Hoptober Golden Ale - New Belgium Brewing

drumrboy22

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a New Belgium globe glass. Beer was a golden straw color, with a one-finger, foamy white head. Moderate carbonation and heavy lacing.

Aroma was light hops, citrus, grass and spices.

Taste was lightly hoppy, apples and grains. Very crisp and clean. Easy drinking, but a bit on the plain side.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 04:49:42 | More by drumrboy22

emmasdad

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up as part of a mixed six pack last week on a whim. Poured a light golden color with a huge white head that poured over the sides. Light hoppy aroma, with similar hops on the palate, along with a little sweet malt. Decent, but ultimately forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 01:49:06 | More by emmasdad

DrCronic

Colorado

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Beautiful straw yellow with solid head retention
S: Hoppy smell of citrus, almost orange.
T: Citrus hop taste with not alot of carbonation bite. I feel they were going for a smooth drinkable version of an APA and the combinations of hops is very tasty
M: Creamy light carbonation but solid.

D: This is a solid beer however not what I was expecting. I was thinking hoppy Octoberfest and I feel this is more like a lighter APA. I should have known this since the beer is an ale and not a lager. This is a nice fruity ale and at 6% and 40IBU will not not kill you to drink a few.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 20:12:39 | More by DrCronic

lonestar4lunch

Texas

3.23/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a bright golden color with a good 1/2inch foam on the top. The smell somewhat funky as to what was expected. Aroma isn't that strong and really doesn't stick out. Maybe it's me. Bottle says it's a 5 hop 4 malt cornucopia of the earth and I get it but this doesn't really bring anything to the front. I keep getting an almost Belgian funk on the inhale before the sip but then comes a mixture of hops and malts. Sometimes it is a bit sweet others bitter. I am gonna have to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2009 22:08:07 | More by lonestar4lunch

hoppyweasel311

California

3.23/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Pale golden with nice frothy white head.
Aroma- Very citrusy and piney
Taste- kind of blah... hop bitterness at end... not much else.
Mouthfeel- High carbonation with a smooth mouthfeel

Not my ideal fall beer... Would have liked them to made a hoppy brown ale..

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 21:59:33 | More by hoppyweasel311

bsp77

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into tall glass.

Appearance: Very clear, light yellow-gold with nice foamy stark white head.

Smell: Citrus, apple, candied sugar, dry pepper, and very light metal.

Taste: Very light semi-sweet caramel and fruity malts, which are quickly overshadowed by spicy, peppery hops with just a tinge of citrus. Ends bitter and a little metallic.

Feel: Moderately high carbonation, light to medium body, very dry finish.

Drinkability: This is a crisp, fairly bitter beer, but the hops don't have as much taste or complexity as I would have hoped. At least it doesn't have that damn biscuity Fat Tire taste that most of their American-style beers do.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 22:04:48 | More by bsp77

cbarrett4

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours with persistent head, sticky lace, good golden hue.

Simple and straightforward aromas of spice and peach, perhaps a gourd like hint. The flavors miss big time. Overly sweet and sticky, lacking the acidity or texture to really overcome the fruit cocktail medley of flavors.

I was at first expecting a more 'Oktoberfest' style brew, but even this being dubbed a golden ale, I found the style departed from the usual drinkable and balanced New Belgium recipe. Perhaps the 2011 batch had a little extra something that added more sweetness and less acidity. Though it does seem to be a commercially appealing style. But it reminds me waaay to much of Blue Moon....

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 21:34:12 | More by cbarrett4

Thur123

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nice golden yellow with just a bit of orange color. Little to no head and average carnoation. Smell is light floral hops, citrus and a bit of spice, over grainy malts. Smells balanced but on the hoppy side. I want this to similar to A little sumpin sumpin, but i dont have my hopes up.

glug glug

A lemon hop burst comes in first followed by a bite of floral hops. There is a taste of pine and maybe even a bit of the booze comes through. Not nearly as balanced as I hoped, it also feels a little thin. The hops flavor could use a sweeter balance throughout. The texture of this reminds me of a BMC. Overall, eh.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2009 00:07:10 | More by Thur123

alleykatking

Indiana

3.28/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap last night....

