Lips Of Faith - Brett Beer - New Belgium Brewing

Beaver13

Colorado

2.73/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle. Pours hazy straw yellow with a medium white head that goes to a thin film and leaves some lacing.

The aroma is sweet vegetal malts and some stinky yeast (cheesy onions).

The flavor is sweet sugary malts and tropical fruits with a little musty brett. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, an OK brett beer. The sweetness overpowers the brett. Since they pasteurized, it probably won't come out much more though.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 05:00:03 | More by Beaver13

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.15/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into a DFH Signature snifter. Bottled on 5/18/12.

A - Pours a hazy golden color with about an inch of dense white head. There is a geyser of carbonation rising from the laser etching in the bottom of the glass to the beer's surface. Good retention and leaves some lacing.

S - Smells of yeast, corn, and lemon. It also has a compost-like blend of earth and funk. I can't really decide whether or not I enjoy the aroma, but it isn't awful.

T - Starts a bit tart with lemon and pineapple. The Bretty funk is more mellow than anticipated. Comes off musty on the back of the tongue.

M - Maybe I waited too long to take the first sip, but it came off flat to me. Finish was dry and saved some of the off-flavors on the back end.

O - I am always intrigued by collaboration beers and couldn't turn this one down. Both breweries are known for beers in this style so my expectations were pretty lofty. The brett funky flavors were not very pronounced. As a matter of fact, none of the flavors really stood out making fro a bit of a bland beer. Not something I will get again, but can't be too upset about a $7 bomber of wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:46:10 | More by NoLeafClover44

daledeee

Iowa

3.53/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 22 oz bottle.

Pours an almost clear straw yellow with minor head that went away.

Nose is faint grain, yeast and fruit.

Taste. A mix of fruits and yeast. The Brett does not seem too strong to me. Not a lot of malt. Slightly sweet and spicy.

Mouth feel is a little syrupy. Alcohol is warming.

Overall this beer series has been hit and miss for me. This one is somewhere in the middle. I think they could have done more with the Brett.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:05:16 | More by daledeee

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.13/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Consumed 9/16/12

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this

Appearance: Pale gold/honey/straw color, pours with a decent white head, fades quickly to very little, a faint ring - a few spots of lacing

Smell: Interesting - juicy American hops and Belgian influences - fleshy orange, tangerine, and grapefruit, as well as some tropical notes like pineapple - Belgian yeast, but it's subtle - some sour funkiness, but not much considering the name of this beer - some chewy, pale malts, kind of smells like a pound cake

Taste: Mild but good - sweet citrus flesh and tropical fruit juice - light, hoppy bitterness, but mostly just juicy hops - some barnyard funkiness in the background, but I wouldn't call this tart or sour - just mostly sweet - raw, pale grains in the back - maybe this needs some time to mature?

Mouthfeel: Slightly heavier than light bodied, juicy, could possibly use some more carbonation

Overall: Rather strange

Something about this beer feels unfinished. The malts feel oddly raw and it's really not funky like something called "Brett Beer" should be. It's good, but weird.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 04:43:32 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Hazy dark straw. Bright white collar. Almost no head. Some minor carbonation.

Smell: Lemon, yeast, hay, Brett. Yeasty funk. Fresh pineapple and cut grass. Mild earthiness with some slight spiciness and pale malts for support. Very mild. Some pear flesh. Touches of clean horse blanket.

Taste: Mild Brett. Powdery, earthy yeast. Mild spiciness plays in the back. Very restrained. Lemon zest and sweet pale malts. Grass. Uncooked crackers. Pale fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Lightish, pushes medium with minor carbonation. A little creaminess.

Overall: Decent, but that's how it goes. Brett lite. Nice intro to what it can do.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 04:38:05 | More by Goblinmunkey7

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.83/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 ounce bottle - $7.99 at Lucky's Beverage World in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a hazed, straw-hued body with a medium-small, creamyish, white head. Very scant lace on the descent.

Smell: Slightly sweet-smelling, hay-hinted malts, maybe a little crumpled cookie. Agreeably fruity, with notes of pineapple, pear, apple, and citrus. Mild whole clove hints.

Taste: Light touch of pale malts (with a little sugar cookie sweetness) quickly changing to fruity tastes of sweetened pear juice, pineapple juice, and a sprinkling of fresh lemon zest. Some bitterness coming across, but also some clove-like phenolics. All of the various tastes roll around the tongue until the semi-dry, fruity, creamyish finish with a touch of alcoholic warmth.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Creamyish mouthfeel.

