Black Folie
New Belgium Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
New Belgium Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Braggot
ABV:
8%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.18 | pDev: 14.11%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
20
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 10, 2014
Added:
Mar 04, 2009
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 2 by hiphopj5 from Colorado

Jun 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by drummermattie02 from Texas

May 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by afsdan from Colorado

Apr 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by kscaldef from Oregon

Mar 10, 2014
Photo of KickInTheChalice
Reviewed by KickInTheChalice from Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
From notes. Thanks to Baron for sharing this small, green handbottle. Poured into a snifter.

Black Folie has a reddish brown color with a quick flourish of a tan head that quickly vanishes to a few stray bubbles. It is slightly transparent.

The nose is pretty much dead on from what I expect from La Folie. A strong, sharp, lingering lemon sourness, some darker malts, tart cherry, vanilla, and oak. The raspberry mead does not come through at all, even with a few whiffs trying to find something in the aroma.

The flavor finds a very nice balance between the two very different bases. The flavor starts with a raspberry honey sweetness, and the mellow nature is reaffirmed by the light carbonation, sweet flavor, and smooth body. Some lemon sourness and additional berry fruit flavors come through, with a bit of oak drying out the end a bit. The finish is tart, a little bit puckering, and smooth. I am left feeling that the sweet and tart notes balance each other out nicely.

Since it is made with a blend of mead a beer (and came from a hand bottle), the carbonation is almost nonexistent. This allows for a smooth transition of flavors, but it kind of numbs the taste overall, taking away some of the sharpness that a nicely carbonated beer provides. Still, this was an enjoyable blend that I would drink again.
Jun 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by savagepm from Pennsylvania

Jun 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by largadeer from California

May 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jan 11, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by CheapBeerBuzz from California

Dec 23, 2012
Photo of BucketBoy
Reviewed by BucketBoy from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
What a tasty beer! Courtesy of forgetfu - thanks, Bill!

L - Clear walnut with ruby hues, quick dissipating sparkly head. Sits in the glass like honeyed water, beguiling and inviting.

S - Sweet clover honey, crushed green apple and green apple skins, raspberry, touch of oak as it fades.

T - Light strawberry balsamic with a nice lacticness, fragrant clover honey, clean water, effervescence of light oak. Just piquantly sour, so soft quite delightful really.

M - Soft, really smooth and delicate, just right for the mead qualities to come through, just assertive enough for the sour. Smooth, could be either a bit more aggressive here or more carbonated for a higher velvety feel, but that's splitting hairs. Closer to 4.25 really.

O - What a surprise, I actually hadn't heard of this but damn tasy, uber-drinkable and just so nice.
Mar 17, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by jophish17 from Georgia

Mar 03, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by MiguelMandingo from Texas

Feb 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by WillyMac from South Carolina

Nov 21, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by kkrez from Colorado

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of chugalug06
Reviewed by chugalug06 from Colorado

4.89/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I mixed this myself... I've been in love with Black Folie for sometime and FINALLY called Redstone Meadery about this brew. They explained the best mix was 52/48 La Folie with Black Raspberry Nectar. Also, they exclaimed it will almost certainly never be bottled.... :(

A - Very little tan head, but builds well, just doesn't hold well. Brew is very clear Amber color with brown and orange hues. Great color. Brew sticks to the side of the glass well, just not well enough to leave lacing. Nice legs.

S - Great sour scent with many peach and lemon tones. Mild oak and great vanilla and raspberry smell. One of the best scented brews i've had in a while.

T - WOW. The La Folie sourness is almost distinct, but still remains with subtle sourness. Very berry and Honey, with a kick of apple, peach, and citrus. AMAZING TASTE.

M - Wet and delicious. Great carbonation too. Great mouthfeel. Very slight biterness, but not over bearing at all.

O - If you're at a brewfest with Black Folie it should be considered a MUST try. My blend was very delicious, but the actual "Real" blend was ever better.
May 14, 2011
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Falling Rock in Denver, served in a wine glass.

A - Dark reddish-brown color with a small beige head and good lacing.

S - Berries and honey. Both sweetness and tartness are evident.

T - Mostly sweet, but with a little wild tartness, with raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, black cherry, honey, and sweet malt.

M - Medium body with somewhat prickly carbonation and a smooth palate.

D - Pretty high.
Oct 02, 2009
Photo of Floydster
Reviewed by Floydster from California

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
250 ml serving in a Chimay goblet at the Pizza Port Belgian Beer Party on 3/29/09, reviewed from notes on my cell phone

A-Medium brown color with some dark red tint, small 1/4 inch fizzy off white head that did not last long, no lacing either
S-Cherries, blackberries, raspberries, sour green apples, sweetness, tarty scents, oak, and lots of honey
T-Starts off slightly sour with a fair amount of raspberries, cherries in the middle along with sweet malts, finish is quite dry but has some lingering sweetness to balance things out, mildly tart in the aftertaste too, pick up a lot of lactose and oak later, nice mix of sour and sweet
M-Dry, sweet, sour, and fruity mouthfeel, medium bodied, moderate level of carbonation, taste lingers a long time
D-Could drink a few glasses of this stuff, well hidden alcohol, not overly filling, just very dry and sweet from time to time

This was by far my favorite beer on the festival list, the mead worked really well with the great beer La Folie, hope to have this again in a few weeks when I am visiting Colorado, recommended
Apr 02, 2009
Photo of HopHead84
Reviewed by HopHead84 from California

4.42/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I had two very generous pours of this at the Pizza Port 2009 Belgian Beer Fest.

Poured into my Chimay glass. Black Folie is dark amber with a small white head that dissipates quickly.

The aroma is of black raspberries that are tart and slightly sweet. The nose isn't at all sour, but merely tart. The mead imparts a nice sugary sweetness to the beer, and combined with the cherry aroma of La Folie I couldn't get enough of. The aroma smells more like mead than beer. A black raspberry cherry sweet tart comes to mind. The flavor, like the aroma, is sweet and tart. Sweet mead, honey, tart cherries and black raspberries with a sweet and sugary finish.

Black Folie is medium bodied with a low level of carbonation and a dry mouthfeel. It's a bit more like mead than it is like beer. I went back for more of this at the end of the night and was sad that it was all gone. This is the second time I've had a beer blended with mead (Veritas 002), and this is the second time I've been very pleased with the results.
Mar 31, 2009
Photo of seaoflament
Reviewed by seaoflament from California

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I had this beer at the Pizza Port Belgian Beer Party on March 28th.

Poured a reddish brown color with hardly any bubbles.

Acetic with tart cherries and cherry syrup in the back, brown sugar coated apples, and powdery sweetness.

Sweet and sour combination of cherries upfront, blackberries, and then a completely dry finish with a powdered candy feel. More apples and grape flavors. A little too much mead as it warms up, softer tartness, the dryness subdues a bit but it's still very dry. Medium-low carbonation but with such an intense dryness that even no carbonation would work.

A little too dry to drink too much of this.
Mar 30, 2009
Photo of rye726
Reviewed by rye726 from Colorado

4.62/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
48/52 blend of Redstone Black Raspberry Mead and New Belgium La Folie. Pours a purplish color with a thin head. The nose has tart fruits, oak, subtle funk and honey. More tart berries in the taste along with earthy oak and sweet honey. A crisp body with a nice dry finish. A great creation indeed.
Mar 04, 2009
Black Folie from New Belgium Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 20 ratings