New Belgium Le Terroir

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

In my book, this actually beat two of the Cantillon lambics I had at the Brouwer’s sour ale fest. Great stuff. Poured bright orange, with a small, off-white head. Extremely mild aroma. Delicate citrus and peach, some wood and a bunch of funk. Flavor is irresistable. Adds some apple cider, emphasizes the orange citrus with just a slight hop bitterness, and adds more fruit and funk. Mouthfeel is *perfect*. Vibrant, but still thick and velvety smooth. I liked this one a lot.

Bottle, courtesy fogdog. Golden pour, minimum head and lacing. Big tart nose, vinegar, some apples and big alcohol. Flavor has lots of sour vinegar notes and very acidic. Fruity notes. Medium-bodied and tough to put down. Has a bit of complexity that ruins the drinkability.

FoBAB 2008. Poured a cloudy yellow-orange color with an off white head. Hop chunks, presumably from the dry hopping, floated around in the glass. Pleasant aroma of tart candy, subdued fruit vinegar, toffee, spices, and citrusy hops. Light to medium bodied with aggressive acidity. Tasted of fruity vinegar, spices, tart apricot/cherry, and citrus fruit. Tasty. One of the better beers at the festival, IMO.

FOBAB 08’. Had this on tap at the fest. Poured a hazy golden color with a big yellow head. Aroma was herbal hops and funk. Taste was more herbal hops, hay, huge acidity throughout and a great sour finish that lasted and lasted. This was probably my favorite of the day. Had a realy maturity overall, and was distinct with the dry hopping. This one really stood out for me. Really good stuff.

sour dominated. cassis and sour cherry are the main flavors with a fizzy palate and a cloudy orangey hue. Pretty good for a sour ale, though they are not typically my cup of tea. re-rate from Stone Sour Fest, San Diego 2009.

FoBAB 2008. Hazy straw with a creamy tan head. Nose is light with straw and lactic notes. Fruity tang with a sort of dijon character. Tangy sour finish with a oak dryness.

FoBAB 2008 labeled as: "Vieux Terroir" and is apparently aged much longer. The beer pours to a glassy/murky shiny copper body with a thin creamy off-white head. The aroma is catty amarillo hops with sour fruits like peaches and apricots with funky barrels. The palate is Cantillon tart. Ridiculously mouth puckering. Acidic to boot! The flavor is super sour fruits with nice dry hopped characteristics. Perhaps a light cherry and peach. Crisp and clean. Refreshing. The hit of the evening. Blends well with the Tart Lychee.

FoBAB 2008 offering: #814 "Vieux Terroir" - Puts on a touch of Belgian yeastiness. Tart. Golden orange hazed, yellowish head. Sweet tarts, sour white winey characteristics and bretty funk. Amarillo hops shine through in the nose and and give a very interesting hoppy finish paired with the funk, sourness, and overall ecstasy this beer offers. "Hoppy Beast", my notes read. This beer was very special and I personally felt should have won the category.