New Belgium / Allagash Lips of Faith - Vrienden
Get a Belgian Brewmaster and a master of Belgian brewing together and theres sure to be spontaneous imagination that leads to micro-organisms mingling in fermentation. Allagash and New Belgium are pleased to offer you our collabeeration brewed with the slightly fruity hibiscus flower, the aromatic Brettanomyces, and the flavor-boosting Lactobacillus. We recommend pairing it with creamy, soft cheeses and charming Vrienden- that’s ‘friends’ in Flemish.
3.5
280 reviews
Fort Collins, United States
Community reviews
Pours reddish golden. Very subtle. Light brett. Medium dry. Slightly floral and fruity.
pours a cloudy dark orange with a thin off-white head that dissipates rapidly.
small is a touch of floral, malt, some citrus, and yeast in the back.
taste is a little sweet, spice, malt, and a few hops. ends a little oily and somewhat bitter, a growing sour aftertaste.
Pours amber clearer in color with a tan head. The aroma brings the hibiscus notes and endive in almost a fruity way. The flavor brings sweet floral hibiscus flavors really smooth, not overpowering but soft on the tongue. The body still has enough carbonation to give it some swirls for settling as well.
Bomber. Poured clear, medium golden with rising carbonation and a sticky off-white head. The aroma picked up sour oak, lemon zest, and floral notes with a deeper level of fruity, slightly funky Brett.. came across tart, engaging, and a little salty. The flavor opened sour with lemon and floral-infused vinegar and oak.. bready notes and the same Brett character as the nose behind.. dry tartness remained through the finish along with a lot of interesting floral character, fruits, and lactic sourness. Medium-bodied with just the right carbonation on the palate.. dry, tart, and a bit funky with a lot of things going on, but they worked quite well together.
A hazed golden ale with a thin off white head. In aroma, a superb ground cherry with light lactic points, Brett, a bit of gueuze character. In mouth, a smooth sweet sourish malt with cherry notes, caramel, smooth and delicious. Bottle at Mondial 2012, June 9 2012.
mondial 2012, mtl - notes. hazy medium dark golden with a very nice off-white head, good retention. light tart, citrus, flowery, bretts, spices, fruitiness, warming alcohol, never boozy. good balance between light sourness and ,sweetness, nicely supported by herbal-citrusy hops - short but present grassy-citrusy finish. lively to average crbonation, light to medium body. nice!
Great head with slightly hazy amber. Not super sour, but tartness is bright and refreshing. Nice beer.
On draught at Pack’s Tavern in Asheville, it pours an amber tea hue into the glass, with a light cap that leaves light lacing. The nose is of sour green apples. Flavors are subdued, with a wheat dominance integrated with sweet ripe red and sour green apples. The mouthfeel is a bit seltzery, with so much active carbonation on the palate. The Belgian yeasts counteract the Flemish sours, taming what is potentially a (true) ’wild’ sour. Interesting twist of styles, this is a nice intro to the sour ale, and is definitely appreciated for the rating.
Seems like this is a good intro to sour beers. A good solid tart/sourness, but it’s still mild enough to not be off putting to a newbie. There is a distinct sweetness that balanced the sourness. Some nice floral notes from the hibiscus. The finish is light and a tad dry. Overall refreshing, and quite nice.
Une dégustation au Mondial. Une belle petite robe bien dorée et sa mousse plutôt légère. Des arômes de blé suri et de sueur d’athlète bien posés sur de petites fleurs aux contours fruités. Un goût bien modéré avec de douces aspirations parfumées par les brettanomyces et les lactobacilles. L’hibiscus est peut-être représenté par ces saveurs légèrement acidulées : des framboises aigrelettes? En bouche, le liquide présente un corps plutôt porté vers la minceur avec un apport convenable des bulles. La finale est une douce attaque parfumée qui assèche mon palais. Une bière bien plaisante qui possède un haut degré de buvabilité.
Style et résumé: Sour ale américaine aromatisé aux fleurs d’hibiscus.
Comment: Dégustation au Mondial.
Description: Bière orangée trouble avec une mousse beige. Le nez est léger avec de belles notes de sueurs, de ferme, de vieux fromage. Les fleurs d’hibiscus me sont apparues discrètes à mes yeux ou mon nez. En bouche la bière est mince et légère. Il y a des notes légères de brett. Le tout est agréable, légère, mais tout de même efficace.
Note: 7/10
My Bottom Line :
Soft fruity tartness and wheat merge in a slick mouthfeel, building an interestingly refreshing brew.
Further Personal Perceptions :
-A veil of foam covers the cloudy blond.
-Fruitiness and floral character are not overdone; they’re well balanced with the brett and lacto.
-Although all flavors are harmonious, I didn’t quite understand where this brew was supposed to take me.
-This is an interesting introduction to wild and tart brews.
Bottle.
Bottle at mondial. Hazy gold pour with white head. Aroma is slightly bretty, quite flowery, hibiscus is perceptible, smells almost like strawberries/rapsberries. Taste is light sourness, a bit of oak, butter, more lactic tasting than smelling, berries again. Palate is a little flat, not all that dry either but still satisfying. Pretty decent.
Bottle at mondial. Hazy auburn. Small cap. Herbal aroma, leafy, astringent, woody, but a little muddled. Lively carbonation, but soft. The flavors are much better. Sweet orchard fruit malt character. Very drinkable, and is bot overly herbal in the flavors. Almost like a beer that uses herbs instead of hops. It works, and has a playful rustic feel. Off dry. Pleasant.
