Tag Archives: new belgium

2015 Lips of Faith Series Cocoa Molé by New Belgium

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10980189_10102435520743870_6275851171789603777_oRating: 5/5

2015 Lips of Faith Series Cocoa Molé by New Belgium is a 9% ABV Spiced Chocolate Porter brewed with Ancho, Guajillo and chipotle peppers.

Label:
Say Hola to a spiced up ale full of cocoa and ancho, guajillo, chipotle peppers. But don’t fear the heat, because plenty of caramel and chocolate malts bring a smooth, complex flavor to our Cocoa Molé. Scents of cinnamon when poured will have you saying, “¡Olé for molé!”

==Introduction==

Back in 2012, this beer made a big scene. So much so, that people who tried the beer wanted to bring it back for another go, including me. This beer had me reminiscing of champurrado (maize flour drink), which I was definitely blown away by. In terms of chile beers, it was the second chile beer I had ever had next to the Dogfish Head Theobroma. I really liked that one but this one was more toward a mole chocolate beer and I remember it was something I definitely wanted to try again. Thanks to New Belgum, it is back! Let us see if it still stands with its 2012 companion.

Aromas:
Champurrado, Cinnamon, Chocolate Abuelita, brown sugar, cane sugar, piloncillo sugar cone, ancho, guajillo, chipotle pepper spices, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, Pan Dulce, apple pie, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, Danish cream cookies, marshmallow smores, flan, jericalla Mexican custard, molé spices, dark fruit raisins, capirotada raisin bread pudding, Burnt sugar and candi sugar.

Flavors:
Chocolate Abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Piloncillo sugar cone, ancho, guajillo, chipotle pepper spices, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, flan, jericalla Mexican custard, molé spices, dark fruit raisins, capirotada raisin bread pudding, champurrado hot drink, Pan Dulce, apple pie, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, Danish cream cookies, marshmallow smores, graham crackers, waffle cone, banana notes, clove spice, Burnt sugar and candi sugar.

Aftertaste:
Lots of cinnamon, chile spices, chocolate abuelita, dark fruit, earthy notes and hints of flan linger for a little bit. No alcohol in the taste, creamy and smooth mouthfeel, dark crimson medium body and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Perfect example of a Molé beer. I loved this one back in 2012, I love this one 3 years later.
The heat is only slightly there but enough to say it is a spiced chile beer. I really hope this one is here to stay in the Lips of Faith line up because it is one of my favorites. They might distribute this regularly but only one can hope. I highly recommend it if you like spiced chile beer but with the heat burned out immediately but sweet chocolate desserts.

Anime Corner:
May from Backstreet Billiards was used in this pairing since I used her in the previous pairing with 2012 Cocoa Molé. She represents the beer in the sense that it is about Mexican heritage and the indigenous ways which brings the culture and food into what is this beer. The flavors, the label and the art all complement each other.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/hX5loxr.jpg

Lips of Faith Series Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout collaboration by New Belgium and Perennial Artisan Ales

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13236_10102170754153240_3832030654306923420_nRating: 5/5

Lips of Faith Series Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout collaboration by New Belgium and Perennial Artisan Ales is a 9% ABV Belgian Imperial Stout.

Label:
Dessert is best poured. And the brewers at Perennial agree. So for our next Lips of Faith release we dreamt up a beer that would bring together chocolate sweetness, Belgian yeast, deeply roasted malts and just the right shake of salt to pour a creamy stout worthy of a cherry on top.
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It surely has been a while since I have done a Lips of Faith series beer. That and the fact that I have not seen many out and I recently just Gruit so you will most likely see a review of that one soon as well. This time New Belgium does a collaboration with Perennial which is something we do not often get here in the west coast so seeing them with NB making a Belgian Stout is simply amazing. I can only hope that what comes out of this is pure epicness. The Belgian Stout is a rare feat that I have only seen few do and do it great. The fact that we have Perennial involved, I can only hope for the best. The Lips of Faith series has been awesome for so many years hitting some great craft hits. I just hope this one is a hit too. Well, let us see, cheers!

