Mighty Arrow Pale Ale - New Belgium Brewing

Floydster

California

3.08/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce blank silver can given to me as an extra from SuperWhite92, thanks for the opportunity, consumed on 12/10/08, reviewed from notes, poured into a pint glass, color is a medium orange with golden highlights, big one inch soapy white head, some retention, minimal lacing, lots of hops in the aroma, also a good amount of malt, some fruit, and light pepper, flavor was a little weak for me with light malt and mellow bitterness, hoppiness is there in the aftertaste but once it warms it is pretty much all malt, some mild lemons and oranges by the end, mouthfeel is both minorly chewy and dry, pretty light overall, taste does not last long, probably a bit too carbonated, could drink a few of these because it is light and low in ABV but the malt can be heavy at times, not the best drinkability for its style, probably would skip this one next time, probably worth trying though

Serving type: can

12-20-2008 03:14:58 | More by Floydster

brdc

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Can (yes, can) poured into a tulip. Thanks superwhite92.

Very clear, light orange in color, average sized white head, decent retention and lacing.
Fresh aroma, hoppy, fruity, lemons and pine. Very nice.
Nicely balanced, lightly sweet and fruity, hoppy and citrusy. Very easy to drink and pleasant.
I would have this often, and the can seems to help keeping it fresh.

Serving type: can

11-18-2008 03:11:20 | More by brdc

jthelamontagne

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Goldish, Bronze, Caramel, Peanut Brittle

A: Pine, Spice, Citrus (orange rind) Taramind, touch of "HP sauce"
Pink Bubblegum

T: sweet raisin, tamarind, roasted pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, orange marmalade.

M: smooth, low carbonation.

F: alcohol vapours linger then dissolve

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 19:03:34 | More by jthelamontagne

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from brown NBB bottle to NBB pint glass.

A - The beer pours a perfectly clear light golden amber color with a 1 finger white bubbly head. Good retention and lacing throughout.

S - Better nose than I remember from last year: fruity and citrusy and earthy in hop character. A nice malty sweetness on the back end.

T - Just like the nose this is better than I remember! The hop character is present immediately with sweet fruit, citrus, pine character. The malty sweetness allows for a surprisingly balanced beer. Finishes smooth and crisp.

M - Lighter end of medium mouthfeel with good crisp carbonation.

O - A very good APA that I would recommend. It has a lot more character than I recall. Very citrusy and sweet and delicious.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-25-2011 19:47:08

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 22:29:41 | More by hopfacebrew

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip pint.

A: Proper pale ale pour: clear golden with two fingers of white foam.

S: Very aromatic! White pepper, grapefruit, but an overwhelming pineapple aroma rise from the glass. Amarillo hops?

T: Pineapple flavour dies down here and the regular dry, fruity citrus flavours if the APA emerge. Eh...it was good while it lasted.

D: Crisp and light beer makes for good drinkability. Not terrible complex after that aroma, however.

Overall: A nice APA from New Belgium. It won't blow your mind, but it shouldn't disappoint either.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 16:40:28 | More by JohnnyChicago

manitouman84

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful gold with thick pillowy head with good retention and leaves lots of lacing down the glass. Strong hop aromas, heavy citrus apricot up front, pine and floral, modest caramel beyond the hops. Mostly hop character to the flavor, citrus and grapefruit most prevalent, pine, and subdued caramels. Malt body is good, medium, balances well hop bite and flavors, nice dryness to finish, clean and crisp. Very drinkable, very sessionable! Good Stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 03:45:19 | More by manitouman84

Pegasus

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy golden amber with a large, persistent white head with very good retention, and thick Belgian lacing.

Aroma: Moderate grapefruit, orange, and pepper notes dominate the aroma. There is a little of New Belgium's signature toasted malt as well.

Taste: Lots of lightly toasted pale malt, paired with a solid wave of moderate grapefruit hops. The malt and hops carry well throughout the taste, complimenting rather than conflicting with each other. The taste draws to a close with a mild, lingering herbal bitterness.

Mouth feel: Smooth and soft, very full.

Drinkability/notes: A very well-crafted example of the style. While it is not a style I particularly care for, praise is in order for this very well-crafted example.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 23:32:01 | More by Pegasus

setexascustoms

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle into a pint glass.

A- Clear golden, nice and bright. One finger head with fair retention, lots of carbonation rising in the center of the glass. Fair lacing.

S- Wonderfully aromatic hops, with citric and spice notes. Bready malt undertones.

T- Floral, herbal hops with a nice spice. Pleasant bready balance from the malts. Light and drinkable with a clean finish and just the slightest lingering bitterness.

M- Light with good lifting carbonation.

