Lips of Faith Biere de Mars
22 oz. bomber bottle
6.2 percent ABV
Sampled: March 11, 2010
It isn't quite the vernal equinox, but given Biere de Mars' parallel history to Biere de Garde and Saison, I feel fine calling this the first beer of spring.
The nose swiftly shifts from burnt orange to lemon and - hold on a second - behind the chamomile herbal bouquet lies the Mighty Brett to funk up everything. It's almost innocuous, but so troublesome a yeast cannot help but assert its presence.
Beneath the thinnest veneer of foam lies an immensely quenching ale, with the brett strain complementing the orange and other fruit flavors - there's definitely some pear and light red apple bubbling up. On the finish, the brett becomes more apparent, as Lips of Faith dries quickly on the palette without overdosing the tongue in bitterness or funk. The spices and the yeast seem to compete here, and ultimately, the bretts nudge ahead at the flag.
This beer share as much in common with Orval as it does with the great farmhouse Saisons. Wild streams of yeast might ramble around in those brews, but only in Orval does the brett seem so under control. If you've only experienced it with ales such as a funky, ultra-sour gueuze or an American approximation like Ommegang's Ommegeddon Funkhouse (which tastes like two beers in the same bottle), let New Belgium demonstrate the wild yeast in a new light.
It might rate a lot of these beers highly, but I don't get free samples (well, at home). Throw a few of these dark orange beauties into the closet for a few months to see where the brett travels. Or pour it now - either way, you won't get chapped with Lips of Faith.
Rating: 9/10
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