Lips Of Faith - Prickly Passion Saison - New Belgium Brewing

kylehay2004

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: 2.5 finger head, decent retention and excellent lacing on a hazy crimson with golden hues body.

S: fruity saison aroma but more on the pear side as advertised. Also some strawberry green apple.

T: fruity, mostly apple and pear, with a strong malt profile than many other saisons. A syrupy sweet finish.

M: light to medium body and moderate to high carbonation. Crisp and nice moist finish.

Overall: A very easy to drink saison. A little syrupy in the texture but is a nice touch.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 06:28:10 | More by kylehay2004

argock

Virginia

2.83/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 22oz brown bomber into a Duvel tulip. No obvious freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $6.99.

A: Slightly hazy orange with 1-finger of eggshell frothy head with average retention and some spotty lacIng.

S: The aromas are weak except for the fruity esters and lightly caramel base maltiness. The hops throw some floral in there, but there just is not a lot of character there aside from strong but generic fruitiness.

T: The flavor is not a lot different than the aroma although there is a bit more complexity with more pronounced passion fruit and a lot more pear. The alcohol is strong and together with the fruitiness lends a syrupy character to the beer, kind of the opposite of a crisp saison. The hops are fruity and floral. Yeast esters are there but have a more banana and bubble gum quality. There is some black pepper I the finish. It comes off as a not subtle, high gravity Belgian pale ale.

M: The feel is all wrong with this beer if it's supposed to be a saison. It is way way too syrupy and heavy with low carbonation -all the things a saison is not supposed to be

O: A really disappointing beer from New Belgium and way off the mark. It tastes and feels more like an imperial hefeweizen with pear and pineapple added.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 03:14:23 | More by argock

syrupjoe

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep golden color with a small amount of haze. Off white one finger head.

Nose: Lemon, pepper, sweet pear, apple, honey.

Taste: Sweet, barny funk, juicy fermented apple, brown sugar, acidic zing.

Moderate carbonation with a crisp, fruity, and malty finish. Slightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall this was a very drinkable beer. I really enjoyed the subtle fruitiness - it was well-balanced with the rest of the flavors. Alcohol is well concealed. Not a very good example of the style, but a good beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:39:43 | More by syrupjoe

nickfl

Florida

3.58/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours with three fingers of white foam on top of a hazy, dark golden body. The head settles at an average pace and leaves thick lace on the glass.

S - Musty notes of honey, clove, and pineapple (passion fruit?).

T - Thick, sweet malt up front with some clove and pepper. Vinous notes of white wine and honey in the middle with a finish full of pear, pineapple, and herbal hops.

M - A somewhat thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - A nice blend of fruity malt and spicy yeast character that makes for a complex drink. My only complaint is the sweetness of the finish which hurts the drinkability and makes the fruity character seem a bit flabby and more one-dimensional than it might otherwise be.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 02:40:59 | More by nickfl

jnn4v

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden honey color with a hint of copper. Translucent with no sediment or haze.

S: Belgian yeast, hints of caramel malt, agave/cactus nectar, copper, granny smith apple.

T: Juicy green apple, agave/cactus nectar, pear, and a very dense, moderately sweet malt base. Shortbread and copper in the malt and hops.

M: Much heavier and thicker than I'd expect for this genre. Ample carbonation.

O: Much less subtle flavor than saisons are supposed to have, but it's enjoyable if you called it something else (eg. Belgian Strong Ale).

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 22:45:55 | More by jnn4v

paulozanello

Brazil

3.85/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden orange color, transluscent and with lots of carbonation. Head is white an fluffy with moderate retention and lacing.
Aroma is strong and very yeasty with a bready/malt start followed by fruity notes like orange, passion fruit and apricots. Sweet honey and spicy finish.
Taste starts out sweet with bready and honey malts followed by citric and sweet fruits like orange and pinneaple, finishing dry with spicy notes.
Body is light for the style and mouthfeel dry and a little astringent. Carbonation is moderate and alcohol is surprisingly hidden at 8.5%.
Overall a great drinkable beer from New Belgium. I like how it starts out sweet and ends very dry. The fruit and spice are also well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 01:19:46 | More by paulozanello

Aaron420

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured this on into a New Belgium goblet/over sized wine glass mix.