O- Nothing special, but very refreshing. Certainly something I'd go for on a warm summer's day, or if I was looking for a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 01:52:59 | More by setexascustoms

CushyGig

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Okay, the story on the bottle kills me. Love the fact that this was named after the brewery dog. Other than that, It's a pretty average pale ale. Pretty much like everyone else's. Good color and appearance and taste. The mouthfeel was nice for a pale. Overall, it was a good representation of a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 21:26:52 | More by CushyGig

pBRale

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Crystal clear deep gold beer with very foamy almost white head that settles relatively slowly with very little retention.

Smell: A wonderful array of hops--resiny, floral, piney, and spicey. Wow! I am ready to taste this beer!

Taste: Not as powerful as the aroma woul dlead. Seet, almost honey-like malts are faintly present and evenly balance he hops which taste of pine and a hint of spice.

Mouthfeel: Pretty light-bodied with medium-low carbonation. Crisp and quite refreshing. Tastes better as you drink more. Definitely drinkable and a good sixer to buy.

Overall: Very refreshing beer with pretty decent flavor. I could smell this beer all day long. The taste is good, not excellent.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 01:23:12 | More by pBRale

dmamiano

West Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

fairly light golden hue with a nice white head and lacing leaving traces on the glass as the beer was consumed.
Good floral nose with a malty presence. Fresh mowed grass, grainy with spicey undertones.
mouthfeel was pretty solid with this beer.
taste was pleasent. Not and overpowering hoppy pale like many are, but well balances and solid.
Quite refreshing...would try another for sure

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 09:50:47 | More by dmamiano

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer pours a clear amber color with two fingers of solid off-white head.

S: Smells of citrus hops and a bit of stale bread. Plenty of floral hop notes, which are probably the best part of the aroma. A light toast note and just a little bit of bread. Not much else...

T: The flavor is a bit grassy with a moderate bitterness. A little bit of citrus peel flavor along with some floral hops. Bready malt with some toast and pale, cracker malts.

M: Medium bodied with a moderate to high carbonation.

O: Just an okay example of a pale. Don't think I would make this one a repeat beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 06:30:47 | More by womencantsail

endincolorado

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, pale-amber with a huge, white head consisting of lots of tight little bubbles. A nice amount of lacing clings to the glass well after each sip.

The aroma smells of crisp, pale malt alongside a nice bouquet of hop notes; pleasant, floral and faintly grassy.

The flavor delivers, as the aroma would suggest, an excellent, well-rounded brew. The malt flavor is subtle and contains notes of biscuit and honey. The hops provide a perfect balance- just the right amount of fresh, herbal bitterness. A wonderful, lightly sweet aftertaste lingers on the palate.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with adequate carbonation.

This is a very drinkable beer. Well-balanced and of well-balanced, toned-down flavor.

Too often, I think American craft breweries take an overly hop-bitter approach to pale (leaving the IPA wondering where it stands). I think this is an excellent example of what pale ale should taste like.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 02:17:47 | More by endincolorado

SWMeyer4141

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Tumbler

Appearance-Cloudy amber, nice 2 finger off white head. Leaves some solid lacing.

Smell-Caramel Malts. Citrus and Piney hops.

Taste-Lots of caramelmalt, pretty sweet upfront, with a bitter citrus aftertaste. Fairly drying of the palate.

Mouthfeel-Light bodied, fairly watery towards the end of every sip.

Overall-Another average/good offering from New Belgium. I'm never overwhelmed, but they're all very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 21:04:03 | More by SWMeyer4141

yankeej13

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My boss went on a trip out west and brought back a nice selection on New Belgium beers which was fantastic!

Appearance- Has a goldish color or a light copperlike color. Small rim of foam that surrounds the glass. Nice mellow carbonation.

Smell- Has a sweet smell, can smell a mellow hop flavor to it.

Taste- A very nice light beer with a little swing of hop flavor right upfront and fade off.

Mouthfeel- A more mellow taste, with a good drinkability. Nice light hop aftertaste.

A nice enjoyable beer. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 01:49:38 | More by yankeej13

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from turfy so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a large off- white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick but spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, a good amount of hops and some citrus.

T: The taste starts out bready with a hearty malt character up front that is quickly followed by a mild caramel and citrus sweetness. Then a complimentary hops presence comes in to provide a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly bready.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is poundable beer with enough flavor and substance to stick with for a whole evening.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 01:37:11 | More by TheManiacalOne

csiewert

Oregon

3.38/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a clear amber color with a finger of foamy thick white head that retains and laces well. The aroma is somewhat lacking, but you can pick up hints of citrus hops and some biscuit malt. The flavor starts with citrus and then becomes bready and malty sweet. The mouthfeel is slightly overcarbonated and empty. Overall a decent pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 22:47:19 | More by csiewert

BeerMarshall

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured from bottle into pilsner glass.

A: golden to orangish, 2 fingers of head, good retention

S: pleasant hoppy aroma, some citrus, also earthy

T: not too bitter, on the hoppy side, but well balanced. good hop aroma to bitterness. some toasty malt in the background.

