New Belgium Tart Lychee 4Pk Cans

New Belgium Tart Lychee 4Pk Cans is a 7.5% ABV fruited sour ale blending oak-aged beer with lychee and cinnamon, sold in a four-pack of cans. Scored 89/100 on BeerAdvocate across more than 800 ratings, this distinctive sour has earned a loyal following among craft beer drinkers who prize complexity over simple tartness.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.5%  |  Origin: Colorado, USA  |  Style: Fruited Sour Ale  |  Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

New Belgium Brewing Company, founded in 1991 in Fort Collins, Colorado, is one of the most recognized craft breweries in the United States and a longtime champion of sour and wood-aged beer programs. Tart Lychee is built on a split blend: 56% oak-aged ale drawn from the brewery's wood cellar, where the pale sour base known as "Felix" acidifies for more than two years in oak barrels, and 44% ale brewed specifically with lychee fruit and cinnamon. The grain bill includes pale malt, caramel-80, carapils, malted wheat, and oats, giving the beer enough body to support its pronounced sourness and layered fruit character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: A sharp, tart sourness leads immediately, followed by ripe lychee and a subtle undercurrent of cinnamon. Behind the fruit sit faint notes of apple, pear, and raspberry, with a biscuity malt sweetness and light caramel rounding out the nose.

Taste: Up-front sourness hits the palate first, then quickly gives way to fruity sweetness from the lychee. Cinnamon spice emerges more prominently on the mid-palate than on the nose, balancing the tartness and fruit in a harmony reviewers have compared to rhubarb crumble. A mild bitterness threads through, keeping the sweetness in check.

Finish: The finish is dry and puckering, with lingering mild sourness and a ghost of cinnamon warmth. Medium carbonation and a surprisingly light body for 7.5% ABV make the ending clean and refreshing, with the alcohol almost entirely hidden.

How to Drink Tart Lychee

Tart Lychee drinks best chilled and poured straight from the can or into a tulip glass to concentrate the aromatic complexity. Its bold sourness and fruit-forward profile also make it a compelling ingredient in beer cocktails. A Berliner Shandy pairs it with fresh lemonade to amplify the citrus-sour interplay. A Sour Michelada uses the lychee tartness in place of a traditional lager for a more complex savory-sour balance. A Beer Bellini combines it with peach purée, where the cinnamon spice adds unexpected depth to the classic brunch format.

Best For

• Introducing adventurous drinkers to wood-aged sour ales
• Warm-weather gatherings where a tart, refreshing beer with hidden strength is ideal
• Pairing alongside a brunch spread or charcuterie board
• Gifting to craft beer enthusiasts who appreciate sour and wild ale programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tart Lychee taste like? Tart Lychee delivers pronounced sourness balanced by tropical lychee sweetness and a distinctive cinnamon spice note, with a dry, puckering finish. Many drinkers compare the overall flavor to rhubarb crumble, with raspberry and pear supporting the lychee fruit.

How does Tart Lychee compare to New Belgium La Folie? Both beers draw from New Belgium's wood cellar program, but La Folie uses the darker "Oscar" sour base while Tart Lychee is built on the paler "Felix" base aged over two years in oak. La Folie leans into dark malt, cherry, and vinegar character, whereas Tart Lychee spotlights tropical lychee fruit and cinnamon spice over a lighter, more approachable body.

Is Tart Lychee good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — its medium body, hidden 7.5% ABV, and balanced interplay of sourness, fruit, and spice make it a rewarding standalone sipper, especially when served well chilled in a tulip glass.

Where is Tart Lychee made? Tart Lychee is brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Felix sour base component is aged for more than two years in oak barrels within New Belgium's dedicated wood cellar.

What foods pair well with Tart Lychee? Aged goat cheese complements the tartness with creamy tang. Thai green papaya salad mirrors the beer's sweet-sour dynamic. Pork belly benefits from the acidity cutting through rich fat. Fresh fruit tarts echo the lychee and cinnamon notes. Mild blue cheese creates a classic sour beer and cheese contrast.

What sizes does Tart Lychee come in? This release is available as a four-pack of cans, which is the standard retail format for New Belgium's Tart Lychee.

Is Tart Lychee worth the price? Tart Lychee positions as a premium craft sour ale, and the use of a two-year oak-aged Felix base in 56% of the blend gives it a level of complexity typically found in more expensive one-off sour releases. Its 89/100 BeerAdvocate score and over 31,000 Untappd ratings reflect strong consensus value within the fruited sour category.

Why Tart Lychee?

What separates Tart Lychee from the crowded field of fruited sours is the oak-aged Felix base — acidified for over two years in barrels before being blended at a 56/44 ratio with the lychee-and-cinnamon ale. That production commitment gives the beer a depth and tartness that quick-kettle sours simply cannot replicate. The cinnamon addition is unusual in the style and works remarkably well, adding a spice dimension that elevates lychee beyond simple tropical sweetness. With an 89/100 on BeerAdvocate and nearly universal praise for its balance and drinkability at 7.5% ABV, Tart Lychee stands as one of New Belgium's most distinctive achievements in their long-running sour program.