 

Aromas:
Dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, cherries, clove spice, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian chocolate, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, banana hints, smokey notes, soy sauce, oak notes, earthy notes, anise, molasses, soy sauce and coriander.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Milk chocolate, Bakers chocolate, Oatmeal cookies Dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, cherries, currants, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, mint chocolate chip, anise, licorice, molasses, bananas, clove spice, coriander spice, rye, oak notes, smokey notes, soy sauce hints, rye bread, BBQ hints, earthy notes, salt notes and leather hints.

Aftertaste:
Leaving with an anise, chocolate, raisins, earthy notes, salted plum sauce, caramel and hints of oak. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black body, creamy and smooth mouthfeel, moderate drinkability.

Overall:
This beer reminded me of the Ommegang Art of Darkness, Shiva’s Tears or a Smokey Dubbel. This was perfect mainly since I love Belgian Chocolate Stouts and the chocolate and mild smokey notes works wonders here. I have yet to try Perennial Artisan Ales but what they and New Belgium have brought forth is very amazing. If chocolate was truly made to have small bit of salt, it seems to work as it is more balanced the way it is. I would highly reach this one out if you like smokey hinted chocolate beers.

Anime Corner:
Original demon character was used in this pairing to pair with the aspect of sweet Belgian chocolate and monk beers which are typically holy that drive away evil. The fact that a devil/demon girl is eating the chocolate is like tainting or in this case salting the Belgian chocolate. It necessarily is not a bad thing as you can see she does look innocent and she does have some Angelic traits, it is just that salting or tainting a Belgian chocolate introduces some awesome pleasures to the palette that enjoys just a little more than the average sweet chocolate. Some people don’t like pure sweet and this goes to balance flavors out. So it seems to work. That and the fact that some of the colors she has do match with some of the colors from the the label.

Sources:
http://oi59.tinypic.com/2w556xy.jpg

Lips of Faith series Grätzer collaboration by New Belgium and 3 Floyds

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10492249_10101935637379140_6127348643821595713_n 10488251_10101935638322250_8591663400361695156_nRating: 4.25/5

Lips of Faith series Grätzer collaboration by New Belgium and 3 Floyds is a 4.5% ABV Grätzer style or Smoked Beer.

Label:
It’s not dead, but Gratzer is definitely a long-buried style from Poland. Together with 3Floyds we unearthed its robust smokiness with oak smoked wheat and Midnight Wheat. Polish Lublin hops for a bitter bite and lacto for a slightly sour finish, this pours out a billowing, foamy mouth worth indulging.
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The next in line of zombie beers out there and brought by an unlikely collaboration with the Awesome 3 Floyds brewing and New Belgium. Prior to looking up this beer, I saw the type of style Grätzer was and long behold it is a smoked beer style like the German Rauchbeer. So I I guess going into this, you would definitely have to have a palate for smokey bitter beers if you would really appreciate it. Then again if you wanna know what grave stones, dirt and zombies taste like and enjoy the label, then awesome. So let us check it out.

Aromas:
Good amount of smoke, oak, dark fruit hints, ash, dark chocolate, burnt caramel, biscuit, smoked peat, licorice, anise, molasses, zombie brains, iron, coriander, wheat, rye bread, maple, brown sugar and earthy hops.

Flavors:
Earthy hops, Smoked malts, oak, dark fruit hints, ash, molasses, dark chocolate hints, burnt caramel, biscuit bread, licorice hints, anise, molasses, grains, coriander, wheat, rye bread, hints of brown sugar, oatmeal, bacon and barbecue hints…oh yeah and zombie brains 

Aftertaste:
Finishing up dry with hints of smoke, oak and earthy hops. No alcohol in the taste, easy to medium drinkability, pitch black body and refreshing.

