Springboard - New Belgium Brewing

Spikester

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Hazy pale gold with a small white head that leaves just a ring in short order. Lacing are decent just in the top 3 inches.
Smell is pungent green apple and ripe fruit.
Taste is fruity slightly acidic with some slight bitterness.
Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with plenty of carbonation.
Overall a refreshing Belgium Pale with a smooth medium dry finish.
Best by date: 11 Aug. 13.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 05:00:23 | More by Spikester

BucBasil

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from the 12oz bottle into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A: Very light and somewhat hazy straw color. Head is great - 2 fingers of really solid foam that sticks around a long time and leaves sticky lacing on the sides.

S: A bit of a sour note up front with some light fruit and yeast in there. Light fruits like crisp granny smith apples and some citrus. Not too sure what gogi berries are but there's some berry in there. Interesting herbal note in the middle. Pretty spot on Belgian character - almost saison-like.

T: Surprising balance. Pretty fruity up front with some bread in the middle. Slight sour note. Grassy somewhere with some lemon zest and a slight herbal character. Different, but still retains a bit of that classic Belgian pale note they were going for.

Pleasant surprise! Great summer beer - very refreshing but still very flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 23:42:28 | More by BucBasil

budgood1

Minnesota

3.69/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

pours out an effervescent dirty straw colour with a respectable inch high bone white head. nice lace. sour and tart lemon infused bright spice infiltrates the nose. grassy and grainy and even slightly musty/soapy. the taste is an unusual mashup of flavours...more spicy/soapy lemon and berries with a spicy/herbal yeasty base. perceptable bitterness adds a layer and compliments the dryish finish. pale malts and a perceptible oat note make for strange bedfellows. all around tartness completes the slightly quenching mix. the taste is certainly a new experience to contemplate. this all leads to recognize the fact that concocotion has a pretty solid and sturdy body for a spring drinker...with a mouthfeel that yings and yangs between silky smooth and coarse and bitter mostly due to the oatmeal and hops. drinkability is again torn between the thirst quenching aspect and the meal in a bottle aspect.

overall...i would say that that a better name for this beer would be "puddle jumper". especially when some spring time snow/slush is involved. as a seasonal it just mashes up the spring time into a force du jour that straddles fences and frustrates the drinker into dysfunction.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:41:23 | More by budgood1

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

2.98/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Poured on 4-20-13 from a 12 oz bottle with a best by date of 6-16-2013. Pours a hazy straw color with a white head that quickly dissipates. Bottle condition floaters make there way. Moderate retention and lacing.

S- Grain mainly. Some sour fruity notes. Yeast. Nothing much to speak of here.

T- Similar to smell. Some nice citrus hops and lemon grass hops. Mostly tart. Belgian yeast comes through with the grassy notes. Not a lot of big flavors. Some bitterness in the finish.

M- Drinkable. Light body. Crisp finish with good carbonation. Nice for a seasonal spring brew.

O- Average. That is the best way i can describe this beer. Quite refreshing, but nothing worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:59:17 | More by Bosoxfan20

chinchill

South Carolina

3.66/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12-oz. bottle dated best by 14 July 2013 served in a snifter. Poured a golden-straw color. Hazy with a small and semi-durable white head that leaves a moderate amount of lacing on the sides. Contains schisandra, an unfamiliar herb/berry used in Chinese medicine which I had to look up, and goji berries.

Aroma: Quite fruity, complex, pleasing and refreshing. The fruitiness is unusual, but one of the stronger notes reminded me of raspberry jam. Bready. Yeast and a trace of hops too, but these are more obvious upon tasting.

Taste: Lightly sweet, bitter and tart, but in reverse order (so more tart than sweet). Components are similar to the nose, again with high complexity including oats and lemongrass.

M: medium-light body. Medium, very soft carbonation. Slightly dry and crisp finish.