Wow, fab beer! Served it a bit cold, straight out of the fridge. Poured with voluminous, foamy, billowy, frothy, thick, cream, with a bare tinge of pink colored head that settles after a bit and a little lace. Color is a clear honey amber with loads and loads of tiny bubble trails. Aroma is yeast, brett, malt, hint florall, bit fruity (can’t remember the last time I ate endive, much less smelled it; so no idea if it’s here). Flavor is a light blend of nose qualities, plus slight tartness from brett and carbonic tang, balanced by the hibiscus, malt (as I recall, endive was bitter) and there is also a coming and going metallic at the end. Body is excellent, soft yet sharp, mouth filling and yet light; perfect carbonation. Finish is like flavor, on the long side, a trifle boozy, and very drinkable. Masterful work.
Poured a deep copper, with a huge off-white head. Smell is very floral and herbal, and I am definitely picking up the hibiscus. Also in the aroma is brett funk and some lemon peel. Taste is medicinal/herbal, with touches of lemon, funk, and a lightly tart finish. Mouthfeel is creamy and the carbonation is very lively. Complex beer and pretty tasty. I have had this beer many times at the brewery but never got around to rating it, I am glad I stumbled upon this bottle in Fort Collins. If you can find it, it is definitely worth a try.
22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden orange color with a foamy 2 finger off white head with decent retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Slight spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of tart cherry, lemon, grass, apple, grape, banana, pepper, coriander, floral, clove, earth, light funk, biscuit, and yeast spices. Some nice aromas with good strength and complexity. Taste of pepper, apple, lemon, grape, floral, coriander, light cherry, biscuit, light funk, earth, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of grape, apple, lemon, pepper, coriander, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Flavors taste a touch stale; but there is some nice balance and complexity. Pretty minimal amount of tartness in the taste surprisingly. Fairly dry on the finish. Medium bodied with high carbonation; and a slightly slick mouthfeel with a lot of prickly carbonation. Quite smooth to drink but is still a sipper. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed at all. Overall this is a pretty good Belgian style ale. Not nearly as sour as I was hoping; but there is some nice complexity and flavor balance. Enjoyable.
On tap at Meridian Pint during the Allagash and New Belgium event.
Wow, what a HUGE difference!
New Belgium version is a clear pale orange color with a thin white head, a collar throughout, and a bit of lacing.
The nose is really, really tame compare to the Allagash tasting. There is a bit of bread and really not much else. Flavor is bready with just a mild touch of earthiness in the background. Really bland. Body is light with a touch of malt sweetness. Really? Not good at all. For shame.
A - Pours a cloudy amber-orange with a finger of frothy white head atop. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lace.
S - Aroma is a mix of peach, yeast, funk, some floral elements, and some sweet bready malts.
T - Starts off with some building funkiness with some sweet light fruits and some floral flavors. Through the middle some sourness comes through with a bit of acidity and some yeast and farmhouse flavors. The finish is a mix of sourness, floral flavor, light fruit, and a bit of funk.
M - Medium bodied with heavy carbonation. Feels smooth with sour, tart, and dry finish.
D - Very drinkable. The fruit flavors are nice and the sour levels are at a nice level. Good balance overall with the hibiscus adding a nice element to the beer.
Bottle. Clear golden orange with a fizzy white head. Caramel, fruit, and hibiscus aroma. Bright creamy palate. Tastes of pear and lemon with earthy caramel notes and a fruity hibiscus finish.
Bomber shared by Dallas, thanks man. Pours a clear orange color with a medium white head. A sweet funky and fruity nose, some Brett for sure. The flavor is very smooth and herbal, more Brett than sour Lacto, grains, very smooth.
22oz bottle shared by Dallas
Appearance: Hazy golden with a medium sized white head and some lacing
Aroma: Slightly tart cherries, grapes
Taste: Tart cherries, grapes and citrus
Nice
22 ounce bottle. A beautiful orange color. The aroma is loaded with apple, pear, lemon, and hay. The flavor follows suit, it is fruity, slight tea character. A nice beer.
sweet and sharp belgian yeastyness. herbal and slightly medicinal. flavor is somewhat tart. light bodied with a somewhat flat finish. not much hibiscus or yeast funk but there’s definitely something interesting in there.
FoBAB 11’ Not as tart or sour as I expected, which was good for me. Nothing really special to me here, kind of run of the mill (considering the other beers available) but worth trying in a setting with less options.
Tap. Amber pour. Aroma of sour grapes. Taste is like a slightly sour brown ale. A little reminiscent of Frambozen.
This is a 1 year old bottle stored at cellar temp. Poured from a bottle into a CBS snifter.
A. Pours a light apple color with a heavy foam and lots of active carbonation
S. Smells of sweet fruit, bready yeast and sour finish.
T. Tastes of sour fruit, sweet bread, figs and a slightly bitter finish.
M. Medium body with very heavy carbonation, slight tingle with a slightly dry finish.
O. A good beer, light feeling sour, a tiny bit bitter and a little bit tart. Nothing over the top in either direction. Another year of aging may have made this beer very good. But I feel like the carbonation was much more than needed to make it good. Still, worth a try.
Pours hazy yellow with medium white head. Aroma is citrus and acidic. Taste is a sweet fruits followed by citrus. Sour taste not overwhelming. Palate is dry. Quite good for those who are not sour fans.
light malty and soured aroma,yellow,hazy, white foam, light sweetness, lightly sour, medium body, oily feel, soft carbonation, light soft sour finish.
Nice sour, but not perfect. Has an off-white head, medium duration. Hazy. Aroma is yeasty, fresh acidic. Flavor is starting moderate sweet, light acid and finish moderate bitter. Dry, creamy texture. Light astringent.