Overall:
This one is very good for a smoked beer. Nothing is overwhelming here giving way to hints and flavors here and there while still maintaining a bitter and smokey balance that sweetens out as you drink it and warms up. For Smokey beer lovers only or just fans that are willing to try a zombie beer. Just realize, its not only evil in appearance…

Anime Corner:
Original character, Shizuka Marikawa and Rika Minami from High School of The Dead represent all aspects of zombies and ass kickery. Basically Shizuka (NB) and Rika (3F) are like the breweries collaborating and destroying zombies to add to the mash and boil. Sounds pretty gruesome but hey, it’s all in the zombie fanaticism anyway. Their creation, Gratzer, is representative of the original character with the samurai swords. This is one bad ass beer and well basically a bad ass collaboration so I really wanted to show the zombie aspects to fit with this one.

Sources:
http://img.batoto.net/comics/2011/10/14/j/read4e978d034584e/032.jpg
http://konachan.com/post/show/80323

Lips of Faith series Wild² Dubbel by New Belgium

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1511912_10101650975992840_757577343_n 1186190_10101650976965890_1269245178_nRating: 4.75/5

Lips of Faith series Wild² Dubbel by New Belgium is an 8% ABV Belgian Dubbel Brewed with Schisandra Berries.

Label:
This wild Colorado version of the Belgian Dubbel ropes you in with clove and dark fruit aromas. Deeply rich and malty, every sip has a creamy texture true to Belgian tradition before it rides off with hints of black pepper and cinnamon from the addition of shisandra berries.
___

Been looking for this beer since November. Yes, it was quite the damn elusive find even for a brewery who is well established with distribution. Got this one at the liquor mart in Whittier California but you most likely can find it in many stores that sell the New Belgium Lips of Faith series. The series has ranged from hit or miss beers but over very good beers. This was the last beer from 2013 in the Lips of Faith Series. I can’t wait to see what we get this year. For now, on to the review and cheers friends!!

Aromas:
Lots of banana, cloves, dark fruits like figs, plums, raisins, raspberries, peppercorn, soy sauce, dulce de leche caramel, cinnamon, flowers, herbs, chocolate, biscuit, apricot, peaches, brown sugar and candy sugar.

Flavors:
Not sure what Schisandra berries are supposed to taste like but if they are anything like raspberry or currants, it is close. The banana, bubblegum and clove spices is there but mixes with like a plant and soy sauce. That is not the dominant though as you can still tell it is a dubbel by the dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, raisins, dark cherries, toffee, plums, figs dates, apricots peaches, brown and candy sugars. Some other flavors are of chocolate, biscuit bread, rye, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns, citrus, pineapple, pear and coriander, herbs and other spices.

Aftertaste:
The raisin and caramel notes linger along with some earthy notes. No alcohol in the taste with medium to full body mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability. 

Overall:
Very good dubbel with lots of complex flavors but I just cant help feel like there is this Chinese gourmet aspect to it. It is isn’t a bad thing but if you have had Belgian beers with Szechuan peppercorns, you know the type of spice I am talking about. It makes the beer that more awesome!!It is like adding their Abbey Ale with the berries adds this complex experience. You definitely have to try it to understand what I mean. I think this beer is definitely on par with the quad I had last year.

Anime Corner:
Lily Salvatana (purple hair) and Franco il Nero (Teal hair) from Tre Donne Crudeli/Outlaw Django were the perfect pairing in this beer because I wanted to show case the cowboy aspect of the beer but also the flavor profile of this beer. Beginning with Lily who represents the dark fruit and caramel of the Dubbel style and then Franco with the stone fruit, herbs and spices added from the Schisandra berries. Yeah it goes all over the place. A takes two to make a Dubbel. Can you find any awesome details about this pairing?

Abbey by New Belgium

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1512801_10101561386106690_1780227651_nRating: 4.8/5

Abbey by New Belgium is a 7% ABV Belgian Dubbel

Label:
A beauty of a Belgian dubbel with six different malts and an authentic Belgian yeast strain that’s happiest being served in a New Belgian globe glass.
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Yes, I agree. While it would be plain and simple to use the NB globe glass, I decided against it since I wanted to use the Monkish glass to appeal to the art pairing. Anyways, this beer comes out every year around the Fall/Winter season ready for X-mas. I have never got a chance to review it since the last time I bought a 6 or a Folly 12 pack, they are all gone. This one did not get away and is here for the review. You can get this nation wide in 6 pack or the NB Winter Folly pack.