Overall: Well, it's not exactly what I was expecting. Essentially none of the wildness coming across from the brettanomyces. Grab hold of the bottle and shimmy your thumb over "BRETT" on the label. This leaves a more straightforward, honest "BEER" on the front of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 21:50:26 | More by ChainGangGuy

darklordlager

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Straw, with some murkiness about.

S: Some brett funk, but phenolics rule the show--perhaps too much. Lightly "burnt plastic" aroma, band-aid, with leather lingering in the background. Subtle citrus.

T: Sweetened lemon, Bretty/leathery funk, and those somewhat undesirable phenolics--burnt plastic & band-aid again. Citrus again lingers in the background.

M: Light, creamy. Medium-high carbonation, which is appropriate.

O: Not the best example of a brett-centric beer. If they cleaned up the phenolics, it may have something going for it. I would imagine the "accidental" pasteurization did not help either...

Addendum: After the tongue gets used to the phenolics (and/or the 7.5% abv sets in), the "burnt plastic/band-aid" becomes less prevalent, allowing the more citrus/tropical notes to come through. Still too phenolic though, even now.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2012 03:25:56 | More by darklordlager

wedge

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

@ Raleigh Times

Hazy golden yellow with apparently vigorous carbonation, but only a slender white head that leaves nice rings behind. Tart-ish citrus juice, pale malt, and yeast aroma. Tastes of sweet oranges, pale malt, light pineapple, spicy lemon, and a very mild funky note. Medium bodied and not as effervescent as it looks.

Not a bad beer, though not particularly wild or exciting either. No super-funky, decidedly "Bretty" characteristics - which is surprising. I think they just missed the mark on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2012 14:40:26 | More by wedge

Ghenna

California

3.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into NB snifter

Pours golden hay, white head that dissipates quickly but lingers about throughout the pour. Hazy like a wheat.

SMELLZ- Bit o' brett smell, bit o' spice.

FLAVORZ- malt sweet, caramel/toffee, belgian esters. Brett makes an appearance on the back end, though its part is fairly minor.

THOUGHTZ- Definitely closer to a brett beer than a sour beer, though even then it is lacking in what I would like in brett character. It reminds me of the bret character in Brux, the difference though is that NB kills the Brett with pasteurization which means that time in the cellar isn't going to change the beer. For six bucks it is a decent beer, and the brettanomyces adds a bit of complexity, but I'm definitely looking forward to its sibling mo betta bretta after being aged for a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:22:29 | More by Ghenna

Florida9

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Light pastel yellow. Clear on the first pour, but fairly cloudy on the second. Forms a small-to-moderates sized white head that reduces fairly quickly. Leaves some very light lacing.

S: Rather stinky: stewed vegetable and "horse blanket" mixed with earthy/rotten lemon.

T: Starts off with a sort of dry lemony tartness. Earthy, vegetal, and dirty with some light citrus and green apple notes that don't mix well with the other flavors. In all honesty, this tastes like a lemon that has been allowed to sit on the counter for too long. A touch of rubbing alcohol on the finish.

M: On the lighter side. Lower carbonation. Slight tartness. Oddly, this beer feels dry on the tongue while simultaneously having an almost sugary sweetness to it. Difficult to describe, but it still feels as if the beer doesn't know what it's trying to be.

O: Can't say I'm the biggest Wild Ale fan out there, but I know what I like and what I don't and this would definitely be in the later. This beer is rather disjointed: sweet yet dry; funky with a contradicting sweetness; earthy, with bright citrus qualities. In the end, I just don't feel like it works.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:21:47 | More by Florida9

pvo

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyable, but not worth seeking out. It's surprisingly fruity, and somewhat sweet, which I guess should be expected since it's 7.5% alcohol, but lacks the depth of a lot of other New Belgium offerings.

Again, I am happy to have had it, but New Belgium seems to be falling into the same trap as Dogfish Head- I love all their regular beers, but their 'Specialty' offerings come off too sweet, and lack the balance that makes their other beers so good.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2012 23:26:14 | More by pvo

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma comes off as a normal Brett beer. A bit of horseblanket barnyard funk, a little bit herbal and spicy as well with a nice blanket of grain that it all rests on.

Hazy on the eyes as the yeast settles in. Its a golden straw color with a crisp fluffy white head that just sticks to the glass. Looks quite nice albiet hazy.

