New Belgium Eric’s Ale
Though this ale only showed up on our local shelves recently it was apparently the third release of New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith Series. This ale was the handy work of it’s namesake Eric Salazar who decided to play with their Belgian Style Blond Ale; aging it in Oak, adding peach juice & Brettanomyces yeast to create a unique sour ale. I was happy to find this bottle at The Four Firkins but it should be pretty widely available right now. Pours a completely translucent light copper hue that borders on peach with three fingers of clean white head that settles within less than a minute. Small bubbles continuously trickle from the bottom of the glass popping on the surface. Clean assertive tartness followed by gentle peach esters, very light malts and just a touch of alcohol. Smooth but potent sour esters remind me of cranberry & tangerine tannins and contrast with sweet peach, gentle malt esters, light bitterness and very subtle alcohol. Bright sour notes are very enjoyable and play very well with the sweet peach and smooth mouthfeel created by the oak aging. The 7% ABV of this beer is occasionally noticed but overall an after thought in this delicious brew. Body is on the light side of medium making this complex brew go down very easily. If you enjoy clean, full flavored sour ales this one is definitely worth your time. Additionally if you are new to the style this one isn’t a bad stepping stone as the fruit characteristics and oak aging make this ale very palatable for a tart brew. I would happily drink many more bottles of this brew, and might just have to. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
May 12th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Eric’s Ale is actually brewed with peach FRUIT JUICE, not actual peaches. Too bad they use fruit juice, but I guess this is the only way to get peach aromas and flavors across.
May 12th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Indeed. I suppose I should have been more clear about that. I guess I was so excited to drink this brew I didn’t pay as much attention to what I was typing…particularly as it is clearly stated on the label 🙂 Being a New Belgium brew I have decent confidence that it is probably high quality peach juice which is key and is certainly reflected in the flavor. Working with whole fruits is amazingly expensive, but I agree, totally worth it. Cheers!
May 14th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Never had this bottled, but had it on tap at the Dundee Dell several times recently, and I love it. Which is amazing, considering I don’t like peaches. But I’ve become a fan of sours recently and that does it for me.
May 15th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
It is definitely on the more approachable side of sour beers and I find the play with the peach juice to be really quite fantastic. While it does taste of peach esters it isn’t like eating a peach, much more like enjoying a sweet and sour dish. Glad you enjoyed it, I’ll definitely be seeking out another bottle or 2. Cheers!
January 11th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
good stepping stone to La Folie!!
long live sours!
January 12th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
True that. Delicate & sweet, yet enjoyably tart. Great stuff, no doubt.