Faro

Funny, I saw your post on that thread and thought, hm, maybe there's a faro appreciation thread going on right now. Only one I've tried is the the Lindemans Faro Lambic, which I remember being underwhelming. Makes me wish I was taking notes back then! Sounds like a definite candidate for further investigation. Good story too.

 

Is faro even "faro" when bottled? The Lindemans version is the only readily available one I know of in the states. There is also only 15 entries under the style on BA

Maybe the Drie Fonteinen Straffe Winter was accessible to some a while back?

 

Sadly, it is one of the styles I haven't yet got the chance to try.

 

I've only tried the Lindeman's, and I really didn't like it. I'd be open to trying more though.

 

From everything I've been told, the only way to drink Faro is on draft. They add candi sugar to a barrel of lambic, and you have to drink it quickly, too, before the sugars begin to ferment out. Anything in a bottle that says "Faro" is not the real thing, and if the style were to be judged by these versions then no wonder it's not getting any respect here.

Edit: Why can't beer bars here make their own Faro by getting a barrel of Lambic and mixing in the candi sugar themselves? Maybe we're just not culturally ready for it.

 

One of the few styles I just can't get into.

 

Time to revive this thread. Not knowing what the heckarooney it was ( this is how i roll, im a self designated beer adventurer!) i bought a bottle of this stuff right before Christmas. So let's discuss this. According to the book I'm reading Faro is actually the second runnings of the fermentation much like an italian Valpolicella Ripasso. It is indeed typically served with a side of candy sugar to prevent further fermentation. So who here has tried this elusive beverage, any pairing suggestions?

 

I have had Girardin Faro and de Cam faro. The Girardin was delicious and seemed as though it was spiced!
The de Cam faro wasn't really sweetened, so it seemed like a standard lambic, only much darker

 

I had it at Morte Subite on tap in Brussels. It was quite refreshing actually. It was definitely sweeter than standard lambic, but not overwhelmingly so.

Actually, I think it's probably similar in sweetness to Cascade's Honey Ginger Lime. That one is sweetened with honey (duh) instead of sugar, but similar to Faro you can only get it on tap since the yeast would eat the sugars and create bottle bombs.

Anyway, I definitely wouldn't compare bottled "Faro" to the real thing on tap. I'm not sure what they sweeten the bottles with but it's definitely doesn't taste the same. The real deal is quite good though. Good thing I live close to Cascade

 

I know where i am going when i come to Portland.

 

Only ever had the Lindemans version but damn tasty stuff. I grow more and more tired of a lot members supposed "beer advocacy" it seems as though to them if it's not a "whale" it's not worth it and most of them shit on it anyways because of some sort of some manufactured hype it didn't live up to. I get the impression you feel the same way as me based on some of your posts. Great minds I suppose...

 

Reading this thread has made me quite curious to try it on tap from a pub in Belgium, because I simply did not care for the bottle of Lindeman's Faro that I tried a couple weeks ago.

Personally, I really like the more sour-leaning lambic styles and gueuze like those Cantillon produces, so the sweetness of the Faro really wasn't that appealing. Perhaps it's something that needs to be sampled right out of the tap, from a local pub due to the unique way of producing the beer.

 

Never been to Belgium so I don't suppose I've had the real thing, although I'm very much looking forward to getting around to it. Bottle-wise I've tried the Lindemans which had this really offputting note of dog food - not good at all - and 3F Straffe Winter which was fucking fantastic but is a completely atypical example of the style what with the munich malts, fresh hops and high ABV.

 

I've only had a Cantillon faro once and I found it to be too sweet for my tastes. I'd guess it might vary a lot based on where and when you try it though.

 

I've only had Lindemans Faro & I, personally, loved it. Apparently I'm in the minority.

 

I had it at the brewery and really liked it along with everything I tried there.

 

Would you mind telling us what book you are reading? No offense, but what you posted seems wrong to me. Fermentations do not have "runnings," let alone "second runnings." Faro typically has candi sugar mixed into the keg or barrel before serving, it's not on the side IMHO. Are you saying some places serve Lambic with a side of candi syrup, expecting the patron to mix it in, and call it Faro? I suppose this could be, but I've never heard of it. Maybe we could all be making Faro at home by mixing some Cantillon, Hanssens, or Drie Fonteinin Gueuze or Single Barrel Lambic with some candi syrup, like the stuff sold here.

 

Are you reading the OCB? Reading closely that is the historic early 20th century and before, and was the second runnings from the lauter tun to make a weaker beer, 2-3%. Now the beers are 4-5%, which is regular Lambic strength.

The wife had a faro at Mort Subite, where a lambic had sugar cubes muddled in it at the table. At Cantillon they had a small keg labeled faro, and we have had that at Cantillon and In't Spinnekopke.

 

I had the Cantillon Faro at Moeder Lambic and Tilquin Faro at the Delerium Tremens place. They were both great, but the Tilquin was the better of the two. If you're in Belgium it's a style I would search out, I was surprised how much I liked it.