Beer Review: Lips of Faith Kick Oak-aged Sour Pumpkin & Cranberry Ale, Is A Should Try

The calendar say October but like any other entrepreneur New Belgium recognizes that you need to get people's attention before they realize it.

Take Halloween for instance. It's a holiday that like the Northwest focuses on the harvest (which includes pumpkins), observance of nature, and above all, imbibing something fruity. Obviously if you live in Seattle that means The Great Pumpkin Beer Festival, but for those outside of King County, that usually means something festive like New Belgium's Kick.

Beer Description

New Belgium and Elysian are together again with Kick, a rich and tart pumpkin cranberry ale blended with wood-aged beer for a uniquely complex harvest season sour. The russet and orange of autumn shimmer through a slight haze like sunlight through the smoke from burning leaves. The taste and texture of pumpkin give way to the refreshing tang of cranberries and critters, satisfying and exciting with each swallow, finishing with an urge for more.

Kim brought sour from New Belgium; Dick brought pumpkin from Elysian. You’ll get a Kick out of their collaboration

Suggested Guidelines ... on second thought let's skip this part.

Kick as it rests in the glass presents an ale with strong clarity through a dusk-colored hue. Rising from below as the beer settles a strong white cap forms before receding slowly leaving behind dots of lace throughout the inside of the glass.

Warming up we detect notes of lemon citrus, mild cranberry, oak, as well as some honey.

Sipping, one detects mild cranberry, lemon and orange citrus (acidity), as well as some biscuit breadiness, before a tart finish bids good bye to your senses.

Overall Kick has a light to medium weight as rests on tongue and there is a definite stickiness although nothing that overwhelms the palate, for long.

Our Thoughts.
You Should Try This. New Belgium's Lips of Faith Kick presents us with an interesting decision. Is the power of suggestion strong enough to see past the 'sourness' and taste the pumpkin? Or do we continue to associate pumpkin-inspired beers with pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, or pumpkin scones? In our case we would say that the former is stronger. Take note, this is a strong 'sour' ale at 8.5% so it would be wise to pace yourself. If anything this beer is a must try if you are willing to buy another bottle and save it for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Thoughts by your Colleagues
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/71919
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/new-belgium-lips-of-faith--kick/145677/

Cheers