Posts Tagged ‘New Belgium’

12 Beers of X-Mas: New Belgium Accumulation

Sunday, December 21st, 2014

New Belgium AccumulationFrom New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado, tonight I’m tasting Accumulation, a white IPA.

Accumulation pours a lightly hazy pale blonde color. The head is bone white and a little spongey. The aroma is quite mild, just a bit of herbal hops and a light bready maltiness.

An interesting herbal hop bitterness leads the flavor, but fades somewhat into a mellow herbal flavor that doesn’t last long. A malty sweetness lasts, turning a bit cloying. The body is full, a little much given how mild this beer is.

+/-New Belgium Accumulation

3.3 (3-6-7-3-14)

12 Beers of X-Mas: New Belgium Super Cru

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

In honor of their 20th Anniversary, New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado has released a mash-up beer loosely based on their wildly popular Fat Tire.New Belgium Super Cru This is part of the Lips of Faith series, which represents most of the worthwhile New Belgium beers.

The Super Cru pours a copper tinted golden yellow with the faintest of haze. The head is off-white, and while there isn’t much, what’s there sticks around. The nose is light and fruity: the Asian pears they’ve brewed this with really stand out. There is also a bit of an earthy spiciness and a fair amount of pale malt character.

The flavor is sweet, dominated by bready malt and fruity pear. A bit of spice follows, unfortunately timidly. The black pepper from the yeast and the alcoholic bite join forces here, but don’t quite measure up. The alcohol grows stronger and its sharpness lingers much too long, yet this fails to allay the cloying palate.

+/-New Belgium Super Cru

3.2 (3-7-6-3-13)

12 Beers of X-Mas: New Belgium Snow Day

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

New Belgium Snow DayThe winter ale this year from New Belgium is an homage to those Midwest days where the snowfall makes life basically grind to a halt. This year, it seems like it might be a eulogy.

Snow Day pours a deep, dark chestnut brown with a creamy tan head. The aroma is mild and lightly sweet. Hazelnuts, caramel, and toast are the only detectable notes.

The flavor is clean and quaffable. Toasty, lightly spicy, and strongly effervescent.

+New Belgium Snow Day

3.7 (4-7-7-4-15)

Phoenix – Day 2: Frustration

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

The broski and the pops on the new light rail.

The broski and the pops on the new light rail. Notice his shirt.

The bro is a thoughtful guy. Phoenix is the definition of sprawl so even finding a gas station is difficult sometimes. Before the trip he printed out a map of things we might try to look for: trailheads, places to eat, breweries.

Most of the time looking for Mexican food we just wing it (that’s the one thing you can find there). Before our game in Scottsdale we found a place there called Los Olivos. Wonderfully tasty in an old slightly strange building. I mean that in the best way – this is a place you really can’t find anywhere else.

2009-03-26-olivosAnyway, after lunch we saw the Royals at the Giants. After that we made use of the broski’s map, deciding to go to Papago Brewing, also in Scottsdale. Papago is a first class beer bar, and they also contract produce a half dozen beers, a few of which have won Great American Beer Festival awards. I get the sense that they do alot of to-go sales: they have probably ten cooler doors of microbrews. Most of the selection is from the west coast, especially southern California. I spent the whole evening worrying about wanting to take it all home. Half way through dinner I switched seats so I wouldn’t have to look at it.

Stupid airline checked luggage costs. Well I could take them if they were in 3 ounce tasters and all fit in a quart size ziplock bag.

At least while I was there I tried some interesting things that, for one reason or another, you cannot get ahold of in Iowa.

I started out with Papago’s abbey tripel contract brewed by Br. Van Steenberg, makers of Gulden Draak. Called Oude Zuipers, it is a crystal clear old gold, with some creamy bone-white head. The nose is a little fruity with strong notes of caramel. The taste is initially slightly sweet but fades to a strong peppery spice flavor that quickly disappears. A bit of peppery sweetness lingers. Light, but a bit cloying.

I followed this with Karma from Avery Brewing, another Belgian-style ale, this one brewed in Boulder, Colorado. It’s a bit hazy, a golden amber with some off-white head. The aroma is very clean, with just a bit of maltiness showing through. The taste is caramel and herbs, with a light sweetness that is clean and drinkable. Karma is lively, light but significant.

New Belgium’s Biere de Mars (another Belgian style, bier de garde – beer for keeping, that is, cellaring) is an opal deep straw color with a bit of head. The aroma is thin: hints of malt and hints of fruit, perhaps mango? In contrast, the flavor is strong, sharp, and spicy, though it quickly dulls to a lightly malty, peppery sweetness.

When I ordered my last beer I had a hard time explaining it. Yes, it is brewed by a place called “Pizza Port“. Yes, it’s actually really good beer. Yes, they were just some pizza joint that decided to start making beer, and now they’re among the best. After all those Belgians I needed something hoppy, so I ordered The Ripper, their English IPA. This is a brilliantly clear copper ale with ample near-white head. The nose is delicately floral, but I also got a significant off character that must have been from the age or storage of the beer. The flavor is great, with a full, round bitterness and a good amount of floral hop flavor. It is dry and fizzy, bitter and drinkable.

I did pick up one beer to-go, for the purposes of consuming while still in Arizona. More later…

+/-Papago Brewing Oude Zuipers

3.1 (3-6-7-2-13)

+/-Avery Brewing Karma

3.4 (3-6-7-4-14)

+/-New Belgium Biere de Mars

3.5 (3-6-8-4-14)

+/-Pizza Port The Ripper

3.1 (3-5-7-4-12)