A- Poured a golden orange color. Half finger white head dies by the time it is actually set in front of me. Couple stringy style lacing on the side of the glass but those fall back into the beer.

S- Malt forward beer. Light citrus hops in the background but the caramel malts overtake everything. A light citrus (orange) tone here and there but really nothing else. Kind of thinking this might not be the freshest keg or the lines haven't been cleaned in awhile.

T- More caramel malts come out on this one in the front. Light hop bite on the back end of the front of the beer but dies into a ceral grainy middle. Light earthy hops on the backend with more caramel malts on the ending.

M- Light mouthfeel. Carbonation was good for the style but I thought high for this beer. Sweet malts left on the palate and long into the aftertaste. Flavors were mostly one sided and lacking any real body to them. Light drying on the palate from the alcohol.

D- This beer was a ok at best. Nothing that I would really want to spend my money on. The lack of alcohol taste in the beer made it super drinkable. Although, this beer might just be a little old so I'll try it again from a place that I know keeps their beer rotated.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2010 22:48:26 | More by alleykatking

TexIndy

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my NBB snifter. Best before 2/12/10 on side of front label. It was a clear golden yellow color with good carb streams and good lacing. It had a good sized head that settled into a thin film and good collar.

The aroma was more IPA than a blonde ale - not sure the style is right here. Citric, grassy, a little pine and rye malt. Mixes pretty well in the aroma but didn't like the blend in the taste. The hops dominate the aroma but the rye malt really jumps out in the taste and it clashes oddly with the hops used here. Ends with a chemically aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel with good carb but the odd aftertaste hurts.

Overall, a good but not great beer. The aroma had me excited but it feel apart in the taste. Pick one direction or the other and I think it would be a winner. Mix it and it misses for me. Rotation: avail here. The 3 in my mixed 12 pack are enough for me unless I got a tap opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2009 01:01:15 | More by TexIndy

Padron4KM

Arizona

3.33/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dec 25, 2009
12 oz bottle, 2009 release.
Golden straw with a tight cream colored head. Fine lace left on the glass.
Aroma is grapefruity hops with bready malts. Missing the typical NB yeast notes.
Flavor is citrusy hops, with a light sweetness in the middle and a medium length bitter finish leves the mouth tingling and wanting more.
Not as sweet as most New Belgium's offerings, a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 07:58:10 | More by Padron4KM

robwestcott

Indiana

3.33/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

full disclosure... i'm not a big fan of hoppy beers. this one was included in a new belgium variety pack bought over a year ago. this bottle hung out in the wayback of the frig for months and in fact was a couple months past it's "best if consumed by" date. my hope was that the aging would mellow out the hops to a point i wouldn't pour half of it down the drain...

that said, this beer poured a very nice golden yellow into a dogfish head signature glass with a finger and a half long lasting almost white head.

still a strong hop smell, but it mellowed out over the course of 15-20 minutes. fairly hearty beer for its type and bitterness was mild to even less than mild, but still with a strong taste of the hops,as well as spices and fruit.

i'd agree with the earlier reviewer that this one is more of a pale than a blonde.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 14:14:49 | More by robwestcott

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

turns out hoptober isnt very octobery at all. the tap had autumnal colors and fall leaves all over it, i thought this beer would do much more justice to the season. poured a watery yellow into a pint glass, nice lacey head. aromas of hops are robust and somehow also seemingly delicate. mouthfeel is light, this beer doesnt have much of a body to speak of. taste is good, not as unique as other new belgium beers, but its a nice pint. i enjoyed it with a burrito, but i find it not too fall. might be better as a spring seasonal, light and growing kind of, like spring itself. it worked out well enough though, given that october 1st here in denver was sunnny and 80 degrees.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 19:17:32 | More by StonedTrippin

langcpa

Nebraska

3.35/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A:head retention is fair with a rocky white head,pours golden clear, nice thick white lacing on glass,

S:smell is a very pleasant clean pine like smell, with the hop notes calling you to have a sip

T:Hops are definitely present without being overly strong, a shafe of maltyness comes through ath the finish. Very refreshing. The taste definitely matches the smell

M: Medium body with slight carbination, a very slight hop aftertaste that finishes to the dry side

D: A geat seasonal beer for sitting on the porch watching the harvest moon rise. Two or three of this beer at a setting would be plenty. I would be this beer again. Toured the brewery in August and would recommend the tour, very interactive and casual.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2009 17:10:24 | More by langcpa

Blakaeris

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear golden in color with a decent white head that leaves sheets of lacing.

