk and age find its way in here even though this is a fresh keg of it. Not as much funk and sour attributes as I would like. Cherries and other attributes didn't come up in here because of how sweet it was.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Medium Carbonation, Refreshing, and has a lemon/musky finish on the palate.

Overall Impression- While picking up a 22oz bottle of this a few weeks back, I'm excited to see what this one does in a year or two. Very subtle this time around and could have had more flavors as well. As of now, this is a PERFECT summer/fruit beer thats refreshing and can easily be shared with your spouse. In a few years, this may be a different story...

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2012 21:41:20 | More by DCon

claspada

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy darker straw color with a very thin white head that recedes leaving minimal spotty lacing.

Aromas begin quite tart with some noticeable fruit character. I couldn't say for sure that it smells like lychees but it comes across as green apple and lemon. As it warms I am able to pick out the cinnamon more and more.

The tastes follow the nose with a substantial amount of lacto, fruity tartness and sour fruit flavors, must be the lychees again. The oak is there, mainly in a tannic form. Decent amount of brett funk and dryness. Cinnamon spice lingers into the finish. As it warms the overall flavor profile becomes a tad too sweet, like sweet tart candies.

Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied for the style with medium carbonation. Finish is too sweet overall and could use a bump from the oak and tartness to create a more desired, dry finish.

Overall I am starting to become disenchanted with these Lips of Faith series beers as they continue to get me excited because the recipes sound amazing, but continue to be lack-luster. Won't be seeking this out again anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 14:27:41 | More by claspada

Domingo

Colorado

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The spiritual continuation of beers like Eric's Ale, Transatlantique Kriek, La Folie, and La Terroir. I guess it's even using the same base beer internally known as "Felix." Mmmkay...
Pale orange color. Clearly unfiltered as there's a fair amount of yeast in the bottle and suspended within the beer itself. Head forms up-front, but fades to a tiny thin white layer pretty quickly.
The nose is citric and sour, but no astringent or off notes.
The flavor follows a similar path. The idea of adding something "exotic" like lychee probably sounds more unusual than it is. It adds a little bit of a mild orange-like flavor and probably ferments to blend the citric and green apple notes together, but it isn't too crazy. That said, it IS good. Not as sour or dynamic as some others, but still tasty. A little bit of a pepper note creeps in, but it's really mild. With this it might be out of place, so that isn't a bad thing. As it warms I got a hint of cinnamon, which is funny because it appears that there actually is a little cinnamon added to the beer. I had no idea before looking at the BA page.
A good one from NB. Not quite as good as some of their others (which are among the best sours from the US) but still quite good...and a hair cheaper, too.
Good stuff, and nearly a worthy successor (or continuation) to some of those others.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 23:02:54 | More by Domingo