Thursday, December 29, 2011

Ranger IPA


Ranger IPA


I was recently interested in the brews by New Belgium Brewery as they are finally available in Maryland and you don't have to break laws and transport alcohol across state lines to get it anymore. (never said I did that, but you never know). The big fanfare from this brewery is Fat Tire Pale Ale. It's a pretty decent Ale, malty but not very hoppy. It doesn't sit well for most of us hopheads out there. I can drink one or two but usually end up wanting something with more bite. Enter Ranger IPA. Ranger is a really good balance of hop flavor without overpowering the beer. I picked up a 12 pack of this to sample over the course of several weeks but it didn't last that long. The hops gave a nice bite to the palette but it finished very smooth. The head on the beer is a nice pearl white and pours fairly thick for an IPA. It almost reminds me of a cask pour. The color on the beer is a little dark for an IPA in this brewers humble opinion but doesn't affect taste obviously. I'm glad to have another alternative locally now for IPA's as they are not a tremendously popular style in this area. Rating 8/10.

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