A: Poured a light amber color with a one to two finger white head. That left a fair amount of lacing.

S: A nice fruity smell up front with some Belgium yeast following close behind. With a small amount of hop aroma to follow.

T: A very sweet flavor with just a mild funk to it. Can taste the Belgium yeast but not much of the hops that where in the aroma.

M: Very light bodied, low carbonation, with a slight touch of alcohol.

O: Not a bad beer but will not be rushing to buy out the stock at the local beer store.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 03:19:07 | More by Aaron420

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into tulip. Pours a hazy orange with thick foam and good lacing. Smells sweeter than most brews, belgian yeasts, banana and sweet fruit. Taste is of sweet belgian yeast with fruity and peppery notes.
Its obviously not a brew trying to win any awards, but its delicious, fun, and most importantly different and innovative. Nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 00:53:39 | More by DrinkSlurm

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear, light amber color with a one-finger white head. The head dissipates quickly and leaves no noticeable lacing.

Very fruity aroma featuring mostly pear and apple. A hint of bready malt and yeasty spice.

The flavor is not much different from the aroma except that the spiciness from the yeast comes through much stronger. The pear outshines the apple in the flavor and the overall sweetness is far more than expected.

Medium mouthfeel. Probably too sweet and not light enough overall for a saison in my book.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 23:59:50 | More by FanofHefe

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into a Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a fairly clear golden copper orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. About one finger of white head that quickly fades into a thin patch. Lacing on the glass is moderate.

Smell: Aroma is upfront with Belgian yeast, cloves, and bananas. Yeast blends with a pretty sweet and fruity mix of grapes, apple, pears, passion fruit, and candied sugar. Also a bit of pepper and alcohol in the aroma. Very sweet smelling.

Taste: Tastes very sweet too. Belgian yeast and clove is there but more subtle in the taste. A lot of fruit and sugar here. Notes of pear, grapes, apple, passion fruit, and banana. Also some hints of pepper, funk, and a little alcohol. Very sweet but not enough to be cloying. Its still enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Somewhat chewy and syrupy. Very sweet throughout.

Overall: A decent brew and an interesting experiment. The sweetness could of been balanced by some more yeasty barnyard funk but this was still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 06:53:06 | More by MattyG85

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - A finger and a half worth of slightly airy off-white colored head... Modest retention settles to leave a full thick creamy lush lacing and moderately thick collar... A mix of lively moderately paced carbonation... The color is a pale gold... A slight bit of lacing clings to the glass...

S - Loads of light fruits to start... Pear... Apple... White grape fruit juice... Passion fruit... Some candied sugars... Some hay notes... Slightly musky... A bit funky... Attractive bouquet, but slightly artificial...

T - A blend of apple and white grape juice to start... Passion fruit... Perhaps a hint of kiwi... Some grassy notes lie beneath the surface... Candied sugars... Some booze on the finish that seems to linger a bit...

M - Medium bodied... Quite dense... A bit syrupy... Prickly carbonation... The finish is mostly dry with a hint of chalkiness... The slight booziness lingers in the back of the throat for a while...

D - Not a terrible beer, but there are much better saisons and much better fruit beers... Drinkable, but not something I would recommend nor likely buy again...

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 02:27:20 | More by philbe311

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber pours a mostly clear, dark gold color with a tight-bubbled cap of beige head. Retention is decent and not much lacing.

Graham cracker maltiness with a hint of fruit juice and banana/clove yeastiness. Not much for the prickly pear and the passion fruit is subtle.

More of the fruit comes out in the taste and adds a light little tartness that is pretty nice. The cactus is there if you are looking for it, kind of an agave-esque plant juice...if you've ever licked a split agave branch or eaten Nopalitos, you know what I mean. The malts are toffee and caramel with a fair amount of sweetness. This one might actually benefit from more hops to add a little sharpness and focus to the beer...also would like to see a lighter, crisper malt profile. Its ok, but the passion fruit and the malt seem to clash for me. This falls under the ever-increasing category of "glad I got to try it, but probably wont buy again".

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 01:07:06 | More by twiggamortis420

neorunner

Virginia

2.85/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Blind Beer #3 from DougoftheFuture in Round 6 of the Blind Beer BIF.

