New Belgium La Folie

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

22oz bomber. Pours a deep amber brown with a medium-sized short-lived head. The aroma has some toffee malt sweetness, some funky fruitiness (rhubarb, sour cherry), and a strong dose of sourness with an acetic bite. The flavor is such a mesmerizing dichotomy: acidic through and through with some funky and earthy sourness, but also quite malty with notes of chocolate malts and other dark malts. Unfortunately, the sourness begins to take over after several sips, which makes the beer a little more one-dimensional, unfortunately softening/hiding the beautiful nuanced maltiness. The finish is sour and earthy with strengthening notes of vinegar, but also some sour fruit characteristics. There are pleasant notes of dark malts and toast in the finish, too - just barely fighting their way through the sour. The mouthfeel is acidic and crisp, like a tart sparkling cider - but with a little more vinegar-acetic quality. Overall, a very pleasant sour ale. The sourness is quite intense at times, but the beautiful malt character layered underneath saves it from being too sour or unpalatable. Funky and interesting for sure.

Perhaps it was just the right time for this to be the right beer, but I truly think this is just one remarkable sour that would never let me down. Dark caramel, amber-brown colored body with a filmy head and minor spots of lacing. Amazing acidic aroma of tart cherries, red wine and comforting vinegar. Medium bodied and the sourness attacks the taste buds, it’s a full on assault, very zesty feeling. Sips wonderfully and makes the mouth water wishing for more. Prominent sour cherry flavor with a sour mash and woody taste. Port wine that has started to turn perhaps. This is a wonderful creation, one of the richest and all around pleasing sour ales I’ve tried to date.

Bomber from Binny’s River Grove. Pours dark ruby brown with tan head. Aroma is tart cherries and wood. Flavor is sour cherries, wood, and some dark fruit. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. This is sour but not over powering. This is pretty damn solid but not quite on the level of supplication in my opinion.

This beer pours a very dark rusty copper with a nice head that quickly fades. The nose is of a smokey tamarind with a hint of a chilli spice.Flavor is spicy,dark plum ,very intresting and unique.Body is medium and all in all this is a must try.

Welcome to Atlanta! Holy shit, this beer was at Mac’s liquor store on West Peachtree; last one too! Nice dark color. Dark brown with a slight ruby hue. The head fades away quickly. Sharp sour ale, without the fruity sour aroma. Very acute sour aroma. Wood is not a very big factor in this one at all, but I can slightly smell it. Mild cherry aroma, as others have said. Very sharp sour flavor that dies out rather quickly. Doesn’t have that nuanced fruity, yeast, sour flavors as other sours do. Wood is really not a big factor at all. Sour going down, but again short-lived. Decent sour beer, but not the best.

Dark dark brown with a slight beige cover. Aroma is woody light tartness, black cherries. Taste is better, tart cherries, oakiness, light vinegar, wood.

Bomber. Poured dark amber with red highlights. A thin bit of off-white bubbles settled into a small ring around the edges of the glass. The aroma was sour apple, cherry and light wood. The flavor was lots of sour cherry and apple over some sweet malts and a touch of wood. Thin body with a dry mouthfeel. OK. Honestly I thought it lacked personality.

2005 bottle shared by JB/customercopy. Pours a deep amber with a thin beige skin and patchy lace. The nose is beautiful: a sour cherry-strawberry blend. Beyond that it’s difficult to describe any other definable notes, but it’s very nice. Light to medium-bodied and tart with a drying finish. The flavor: tart strawberries and happiness. This is a very good beer, but it is one of the most difficult to describe of all those I’ve ever tried.Thanks again John for sharing this treat with us. This year put to the 2007 bottle I had to shame.