Anyone who drinks with me knows I consider New Belgium an old favorite standby. I have yet to find a beer of theirs that I don’t enjoy and use Fat Tire as an old standby since many bars that carry nothing but Bud, Coors and Miller will magically have this has their one serviceable choice. Seriously, thank you to whoever in their distribution cycle made that happen because you’ve saved many of my nights. Anyway, I love their Ranger IPA, their Prickly Passion Saison, and even their canned brew Shift so of course I had to stop by and see what they were offering at BAM Fest. Naturally I enjoyed both selections:
Bretta Beer
Another offering in their Lips of Faith line, this beer is a collaboration with Lost Abbey but it’s definitely in line with the classic New Belgium expectations. The beer has the coloration I’ve come to identify with Allagash White, you know that pale cloudy yellow that signals a very drinkable mild wheat beer? And that’s exactly what i got here. With scent of pineapple and clove it’s extremely unique but the smooth, light, slightly tart flavor with finishes of honey make it deliciously welcome on your palette. This is yet another beer I’ll be on the lookout for.
ABV: 7.5%
Red Hoptober
At a festival full of pumpkin ales and oktoberfests, this one was a standout. Hoptober tastes like a Stout and an IPA had a baby and now you get to drink that delicious baby. This fall seasonal was heavy on the hops without the heavy malty flavor that sometimes accompanies. There was virtually no aftertaste but the beer itself had a coffee flavor very similar to a standard stout. It’s rare that you’ll find me drinking Stouts as I’m not so into feeling like I just had a meal in a glass after finishing my beer so a light Stout crossed with the hops of my beloved IPAs was perfect for me. I’ll have to make sure I track some of this down before Fall beers disappear for the year.
ABV: 6%
IBU: 60