Roughly a week after sharing the first two blind beers at Desaparecido's, I find myself back in the same kitchen. This time I only brought one blind bottle, a 22oz-er. Popping the cap we get aromas of banana and clove, the banana component becomes even more apparent once we poured it into the glasses. Appearance wise it has a color of an overripe golden delicious with reasonable dense head. The taste is belgian and strong, we both agree that this is a belgian style tripel. Desaparecido's wife thinks its a saison and we both agree that she's crazy. Neither Desa nor myself are overly fond of this beer, something cloyingly sweet in the malt profile that is throwing us off. I think the sweetness is also adding a slick taste to the mouthfeel, something I'm not overly fond of.

We decide to finish our glasses and allow Desa's wife to have the rest of her "saison" as she was thoroughly enjoying it.

The reveal: New Belgium Prickly Passion Saison. Well. At this point Desa and I are ready to pack up our pride and go home. The smug look on Desa's wife is devastating. There were no good saison qualities in this beer and it was way too malt heavy for what I expect even in a high gravity saison. If you re-packaged this beer as a tripel I would agree 100%.

Well played curveball!

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 14:55:10 | More by neorunner

Vonerichs

Illinois

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

Slightly hazy golden orange color with a 1/4" inch of head, poured into a tulip.

Smells of funky and phenolic yeast, pears, and riesling.

It's a very sweet beer, presumably from the passion fruit and pear. It has a little of the standard saison funk and is boozy. Finishes semi-dry.

It has good carbonation and a crisp, light body.

It's an ok beer, but is a miss for the style. It was a bold attempt for a variation but the sweetness and high presence of alcohol were too much for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 03:02:14 | More by Vonerichs

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

2.73/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bomber into FFF XV pint...

A- Golden orange color with a two finger, light off white head. Foamy and spotted lacing about.

S- Smells like an American saison, yeast and esters are subtle and soft. Definitely get the light fruit prickly pear aroma. Peppery in the end.

T/M- A little sweeter than I like my saisons. Nice fruit flavors and yeast funk, though still not as full of farm flavors and phenols as the real deal. Bitterness is on the back end, but dissolves before finishing too harsh. Hops contribute floral flavor. Alcohol genuinely shows its face, not my cup of tea in a saison... Body is medium and a little too full per style. Carbonation could be kicked up also.

O- Would have enjoyed this more if released during summer months I think, but still wouldn't have loved it. Just too full, sweet, and alcoholic for a saison. Drop the ABV to a little under 5 and I'd be on board for a prickly pear saison.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 19:38:38 | More by TheGordianKnot

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish snifter

A- pours a dark shade of transparent orange with a two finger white head. A little dark for a saison, but it looks brilliant

S- there's a decent bit of passionfruit in the aroma, with hints of Belgian yeast and a little wheat. It's pretty solid

T- excessively sweet passionfruit. There's also the Belgian flavors from the yeast, that really aren't blending pleasantly with it at all. Just way too sweet IMO

M- it's actually pretty thick....no bueno with all that yeast

O- uh....this fell apart once I took a sip. Maybe a little huge for a saison....this probably could have been better as a passionfruit wheat type thing as opposed to a saison. The yeast just did not mix well with the flavoring

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 20:45:37 | More by bigfnjoe

doucmehu

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber shared with my wife, her pick at the store. I don't try all of the LOF beers, but they are usually pretty solid.

A: Pours a light golden caramel with an average, just off-white head. Very little lacing, but some legs give an indication of solid body.

S: Smells of belgian yeast and mild tropical fruits, some alcohol and a bit of spice similar to a tripel.

T: Toasty malts with belgian yeast are mild, and met with some not-so-sweet tropical fruit. Towards the end some peppery spice shows up. Alcohol is detectable.

M: Fairly smooth and silky, with an almost tannin-like buttery warmness. Carbonation is fairly low. There is definitely some alcohol burn, finished off with some mild bitterness at the back of the tongue.

O: I found this to be a decent beer, but a big disappointment considering the price and the brewer. The fruits could have played a larger part, and the body and mouthfeel seemed off for the style.