O: a unique and interesting fruit/herb beer well worth trying. Lots of subtleties in this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 00:36:26 | More by chinchill

harrymel

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

best by 14JUN13

Light grainy yellow with a soapy etched top. Smells sweet, grassy and fruity. Some honeydew, some corn, some apricot and belgian yeast with a touch of clay. Tastes sweet and floral, some more honeydew, some canteloupe, a bit of edible flowers, just a cut of gut alfalfa. Pretty flavor. Medium bodied with tight, moderate carb and a watering finish. An interesting beer, something that seems it would be nice on occassion, but not full time, a real winner for a seasonal. Not much belgian about it to me, which is not necessarily a negative, but something of note for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 05:19:42 | More by harrymel

BucannonXC5

California

3.51/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Stone Ruination IPA glass
From: VONS in Normal Heights (San Diego, Calif.)
Price: $12.97 for the Folly variety 12-pack
Purchased: March 7, 2013
Consumed: March 31, 2013
Misc.: Best before July 7, 2013

Poured a pale straw hazy color with two fingers of frothy white head. Nice layered foamy lacing on the sides. Great retention all the way down.

Smelled like a hoppy lager to me. Got bread, hay and corn mixed with grass hops. Seems clean and refreshing.

Tasted similar to the nose with earthy and grainy notes. Still reminded me of a hoppy lager. Got bread and grass with honey, lemon grass hops.

Light body. Creamy texture. Lively (above average) carbonation. Abrupt, clean, crisp finish.

I was a bit disappointed as I had higher expectations, but it was an OK beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 05:35:29 | More by BucannonXC5

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Apparently the creation of this beer was due in part to the dream of a NB employee’s acupuncturist. Neat.

A: This beer pours a slightly hazy straw yellow. Bubbles stream through the glass as soon as the beer hits the bottom, supporting a thin, fizzy head and leaving sparse wet lacing. Typical summer beer appearance.

S: Bright aromas of sage, lemon peel, raspberry, and grapefruit pulp give this a sharp, herbal character. It’s complex in an unusual manner – a bit like coriander and grains of paradise, but different overall. Must be those Chinese herbs the label mentions. Biscuit and breads of pilsner malt in the background.

T: Soft wheat and fruit flavors dominate – though the word “dominate” doesn’t really fit here, since the whole thing is mild and drinkable. Cherry, blueberry, mango, and some light citrus move over the tongue with a natural sweetness, not tart, but full-flavored and fleshy (as in the nose). Very naturally, wheat germ tastes compliment the fruits; the grain bill that smelled a bit more like a pilsner foregoes the breads for a sweet, tropical taste of coconut, grape, and cantaloupe. Finishes with that juicy taste you get after you take a bite of honeydew – full, ripe fruit flavor.

M: Light-to-medium body with a solid plume of carbonation fizzing constantly over the tongue. Supremely drinkable; I’m sure it would be satisfying on a hot day.

O: What’s a Goji berry? And schisandra? Who knows, but this beer (apparently) nails those flavors. One of the many lawnmower beers that satisfies cravings for interesting, complex taste – delicious.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 04:22:57 | More by BarryMFBurton

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.2/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pale dark yellow/gold color, some haziness throughout it. Belgian yeast floating around maybe? I dunno, I think all yeast looks similar probably. Minimal head, but good lacing.

Some mild bready notes and fractional amount of lemon to it. Pretty muted aroma wise.

Taste had a bitter and lemony edge, mildly tart, well carbonated. Light body. Has a slight woody presence to it. Didn't come across as hoppy at any point of the tasting experience. Some sweetness to it. Not exactly a flavor bomb, body stays kinda thin throughout, but the bitterness never dies. Some herbal aspect of the beer paired with a soft malt profile.

Just interesting enough. Not gonna go looking for it, but its not a bad beer. Probably meant for drinking in the month of April and May.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 18:21:23 | More by Beerandraiderfan

secondtooth

Indiana

4.04/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pale and cloud golden in appearance, with attractive white foamy head and lovely lacing.

Nose is a mix of crisp grains and light fruitiness. I also get a hint of citrus (presumably the hops).

Taste is nicely spicy and fruity. There's a well-balanced melding of hoppy citrus and biscuity malts. Enjoyable and well-done session ale here, and I wish this were available more widely.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:13:47 | More by secondtooth

bnes09

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Light lemon, straw colored ale. Completely transparent. Some head on the pour with patches of lacing.

Aroma of fresh cut grass, citrus fruits and honey.

White bread flavor, lime and cilantro rice. Lemon, orange and fresh cut grass hop flavor. Just a hint of honey sweetness. Dry overall. Mild, yet fresh character.

Light bodied and well carbonated. Minimal texture.

Descent. I enjoy the fresh flavors and aromas but lacks complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 03:34:44 | More by bnes09

PintOHops

California

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Glass - Tulip

A - Super clear golden colored brew with very large bubbles of carbonation. Head is very disappointing, about a 1-finger that dissipated in a snap. No lacing.

