Mighty Arrow Pale Ale - New Belgium Brewing

smibroncos

New York

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

A. Poured a clear straw, with a one finger white fluffy head. good lacing on the glass.

S. Citrus, grass, grapefruit, floral

T. Sweet Carmel maltieness, then fades to a nice hoppy bitterness. Citrus, pineapple, hoppy.

M. Medium bodied, fizzy carbonation, good duration.

O. Great balance, good bitterness, I like the flavor and the duration. I will have a few more of these.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 02:45:26 | More by smibroncos

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

TGIF!!! Well for some reason I am exhausted...but I dont know why didnt do anything physically taxing today...but I did get a new vehicle...which stresses my ass cuz I loathe car payments....but at least it was 0% for 60mo....yeah baby! Anyway....this beer is hitting the spot!!! The color is a nice copper with frothy white head...at least two fingers....which is lacing nicely. The smell is of fresh hops...very nice. The taste is good...starts off with some hop then is balance by sweet malt. The mouthfeel is palletable and I could session this bad boy! Enjoy!!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 00:05:30 | More by WoodBrew

readbaron

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful clear golden orange with a plentiful fluffy head and excellent sticky lacing.

Smells great - hops are plentiful - there's a crisp citrus smell and some malty cereal backbone underneath.

I remember this tasting better out of te bottle. The hop presence is there, but mild. Huge malt backbone. The balance between malts and hops seems off - not enough hops.

Mouthfeel is good, if a bit prickly.

Overall - a nice, easy drinking beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 01:34:14 | More by readbaron

ruckus232

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 Ounce brown bottle poured into a pint glass

Appearance: Golden yellow color with a good amount of sticky head leaving nice lacing.

Smell: Strong citrus hoppiness with just a hint of bready scent

Taste: The bitterness is there first with what seems to be a grapefruit like taste. It fades into a slightly sweet flavor to calm the bitterness a little bit.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 01:12:28 | More by ruckus232

kflorence

California

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a light, translucent copper in color with a thin layer of foam atop which dissipates and leaves a bit of lacing as you drink. Looks refreshing, if a bit lackluster.

S: No fooling around here. Lots of citrusy hops on the nose with some grass and a little bit of bread in the background.

T: Much like the aroma, this is a heavily hop-driven brew, mostly of the grapefruit variety. There is also a toasted bread and honey flavor in there, but it's fairly subtle in comparison. Your quintessential American pale ale.

M: Like many of the other New Belgium beers, I really love the mouthfeel of this one. It's fairly light in body, smooth and creamy on the tongue with the perfect amount of carbonation.

O: This is a solid, if somewhat simple, American pale ale, and a fine example of the style. Highly sessionable. While this beer probably won't wow you with complexity, it is decidedly refreshing and perfect after a long summers day. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 02:21:46 | More by kflorence

lawlerj

Nebraska

3.43/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pour translucent amber, w/ a one and one half finger head that lingers for quite a while. Appears to be highly carbonated based on amount of fizziness/bubbles. Leaves moderate lacing.

Smell: rich smell with hops and some citrus.

Taste: Bitter w/ a sweet aftertaste - a nice mix of hops & sweetness, almost honey

Mouthfeel: light/medium

Drinkability: easy drinking - a little bit bitter for my taste, but would be great on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 16:46:39 | More by lawlerj

beerdown77

North Carolina

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

Mighty Arrow pours a hazy light copper with active bubbles and two fingers of head. There is some moderate lacing, and the head sticks around like on an IPA...so the appearance is great. The nose is slightly hoppy and malty. The taste is very smooth and well rounded with a warming/bitter flavor that reminds me of a winter warmer; there is a nice crisp bite to this as well. I was expecting something more fresh and hoppy, but was surprised to find a more dirty and malty taste with some herbal spiciness. This is a late winter/earlier spring seasonal (for me) because it lacks the refreshing qualities of a typical spring or summer seasonal. This is a solid beer though, I'd love to try it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 06:14:37 | More by beerdown77

flyingspatula

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

New Belgium is a pretty good brewery. Not my favorite, but they have some unique beers, and their flagship Fat Tire is tasty!!! Their Pale Ale is no exception. As a matter of fact I was pretty excited when I saw it on the shelf, and I wasn't disappointed. It is really pale, almost yellow, but it isn't lacking flavor. Not much of a head, but I don't really care. Nice floral hops smell. Great taste!!! I don't know if I've ever tasted a pale ale quite like it. It's not necessarily the best ever, but it is really good! It has a nice malt/hop balance. I'm guessing mostly a lighter base malt, less amber/caramel type malt. I could definitely be wrong though. I will definitely buy this again (and again).

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 02:32:41 | More by flyingspatula

ehammond1

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

Ralph's
San Marcos, CA

A crystal clear gold bordering on amber with a huge orange-tinted off-white head. A relatively sticky pale ale. This beer leaves the glass messy with lace. I wasn't expecting this; I'm very pleasantly surprised.

