Beer Review: New Belgium La Folie Sour Brown

I'm a fan of sour beers. I find them to be exceptionally easy to drink; they settle my stomach and leave me feeling relaxed and very comfortable. That stated, I had some La Folie at Lucky Baldwin's last night, and I was extremely impressed. The flavor evolves from a pungent sweet-sour cherry, and then mellows on the palate to form a creamy, rich, nutty aftertaste that lingers deliciously. I think this beer is probably the best offering that I have sampled from New Belgium -- even better than their excellent 1554. Find it on tap at Lucky Baldwin's in Old Town Pasadena!

Beer Weekend: Koningshoeven Quadrupel

Since my last entry was about beer, I figured I'd contribute another article about... beer :)

My sweetheart and I will occasionally visit Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena; I was first introduced to Belgian-style ale by my friend "Yozhik" at this location. As such, the pub has a warm place in my heart, despite the fact that the woman's bathroom is apparently not terribly hygienic.

I try to visit Lucky Baldwin's to experience new Lambic ales, as they have a remarkable selection that they keep on tap. I ordered several beers for my friends to enjoy, and was dismayed to find out that Lucky Baldwin's was out of several of our old favorites (Sarah enjoyes Wittekerke Rosé on tap), and was out of Koningshoeven Quadrupel (I have never sampled a quadruple-fermented Belgian-style before). Side note: Wittekerke Rosé, out of the bottle or can, is HORRIBLE. When we tried it on tap at Lucky's, it was GREAT (albeit sweet, like Lindemann's). When we bought it at Beverages and More, it was ATROCIOUS, and tasted horribly artificial.

Fortunately, I learned that a certain 7-Eleven at 52nd street and Figueroa in Highland Park stocks a peculiarly large selection of Belgian ales (supposedly, the owner of the store loves Belgian). I lived in Highland Park for about a year, and had always passed this store by due to its apparent rough character. How sad that I didn't know what was hiding in the back, near the beer cooler! After church, Sarah and I came by for a visit. And there it was: Koningshoeven Quadrupel, next to an Alaskan Brewing Co. smoked porter that was not available at Lucky's. I bought both.

Koningshoeven Quadrupel is wonderful. The taste is definitely complex, with an immediately raisiny flavor. Next, a sweet alcohol, and finally, a subtle and complicated malt of rum or cherry. This is followed by a subtle old-cellar aftertaste that I enjoy immensely. The flavor is distinctive and strong enough to remind me of good double-fermented beers that I have had in the past, but with subtle spices and the "old basement" flavor. I find that the beer is on the sweet side, however.

Highly recommended.

Highly recommended: Brother David’s Double

One of the perks of living in San Rafael is that this small town has a disproportionate amount of wealth. As a result, I get to peruse "specialty" items in the local liquor market. The best I have found so far: Brother David’s Double Abbey-style ale, produced by Anderson Valley Brewing Company.

I submitted the following comment on their website:

Absolutely delicious. After trying the excellent Triple, I found your Double to be simply amazing: a delicious beer that has a sweet, complicated flavor and wonderful aroma. The muted hoppiness of this this beer compliments the hint of spice. The Double easily surpasses a certain well-known beer by Gulden as my favorite Belgian-style ale.

At over $6.00 per bottle, this isn't something that you should purchase if you are an undertaster. The flavor is fantastic. Highly recommended.

This comment posted after drinking 1 pt 6 fl oz of 9% abv liquid happy. :-)