Aroma is pale malt with a a pleasant grapefruit citrus character.

Taste is sweet, pale malt and lemon grass. The fruity hop aroma led me to expect more aggressive hops. Finish id crisp and clean.

Mouthfeel is light bodied.

Overall a decent lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 19:36:27 | More by Blakaeris

CHSLBrew

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a large mug at Old Chicago, Roseville, MN.

A-Pale white head, 1.5 cm off the pour, retained pretty decent as a consistent layer. Golden-amber brew, a bit darker than typical blode ales, crystal clear.

S-Herbal hoppiness, slightly grainy.

T-Lots of herbal hoppiness, along with a spicy/floral character, pair with malty semi-sweetness which tastes remniscent of a fest lager, slightly biscuity. Assertive bitterness, slightly herbal, tips the scale twoard the hoppy/bitter category. Finisher herbal, semi-dry.

M-Moderate body. Appropriately moderate carbonation. Lip-puckeringly bitter.

D-Deterred slighly by a balance too much towards the bitterness, which defied my expectations and hindered its drinkability compared to typical Oktoberfest brews. Still, I enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2009 20:23:47 | More by CHSLBrew

Magpie14

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: visually this beer boasts a light yellow hue with a tinge of orange and gold. If anything it leans more towards a fuzzy yellow color. The lace was in good order with a very nice film hugging the upper rim of the glass. As drinking continued the lacing took charge and provided a visual experience (high marks for the lace). Just a thin layer of cream sits on top

S: light smells of toasted malts with earthy hops and not much else. It seems usual in the sense that it boasts toasted malts as so many of NBBC brews do. Otherwise the nose is lacking

T: the flavors are in harmony with the nose. I guess I was thinking of an october fest type of brew. Instead a light hopped, citrus spiced blonde ale is swirling on my palate. A light slap of hop oils hits the tongue. It also maintains a backbone of toasted caramel drizzled malts for an even character

Overall this beer has a faint commanding presence. Nothing really stands out for me

M: the feel is light, crisp, and airy with some noticeable carbonation. Body is average and seems to fit the style

D: a nicely hopped brew and a nice diversion from the usual autumn brews. I still have yet to find my niche with New Belgium. This is a decent brew and easy to put a few down the hatch

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2009 22:55:07 | More by Magpie14

Vashtar

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The appearance is beautiful. A bit darker than I'd expect a golden ale to be, but it looked great.

The smell was good. It pretty much just smelled like hops... clean hops.

The taste was average and bitter.

Mouthfeel was slightly heavy. It was nice and strong.

Overall I really didn't like the personality. It was really hoppy and nice overall but didn't have much to differentiate it.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 03:50:56 | More by Vashtar

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.41/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not bad, didnt expect to like this beer so much. Appearance was pale straw yellow, usually not the greatest sign in a beer. Smell, aroma, didn't give me anything to think I was getting into anything good.

But alas, the taste, not very complicated, light, but a good little hop zest and mild bitterness. I don't know that I would call this "hop" tober and all, but for an all access type of beer like New Belgium makes (this would be a good alternative to the fat tire hags), this makes sense to bring them in another direction.

Mouthfeel and drinkability rate higher, because it doesn't fade, nor does it get tiresome.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 02:10:35 | More by Beerandraiderfan

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Clear golden and decent white head that didn't retain long, but had nice lacing.

Smell: Crisp pine hops scents and light malts behind it. Nice.

Taste: As it smells, bright and crisp grapefruit and pine hops up front, sweet malts a little more subtle on the finish.

Mouth Feel: Medium body and lighter carbonation Crisp hops bite on the tongue.