A hop forward nose as compared to other popular American Pale Ales. Smells a bit like oranges and grapefruit with a hint of lemon but is also very sweet. Relatively balanced with a decent malt bill but certainly a hop focused pale.

A mild flavor compared to the nose. The hops are present but they're not quite as dominant as they are in the nose. The citrus hops are backed up by a sweet and bready malt profile.

A touch thin in the mouth, but highly drinkable.

I had very few expectations when cracking this beer, and it certainly surpassed all of them. Far more "West Coast" than I ever would have expected, with a significant citrus hop presence in the nose and mouth. All in all, this beer is accessible, highly drinkable, well crafted, and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 04:05:06 | More by ehammond1

soju6

Missouri

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

A: Pours a nice golden color with a foamy white head that fades to some lacing.

S: Has a pleasant clean aroma. Most of citrus with a mild sweetness and a trace of herbs. Quite pleasing.

T: States with a refreshing bitterness then a mild sweetness and a fairly dry finish.

F: Fairly medium body. Crisp, clean and refreshing. Has a nice balance.

O: This is a very pleasing Pale Ale that hits the spot. Nothing too fancy or overpowering, just good.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 20:30:40 | More by soju6

Thatsethguy

Colorado

2.65/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: not much to say. Yellowish red. Average head.

Smell: a little bit of hops, not much else going on

Taste: A wee bit of hops in the front, then it washes away. Honey in the finish. Not sure hops 'n honey go together, though.

Mouthfeel: average.

Overall: not generally a New Belgium fan, but I gave this one a shot b/c a spring seasonal sounded appealing. In the end, I'm sad I bought a 6 pack. Nothing noteworthy.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 03:21:03 | More by Thatsethguy

jsanford

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Distillery in Savannah, GA on 3/27/11. Poured into a New Belgium globe.

A - Clear dark gold with a 2-inch foamy white head.
S - Lightly toasted caramel with some earthy grapefruit hops. Pretty subdued.
T - Spot-on with the nose, nice and crisp and tasty.
M - Medium-thin bodied with crisp carbonation.
O - Nicely drinkable, excellent sessionable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 02:51:05 | More by jsanford

Bfarr

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear light amber with big off white frothy head and clumpy and spotty lacing. Sweet grassy citrus aroma. Orange at first giving way to a grassy sweetness with light bitter linger and a bit of floral in an otherwise clean finish. Sometimes seems a bit watery but otherwise crisp smooth with a light bite.

This starts off really well but the flavors begin to get a bit muddled and loses most of its bolder characteristics. It is pretty hoppy on the pale ale scale which accounts for the flavors getting lost in the floral/grassy lingering effect. It's otherwise a good if not subtle tasting (like most NB) beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 13:29:07 | More by Bfarr

devilishprune

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

New Belgium Mighty Arrow 12/19/10

A. Head dissipates quickly leaving a line of large bubble around the side of the glass with a "net" of bubbles floating in the center. Beer is a bit cloudy and is a light orange/honey color.

S. Smells flowery, sweet, and a little citrusy. Perfumy.

T. Tastes grainy and like flowers.

M. Light carbonation and medium body.

D. Very drinkable, especially on a warm day.

Overall: Probably one of my favorite APAs. The honey sweetness and flowery character that I get from it are just what I want in a Spring, warmer weather beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 22:22:29 | More by devilishprune

claytong

Vermont

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

New Belgiums done it. The first american pale ale I like. It has a taste that doesn't taste like watered down beer.
I'd rant and rave more about the beer, but I don't remember it much since I had it last a couple months ago, but I thought I'd do them the honor of reviewing this decent pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2011 06:39:26 | More by claytong

Vonerichs

Illinois

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

Deep gold color, bordering orange. A fluffy white head sits atop the clear body.

The scent is a heavy dose of citrus, namely orange. There's a light floral perfume smell, too.

It has a respectable dose of hops in the taste. The citrus hops are complimented with a honey sweetness. It finishes slightly bitter and dry.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied w/ prickly carbonation.

I find most of NBs beers satisfying, but nothing that leaves me wanting more. This one left me wanting more. It's a solid p.a.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 02:33:23 | More by Vonerichs

steveh

Illinois

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

I'm not one for grabbing a Pale Ale at random, got sort of burned out years ago when it seemed everyone wanted to be Sierra Nevada, but I've had a hop-hankering ever since Stan Hieronymus posed a question at his BLOG earlier this week:
http://appellationbeer.com/blog/what-does-hoppy-mean-to-you-seriously-eom/

So I wanted something new and different (for me) without worrying about being, well -- "slammed." Enter Mighty Arrow. 12 oz bottle, best before: 03JUL11

A -- Clear, deep golden with a slow-settling cream colored head. Leaves nice lacing.

S -- Piny, flowery, citrus hops -- very SNPA reminiscent.

T -- Initial hit of piny and earthy hops that blends into a semi-tart, pear or apple citrus character. There's a mellow biscuit backbone that doesn't try to fight the hop character -- it just adds the proper support. There's also a vague honey sweetness paired with that backbone. The finish is the fruity hops with a definite bitter to astringent bite. The biscuit malt and fruit character start to blend evenly in the aftertaste, probably because the bitterness has taken center stage.

