C&C La Folie 04-07

ive opened a couple 07's and one 05 in the last 6 months and LOVED it.

 

Had 07,08,09 in the last 8 months- I think it was the 08 that was super sour, 07 was more loon funky and grainy, and the 09 was more mellow and didn't really stick out. They are all blended, so no one year is predictable based upon any previous year. I stopped aging mine after the sour symposium where the NB folks really hit home with the point that they blend La Folie for immidiate drinking and not aging. One of the two head blenders, I forget her name, gave us an anecdote of talking to "beer nerds" and them bragging about having an 04 la Folie- she said "why?? We made the 04 for 04. We don't even have one of those. Drink it!"

 

Got to try an '04 yesterday and it was great. It has mellowed out a bit and isn't as sour, but it's still a great beer.

I also bought an '08 at Zwanze Day this past fall and thought it was amazing too. The '04 was a bit mellowed out compared to the '08, which was crazy sour. Both great beers, just depends on how sour you like them. Personally I liked the '08 better but can't go wrong with either.

 

You're thinking of Lauren Salazar. I think her argument is the largest reason they now pasteurize La Folie. I don't agree with that decision, but it's their beer, so they can do whatever they want with it.

For those of you who have had the '08, how do you think it compares to the '13? I had a bottle of the '13 a few weeks ago. I thought it was fantastically sour, perhaps even more sour than any of the C&C bottles I've had, but had a ton of trouble finishing off a bottle on my own. It got to be a chore after a glass.

 

Ya that's the lady. I thought the 08 was a chore, I dunno about my friend who I was drinking it with- but I was ready for something else by the end of the pint. I'm of the "drink fresh" camp now, as I see how a lot of the flavors an nuance Chang and get lost from the initial release. The sour symposium was really nice, as you got to experience la Folie deconstructed, and actually got to blend your own version to take home. I got to have two growlers of it, and I like the blends that use less Oude ratios and more of the lighter base beer (I forget the name they used, I want to say David or something like that). To me, aging la Folie blends just makes it all "Oude" with little to no other blend characteristics or complexity.

 

I agree that the Sour Symposium was nice. Went to one here in Seattle a few years ago. Loved the blending part, especially being able to pick between La Folie, Oscar, Felix, and Love.

 

Lol, ya those were the names. David, Oscar, same diff.