Ranger India Pale Ale

      
While IPA is not technically a Belgian style, it was recently agreed upon that a hoppy offering from New Belgium was in order. Simcoe, Chinook and Cascade hops lead off the beer, with Cascade added again for dry-hopping. We're talking three pounds of hops per barrel resulting in a bright, citrus blast of hops riding a substantial, malty base. Pale and dark caramel malts bring out the hop aroma and flavor from start to finish. Ranger IPA offers 70 IBUs and is 6.5% ABV.

"The Belgian tradition of thinking outside the box freed us up to create a beer we all love that falls outside a conventional interpretation of Belgian 'style'," said Assistant Brewmaster Grady Hull. "It was fun to play with some new elements - this is by far the hoppiest beer we have ever produced."
 
  

Ranger IPA, and its closest friends, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, are getting fresh, vivid graphics under the Explore Series. These four beers' departure from New Belgium's traditional watercolor packaging will make eyes pop and bottle caps fly. 

Beer Review from Beer Advocate
This pour is beautifully clean with a gorgeous fluffy head that gives way to sheets of lacing. The product is highly carbonated with tiny bubbles that whiz through the sparkling golden clarity of the beer.

The nose is alive with juicy sappy pine and citrus scents. The hops shine with their sharpness and the nose not muddied up by the graininess that a heavier malt bill would bring. Smells crisp and light and delicious and foreshadows a refreshing and quenching taste that is to follow the foreplay.

The taste is grand. A delicious mouthful of everything that is wonderful about simcoe and sparingly administered chinook hops is the first showpiece offered in the tasting. Citrus, pine, and just the perfect degree of bitterness paired with a modest malt profile devoid of any cloying aspects make this brew quaffable to the fullest. This has everything the western block of ipa manufacture has to be noted and praised for.

The mouthfeel is perfect for drinkability. This brew has enough body to support everything with balance and it promotes all of the flavors and characteristics well and lends to superior ease of imbibing.

Overall this ale has what this reviewer has come to love about the west coast version of the ipa style. Colorado may not be on the coast, but the general western usa idea of streamlined and less filling while still utterly delicious is evident here. Spending years chewing down the midwest's drinks, while fabulous to be certain, has made me grow fond of this lighter type of beer and hence I may feel more satisfied than others to whom this brew has been commonplace. New Belgium is new to our market here in Michigan and I am glad that I decided to snag this out of the gas station today as the overrated status of Fat Tire nearly deterred me from finding out what a great little brew this Ranger India Pale Ale is. I will be looking to this in the future!