Aromas:
Rich banana bread, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dulce de leche caramel notes, vanilla, chocolate hints, cinnamon, ginger bread, nutmeg, biscuit and toffee

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel notes, dark fruits forward from the raisins, the plums and figs, dates, banana bread, coffee and chocolate notes, cinnamon, ginger bread, nutmeg, earthy hop notes, molasses, anise notes, clove and coriander spice, peppercorns and bubble gum hints

Aftertaste:
Close to a dry finish but some biscuit, raisins, earthy hop bitterness and caramel linger for a little bit. Despite being a dubbel quite the easy drinking. No alcohol in the taste either.

Overall:
A Great beer very delicious. To the height of many of the New Belgium beers that I have tried, only some have made it with a high rating. This one takes the cake and is probably one of my favorite annual releases from New Belgium. This beer definitely makes it to the world class (14th best dubbel according to beer advocate). Belgian beer lovers will love this one

Anime Corner:
I am not sure who created this piece but I was able to find it when looking for different pictures online. This was a perfect pairing because it includes everything about Belgian Abbeys, monks, monasteries and so forth. A tribute to the Belgian abbeys

Pumpkick by New Belgium

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546930_10101439808184820_403516156_nRating: 2.8/5

Pumpkick by New Belgium is a 6% ABV Pumpkin ale brewed with pumpkin juice, cranberry juice and spices

Label: 
What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. PUMPKICK is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it’s the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that send your tastebuds sailing.
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Pumpkick is a beer that was made as a rerelease of Lips of Faith Kick which I had a couple of years ago. Back then the beer was a collaboration with Elysian and possibly the recipe has changed a lot since the the last time I tried it. I will review and see if this pumpkin beer is as good as the Kick I used to remember

Aromas are of cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, biscuit malts, caramel, hints of cranberries, cherry candy hints and a bit of brown sugar

The flavors are of pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, light cranberry notes, biscuit, caramel, brown sugar and pecan notes.

The aftertaste is pretty dry. Very refreshing and easy to drink.

Overall it is an okay beer. The original kick was way better from what I remember. That one actually had distinct flavors of pumpkin and cranberry which worked pretty well for it. New Blegium unfortunately no longer makes it. If this was their replacement, I think they need to kick it up a notch with more awesome flavors or just bring back kick!! Either way, it is not a bad beer for a 6 pack and it has good merit in its own way, especially for the season. Worth trying once but I would recommend getting a stronger pumpkin beer.

Lips of Faith series Yuzu by New Belgium

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1383393_10101439800495230_2109199200_nRating: 4.39/5

Lips of Faith series Yuzu by New Belgium is an 8% Berliner Weissebier brewed with Yuzu Juice

Label: 
Who zu Yuzu? It’s a friendly fruit with grapefruit-meets-orange flavor that got involved with the souring side of New Belgium in this bottle conditioned wheat beer. They got on well enough to make this imperial berliner weisse style ale a smooth, delightfully tart sipper with a dry finish. 
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The next release under the Lips of Faith line for New Belgium is Yuzu. I think I have ever had Yuzu before but it seems similar to an orange. Well, Ill give it a shot and see how it goes

Aromas are very citrusy. Orange, lemon, lime, biscuit bread, honey, coriander, wheat, tangerine, grapefruit, apricot, mango, melon and lemon candy

Flavors are of orange, sour lemon, biscuit bread, peppercorn notes, lime, honey, hints of funk and tart fruit, wheat bread, coriander spice, herbs, grapefruit, mango, lemon candy, tangerine, lemon peel, lemon grass, sour apple and sour dough.

The aftertaste leaves alittle dry but still carrying notes of the funky fruit, wheat, orange and lemon flavors. It is very refreshing and quite the easy to moderate drinkability. For being a clear beer, it almost feels like a Belgian Pale Ale.