M -- Mouthfeel is soft to slightly crisp and dry with a light medium body.

O -- Overall, this is just what I was looking for to quench my hop crave. It's not over the top, it's not crazy bitter, it's begging for another round. $8.50 a six pack might keep me from running to New Belgium all the time, but it's good to know that the beer in the bottle is worthy.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 21:13:43 | More by steveh

bastardface

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This was a beer that I thought would be similar to other beers that I have had. I was slightly off on those thoughts. This beer was pretty good. I have had other New Belguim products and they always seem to be fairly good. I like this beer because of its sweet taste. It can be hard to drink alot of them though. I made the mistake of finishing off a six pack and did not feel so grand the next day. I still recommend this beer if you happen to run into it.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 04:34:34 | More by bastardface

drowninginhops

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a standard pint glass.

A: Golden in color with 1 finger white head that leaves good lacing.

S: Light on hops and malt. Citrus is the prominent smell.

T: Citrus, a unknown spice, with light malt.

M: Crisp, smooth, light carbonation

D: High, good dock brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 19:53:49 | More by drowninginhops

brewemstrong

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep golden with a one-finger white head. Great lacing throughout

S: Lightly malted, light on aroma hops. Citrusy, probably orange with some grapefruit.

T: Consistent throughout with more malt on the front and fruit in the middle. Smooth finish with orange lingering. Can't identify the spice but it is light.

M: The orange overwhelms at times, yet the grapefruit suprises and enhances the flavor. Always smooth

D: Limited carbonation but with enough bittering hops to give it enough bite. Definitely citrus taste, full-bodied yet light.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 04:48:52 | More by brewemstrong

G2Brew

Kansas

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle at 45 degrees into a pilsner glass.

A - Pours a pale golden amber color, with a half a finger of very creamy white head that lasts and leaves very nice, persistent lacing. Lots of tiny bubbles rising through the beer. Very clear.

S - Good nose, lots of fruity, citrusy, and piney hops with a solid malt backbone. It is as nice an aroma profile as I've found in an APA. Surprising, yet true to style.

T - Solid hops with citrus, pine, and sweet fruit, perfectly balancing the caramel and sweet malts. The hops come back for a bitter boost in the finish. Very nice. Loads of very distinct, but complimentary flavors in this beer, with excellent balance.

M - Crisp yet smooth, with a medium to light mouthfeel.

D - This is a really nice APA. Distinctly American, refreshing, sweeter than most, but balanced with strong hop flavor and bitterness. The pine aroma cuts through while you're drinking it to make for a unique kick to the palate. I will definitely drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 01:57:15 | More by G2Brew

chinchill

South Carolina

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

12 oz bottle dated May 2011 served in pint glass

Amber colored; clear even with trace sediment at bottom of bottle added; moderate but good lasting ivory head

S - fine fruity hops with malt background; would be 4.5 if a bit stronger.

T - fruity hop mixtur; caramel and pale malt, nicely balanced, although there's a bitter hop hit in the finish. IBU = 34.

M - crisp, smooth and full; moderate/high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 00:52:50 | More by chinchill

ebrauser

Utah

3.4/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz to a pint glass

Appearance: Copper colored with a pure white head and pleasant carbonation

Smell: Sweet , wet hop resins. Biscuits or bread smells with a little bit of spice added in.

Flavor: Tastes a little like bitter hops diluted with club soda. Not a whole lot of malt backbone or sweetness. There was a slight hint of apples in the finish.

MF: The beer was dry and crisp, definitely sessionable and will be a refreshing addition this early summer

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 00:34:37 | More by ebrauser

rsdaugherty

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

On-tap into pint glass at Yard House downtown Denver
A - Clear off copper light amber with a 1 finger cream head, slow dissipation left a moderate cover, nice lacing throughout the beverage 4
S - Hops & citrus with an overall mild nose 3.5
T - Very good balance surprised me because I thought it was an IPA... but yes it is an APA, floral and herbal with a mild hop finish, slight oddness in the aftertaste 3.5
M - light overall mouthfeel 3
D - Not being a fan of New Belgium this beer is definitely my pick of their litter, refreshing and very drinkable, a brew I'd pick up in 12 packs 4.5

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 03:56:01 | More by rsdaugherty

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

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

12oz capped bottle poured into a plastic Holiday Inn cup. Hey, it's all that I have. Crystal clear and golden amber in color with a nice size fluffy head that seams to stay. Smell is just awesome. Tons of citrus and piney hops coming through. Great malt balance in the smell as well which is good to see in a pale ale.

Taste is sweet citrus, more pine, some earthy notes all meshed together. Nothing is overpowering which is one of the things that I love about this beer. Balance is the key. What this beer give up in mouthfeel it makes up for in drinkability.

The only knock that I can find is the higher ABV takes away from the drinkability ever so slightly. A lovely beer and my new favorite APA. Too bad I can only get this beer when I am traveling out west.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 02:10:59 | More by CharlesRiver