New Belgium Clutch

New Belgium Clutch
New Belgium Clutch

New Belgium has introduced several new beers to the Lips of Faith series.  One you may remember I mentioned tasting at the Iowa City Brewfest was a sour brown ale, Clutch.  I had the chance to try it in a more controlled environment over the weekend.

With the first taste, Clutch has a nice roasted chocolate and coffee flavor, and leaves a slightly sour, not over-the-top, taste in the back of your tongue.  The finish also has a slight coffee flavor.  I thought it was a great beer that’s very drinkable, and reminds me of New Belgium’s 1554 with slight sourness.

Have you tried Clutch?  What was your experience?

New Belgium La Folie

New Belgium La Folie
New Belgium La Folie

Another beer that is new to Iowa this year is New Belgium Brewing La Folie.  I had a chance to have some of this the other day.

All I can say is “Wow”.  It started off with an extreme sour punch, then the finish left a nice sweetness.  My recommendation is to make sure you have more than just one drink, and it definitely becomes less intense.  It is a great beer that is very complex.

Have you tried La Folie?  Can you put the complex taste into words?  Tell me what you think!

New Belgium Le Terroir

New Belgium Le Terroir
New Belgium Le Terroir

A few days ago I had the chance to sample one of the new sour beers from New Belgium, Le Terroir. It is a dry-hopped (with peach/mango flavored Amarillo hops) sour ale that changes from batch to batch (sounds like homebrewing).

The beer had a nice citrus aroma, similar to a grapefruit or a lime. The taste had a hint of sour on the front of the tongue that became more pronounced toward the back of the tongue. It left a nice refreshing finish with a bit of lingering sweetness. The beer reminded me of grapefruit juice, and I thought there was a nice amount of sourness without being too overwhelming. I enjoyed this beer very much.

Have you tried Le Terroir? What was your take?

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red
New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

If you remember from our trip to New Glarus Brewing Co., I had a pint of the Wisconsin Belgian Red, and was excited to take one of the bottles home to enjoy it later.  This beer has won several awards for New Glarus, including several Gold Medals at the Great American Beer Festival.

The other day, a couple friends and I cracked open the bottles of Wisconsin Belgian Red we had brought home.

First, the review: initially, it smells strongly like cherries.  The taste is a full cherry flavor. It continues with the cherry flavor.  It is a great beer, and, dare I say it, it almost was too intense. It left a great cherry flavor in my mouth.

Chocolate Cherry Layered Awesomeness
Chocolate Cherry Layered Awesomeness

After we enjoyed a bottle of the Wisconsin Belgian Red, we decided to try something new: a layered chocolate-cherry beer.  As you can see in the photo, we used my favorite beer, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (the can that has the Nitrogen releasing widget inside).  It was a hit!

The smooth chocolate flavor played very well with the strong cherry flavor, and the entire layered drink was great!  I had previously tried a different chocolate-cherry layered beer with Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat with the Double Chocolate Stout, but the use of the Belgian Red was a great choice.

Have you had the Wisconsin Belgian Red?  What was your take on this flavorful beer?

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

New Glarus Raspberry Tart
New Glarus Raspberry Tart

From our trip to New Glarus Brewing Co., I brought back a couple of the special beers, including the Raspberry Tart.  I had the Wisconsin Belgian Red at the brewery, and if this was anything like that, I would be in for a treat.

Initially, the raspberry smell is very intense.  With the first taste, it overwhelms you with raspberry flavor.  It tastes a bit sour then finishes with a strong, sweet raspberry flavor.  It was like a blend between a beer and raspberry wine.

It was a great beer!  If only they distributed around here…

Have you had the Raspberry Tart?  What was your experience?