S - Tart, dry and grape like aroma's. Reminds me of champagne a little. Mild bready sweetness with mild citrus like hop characteristics. Not much going on here. Pretty clean.

T - More yeast comes in to play in the taste. Bready and yeasty with notes of cracker and subtle bubble gum. Very dry with notes of grape everywhere. Finishes bready with mild hop twang and slight bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with moderate crispness.

O - Overall i think this is a refreshing brew to drink on a warm day, similar to a Pilsner or something like that. I'd drink it again but nothing wowed me about it. I think this is just a refreshing, balanced, approachable, quaff-able brew. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:33:51 | More by PintOHops

JosiahS

California

3.14/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

a: Pale golden color, lots of bubbles, this head.

s: Clean aromas of lightly toasted malt, Belgian yeast (banana) and a subtle floral aroma from the hops.

t: Clean simple flavors. floral hops, some brightness from the yeast, a bit clove-like. Subtle pale malt throughout.

m: Crisp and lively yet mellow and not at all harsh.

o: This beer has no faults other than coming off a little acidic but due to the simplicity of it. Refreshing and nice, a bit too plain though.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:25:36 | More by JosiahS

godlessape

Georgia

3.94/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gave this a healthy pour into a Sam Adams pint glass. The body has a cloudy light golden hue and the creamy white head hung on for the distance and left plenty of lacing.
The aroma contains bready, fruity notes along with a bit of lemon zest and maybe even a little banana bread in there. Nothing overpowering, every quality pretty subtle.
All that was noticed in the aroma came through in the taste, only the Mt Hood hops play a larger role then expected. Everything is balanced just great in this beer. Very satisfying, with a perfect amount of carbonation.
Overall this is a decent brew and although I drank it on a damp chilly winter night I imagine it to be a great refreshing summer beer. I'm glad they included it in the sampler 12 pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 00:32:06 | More by godlessape

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - Golden yellow with a small white head.

S - lightly hippy on the nose, with a green grassy herbal vibe.

T - Green bell peppers, grassy hops, green tea and a hint of mint.

M - Light bodied with just enough structure to avoid wateriness. Finishes somewhat clean with a minty herbal aftertaste.

Thirst quenching and unique. Not the best thing I've had recently, but worth trying for the unique ingredients. I would drink this again in warmer weather.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 15:41:06 | More by pmcadamis

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle best by july 2013. got 4(?) bottles in the folly pack

Look is a pale, clear, yellow-gold with an amber hue. Smell is light wheat, goji berries, musty farm smell, husky corn, hops. Sweet and wheaty, not unlike frosted shredded wheat with a goji berry twist. Tastes better than it sounds.

Interesting wheat beer with a sweet berry twist. Almost comparable to Liney's or the like, but slightly better.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 11:57:34 | More by jimmah120

natelocc787

California

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Really not impressed at all. I'm not sure if it's the wormwood, but this beer has a funny ingredient that either doesn't belong or wasn't used right.

Golden colored. 1 finger head was gone fast.

Not much to the nose. Bready, malty and fruity.

Tastes different and definitely unique bit not in a good way. I appreciate the beer but it's just not that tasty. Pear, apples and banana peel with wormwood.

Light body with medium carbonation.

Not the best beer from New Belgium and actually just barely worth trying. Get a single if you can.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2009 06:21:46 | More by natelocc787

jujubeast6000

Texas

2.1/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed 2/13/2007 (12oz bottle,BB 15JUN07):

Pours a big head with big bubbles, somewhat lasting head. Beer has a very clear football beer-ish color, very fizzy. Very malty aroma, inhaling deeply - floral aroma. Football beer-ish aroma, not appealing. Light taste, malty aftertaste, but more flavor than typical football beer. Good dry malty taste on the tongue. Reminds me a little of Sam Adams lite. Odd combination of flavors, malts somewhat tempered, but not all that appealing an overall flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2009 02:34:44 | More by jujubeast6000

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a pale yellow with a white half finger that melts to very sticky lacing. Nose is faint Belgium yeast and sweet malts. Taste is surprising on this. A balanced mixture of pale malts, citrusy hops, definite lemon and Belgian yeast. Good brew by New Belgium

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 15:16:36 | More by barleywinefiend

MTNboy

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has very golden body it resembles a lager in a lot of ways. It has very nice lace and head but the head dissipated quickly. The lace had a little more staying power.

