New Belgium Lips of Faith "Le Fleur Misseur"

Okay, I am going to try something new.  When I have a new Craft Beer I enjoy I will share it with you.  I am not going to rate the beer, as this sort of critique is very subjective and my palate is still in its infancy, but I will tell you that is worth tasting for yourself and give you information on the beer.  So, here we go....

Last night I tried New Belgium's Lips of Faith Series "Le Fleur Misseur" that I picked up at Schnucks in Cape.  I definately recommend giving it a try.  I have just recently started exploring Belgian-style ales and I found this one to be a really enjoyable, easy drinking craft beer for my palate.   Below I have included the beer description and professional reviews found on New Belgium's website as well as the links to the the reviews at BeerAdvocate and RateBeer.  Enjoy!

Cheers!

New Belgium's Website

LE FLEUR MISSEUR

Deep burnished gold with a slight haze, Le Fleur Misseur opens with pineapple, clove and honey notes. Dry-hopping produces a flower leaf aroma supported by tones of fresh bread and honey. Bottle conditioned with our special house strain of Brettanomyces (wild ale) yeast, Le Fleur finishes dry and slightly herbal.

Produced for New Belgium coworkers to celebrate our 15th anniversary, Le Fleur has roots in the earliest days of our history. In 1988 founder Jeff Lebesch sat weary on the side of a Belgian road when a young lad passing by picked a delicate yellow flower and offered it to Jeff.

“Le Fleur, Misseur?” Jeff misspelled the boy’s comment in his journal as he accepted the offering. A treasured memory, a beer to treasure.

New Belgium Website Reviews

Scott Neuman, Executive Chef of ¡Oba! Restaurant and Hall Street Grill

Ancho Chile seasoned Buttermilk Fried Chicken drizzled with honey and served on top of Blue Corn Waffles

I chose the chicken and waffle pairing with Le Fleur Misseur? for a few reasons. First, I thought that the ancho chilies and the blue corn would give the dish an earthy dynamic that would pair well with the spicy, herbal flavors from Hallertau dry hopping technique and rustic wild yeast bottle conditioning character. Secondly, the lovely acidity in the beer would cut right through the richness of the buttermilk fried chicken. I’ve always enjoyed a little honey drizzled on my fried chicken, and I thought that it would moisten the waffle at the same time accentuate the honey malt notes in the beer.

Learn more about Scott and his tasty creations at http://www.hallstreetgrill.com and http://www.obarestaurant.com

Suzanne Wolcott, Cheese Consultant, Chicago, Illinois

Cheese: A creamy Robiola (with part goat milk) or an earthy, classic (meaning slightly funky) French brie or Tomme.

Food: Pasta with wild mushroom ragu

*The brett spicyness in Le Fleur has a white pepper quality that is earthy and slightly funky. Therefore I chose earthy and sublty funky foods which both mirror and highlight the beer. I think it is a mistake to take the beers fruity (pineapple) and clove esters and pair them literally with sweet flavors and baking spices in food.

Chef John Leonardis of the GourmandGuruGroup

LE FLEUR MISSEUR? is a very sophisticated beer with its fresh honeycomb notes and herbal/floral characteristics. Even clove, cinnamon, and a little tropical fruit ~ it's wild and I guess that's the brett (brettanomyces- wild yeast) working. So, even if you are having a night in, wear a tie to dinner, because, like I said, it's sophisticated. I am thinking basil crusted pork loin with candied pears and pickled fennel and spiced goat cheese barley because all these things ingredients in my course would make the perfect bite, just like all the aromas and tastes in Le Fleur Missuer make the perfect sip.

Erin Hughes, one of our fine Liquid Center Representatives, recommends:

I love to grill out. So I would skewer up some mahi mahi, orange bell peppers, pineapple and costoluto heirloom tomatoes. The fish is meaty, but not salty so it won’t overpower the beer and the pineapple will bring out the bretta contribution in Le Fleur. The peppers and tomatoes balance the sweetness with acidity.

Salad as a side with fresh greens and edible flowers (like spicy nasturtiums) accentuate the floral aroma, subtle sweet honey taste and spicy Hallertau dry-hopping.

For dessert, grilled pears stuffed with a soft cheese like chevre or capricho de cabra. (There both softer cheeses, more silky to go with the LeF’s creamy mouthfeel). Drizzle vanilla honey and dust some cinnamon on top to highlight the wild yeast’s (Brettanomyces) clove.

If just looking to snack, put out a plate of Spanish Marcona almonds. They’re a little sweet, but you still get the salty fix and they go great on a plate next to chevre on artisan crackers with fig spread to complete the sweet and salty fusion.

BeerAdvocate Review - Overall Rating B+

RateBeer Review - Overall 93 Style 97