New Belgium Lips of Faith Tart Lychee
It’s been a good while now since New Belgium Brewing arrived in the fine state of Virginia, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting to see a new bottle from the brewery’s Lips of Faith series on the shelf. After sampling a few from this particular line, it’s pretty much become a no-brainer for me to grab a bottle of any recent release in the line of beers.
Tart Lychee is a combination of a barrel-aged sour ale, lychee fruit (which I have never tasted let along heard of before) and cinnamon sticks. This 7.5% ABV brew turned out to be quite an interesting one as unfamiliar flavors washed over my palate with leaving behind a tongue grabbing sourness that I had hoped for when purchasing the brew. I’m still not 100% sold on the lychee flavor itself, but this was still an enjoyable drinking experience.
Appearance
A smallish white cap faded quickly over the hazy, apricot-colored beer.
Aroma
Fruit (I’m assuming that’s the lychee), spices, a slight tartness and subtle wood notes fill the nose with a welcoming aroma.
Taste
First and foremost, there’s a pretty solid bit of sour tartness driving this barrel-aged beer that lingers gently for a good long while. A light woody presence and the lychee fruit accompany the sour base. The fruit character isn’t overly juicy or too sweet, but instead adds a slight counter-balance to the sourness. It also leaves a lingering sweetness on the lips. I get some spices in the mix, but couldn’t really discern if it were cinnamon or not. There’s not a hint of the higher alcohol content to be found.
Overall
All in all, this was a solid offering from the brewery. It’s not my favorite in the series — that, I think, would be their sour brown La Folie. The lychee brings an interesting and unique flavor to the brew that isn’t overpowering or too dominant in any fashion, but temper the sourness a bit. While it was great to experience this beer, I don’t think I’ll be purchasing it again.
Rating: 3.75/5
