La Folie
Sampled on tap at Hopleaf in Chicago, served in a New Belgium snifter. It's dark in here and so it the beer. In the neon green of a dogfishhead sign the beer takes on an deep ruddy brown, like very dark apple cider. Aroma reminds me of Monk's Cafe. Sour cherry but a bit oakier with a far more powerful sour aroma. As the beer warms through the drinking session the woody aroma becomes more apparent and even begins to take on some sweeter notes like clove and even the slightest hint of bananna. Taste is characterized by in intense puckering sourness, vinous, vinegary and tart tart cherry, tiny pin pricks of carbonation keep this thing from dying on my tongue, thought this beer would have a bit more of a bite to it apart from the intense sourness. Again, as things warm (or as your tongue adapts to the beer) the tarter aspects begin to subside an become smoothed over, almost creamy. Demonstrates a decent complexity and would try again if I had the cance, but right now my stomach and tastebuds are not in agreement with the majority of the reveiws of this beer.