New Belgium La Folie

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

(750 ml bottle (#07-5625) via trade with <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=9 target=blank>BeerandBlues2, thanks Brad!) Woody and sour...Cork pops out with alot of force. Pours murky dark slightly orangish brown with large somewhat foamy biege head that settles down rather quickly. Aroma is pungently sour - like apple cider vinegar with some cherry. Woodiness also in nose. Mouthfeel smooth and soft. Wide, weepy rings of lacing melt away rather quickly. Tastes ultra-sour with notes of sour apple and tart, sour cherry. Oak quality kind of softens the sharp sourness somewhat but still this is sour, sour, sour. Heavy duty sour but excellent.

On tap at FoBAB ’07. I love this beer. Clear to cloudy amber. So sour, so good aroma, fruit, funky. Sour, fruit flavor, lemon, perfect. Medium, sharp body. This beer rocks me right out of my socks. 8/3/10/4/19 = 4.4

La Folie 10th tasted at "An evening with Pantanap #3" Thanks Kan! Hazy red brown with slim almost nonexistent tan head. Strong oak aroma with tartness, funk, red fruit. Funky, oaky flavor with red fruit, sour and tart. Medium body and sour pucker. Very nice, very fruity. 3/9/9/4/18 = 4.3

Regular La Folie tasted next to 10th Anny at "An evening with Pantanap #3" Thanks Matt! Hazy red brown with big biege head. Full/rich red fruit aroma with sourness, subdued funk. Dirty red fruit flavor with sourness, oak, nice cherry. Medium bodied and tart. Very nice but 10th anny is better. 4/8/8/3/17 = 4.0 Rerate via the La Folie 10th anny blend during the First Annual Chicago Sourt Tasting. Bottle #682 thanks to Kan. Dark red, almost brown, very dark with creamy beige head. Aroma is cherry, dryer with a sweetness as it warms, oaky, woody, slight grapiness. Flavor is big tart up front, oaky, cherry, red wine vinegar. Medium body with sour pucker. Tasty, love the fruit the fruit quality of this beer 8 5 8 4 17 = 4.2

bottle (2007).....appearance: toffee/caramel brown with thin off-white head....aroma: oak, sour funk, and some tart cherries.....taste: sour oak, tart cherries, level of carbonation paired nicely with the flaovrs, nice long lasting tart finish....a very nice sour. 2/1/08 - had the regular version side by side w/ the 10th anniversary. the 10th had more fruitier notes and packed less of a sour punch. it was a bit earthier and more mellow. i enjoyed them both but enjoyed the 10th just a little bit more. 8/4/8/5/16

FoBAB 07. finally got to try this. a bit underwhelming: really sour, dry. no sweetness at all. real carbonated and cherry. it’d taste just like the rodenbach if it was at all sweet. once again, underwhelming.

Bottle from pantanap. Pours hazy reddish brown color. Head disapears quickly. inviting sour aroma with cherry and woody notes. Complexed tart cherry flavors with hint of vanilla, oak and some sweetness to balance sourness. That is a great sour ale made in the authentic Belgian style. Thank you Kan!

On tap at FoBAB V: i’ve had this beer several times and I always make an effort to pick up a few bottles while in Colorado. just an awesome sour beer met by a huge tart cherry flavor. really funky and sharp sourness. just a step behind supplication, but really great stuff. I can’t wait till i can sit down with a whole bottle and get into this beer further.4.2.

2/1/08, La Folie 10th Anniversary Falling Rock edition (thanks Kan) vs. regular La Folie (thanks holdenn). both pour dark red with beige head. regular la folie has a nose that is funkier, earthier, and oakier while the 10th is deeper/richer in sour cherries. the flavor in regular la folie is sour tart cherry, oaky, funky, very brash and assertive, while the 10th is tart cherry, richer earthier cherry pits, some dark fruits, much more fruity than regular la folie and less acidic/mellower than regular la folie. the 10th was more drinkable and tannic. both were of course wonderful. I liked 10th a bit better but both end up scoring the same. 8/4/8/5/17=4.2.

FoBAB 2007. Unassuming slight haze reddish brown with a thin dense cream colored head. Almost a dead ringer for Rodenbach Grand Cru. A little grappier and oakier. Great balance, a little lactobacillis kick. Thickish, not syrupy, low carbonation. SHARP! This is the tartness I want in the style! This is like sour salty yogurt. Great sharp oak only feeds the tartness. Round grapey malt, pushes it towards balance, but doesn’t quite make it, which is best. Lingering sour red winey oaky tannins. This is a damn fine beer!

Pours a ruby brown with no head. Smell is tart with some of the oak coming through. Taste is all sour. This is liquid Sweet Tarts. Not a whole lot more there. Just a smooth, not overly carbonated sour beer. Decent, rather one dimensional.