Overall the beer is very good. This is some kind of Wheat, fruit, Belgian Pale and wild ale all put together. You get funky, tart and sour hints, tropical fruit and wheat notes.

Lips of Faith series Coconut Curry Hefeweizen by New Belgium

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1240347_10101372958018090_1866690177_nRating: 4.3/5

Lips of Faith series Coconut Curry Hefeweizen by New Belgium is an 8% ABV Hefeweizen brewed with coconut, herbs and spices

Label: 
The list of spices in this coconut curry hefeweizen is almost as long as the list of awards bestowed on home brewer, Remin Bonnart. Together we brewed up a traditional German-style wheat beer whose fruity estersand spicy phenols pair perfectly with the spicy and fruity character of curry spices. Pour yourself a plateful.
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So here is the fall release of the the Lips of faith series. A coconut curry hefeweizen. Indeed a unique sort of beer that probably has not been done before. I have had other coconut beers and the curry beer Indra Kunindra from Ballast point. Very good indeed. This brings forth something different though, let us see where this goes

Aromas are very unique and very different. Citrus, curry, toasted coconut, oak, campfire, spicy chiles, cinnamon coriander, bananas, cloves, walnuts, chicken and gravy, biscuit bread, herbs, spices, floral burnt incense, citrus and lime.

The flavors are definitely like curry, rich toasted coconut, marshmallow, coriander, cumin, cayanne pepper, citrus, lime, cinnamon, tangerine, banana, clove, pecans, biscuit bread, caramel, chicken and gravy hints, ginger bread, flowers, burning incense, barbeque sauce hints, spices of India and mango.

Aftertaste is almost floral, bready, lemon and spicy. It is quite the easy sipper. Definitely take your time with this one. It is very odd and different. 

Overall I am amazed as to how different this beer is. I have had a curry beer before which was more chocolate and coffee curry https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/indra-kunindra-by-ballast-point/. This one is taking a lighter style like the heffeweizen and doing something very different things. Very good beer for sure but very unique and different. May be off putting to some. A beer that taste like a fancy Indian dish?? unheard of.. LMAO!!! Speaking of which, wonder how well it would fare with a nice curry dish. Could we reach the utmost highest levels of Nirvana? Possibly, if not, this definitely fits as one of the more exotic beer pairings of taste, art and experience, ciyarsa !!! 

Lips of Faith series Pluot by New Belgium

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1236441_10101360004751540_459170060_n 1236103_10101360003818410_696789262_nRating: 3.8/5

Lips of Faith series Pluot by New Belgium is a 10% ABV Belgian Tripel brewed with Pluot juice

Label: 
Cross pollinate your tastebuds with Belgian imagination and you’ll be sipping this ale while visions of pluots dance in your head. Pluots? A hybrid of apricots and plums that impart a subtle sweetness. Ferment that with a wild Belgian yeast strain and you have a fruity yet spicy nature with a body reminiscent of red wine. Delicious.
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Along with Paardebloem, I picked up the second summer Lips of Faith ale, Pluot. I figured why not as I am trying this years releases so far. By the way, so far, Cascara has been the winner in the tastings. I actually had to get several of those. Love me some quads 😛 . Well, anyways, time to check this one out. Although by what I am seeing, an apricot/plum fusion does sounds good.

Aromas are of light plums, peaches, biscuit malt, light caramel and honey. Very limited in fragrance.

Flavors are of peach, plum juice, light caramel, biscuit bread, citrus, slight tart but possibly not to the wine level just notes of it. It also tastes like grapes, toffee, apples, sugar cookies and light rye bread.

The aftertaste is mildly sweet but hard to believe it is 10 percent. Especially in the taste. It finishes pretty dry. Seems easy to drink, way too easy lol. Kind of scary but awesome.

Overall it is a still pretty good beer for sure with nice flavors, but I guess I expected more. Still a killer clear body beer. I’d get this this often if I wanted to just get hammered. The notes of Belgian character is still present. If you pick this up, just to try it, go for it but do not expect lots of magic. Just a nice decently good beer, that will probably get you wasted as you cannot tell the ABV in the taste.

