new belgium la folieI think I have been fairly clear over the last few months just what I think of New Belgium Brewing (if you are not sure read here and here). Their entry into Alberta has been nothing short of fascinating for someone who watches the beer scene. There has been a level of buzz about their arrival among Alberta beer drinkers unparalleled by anything else I have seen. Is it too much? Maybe. The price point sure seems higher than it need be. But there is no questioning that Albertans have embraced New Belgium.

Most of the interest is over their Fat Tire and, to a lesser extent, Ranger IPA. But the agency has brought in some other stuff from them as well, which is flying more under the radar. I recently picked up a bottle of their La Folie (2014), which is a wood-aged sour as part of their Lips of Faith Series.

The label says it is aged from one to three years in french oak. I take that to mean the final product is a blend of younger and older but I can’t be entirely certain of that. My instinct is that this is being brewed as a Flanders Sour, most likely a Red.

To begin, the appearance is perplexing and intriguing. It is dark burgundy red with a tight, unbelievably tight tan head that hangs around for hours and leaves behind some intense lacing. The head is almost like that from a stout. The aroma gives away the beer immediately. It i s distinctly tart with a earthy, woody, nutty, caramel malt undertone. The other aspects create complexity in the aroma, but really, this is about the sour. Like a darker, richer version of Duchess or Rodenbach. First impressions suggest a beer landing somewhere in the middle between Flanders Red and Oud Bruin.

A slightly sweet nutty malt flashes across the tip of my tongue, but only for the briefest of nanoseconds. Then in comes the behemoth of tart. It has two layers, starting clean and lactic but then becoming more woody and phenolic. The strongest point is just before the swallow, where it feels the sourness will suck your tongue straight into the roof of your mouth. The linger eases off a bit, allowing touches of soft malt to return to create a bit of beer character.

La Folie is an intense, tart experience. Not as clean as traditional versions – more rustic and rangy in its feel. A full 650 ml bottle is too much for one person – needs to be shared. Overall I think lacks the finesse of traditional Belgian sours I have sampled but still a fascinating beer. If you like your sours, then it is likely worth a shot.