Smell: It has a sweet and fruity smell.

Taste: It has spruce like tones at first and in the aftertaste. It is very crisp

Mouthfeel: Very light and thin.

Drinkability: This is a great all around beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2008 02:02:31 | More by MTNboy

semihobo

Michigan

2.3/5  rDev -35%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Have been killing off a sixer throughout the summer, here's the last one.

Modest head after a gentle pour. Body is an opaque gold, looks like some magical elixir (and hey, it's beer, so it is by definition).

Smells of herbs (bottle says wormwood, lycium, schisandra, you'd think one random ingredient would be enough to push the envelope) and oak, the 2% of the beer aged in oak makes a difference. Hops are cool and muted. No esters, no sweetness.

Taste is very dry and herbal. Bitterness from hops and herbs blends together, especially on the finish. Any sweetness is fleeting. Finish is medicinally bitter.

Creamy mouthfeel. Lush carbonation.

Where is the nuanced malt profile? Feels like New Belgium decided, "throw some crazy herbs in that beer, man, and age it in oak, and put a wave of snow on the label. Extreme!" I drank the other five before this, so not awful, but this is an attempt to push the style that fell short. Throw in the inflated price and I won't be revisiting it.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2008 21:02:56 | More by semihobo

Zadok

Kansas

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy golden yellow with a half finger white head and a little lacing.

Smells of a decent quantity of hops with an earthy pine aroma backing it up.

The taste is just a mere shadow of the smell, light hops and coriander.

Very smooth on the palate, low carbonation.

New Belgium may never blow you away with their beers but they constantly make quality session beers and Springboard holds true to that philosophy.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2008 17:47:43 | More by Zadok

lawman834

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Light straw. Looks like a light macro, but a bit cloudier.

S - Grassy hops. A hint of sweetnes.

T - Unique. Again, grassy hops. Sweet malts to balace it out. There are some other overtones that Idon't recognize. Crisp and tasty though.

D - I like it. Light and crisp, but not lacking in character. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2008 03:46:50 | More by lawman834

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Still trying to get some reviews in, so here is another one.

Appearance: Pours a clear deep yellow to gold color with a small 1/8" head of tiny white bubbles after a relatively aggressive pour. The head faded within about 15 seconds to end up a very small ring around the edge of the glass. There are very few bubbles rising to maintain the head.

Aroma: My initial impression was that it was a bit grainy, but after that dry graininess has faded to sweetness. It doesn't take long for the hops to become noticeable as a mild grassiness to compliment the sweet malt and ever-increasing fruity aromatics.

Taste: The flavor is considerably drier than I anticipated from the aroma. There is some noticeable bittering hops in this beer, and the attenuation make them the predominant player in the aftertaste. The flavoring hops aren't too shabby with some clean grassy notes, and a slight "green" impression...perhaps that is what some call "catty". After about half the glass, it is apparent that this beer has some strength to it...though it is not noticeable in the flavor or finish.

Opinion: This is an alright beer. I am not too find of the balance. I like the blend of fruity flavors and how it mixes with the hops...but the malt to back it all up was lacking. I would think that just attenuating it a bit less would do the trick, but perhaps an adjustment with Dextrine malt would be preferred. Anyway, I would like a bit more substance.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2008 01:02:33 | More by SkeeterHawk

bluemoonswoon

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a mildly hazy golden straw yellow with a half inch head that fades into a white ring but still leaves a decent amount of lacing behind on the glass. Not much yeast for a belgian style ale.

S: This smells almost like a witbier. Strong hints of bananna and milder clove with a faint lemony backing, I am sort of into it, it has sort of an enticing sweetness being mixed around here.

T/MF: Taste isn't bad either though I don't think it fits the guidelines. Grainy yeasty lemony in that order and they play together rather nicely. The bottle says it brewed with goji berries and I feel like I am getting a slight berry sweetness in here that I am really enjoying. The carbonation on the beer is really scaled back from its Beligan big brothers and the smoothness is a rather nice change of pace. Medium bodied and coats the mouth during and after the inital sips. Quite partakeable.

D: One of my favorite offerings from New Belgium though it didn't start off that way. Well balanced and very very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2008 01:06:42 | More by bluemoonswoon