New Belgium La Folie

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

Bottled 2007. This poured a gorgeous red brown with a towering whitish head. Tons of bubbles. The head gently subsided though leaving a thin layer that stuck around through most of the glass. Aroma of green apples, cherries, brett and wood. The flavor of this was just fantastic: sour, tart, smooth oakiness. It just wrapped itself around your mouth: bubbly, and dry enough not to be cloying at all. Glad for the advice to drink this fresh!

This 2007 bottle from session1979. Thanks! Pours a cranberry to blood red color with a light beige medium lived head. Smell is nice and tart, with a semi sweet and woodsy cherry aroma and a smooth rounded character. Surprisingly devoid of a harsh vinegary aroma, which was very welcomed. Taste was intensely tart, and extremely drying oakiness, and dry unsweetened sour cherries. Nice and tart and unbalanced in a fantastic way. Sucks the moisture out of your mouth like a really dry tanniny wine. No harsh vinegary qualities to it in the flavor either, making for an awesomely drinkable sour. My new favorite of the style!

This reminds me of the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes. Apparently everybody likes this, it rates so high, yet I hated it. I guess the sour vinegary flavor is an aquired taste that I have yet to acquire. My thinking is that you should mix with a light canola oil and pour it over a salad. Beautiful to look at, interesting smell, a taste that I can’t wait to open another beer and wash out of my mouth. I want to like this beer, as I’m sure the people of the town wanted to see the clothes on the Emperor, but I’m that guy who said "dude, he’s naked"

On tap at Liar’s, Obriens, etc. Murky brown with hints red hue. Very tart, cherry, hints of wood in the nose. Flavor seeps with tart cherry funk, backdrop of soaked wood and oak. Sour and lingering, but delicate and refreshing. Hard to stop sipping this one. Just really, really, really f’in good, oh yes! Can’t wait for the bottle....

A difficult beer to rate, beause I can’t claim to be an expert on this style. A beautiful dark amber color with good carbonation. A thinner head than one would expect. A very nice tart, fruity aroma that doesn’t really prepare you for how sour the actual flavor is. Fruity flavor that is extremely tart. Very smooth mouthfeel. Not really my preferred style, but I can appreciate it for what it is.

On tap@OBrien’s: Murky, dark prune brown color with a wisp of beige foam. Aroma is sour, acidic red wine vinegar. Flavor starts sour vinegar followed by green apple and a lightly tart lemony finish. Light-medium body is thin and lively.

2002 bottle, shared very generously by eyedrinkale. Dark brown / red pour. Aroma is lightly tart cherries / fruit, vinegar. Flavor is lightly tart again from the fruit, oak and vinegar. Well balanced and subtle flavors make this quite nice.

10th anniversary blend shared by Sliffy at the Cleveland tasting. Poured a nice brownish red with a creamy off white head that stuck around for quite a while. A great looking flemish sour brown. Very tart and acetic aroma with some fruits, vinegar, some woodys elements. Flavor profile has a very pronounced sour cherry presence that melds nicely with an oak smoothness in the finish. Very very quality brew. Not sure if there is a big difference between the 10th ann. blend and the regular bottling of this brew...but the blended anniversary batch is top notch!