Brett Beer mimics the smell with the taste of the beer. It has a certain funkiness to it that I attribute to Brett beers (barnyard, horseblanket). I taste a nice malty backbone of grain flavor with a few herbal notes to round it out. Moderatly low carbonation with a medium body make this easy to drink, but watch out, you can't taste the alcohol and it is likely to creep up on you, like it did me.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 05:52:36 | More by tlazaroff

draheim

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz into an Ommegang tulip. Pours a slightly hazy golden color w/ a bright white head, sticky lace. Light carbonation.

Aroma is fruity and floral. Pale pilsnery-type malt, peaches, grass.

Taste is... unique. Soap, grain, a vaguely hoppy/citrusy bitterness. No sign of Brett yeast.

Mouthfeel is oddly a little flat, dull.

Overall a big disappointment. I hope the Lost Abbey companion beer is better.

P.S. can't believe they actually misspelled "palate" on the bottle text. Palette? Seriously? Are BAs writing the little beer blurbs for breweries now?

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 02:20:45 | More by draheim

tdm168

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Sawmill Tap Room on 8/28/12.

A - bright yellow with a huge cap of soft, dense, white head that has great retention

S - wheat, lemon, a bit sour, pepper

T - pepper, lemon, wheat, bread, faintly tart, almost lactic, warming alcohol in the finish

M - medium bodied, warm, smooth, well carbonated

I'm not sure how I feel about this beer. Unfortunately, I didn't get the pineapple that everyone was raving about from the Brett. I did enjoy it, but I thought it was a bit all over the place. The flavors didn't quite go mesh. It's worth a try nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2012 09:30:22 | More by tdm168

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.2/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

i really didnt dig this. not because it was a bad beer, but just that it isnt what i says it is, and its quite bland. it pours cloudy straw color with a decent white head. the nose is saison yeast and cut grass, with a hint of vanilla sweetness. the flavor is just dull to me, i dont pick up much brett at all, and the booze flavor eliminates any delicate taste sensations. it was just sort of a let down for me, i wonder if the lost abbey version is any better? feel was fine, well carbonated and a bit heavier on the body than id like in a beer of this type, but the flavor ruined it for me long before i got to thinking about the mouthfeel. please save yourself ten bucks and dont buy this, its easily the worst lips of faith beer ive had, especially following boulevard's saison brett... yikes!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 23:49:19 | More by StonedTrippin

quaybr

Colorado

3.08/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A clear, golden body topped by a shallow head of small white bubbles.

Smells of spices and fruity yeast.

Tastes fruity with a confused dark fruit coming through. Spicy alcohol and yeasty with an odd malty finish - not the most appealing.

Light on the verge on medium bodied with an especially high carbonation level.

Overall, this is really interesting, but not the good/fun kind of interesting. This beer seemed a lot closer to a malt beverage than a sour. I would suggest passing up on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 04:56:03 | More by quaybr

Jparker37

Wisconsin

2.9/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bomber poured into an oversized tulip.

A - A strong pour leaves me with a decent sized off-white head packed with small bubbles. The beer is hazy and a light golden color. Left a small amount of lacing.

S - Has a delicate lemon character inside a prevalent tropical fruit/melon aroma. I have to dig a bit to find the mildest of funk but it's there. No malt sweetness to speak of. I'm getting a bit of some higher alcohol/phenols.

T - The beginning starts with those delicate base malts, then some citrusy hops come through strong. Somewhat muddled flavors mashed up. Has a bit of sweetness that lends itself to the body. A bit of phenolic flavors here as well. Finishes with a nice little bit of warmth.

M - Has a medium to medium-full body. The carbonation is on the higher end of the spectrum which helps keep this beer refreshing. The finish I would classify as semi-sweet.

O - I got to say that calling this beer "Brett Beer" is a little over played. Never did I think this beer was to far outside of the box. I commend it for its drinkability but that's not what I expected. Has some complex smells and flavors but the label was deceiving. Maybe with some extended aging we would see a bit drier beer. The Brett character could really show up and drive that carbonation to that of duvel's champagne like liveliness. I didn't hate the beer, just seemed out of place.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 00:55:06 | More by Jparker37

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Strong aroma is mainly fruity, mostly apple with subtle notes of banana and pear; balance is yeasty and a little malty. Pours a clear, bright solar yellow with a fairly thick, if not too persistent, palest gold head that leaves a good amount of lacing. Sublime, fruity flavor has a firm yeasty note and hints of butterscotch, malt, and - is that freshly-mowed hay? Overall, very tasty and lip-smacking. Texture has good body and good fizz, making for a real winner. I love beer collaborations! I wanna see more of ’em!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 15:36:22 | More by Cyberkedi

oline73

Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy golden/amber color with a finger of fluffy off white head. The head fades to a layer on top of the pour and leaves some decent lacing.