M: medium body

O: I really like this beer. Too bad the only time I can get it is by going out west, or getting someone who is going to bring some back. Full Nelson Pale Ale from blue mountain is a local pale ale I like and in comparison I would say this is toastier and earthier while full nelson is more citrusy.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 22:34:58 | More by BeerMarshall

Jemonster

California

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So I'm doing as I think I'm supposed to and comparing this beer only to other pale ales.

A: Clear orange gold with minimal tiny bubble carbonation. Thin white head.

S: Apricots up front and a typical yeasty ale smell. Smells fantastic.

T: Kind of spicy and sweet with stone fruit in the background. Nice hoppy finish.

M: Seems to really wet the palate. Not that carbonated, but its pretty refreshing.

O: One of the best pale ales I've had. Nice balance and some interesting flavors going on.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 23:16:15 | More by Jemonster

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from my buddy FunkyMacGroovin, it's got a "best by" date of 6/12/11 and was allowed to warm slightly before ending up in my Duvel tulip.

Mighty Arrow pours a remarkably clear orange. After aggressively pouring the beer I'm rewarded with more than three fingers of bone colored foam capping the beer. Retention is very good, as is the lacing, though a little bit more would really make the appearance. The nose is all hops, and reminiscent of the classic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (not surprising given their shared use of Cascade hops). There are notes of grapefruit and a flowery fruitiness (which I think is bolstered by the amarillo hops). Those same hoppy notes close out the beer, and they are preceded by a brief bit of bready sweetness and a snappy, yet modest bit of bitterness. The mouthfeel is still a bit rough around the edges though. The body should be a touch lighter, and the carbonation a bit livelier. As is, the beer just kind of sits on my tongue a little bit. Mighty Arrow is a solid APA, and one I'd be interested to try a bit more removed from its "best by" date.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 02:56:10 | More by axeman9182

billab914

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into my Southern Tier glass. Amber color with a frothy white head filling the top inch of the glass.

The aroma has a pretty nice floral, citrusy hoppiness to it. I get a bit of a herbal and grapefruit like bitterness to it as well. I also get a nice malty, bready base to it with a little caramel sweetness coming through. Pretty nice aroma for the style, the hoppiness particularly was very nice int it.

The taste starts out with more of the citrusy hoppy flavors mixing with some bready, malty sweetness. Midway it starts to turn more bitter with some of those grapefruit like bitter flavors coming out. I get a little of the caramel sweetness in the finish as well which really compliments the hoppy bitterness.

The mouthfeel is on the lighter side for the style and carbonation is moderate. Overall it was an easy drinking and flavorful version of the style I really enjoyed the brighter, floral hoppiness in it as well. It felt very balanced and drinkable and was a pretty solid beer of the style overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 21:06:43 | More by billab914

Airyk12

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy caramel color, with a finger of soapy/foamy tan white head.

Floral hops, with malt sweetness and some biscuity scent.

Malt dominates, with hops in the background bringing in balance; sweet, slightly bready.

Super smooth and low carbonation, medium-light body.

Good beer; not a great APA, not very hoppy. Quite sessionable. Would drink another.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 20:36:18 | More by Airyk12

mactrail

California

3.48/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Amber ale with nice white head. Sprightly in the glass and on the tongue. Fresh and fruity hops to start, long harsh bitterness to finish. Some touch of biscuit flavor. Sharp fruit and resin. Grapefruit pith in the aftertaste. Thin body and just a hint of malt. Label notes Cascade, Amarillo, and Golding hops.

Nicely made, clean and crisp, but the first sip is better than the last.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 05:17:47 | More by mactrail

OddNotion

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into my Lost Abbey stemmed glass.

Appearance: Completely transparent golden body, looks almost lager-like. Minimal head that leaves a nice lacing.

Smell: Smells a more malty than hoppy. Nice sweetness. Some citrus in the background.

Taste: Very nice and light and refreshing. Not overly hoppy. The malt is more noticable than the hops. Nice floral and citrus hop combination finish off the sip.

Mouthfeel: To style, lighter and bubbly.

Overall: Nice offering. Does not blow me out of the water but it is very enjoyable. Flavors meld well together. I find it a little weird that an APA is a seasonal as most breweries have it as a normal offering, however it is a nice addition to their lineup.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 21:18:44 | More by OddNotion

aval89

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: clear dark golden... 2 finger head..

s: pine, mild tropical aromas, pineapple, mango, some citrus notes, floral, deep malt presence & fruitiness.. actually quite nice..

t: big biscuity malt upfront.. then you get hit with the hops..floral hops, very mild tropical fruits..apple skins, mild resinous character.. finish has more malt sweetness with a mild bitterness.. the honey is also noticeable in this one..

mf: great carbonation but feels a bit thin..

o: very easy drinker.. not a bad brew.. maybe lacks a bit of flavor..

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 06:52:01 | More by aval89