Vrienden

Okay, so I decided to give New Belgium's Lips of Faith series another shot to redeem itself after that bland Sahti I had (I've actually had a sour brown from them before to, and while delicious tasted like just about every other standard sour). This one is a collaboration though between the brewers at New Belgium, and the brewers from Allagash. Those who are not familiar with Allagash they make some extreme beers up in Maine. Those of you who are not familiar with Maine, it is what Conan O'Brian has stated as being, "The Deep South, of the Far North." Enough picking on Maine cause Allagash is actually an awesome brewery, and really I have nothing against Maine, I just thought that was an awesome quote. Even though I know some German I have no idea what the hell the word Vrienden means, sorry about that. What I can tell you is this ale was probably intended to be a sour based off of a belgian golden ale, or at least that is the flavor impression I am getting from this beer. For those who hate sours though don't fret, because it pretty much failed in that regard. However, it did make a wonderful ale all it's own. It is super tangy, and very light and drinkable. It has an herby sweetness to it that's really awesome, and not to be cliche but really uplifting in an ale. I've never had Hibiscus, or Endive in a beer for that matter, but the two seem to go well with this kind of ale. Even though the beer is a rather hefty 8.5% alcohol, it is still extremely drinkable. The light smooth beer, with a lot of herby tanginess is the best way to describe the taste and smell. If you get a good sniff of it though it is also rather yeasty, so I'm guessing if left be this one would bottle age for quite some time. Some people hate the taste/smell, but in this drink I think the yeastiness of the ale actually helps compliment that tangy sensation, while also letting the herbal flavors have their own distinct qualities in the ale. In any event I ended up really enjoying this ale. I'm not sure if those were the intended flavors, but even if it was a mistake, it was a wonderful one. I believe if this one had been really sour like alot of sour ales, it would have killed alot of the other great flavors to be had from the herbs, and the yeast intermingling. Although it took a collaboration with Allagash, I think New Belgium Lips of Faith finally inadvertantly stumbled upon a winner. They may want to keep that extreme brewery in Maine on speed dial for their next stab at a beer, because I think whatever it was done, a collaboration of minds most certainly helped with this entry.