New Belgium Love

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

[Dr. Bill’s tasting @ Falling Rock, GABF 2004] An unclear orange beer with no head. The aroma is lovely sour from wild fermentation, and the flavor is an extremely sour wild fermented one with notes of grapefruit. Lovley.

(Draught) Pours a lightly hazy golden body with small off-white head. Aroma of mold, mustiness, old books, and light sourness. Flavor of sour fruit upfront and then dries out quickly with the oak.

Sampled at the GABF Dr. Bill tasting: Clear lightly hazy copper brown with a thin white head. Aroma is tart, fruity, full of cherries and a touch of acidity. Starts semi-sweet with a hint of fructose, turning much more dry, tart, and fruity, but not overpowering. Very well-balanced, authentic and enjoyable. Thanks again to Dr. Bill.

(lagertank - 2003) Hazy orange; slim yellowish stable head. Good Brettanomyces character, malonic, lactic and sage. Super mixture involving lactic, acetic, nearly lambiclike, vinous, phenolic and estery, wood, and yet a hint of sweetness of infermentables. Huge acidburn, sharp end. You gotta love it.

On tap at the Falling Rock. Slightly murky ruby orange appearance. Apricots and alcohol in the nose, with a smooth fruit flavor up front, filled with caramel, apricots and plums. Mid-drink is sour grapes and a wine-like palate, and the finish is very dry and tart, with some sour apples becoming very strong in the finish.

Draught, Falling Rock (this was the Foedre 3 version, not that it matters much). Body is medium to dark amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (caramel, cookie), with notes of plum, cherry, wood, sour apple, hamburger. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately to heavily acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately to heavily acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. I rarely sample La Folie, so I can’t really speak to the subtle differences here...the gist is very very close, though. The hamburger-ish note is here as well, though certainly not overpowering. The acidic bite is very strong (a good thing), but just a tad burning (like stomach acid reflux). My memory is that La Folie is not as harsh in the latter respect, and perhaps a bit more interesting in the aroma. Still pretty enjoyable though.

Medium orange color. Smallish head. Aroma is sour, tart, oaky and fruity. Medium bodied ale. Tart, sour and fruity with a touch of oak. Lighter tasting Flemish Sour Ale. Oak flavors are pronounced. Nicely balanced. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter and oaky.

Draught at Falling Rock Tap House, GABF 2008. Pours hazy orange with an average, fizzy, white head, mostly lasting with good lacing. Aroma is average malt (hay, straw), average hops (flowers, herbs), average yeast (horse blanket, earth) with notes of grapes, plum, peach, and apple. Medium bodied, sticky texture, lively carbonation, and a sour finish. Long duration, light sweetness, heavy acidity and sourness.