New Belgium Reviews

I went out and scooped up more than a handful of the New Belgium beers. I wanted to see what this brewery was all about. In some instances I was pleasantly surprised, and in others I was disappointed. But that goes with almost any brewery these days. Read on to see my thoughts on these brews:


New Belgium Snapshot Wheat Ale

The Wheat Ale category is a hard one to judge. They tend to be even less exciting than Lager's or Pilsner's. This one certainly didn't wow me, but it did enough right to not be a complete bust. The nose is all corn, lemon juice, and mineral water. It dissipates quickly though, so be sure to get a good whiff. The taste starts out tart and fizzy with flavors of lemon juice and sour grapes. The finish is creamier with hints of creamed corn and toast. I was surprised by the intensity of the flavors, even if they were unexciting.

Mike's Rating - 6.75/10


New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale

Next up is the flagship of this brewery. Almost every brewery has one beer that allows them to keep the lights on. Sierra Nevada has their Pale Ale. Bell's has Two Hearted Ale. New Belgium has Fat Tire. After working in beer for over 6 years, I was certainly tired of hearing the question "Do you all carry Fat Tire?" As such, I went into this beer ready to eviscerate it. It certainly helped me. The nose is bland with only hints of applesauce and bread. Both of those aromas disappeared very quickly and left little to nothing. The taste has a strong nuttyness that included walnuts and almonds. Light citrus notes also broke through. The finish is creamy with hints of apples and wheat bread. All in all, it is a very unexciting and mediocre Amber Ale. I guess I should have expected that.

Mike's Rating - 6.5/10


New Belgium Slow Ride Session IPA

The Session IPA category has exploded in recent years. I have had some great ones (Stone Go To IPA) and some awful ones (Oskar Blues Pinner). So I knew the range was wide on the quality of this one. The nose on it was fantastic from the first pour. Grapefruit, citrus, armpit, and soft floral notes made for a tantalizing aroma that didn't fail to make my mouth water. The flavor started out with green onions and armpit before the bitter flavor of lemon juice appeared. The finish was much of the same with that armpit-like flavor and bitter lemon pith. The flavor was light, but that was to be expected. The nose really pushed it forward for me.

Mike's Rating - 8/10


New Belgium Ranger IPA

Of all six of the New Belgium beers that I tasted, this is the only one that I have had before. I remember it to be a pine and citrus forward IPA that had a good mouthfeel on it. So I went into it ready for a nice experience. The nose was utterly bland with just soft aromas of oranges, lemon juice, and floral notes. The taste starts out bitter with flavors of pine and perfume that are almost jarring. The finish is exceptionally light with flavors of perfume and crackers. I am very disappointed with this beer after my first experience with it went so well.

Mike's Rating - 5.75/10


New Belgium Portage Porter

It is so hard to find a good porter, it really is. Thus I always go into each porter wishing and hoping for greatness. It was very nice to find this above average porter. The aroma is slightly sweet with hints of cocoa powder, cream, and coffee grounds. The flavor starts out bitter with hints of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The finish has more of that dark chocolate, but has a nice sweetness that includes flavors of cream and cappuccino. It had a nice, roasty flavor that wasn't too much.

Mike's Rating - 8.5/10


New Belgium Rampant Double IPA

After the bad experience with the Ranger IPA, I was certainly hesitant. However, the Slow Ride showed that they could intensely hop something and keep it tasting good. So I picked this up and gave it a try, and boy was I pleasantly surprised. The nose had strong aromas of grapefruit, citrus, and hints of floral notes. The taste was nicely hopped with flavors of lime zest, perfume, and grapefruit. The finish was bitter with strong hints of pine resin and perfume. All of these flavors mingled perfectly and made for a DIPA with a decent amount of oomph.

Mike's Rating - 9/10