La Folle Furieuz
Brasserie De Sutter

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Pours a relatively clear medium golden honey in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass, moderate amounts of fine pale particulates in suspension, and moderate medium golden yellow + burnt orange + orange + copper colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall foamy beige head that slowly reduces to a large patch of thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Slightly heavier than moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of toasted + pale + caramel + bready malts with moderate to strong amount of light fruit (apple + apricot) yeasty and candi sugar sweetness. Moderate aromas of spicy Belgian yeast with some banana esters. Hints of earthy + spicy hops.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of toasted + pale + caramel + bready malts with moderate to strong amount of light fruit (apple + apricot) yeasty and candi sugar sweetness. That is followed by moderate flavors of spicy Belgian yeast with some banana esters. Finally there are hints of earthy + spicy hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away leaving the spicy Belgian yeast + light fruit sweetness lingering.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Thick, almost chewy

O: Drinks pretty easily considering the strength and the alcohol is pretty well hidden with a thick almost chewy mouthfeel. Enjoyable Belgian yeast presence.

Part of a 10 pack 16.9oz cans Costco $29.99
17 months before best by month
Amber color
Smell of apricots, honey
Medium-heavy mouthfeel
Medium-low carbonation once the foam settles
Taste of honey, malts, hides the alcohol well
Overall a well made beer.

 

I don't know what the differences are between a Belgian Tripel and a French Triple Pale Ale. I'm familiar with the Belgian, and this beer seems to hit all the same notes. I love Belgian styles, and this beer does not disappoint.

Appearance: Light amber. Initially I thought that it was sparkling clear, but it does have some phenolic haze. The head went down after a few minutes, but there was still some nice lacing.

Aroma: Big blast of malt, honey, something fruity, and something spicy. Very inviting.

Taste: Certainly not as sweet as I was expecting from the aroma. This is a drier triple. There's the usual caramel, stone fruit and spice and maybe a little orange.

Mouth feel is medium, not heavy, and everything seems nicely balanced. At no time did I feel like I was drinking a 9% ABV beer. They hide the alcohol very well.

I'd love to have some more of this beer. This was from the European Beer Collection box from Costco. It's not available anywhere else. This was the best beer in the box!

Brasserie De Sutter "La Folle Furieuz"
500 ml can "BEST ENJOYED BEFORE: LOT:308 08/2025". Sampled on 27 February 2024.
$29.99/12-pk European Beer Collection @ Costco, Christiana, DE

Notes via stream of consciousness: This appears to be a Belgian-style tripel which is great because I really enjoyed their Belgian-style blond. What's the strength on this? Ahh, it's a generous 9%; that's at the upper end of the style. The body is hazy and orange in color beneath a creamy head of white froth. That's not exactly what I was expecting, so perhaps it's not a tripel at all. The aroma is spicy, grainy and lightly bready (it's brewed with wheat which is somewhat unusual for the style), and softly fruity with apple and orange. I even get a little woodiness to it. On to the taste, it follows with even more maltiness, more orange, candy sugar, and a hint of clove. The spiciness from the yeast has an edge of black pepper to it, and the alcohol is present but mostly hiding within the malt. It comes out in the finish though, drying it along with a median bitterness and lingering spiciness. It's fuller in the mouth than I'd expect, being medium-full in body. This isn't labeled as a Belgian-style Tripel, but rather a "FRENCH TRIPLE PALE ALE", and although there are some similarities I'll now say that it's not. I love the maltiness, and the sweet and then dry balance but it can seems a little flabby at times. On the other hand, maybe I'm just thinking that because I was expecting a tripel. My bad, but oh, I didn't notice this before, there's a lot of particulate in suspension. It seems to be settling towards the bottom of the glass. The carbonation seems completely natural with soft, fine bubbles that are delicately zesty but then velvety so I'm completely OK with it if some particulate and haze is the trade-off. I love this beer but I'm not sure that it's better than their blond as it could use a little bit of refinement. On the other hand, it is called "the mad fury" which fits, and I like what they've done with it.
Review #8,932

 

 

From the nicely labeled can, it pours a hazy amber color with a nice off-white head that slowly reduces and leaves lacing. The nose mostly gets a bit of malt, with some fruit (a friend said "bad fruit" but not unpleasant). The taste follows with a strong, sweetish flavor that is entirely easy to drink.

 

 

 

 

 

I bought this sampler at Costco (who encourages crafting more than any "Big Box" I know). I was thrilled. Three brews from this French micro in the heart of wine country. Two hundred miles from Walloon Belgium, how would Sutter interpret the rich yeast and the pepper in this "triple pale'? While my imagination and reality are not in-sync (as often is the case), I nonetheless was in for a treat and I hope you are too.

Furieuz is a stong pale brewed well, but without the BPSA traditional yeast. And that does not disqualify it; not in my book. Sutter is in the region surrounding Paris. That culture and province focus on yeast as an ingredient that is key to baking, but not brewing. So, they are not going to know what the Belgians know. More specific... Furieuz Looks invitingly great, a full active foam. (I also give points for the can's Looks, good fun.) Smells are mostly malt, telling me this could improve my mediocre meal of roasted potatoes and a medley of mustard and BBQ sauces. No sophisticated surprises, Tastes are consistent throughout; also helping to make it a good table ale. (Not many tripels fill that bill.) Sufficient bubbles to cleanse my palate for another gulp and bite. I wish the box had two copies.

As for my micro-review of Sutter... I could not get the English button on their website to work. Since this always makes me mad when Bavarian brewers do this, I will try to keep calm and consistent. But the Costco box also has two others from Sutter, so they have time to fix the button. A Sante'!