Drinkability: A respectable hoppy blonde ale. I've had better and I've had worse. All in all a decent seasonal offering.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2009 21:23:58 | More by ChopperSmith

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle with a freshness code of 19MAR10. Pours a brilliantly clear, medium yellow color with a creamy topping of white head. Retention is excellent as is the lacing. This is a great looking beer.

Smell is hopalicious, as tropical, grassy and piney hop aromas are dominant. I guess that is to be expected with five varietals of cones. There is a bit of underlying snappy wheat and grainy barley in there, but they definitely take a backseat to the fresh aromatic hops.

I get the spiciness of the rye, crisp wheat and creamy oats, but it almost seems like it is too much for a blonde ale to handle, especially with the multitude of hops assaulting the palate at the same time. Bitterness is high and hop flavor is very grassy and hay-like. After the delicious aroma, I feel like the taste has let me down a bit. Just too much going on in this beer for me to find it overly enjoyable, although I applaud NB for trying something like this.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 01:34:19 | More by twiggamortis420

NODAK

Tennessee

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Aroma here is predominately hoppy; strong grapefruit and citrus notes are there. Some sweet malt sits in the background.

The taste is certainly hoppy, and it belies its 40 IBU rating. Strong notes of grapefruit and floral hops abound in the body and the finish of this beer. Malts are almost nowhere to be found, except for a slight creamy sensation on the finish. It seems to be just a tad shy of becoming a pretty standard IPA. However, the bitterness wraps up on the finish and doesn't stick around much in the aftertaste, giving this beer a fairly clean ending.

This is an interesting autumn seasonal. While most of them are either oktoberfest or pumpkin ales, this one ends up being one of the most hoppy beers in the NB line-up. It's not a bad beer, but people have to be in the mood for something resembling an IPA to enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 00:41:08 | More by NODAK

GDBEERMAN

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into pint glass.
A: A explosion of carbonation pumps towards a fluffy white head. The body is a light gold, clear body. Lacing in the form of layers on glass.
S: A grainy aroma of clove and citrus hops are found in the aroma.
T/M: A bit of spice on the mouthfeel and front. Layers of hops are found on the off taste, but all so far back and light it makes it hard to truly enjoy. Malts are also far back on the palate and are very light. This has a strange finish of light lager, that is not pleasing. Notes of citrus and clove are light thrown into the picture.
D: I feel that this does not stand a chance for a autumn brew, too light and lacking up front flavors. While it goes down easy and if need be, I could drink plenty of this brew, there are many other offering that I would choose. Oh why New Belgium this style for a fall seasonal?

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 05:23:35 | More by GDBEERMAN

Phelps

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks: golden and perfectly clear with a foamy half-finger head of pure white that dissolves into a thin top coating that leaves thick webs of lace as I drink.

Smells: hoppy. Lightly floral, with some citrus flavors of limes pineapple and tangerine. In the background there's some honey and light crackers.

Tastes: like a pale ale. Honey-sweet and floral, like honeysuckle. Also orange blossoms and lime juice along with the peels of oranges and grapefruits. I'm also getting some spiciness -- coriander, perhaps? Pine needles as well. All this is rather subdued, but it's not bad.

Feels: lowly carbonated and fizzy with a light body. It's nice and crisp.

Drinks: I like what New Belgium has been doing with hops lately, but I'm not sure this one fits with the fall seasonal theme. It also seems to me a little over-hopped for an American blonde. Still, it's not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2010 19:53:17 | More by Phelps

pants678

California

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Pours a yellow-orange with a retaining white head. This is what your non-beer geek pictures beer as it's supposed to be.

I can smell the hops with vanilla in the mix, a smooth honey as well.

Malts? They're an afterthought, of course. This beer as all subtley, well hoped up front with an earthy combination of rye and grain that, as you would expect, leaves a dry finish. Maybe my palate ain't so sensative, but I want something more popping out at me. The rye/wheat all starts to stand out toward the middle, a honey aftertaste is just apparent on the backend.

About as easy as they come to drink, with a small carbonation which has a bit of a sting on the end.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 04:31:47 | More by pants678