Love (Oscar - Oude)
New Belgium Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As another reviewer noted, the keg I drank from was labaled Love Oscar. As I understand, this is basically 1554, soured and rested in oak foeders, different years of which are blended to create La Folie. I prefer the latter beer, but this one isn't shabby at all -- it just makes you appreciate the benefit/artistry of blending. Anyway, this pours a nice ruddy brown, surprising emergence of foam that sticks to the glass a bit as you go. Nose is sour, not especially vinegary, maybe a touch of balsamic, some dark fruits -- cherries, berries, I dunno -- not particularly musty. It's nice, if sort of straight ahead. Palate is pretty similar, a bit of stickiness to it all, light malt base peeking through, pleasingly tart, though again a little one-note, some light tannic woodiness slipping in as well. Good stuff that, again, really makes me appreciate NB's sour program and, in particular, the job they do with blends, a la La Folie and Le Terroir.

 

 

Draft from b:30.... Clear walnut brown .. nice enough head... Acetic notes and dark fruit are immediately identifiable as NB sours and the closest relatives of La Folie... As it stands, this is a great sour, but there are plenty of other brews out there that have much more compexities.... this is a one or two trick pony.

On tap at the Falling Rock, not sure what stage this was at or what foeder, simply labeled Love Oscar. Dark brown, actually looks like 1554. Aroma is mildly sour, enticing. Flavor was tasty, not mouth puckering but still tart, my friend said raspberries. I got a bit of maltiness from it and it looked more oud bruin than flanders red. Not as good as La Folie but a tasty beer and nice to get to try it.

Deconstructed from the sour components that have been well celebrated in New Belgium's sour program, they now allow us to back away from the sum and take a sneak peak at the parts.

Love Oskar (foeder #26) pours a voluptuous rusty reddish brown with a deep haze. The creamy lather that builds above provides an aromatic pillow to evoke mouth-watering and jaw-locking reactions. Crabapple and sour cherry frame the nose while the initial taste is toasty, caramelized, fruity, nutty and with a density that's almost chocolaty.

But the ale simply blossoms across the middle palate- as its steely caramel sweetness slowly fades, the fruits emerge with a strong vinous edge. Red wine and sour cherry lead the flavors but not without heavy influence from dried lime, lemon and orange peel, sour green apple, plum, blackberry and red currant. Its spicy balance is of fresh-cracked peppercorn, cinnamon and woodsy oak tannin. While its trending flavors are fruity-sour, the rich malty backbone keeps the acidity anchored and well supported.

Finishing toasty, dry and acutely acidic, the ale's medium body remains creamy and of robust merlot. Its acetic sourness provides a crisp, clean and refreshing texture even while the wafts of weathered wood, saddle leather, damp burlap and cork all play a deeply earthen tone in the retro-olfactory senses.

Pours dark brown red with a white quickly dissapating head. Smell of sour cherry, vanilla, cinnamon, sweet malt and citrus. Taste is lemony citrus with a slight malty backend. Bit of acidity. Has a slightly crisp very sour full mouth feel with a moderate to full body.