Two New Great Beers from New Belgium:
Part of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series, Le Terroir get its name from the French word for terrain. A dry-hopped sour ale, the nose is fruity with a distinct aroma of woody, funky beer. It’s bitter without being too overpowering, tart, juicy, dry, and downright sour. It’s made with Target hops and dry-hopped with Amarillo and a little Citra in stainless tanks in a wood cellar. It pours a pretty, reddish-gold with a nice foamy head and a little lacing. It’s a classy, tasty brew for those who love their sour ales and those who are just getting acquainted.
Hop the Pond is billed as a “trip around the world in 80 IBUs,” which is a tagline as cute as the hop-bunny-sailor that serves at the beer’s mascot. New Belgium brewers employed Admiral hops from England, Galaxy hops from Australia, and Citra hops from the states to make this hop-heavy double IPA. With a decidedly barnyard nose and initial flavor, Hop the Pond’s scent is also a heady mix of pine, black currant, and garlic. There’s also an herbal note and, at the end, a slight caramel scent. It pours a pretty golden brown with a nice, thick white head and is bitter and full-bodied. You won’t be complaining that there’s no flavor to this brew.
This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2014.
