New Belgium La Folie

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

aroma of paas easter egg kits and an element of wood that is extremely rich and roast like, very inviting. appearance is nearly opaque though edges admit this beer is actually brown and not black, but intense cloudiness obscures the hue. dark and sometimes pit fruits set this apart from some of the other vinegar bombs ive sampled. puckering sourness is there but devoid of the intense lemon rind and replaced with black cherry and like stone fruits that emulate the deep color of the brew. nose begins to open, and tasting educates the aroma’s detection to deduce more of the same sugary yet caramelized fruits found elsewhere. this makes duchesse look one dimensional!

22 oz. bottle poured a brown in color with a ring of light tan froth and a fairly still appearance in the glass. aroma has big sourness, dark cherry, light toasted barrel wood, dark fruit, and light sweetness. initial flavor blast is really sour and tart, medium acidity, dark fermented fruit, and dry red grapes. finish is fairly dry and has a bit of saltiness.

Draught at Map Room, Chicago. Red/brown pour with a medium head. Sour fruit aroma. Taste is obviously sour, raspberries, cherries. Never really been a fan of anything sour but still worth tasting.

Well, it took me two weeks but I finally found the beer that hooked by brother-in-law from Colombia on beer (they have very few choices down there) and he certainly picked a good one. An incredibly sour cherry aroma. Almost completely headless, the flavor is just like aroma, very cherry sour, but with a hint of whiskey as well. Great flavor.

750ml bottle - handbottled 9/2007, bottle number 8702, served in a tulip glass Pours a hazy deep ruby red color with a medium to large tan head that dissipates fairly quickly but leaves some lacing. Aroma has tart cherry and apple notes up front, wet stone, toasted french oak, light honey, subtle caramel, hints of lemon peel, mint, and anise. Flavor is fairly tart, with caramelized apples, red grapes, dry oak, red wine vinegar. Finish is tart and nicely dry, with fairly high carbonation. Really very nice, and the closest replica to Rodenbach that I’ve tasted. Although I think I like Rodenbach better, this is really very good.

On tap at Stone. Pours deep brown with reddish edge. Has a strong sour/lambic nose with raspberries and cherries abundant. Very strong sour bite with the nose fruit and a dark malt/coffee hint in the finish. Excellent sour!

10 year anniversary bottle from the First Annual Chicago Sour Tasting, thanks to Kan. Beautiful red cola-ish color with lasting off white head. Rich caramally fruitty sweet tart aroma. Nice elements of earthy/tobacco notes round out a wonderful aroma. Deep purple grapey sourness dominates the flavor followed by more earthy tones. Grape bubblegum flavor lingers. Mouthfeel is almost creamy. Wonderful stuff.

Well, I finally rate this beer. Bottle from the Boise Co-op, I’ve had a 750 of this for some time, but I didn’t want to crack it since the 750s are apparently a thing of the past. Anyway, pours a deep red-brown color with a medium off-white head. The aroma is great; rich fruits, vinous as it warms, barrel and sour grapes. A tingly rush of initial sourness, some fruit and barrel. Very tart and yet drinkable. Lovely.