Paardebloem Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Red Rock brewery

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1185754_10101360003354340_899459529_nRating: 4/5

Paardebloem Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Red Rock brewery is a 9% ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale brewed with Peach juice, Grains of Paradise and dandelion greens blended with wood aged beer

Label: 
Using dandelion greens to bitter a Belgian-style ale blossomed from our brewers collaborating with Red Rock Brewing. This being our sixth interpretation together since 2008, expect a wonderfully complex ale fermented with wild Belgian yeast and blended with just a touch of wood-aged beer. Bitterness imparted from dandelion greens and grains of paradise will have you blowing wishes for sips.
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Got this one as an extra to go when buying beers. I have not tried this one nor the other one (Pluot) which were the summer releases for the Lips of faith series. The ones from spring were pretty good. This one is made with fruits and flowers so I am hoping it will be good.

Aromas are of honey, peach, grapes, pineapple, apricot, light biscuit bread, light flower scent, citrus scent, peppercorns, coriander spice, a touch of a caramel and wine notes

Flavors are of grapes, honey, peach, white wine, apples, pears, pineapple juice, plums, biscuit bread, waffle cone, orange juice, coriander spice, light oak notes, caramel, floral bitterness and slight tart nectarine.

The aftertaste is sweet and tangy but finishes dry. The alcohol is somewhat hidden but comes out sweet. This one can be drank easy to moderately

Overall the beer turned out to be very good but nothing too new or mind blowing, simply very good. Reminded me of the Fejoia but more orange juice, floral notes and a bit of oak. For the price I would go with another beer that is just as good or better. This is actually worth trying at least once to get a good feel for it. Also, I apologize about the label, seems like the label paint was peeling from the bottle. I had noticed it after the first pour. As long as the main part of the label is still good.

La Folie 2013 by New Belgium

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526819_10101122147050280_2027130951_n 547622_10101122147404570_881850365_n 149461_10101122147634110_1467557802_nRating: 4.5/5

La Folie 2013 by New Belgium is a 7% ABV Sour Brown Ale also known as Flanders Oud Bruin style

Label: 
Seriously Sour. This Flanders-Style Reddish Brown Ale Was Fermented 1-3 Years In French Oak Barrels For Mouth Puckering Perfection
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Strangely enough, this one was considered a very highly sought out beer. Even the reviews on the websites put it in world class status. Last time I saw something like that was with their abbey ale, which I swear, ultimately awesome. Still gotta get me one of those for the reviews here :P. Aromas are just like some of the Jolly Pumpkin beers I have had in the past, especially La Roja. Fragrances of sour dark cherries, wine grapes, currants, raisins, figs, some sweet caramel, strong oak barrel, tart cranberries and some hazelnut. The flavors are just like some of the sours I remember but with a little more sweet flavors. Tart apples, cherries, grapes, earthy caramel, mouth puckering cranberries, currants, raisins, sweet caramel, peaches, vanilla oak, strong beech wood, funky, acidic, biscuit and chocolate flavors reminiscent of the New Belgium ingredients like Fat Tire. Maybe if they were to take the Fat Tire amber and turn it into this sour, then you would have a winner known as La Folie. It takes a special liking to enjoy a beer like this. Sours are usually a moderate favorite of mine if made right. Jolly pumpkin makes a vast variety of sours that are unique as they took sours into newer realms. I can see why many believe this is a World Class beers. It truly is in the world of sour beers. It is like La Roja but more flavors. This would pair well with other things even foods I am sure. So if you are a sour beer fan, get this for sure, otherwise, it may not be your thing.