Smell: Not a very strong smell. Definitely getting some brett. Yeasty with some citrus notes.

Taste: Just like the smell, not a ton going on here. I'm getting the brett right away. Some citrus notes in the background, but the yeast really stands out here. The finish is slightly bitter and acidic.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with very fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a pretty boring beer. Not bad, but nothing real interesting going on.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 02:14:34 | More by oline73

Chaney

District of Columbia

2.68/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Holy crap! This brew has gotten some really shitty reviews on here!

Served in a Port City tulip.

A: Not quite orange in color.... more like apricot. Also, the head was cottony and sticky.... and pretty white!

S: INTENSE smell of mothballs and raw grains. Jeez... I won't say fruit, I'll say soggy breakfast cereal.

T: You know what, I kinda dig the late, late, late aftertaste on this one, but the rest was an utter disaster. The fruitiness (or lack thereof) was hindered by a very unpleasant, unfresh citrus quality that reminded me of low-grade orange juice. I also got some stomach acid in there as well....

M: Sugary mess, ridiculous lacing on the glass AND the palate. The carbonation level was low, but that wasn't what this venture was about anyway...

O: "Entices Frequent Sips"... Nope.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 03:22:11 | More by Chaney

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy yellow color with a white head. In the aroma, a dry tartness of white grapes. In the taste, starts dry to a small tartness and acidity of a white grape. A small sour bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry white grape sourness in the aftertaste. A small tartness and just a hint of fruit, nice and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 16:30:11 | More by OWSLEY069

hardy008

Minnesota

2.33/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pale gold with a white two finger head with good retention and lacing. Smells of pineapple, citrus, spices, yeast, and some Brett.

The taste is sweeter than I would have expected. There is lemon, pale malts, pineapple, yeast, and Brett. This is a confused tasting mess. Like an experiment that went wrong. I have tasted worst beers to be sure, but I haven't had many this confusing before.

Light to medium bodied with light carbonation, and a lemon / Brett aftertaste. Not to my liking.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 01:38:53 | More by hardy008

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle, 7.5% abv. Hazy golden color with a quickly disappearing white head. Some sediment, and very little visable carbonation.

Sour, and lactic nose up front. Earthy, funky, a bit leathery and buttery. Maybe some hay or straw.

Earthy malt up front. A bit tart with slight funky feel. Some nice citrusy favors on the back end. Not much sweetness or bitterness really. Maybe a bit leathery at the end.

Lighter body, not much carbonation at all. Not as interesting, complex or as funky as I thought. The fruity notes help a bit, but kind of boring overall.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 21:06:38 | More by Bierguy5

beer2day

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light lemon gold with a hint of white cream head. No retention and only faint lace.

Nose is a mess. Not a lot of anything, but a lot of subtle flavors. Sweet pineapple, apricot, and somehow I'm getting light white cheese. Not very funky, but not all that bad either.

Flavor brings more pineapple, sour this time. Sweet citrus in the finish with a presence of hop esters, but a real lack of brett here. Again, not bad ... just not what I would expect.

Feel is mildly thick without being too cloying.

As many others have said, this isn't a bad beer at all. Just not what the label would suggest.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:47:27 | More by beer2day

KZE80

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bomber into snifter.

A - Hazy golden/yellow. Nice carbonation streaming from the bottom of the glass. Head dissipated quickly.

S - Some sweet fruit and citrus upfront. Some Belgian funk. Nice spice aroma; coriander, maybe nutmeg, pepper. Smells and looks delicious.

T - Taken out of context, this is a nice Belgian-style ale; a very drinkable one at that. But opening the bottle expecting some in-your-face brettanomyces action, I was kind of let down. I get some fruitiness/spiciness...but only hints of funk. Much less than the smell suggested. Leaves me wanting more. But it hasn't stopped me from blasting through this bomber. Nice brew for a hot Texas day...just not what I was expecting.

M - Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation aids in drinkability. Could benefit from some added dryness but I like it.

O - Once again, in a blind taste test I'd probably dig this beer more than I do. Seems the brett is an afterthought. Expectations do things to a man...

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 20:09:05 | More by KZE80