New Belgium Lips of Faith Le Terroir 2014
Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery made a large splash onto the Alberta beer scene in early 2014 by releasing their range of flagships beers. Most well known for the Amber Ale Fat Tire, New Belgium has also earned a solid reputation in the craft community by making unique and risky beers like Le Terroir; a Dry Hopped Sour Ale with a booming 7.5% ABV. Sour Ales were originally brewed in Belgium but have recently experienced a renaissance in North America with many brewers creating the style for the thirsty masses. Le Terroir is one of the beers in New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series that are generally more unique and beer geek oriented.
Le Terroir pours a brigth golden brown with a thin effervescent white head. The head dies down instantly leaving no lacing on the glass. The aroma has definite sour and acetic notes with a refreshing fruitiness and minor hop and resin aromas. The middle has a sweet and toasty caramel malt with a funky earthen flavor that accompanies light citrus and tropical fruits. The finish has a moderate and tangy sourness and a pervasive funky flavor. In the finish and aftertaste survives the hops with a nice astringency and pine resin notes that although unusual for the style seem to work in this case. Le Terroir has a medium to full body and a lingering aftertaste of light bitterness sour notes. Overall, a very solid brew with a unique profile and a refreshingly balance flavour.
Grade: 92/100 Price: $17.79 CAD
During my weekly stop at one of my favorite craft beer stores in Calgary last week, the owner who knows my love of interesting brews offered up a sample of a Berliner Weisse. The Berliner Weisse brewed by Montreal’s Dieu du Ciel! With raspberries is my first chance to try tgis rare style. The Berliner Weisse is a style of beer originating from you guessed it Berlin where it is the local specialty. Brewed with wheat malt and often fruit Berliner weisse have a moderate sourness akin to lambic beers from Belgium.
The Alberta BeerSmith 