Rampant by New Belgium brewing

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24295_10101103619175290_1126130040_nRating: 3.8/5

Rampant by New Belgium brewing is an 8.5%ABV Double India Pale Ale

Label: 
It starts to take over. That craving for hops. The hoppier the happier. The happier the higher the IBU. The higher the IBU the higher the ABV. The larger the ABV the more we’re going to have to keep an eye on this Rampant Imperial IPA proliferating with heavy peach notes, herbal sweetness and aromatic complexity.
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Upon opening this beer, out came out the nice hoppy grassy fragrances with essence of tropical fruits like a peach or a mango. There was also some herbal, floral and almost like a basil or Italian spice coming out too. The flavors were more grassy and piney but there was an absence of strong tropical fruits. Peach and mango are very slight. It has some notes of citrus and some grapefruit. However, I think with this beer, it’s main focus is the hops. There are some herbal, spicy, flowery and plant like flavors. Almost like a green tea bitterness with honey and lemon. I can sense some lemon grass as well. This one ends pretty dry and leaves more of a grassy herbal and plant after taste. It is not a bad beer. The fragrance sure was nice with tropics thought. In fact it is the kind of hoppy beer that leans not into the realm of tropical fruits in terms of flavor but more into the deep zone of herbal, spicy and flowery hops. If you enjoy IPAs and are into mainly hop side without tropics, then give this one a shot and let me know what you think.

Heavenly Feijoa Tripel Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

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205243_10101099853232270_818041947_n 464_10101099853596540_965719373_nRating: 4/5

Heavenly Feijoa Tripel Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! is a 9%ABV Abbey Tripel brewed with Feijoa and Hibiscus

Label: 
Oh my God. It’s not only a reaction for drinking one of Dieu De Ciel’s beers, but a figurative translation of the Montreal brewery’s name. Just ask our brewmaster, he’s in heaven when drinking this collaborative tripel, inspired by Dieu De Ciel’s love of hibiscus and Belgians love of the obscure, hence our addition of tart feijoa fruit. Cheers!
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Upon opening this beer I got this exotic fruit fragrances. Like a passion fruit but I also got this spice like a herb that would go with chicken. Upon online research I found that a Fejoia is a pineapple guave which comes from South America. I have never had it but this stuff is nice to the nose. I also get some fragrances of bread, pineapple, citrus, guava, banana, papaya, flowery hibiscus, cloves, peppercorns, honey, grapes, coriander spice, tangerines and flowers. The flavors are very good. This reminds me of like a Dogfish Head beer. Something like Midas Touch or Ta henket. It has some nice white grape flavors, honey, agave, biscuit bread, guava, orange, lemon grass, tangerines, pineapple, kumquats, , a little bit of banana and papaya, apples, some tart hibiscus flower drink (Jamaica), cloves, peach cobbler, cinnamon, peppercorns, grapefruit, and slight grassy hops. The after taste remains pretty fruity afterward. It is not as heavy as Guava Grove but it is quite refreshing with a good amount of fruit and complexity. I can only see this as a Tripel since it has those peppercorns but also because of the Belgian bready notes although the fruity portion of the beer is what really takes the cake here. Awesome and worth a try for sure. Some people might find it’s drink ability along with complexity appealing.

Lips of Faith Series Cascara Quad by New Belgium

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577377_10101092847541730_1773082401_nRating: 4.75/5

Lips of Faith Series Cascara Quad by New Belgium is 10%ABV Belgian Quadrupel brewed with dates and coffee cherries added

Label: 
Local roasters Novo Coffee turned us onto Central America’s Cascara, the fruit or husk that surrounds coffee beans. When dried, it can be made into a tea with hints of cherry and tobacco. Blend that into a quad fermented with gorgeous malts and date sugar for a crazy complex beer to warm winter nights. 
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Freaking sweet. Quads are some of my best styles out there. To know that NB brewed a quad, definitely had to get 2 of these. The aromas are somewhat apparent but still there. Chocolate, cherries, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, some dark fruits, a little bit of bananas and very faint oakyness or brown sugar. Flavors are almost like Three Philosophers, almost. Cherries, chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, bananas, cloves, phenolic esters, biscuit bread, coffee cake, raisin and pecan pudding, dates, toffee, tobacco, candi sugars, . In terms of flavor, that is what hits this one home. Maybe not as aromatic as other quads but the flavors are great. The balance could use a little work as you can sense the alcohol but doesn’t detract too much from the flavors of this one. I picked up 2 since I thought it would be awesome. Well, I sure was not disappointed. This is still a very good beer and would pick up again if no other quads available. Also, at 10% this is definitely a winner. Just be careful because if it warms up then the booze becomes more apparent but the complexity is still complex but not supremely complex. Some people may like this while others may not.

