New Belgium Biere de Mar Ale Brewed with Spices, Lips of Faith series, …pretty sure I've had something of this name before, many years ago, in a bumpy 12 ounce bottle, without Lips of Faith anywhere on it. I am not looking at that old one, instead going for a fresh taste.
Hazy and orange, slim, lace-leaving head. Purty.
Aroma: spice aplenty. coriander, pepper, perhaps, …other than that, I'm not sure. Plus a side of citrus-y hops.
Taste: Smooth stuff, full of fruity/bready malt, spritzes of spice. Bright flashes of orange and lemon round the edges, with incessant barrages of spice and Belgian yeast. Yum. Ends easy, yet flavorful.
(Guess what? I did have it before, almost 9 years ago, and here are those notes from May 2003: Hazy, bright orange color, as in a ripe apricot. Head is initially thick, fluffy, pure white. Aroma is fresh and fruity, citrus large and in charge. Soon, a supreme hoppiness sets in and makes itself quite welcome in the nose and on the palate.
Thrilling and tasty bitterness on the mouth, with a deliciously citric (orange, mostly) finish. Very yeasty, and quite well-balanced. Body is medium, hops are out front, but the brew is altoghether a rounded one. This is a very special ale, and when all the parts come together, I'm left wondering...am I drinking some kind of liquefied orange bread?
Quite a nice accomplishment from a brewery of well-deserved fame. Both jeffboo and marc77 provided me with samples, and I thank them in stereo!)
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