O:

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 04:32:23 | More by doucmehu

jsh420

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

pours clear copper orange with a 2 finger head that left some spotted lacing

smells banana yeast not very complex at all

taste brings the same flavors with some sweet malt and a little mustiness

mouthfeel - a medium body with little carbonation slightly sticky

overall a boring beer that did not live up to the name or idea

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 04:18:42 | More by jsh420

HardTarget

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Golden amber glass fails to hold any more than a constantly fed and dying head of tight bubbles. Good clarity.

Smell: Sweet esters and Belgian yeast has me thinking Trippel. Fruity with some of the prickly pear earthiness coming through.

Taste: Very sweet, with a bit of sour pucker at the finish. A mild powdery yeast after the swallow and a long slow slightly alcoholic finish. Loads of sugar here, brings the pear flavor out but goes a bit cloying after a bit.

Mouthfeel: Prickles of tiny bubbles in a medium/heavy body. Slick texture coats the mouth and slowly fades away.

Overall: A good beer to bring out the prickly pears better flavors. A big of a bruiser with the heavy alcohol flavor and kick.

A good slow sipper.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 23:22:48 | More by HardTarget

Beaver13

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle. Pours clear golden amber with a medium creamy white head that goes to a thin film and leaves some lacing.

The aroma is sweet fruits, flowers and spicy musty yeast.

The flavor is sweet fruits, banana and toasty malts with some rye-like spice and a fairly dry finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation and a little watery.

Overall, an interesting beer, but not one I'd search out.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:25:41 | More by Beaver13

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Amber hue with a cream tightly packed head. Head retention on the lower side. A frenzy of bubbles rising to the surface.

Estery saison yeast aroma. Citrusy with some vanilla.

Peppery saison flavor dominates the beer. Any fruit flavor is pushed into the background and doesn't add much. Lingering vegetal, slightly phenolic, bitterness on the finish. Somewhat sweet straight-forward malt profile.

The bitterness on the backend and little fruit flavor sort of kills it for me. Man this beer sucks.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 15:43:45 | More by BearsOnAcid

JayS2629

Alabama

3.78/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy orange color with a three finger white head that fades quick and leaves nice lacing.

The aroma is full of fruit. Apricot, pear and passion fruit with black pepper, cloves, and ginger notes. Honey tones under crisp toasty bottom.

The flavor follows the nose with a light, crisp, toasty backbone with a touch of honey. Fruity with apricot, melon, pear, peach, star fruit, and passion fruit. Nice spicy notes on the finish of black pepper.

Medium body, smooth

Easy to drink, enjoyable, innovative twist on a saison.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 19:44:57 | More by JayS2629

GrumpyJunglist

California

2.6/5  rDev -24%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: poured a very clear light brown color. Looked very frizzy on the initial pour. very bubbly head that faded way too fast.

S: smelled like more like a wheat beer with big fruity tones.

T: I hate to say this because it admits i drank it, but it kind of reminded me of Budweiser wheat w/ some fruit juice.

M: very confusing mouth to me, the finish was nothing like a saison.

O: Has to be one of the worst lips of faith beers I have had, Kick was awesome, clutch was okay, the dry hoped pale was pretty good, but this is junk.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 02:16:47 | More by GrumpyJunglist

jsanford

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a hazy light copper with a creamy white head that settles to a slight haze.
S - Getting a good amount of passion fruit in the nose, along with a solid Saison base of sweet, grainy malt, ripe pears, and spicy yeast.
T - More passion fruit but not a lot of prickly pear (what does one taste like anyways?). Definitely enjoying the Saison base, though, good balance of ripe fruit and spicy, coriander-heavy yeast. A bit boozier then I'd like, too. When did a Saison get so "extreme"?
M - Crisp and quenching, with a medium body and sharp carbonation.
O - Overall an enjoyable Saison, but I'm not sure if all the "prickly pear" and "passion fruit" embellishment was needed. Probably would have liked just the plain Saison base better its own.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 20:49:49 | More by jsanford

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle a bright clear copper with a thin off-white head that left no lacing.

Aroma of pear, candy sugar and floral notes.

Tasted of juicy pear, honey, candy sugar and spicy yeast. The 8.5% alcohol was very well-hidden.

Medium bodied and dry with a moderate carbonation.

I enjoyed this Saison from New Belgium. Maybe a touch too sweet but interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 21:13:00 | More by Monkeyknife