Belgo Belgian India Pale Ale by New Belgium

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601638_10101089982054190_1473596584_nRating: 4.5/5

Belgo Belgian India Pale Ale by New Belgium is a 7%ABV Belgian IPA. I have tried this several times but I finally got one to sit down and review.

Label:
Friday night and the lights are low; Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe, looking for a place to belGO. Get in on bottle condition beats and hop aroma blasts as India Pale Ale grooves with Belgian yeast.
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Fragrance of this beer reminds me so much of all those delicious Belgian IPAs and Belgian Pales I have tried many times although in a lighter sense. With a mix of sweet honey, biscuit bread, citrus, floral and grassy hops, herbs, spices, rye, peppercorns, grapefruit, peach and apples. The taste is where it saves the beer. Flavors are of herbs and spices, apples, grassy and grapefruit hops, biscuit bread, a little bit of peppercorns, slight flowery flavor but to the level of Saison,citrus orange, honey, peach, slight caramel and a bit of those tripel clove esters. While a lot of the flavors of the delicious BPAs and BIPAs are there, they are not full frontal and overwhelming. Meaning it is a beer to enjoy the flavors one enjoys from the awesome Belgian Pales but without too much of a full body giving way to a beer of very good flavors but still light crisp and refreshing. They mostly sell this in a 6 pack and it is a major winner for me. From the regular stuff (not Lips of Faith series) I would call this one number 2 next to the their Abbey ale. The Abbey ale is simply world class awesome. I will review that one as soon as I get my hands on one 😀

Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout by New Belgium

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62172_10101058680557640_1414040541_n 563030_10101058681455840_1067729971_nRating: 4.5/5

Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout by New Belgium is a 9% ABV Imperial Stout with Coffee and Chocolate added.

Label:
Serving up cold and jet black, this imperial stout should be taken seriously for about one minute as the dark foam builds. Then, enjoy its velvety chocolate-covered smoothness and delicious aroma of sustainably-grown, locally-roasted coffee.
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The aromas of this beer are typical of dark chocolate and roasted coffee, with fragrances of cappuccino, caramel, whipped Irish cream, light sugars and vanilla. The flavors are of strong roasted coffee, with caramel, dark chocolate, frappuccino, vanilla, whipped cream, almost milk chocolate shake like, some bitter earthy hops, and cinnamon. This beer is similar to a milk stout but more bitter, especially in the after taste. Although it doesn’t feel like some of the other full bodied stouts. As far as coffee goes, this has it down pretty solid. Like drinking coffee with very little sugar. Very good and definitely a recommended beer to try 🙂

Ranger IPA by New Belgium

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268023_10100964262157870_1834729844_nRating: 3.6/5

Ranger by New Belgium is a 6.5%ABV India Pale Ale

Label:
Are you a hopinista? Thank our Beer Rangers for inspiring (and begging for) this well-balanced Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook hopped IPA. 70 IBUs
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New Belgium makes some nice beers like their Fat Tire Ale. This is their IPA. I have tried many IPAs so I will try to find what is good about this one. The aromas of the Ranger IPA start off with alittle bit of citrus, grassy pine, grapefruit and minor honey biscuit.The flavors are as many IPAs go. Grassy, Pine, Grapefruit, citrus, subtle caramel, biscuit, some herbs and spices, minor notes of peach or a mango but not too fruity. It has a nice hoppy, grassy and bitter aftertaste. While it is quite balanced with flavors, it has nothing new that blows me away. Yet, this is still a good IPA to have. I have tried other bad ones, but this one won’t let you down. Especially if your into IPAs for the hops mainly.