New Belgium La Folie

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

Stopped in to The Liars Club while in San Diego last weekend and took notes. I only had time for two beers – one of them being this. The aroma of apples and wine swirled above the New Belgian snifter. The first sip of the red entity delivered an all-new experience in beers. The presence of the wine barrel was clear. The intense sour response numbed after a couple of sips to reveal a very interesting beer experience that left a carpet of stimuli on the tongue. All should try this unique creature.

Draft. A wonderful companion to Le Terroir at New Belgium. Similar in appearance though more reddish in color. The aromas and flavors emphasize the cherry and lemon fruits. The wood aging is apparent on the tongue. This is, however, a really sour beer which relies on brute force to show its complexities. As a result, the finish is a bit harsh and grabby instead of the smooth sour finish offered by Le Terroir. Still, a fantastic flemish sour.

Bottle thanks to Martin. Hazy reddish brown in colour with a small off-white head. Wellbalanced sourness with notes of berries, citrus, balsamico, wood and syrup.

Bottle. Ruby red colour with a short lasting beige ehad. Sour aroma of wood and some malt. Flavour: very sour, wood,fruity, bit of soil, bit sweet.Great Flemish sour ale.

Bottle at NB - Ølsymposium. Unclear red/brown - offwhite head. Berries, cherry, balsamic vinegar, bike-glue, harsh sour (bitter/dry), wood, oak, brown sugar. Very nice.

750ml bottle from BeerandBlues2. 2006-1158. Aroma: Lots of tart fruit with cherries, apples, and raspberries standing out. Strong acetic acid. Dry oakiness comes out with a little bit of a spice character. Under all that, I get a bit of toasted malt. Appearance: Rusty brown in color and hazy. Off-white head was medium and foamy with decent retention. Fair lacing. Flavor: Lightly toasted malt with a light caramel. Sour kicks in early and strong. Really sour. Sourness reminds me a bit of a mix between malt, apple cider, and rice wine vinegar. Some grapes, apples, and cherry flavors in there fairly strong. Wood is strong, but not to strong. Finishes very dry with some tannic dryness on the tongue. Palate: Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Overall: This was a great beer to spend the evening with. Changed alot as it warmed up. It’s super sour, but holds a lot of complexity. Really enjoyed it.

Bottle courtesy of BeerandBlues2: Poured a deep reddish color ale with a medium foamy head with better then average retention. Aroma of oak and tart is quite impressive with some tannic qualities also discernable. Taste is quite sour and tart with a nice oak presence and some subtle sour cherries. I thought taste had some great tannic qualities and was very reminiscent of Rodenbach Grand Cru, which is a great compliment when coming from me. I would love to try this again and I really appreciated all the complexities that this beer had to offer.

Draft. Sampled at the brewery during GABF week the past 5 years; most recently sampled at Monk’s Cafe New Belgium Dinner 4/10/07 and at Tria Fermentation school 4/11. Poured ruby brown with a moderately thick tan head. Sour, bretty nose with notes of wood. Very tart; acidic, woody and sour. Lingering sweet-tart flavors. Despite tartness, i found this very refreshing. La Folie was one of the first sour ales I ever sampled and I found it a bit overwhelming at first, but this has become my favorite style.