Ranger - New Belgium Brewing

ithacabaron

California

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

Pours a nice, glossy maize. A small head quickly drops down to a lacing.

All great IPAs should be measured by their aroma. This is a solid contender, but by no means a knockout. Grainy 2-Row malt and honey lay the foundation for the hops; light on their feet, but present, they're mostly of the tropical fruit (mango, lychee, passionfruit) variety. Kind on the nose and unassuming.

Taste, in a word, is bright. A nice lash of bitterness shines over a lighter-than-air malt profile. Very nice and dry; with a little brininess here and there. A bit of a weird fermentation bobble, slightly chemical, slightly vegetal, pops in halfway through the swallow, a testament to how difficult it is to make such a delicate brew; in a bigger beer, it would go unnoticed. No boozy, sugary bomb this -- this is Ann-Margaret in Bye Bye Birdie, rather than Greta Garbo.

Mouthfeel is on point, firm but not sharp. You'll never taste the booze, but by the end of the bottle, I'm reminded there's alcohol in them there bottle.

This stuff was born for the beach. A nice interpretation -- albeit gossamer and fleeting -- of an IPA. Bigger is not always better, my friends. Who knew New Belgium was up to it?

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 04:37:14 | More by ithacabaron

Mcvs1507

Indiana

3/5  rDev -21.5%

05-20-2013 05:32:48 | More by Mcvs1507

georgiaboy8686

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-20-2013 04:21:03 | More by georgiaboy8686

OCdrummer7271

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-19-2013 23:33:22 | More by OCdrummer7271

DMB

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-19-2013 22:57:13 | More by DMB

meanmutt

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-19-2013 14:36:30 | More by meanmutt

TeamMathis

West Virginia

4.49/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance. Clear. Pale amber. A lace that lasts.
Smell: Hoppy grapefruit.
Taste: Bitter hops, grapefruit, and malt.
Mouthfeel: Good carbonation.

This has the hop and bitter qualities that I want out of an IPA. The grapefruit smell is so inviting, and the taste follows suit. Basically, it's liquid hops, but not overwhelmingly so and only in good ways. I will get this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:29:16 | More by TeamMathis

DrewsBrews450

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pour from the bottle into sam adams pint glass. Very clear deep yellow with a nice white head that sticks around leaving a nice lace. Smell is piney with some fruit and a little honey malt. Nice hoppy taste that leaves a little bitterness on the tounge. Taste a small honey malt but mostly pine grapefruit hops. Feels medium mouthfeel very smooth. Pretty much the same as most ipa but just super soild and just great when looking for a more simple flavorful ipa.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 22:39:17 | More by DrewsBrews450

Fargrow

North Dakota

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-18-2013 19:25:59 | More by Fargrow

anticipation23

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%

05-18-2013 16:57:01 | More by anticipation23

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.34/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a New Belgium globe glass.

Look: Clear copper color. Cream colored head with good retention and nice lacing.

Aroma: Piny, woody, and hoppy.

Taste: Exactly how I like my IPAs. Barely a malt presence, then straight into wood and pine notes, really good hops. Doesn't have that typical weird yeasty New Belgium taste.

Mouthfeel: Bright, medium body.

Overall: A really good IPA. NB did well here.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 15:19:09 | More by JuicesFlowing

LuckyJohn

Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-18-2013 04:00:13 | More by LuckyJohn

Aric

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-17-2013 22:20:49 | More by Aric

eliz108

Wisconsin

4.75/5  rDev +24.3%

05-17-2013 15:45:21 | More by eliz108

iHeartMNBeer

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-17-2013 04:56:40 | More by iHeartMNBeer

rheff

Arkansas

2.75/5  rDev -28%

05-17-2013 03:39:25 | More by rheff

MDF

Virginia

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-16-2013 19:41:08 | More by MDF

mcaulifww

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-16-2013 17:20:53 | More by mcaulifww

Syracuse12

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-16-2013 06:27:02 | More by Syracuse12

BSore

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-16-2013 06:15:22 | More by BSore

MinorThreat

Colorado

3/5  rDev -21.5%

05-16-2013 02:17:19 | More by MinorThreat

Humulus85

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-15-2013 18:30:58 | More by Humulus85

Wrigfen

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-15-2013 17:45:34 | More by Wrigfen

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-15-2013 16:46:15 | More by twenty5

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.71/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Golden yellow/tan with a 1/2 inch creamy head and plenty of lacing.

Smell - Strong piney hops, grapefruit, orange, lemon, spices, some sugars and a slighty malty backbone.

Taste - Really nice and bitter piney hop kick at first sip. Lemon and orange come out after the first numbing blast of pine. Malts and sugars are also present. Some added sugars counter all the bitter hops. Some alcohol come out at the finish.

Mouthfeel - Straight up blast of piney hops nails the tongue. Palate gets more hops, along with some malts and sugars. The finish is dry and hoppy.

Overall - Pretty tasty , solid piney hop forward ipa. Not much in balance, the malts are very mild, added sugars are kinda buried under the pine blast. Still, not bad at all, a above average ipa, and decent price, wortha try but there is better out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 23:06:57 | More by wvsabbath