New Belgium La Folie

Im very impressed. In a blind tasting, I might have thought this was something from Cantillon. Pours a beautiful ruby brown, with a head that disappears quickly. Aroma has tart cherries, grapefruit, a bit of dusty funk and lots of acidity - theres a bit of straight vinegar in there. What Im not used to is the sweet malt undertone. Im so used to sours being countered with sweet fruit (raspberry, etc) - while this one has fruit in it, the balance comes from malts. The oak comes through in the flavor - nice touch. Makes you pucker, but totally in-bounds, and I think my favorite part was in the aftertaste - theres just a bit of toasted hazelnut that shows up several seconds after the other notes fade. Very good - an entirely successful interpretation.

Hazy brown with medium beige head. Sourish aroma with roasted malt, caramel, woody and lacto notes. Sour flavour with note of grapefruits, vinegar, barnyard and woody notes. Sour finish wich reminded me of a solid gueuze. Like that one very much.

Word to Andrew for bringing this back from Colorado. This is the most sour beer I have ever had. Lip puckering sour and not something you use to introduce people to sours. The aroma is slightly funky and musty but the flavor is where it gets you. There is a hint of red fruit in the back ground. Ultimately though this is all about the sour/bitter part of the palate. Very interesting, intense, and enjoyable.

Thanks to weearetombstone for sharing this 2005 bottle 05-3166. Been on my wants list for a while, thanks Mike. Pours a hazy brownish amber with a medium creamy off white head. Aroma was sourt, tart, acidic, cherries, vanilla, floral and oaky. Flavor was very acidic, tart cranberries, cherries, very intense, strips the tongue clean. This bottle was on.

Draft at Stone Bistro. Poured into a snifter. Dark brown hazy pour with a small head. Big, sour aroma. slight woodiness. Pop, big sour taste as well, my mouth felt like when a cartoon character has something sour and the face just completely inverts with puckering, but I like it.

On tap at The Falling Rock Tap House in Denver, nice dark reddish color, with a beige head, good winey, woody, fruity sour cherry nose, with a good balsamic vinegar accent, with some tannic oakiness, tart berry accents in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a nice sweet-sour, tart cherryish character, with a fruity acidic, wet, woody, balsamic vinegar flavor, with some winey tannic accents, with a light malty sweetness, with a hint of dark chocolate, leading towards woody, oaky, fruity, sour, tart cherry finish.

Bottle, thanks to Eugene. Deep brown pour with red tint. Foamy beige head. Nose of cherries and wood. A little must and dust in a good way. Sour lemon notes as well and some metallic aromas. Bright, with a tingly mouthfeel. Crisp dry finish. Great beer.

Bottle, 6%. Good citric aroma, some acidic fruitiness. Cloudy red colour. Very citric flavour, good and vinegary. Sharp and cutting. Sweet with some good berry notes.