Ranger - New Belgium Brewing

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

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

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

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.79/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

"Are you a hopinista? Thank our Beer Rangers for inspiring (and begging for) this well-balanced Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook hopped IPA. 70 IBUs. Brewed in the style of an American IPA. A staple in New Belgium's year round lineup. Date on bottle is May 19 2013.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to the Ranger Pint glass. Served north of 55º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours an explosive golden cream head of a thick foamy consistency. Body color is a standard amber tone, crystal clear with subtle relaxed carbonation. Retention is very good, lacing is medium and sticky. A very appealing appearance for an IPA. 4.5

(Smell) Bold citrus hops of grapefruit and tangerine consistency with a slight spicy hop touch. Basic, clean malt base leaves the hop presence uninterrupted but balances the bitterness of the aroma with a moderate sweetness. Bright and inviting with an appealing hop complexity. Potency is medium/high. 4.25

(Taste) Hops come through in notably spicier varieties and lesser on the citrus but the bitterness is striking on the finish. The malt body is easier to discern with a touch of mild biscuity caramel malt and a mild peppery spice character to finish. The balance is decent between the hop bitterness and sweetness, but the hop flavor is largely overshadowed by the bitterness. I'm also a little bummed out that the hop flavors are far more mundane in comparison to the aroma, with little citrusy hops having the opportunity to impact the flavors. 3.25

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick with a subtle carbonation presence, a clean, hop driven bitterness grants a medium dry finish that hangs a while after the last drink. The hop-heavy body is a medium/heavy for the style and a medium+ overall. Alcohol presence is a medium. The balance is decent between malt and hop character. 4

(Drinkability) This goes for bitterness shock more than anything else, and that might just be the ticket to try this beer out. The balance is great between malt and hop character, but people who like a bright, citrusy hop-led aroma in their beer may feel let down by the spicy, piney character that this beer has. 4.25

New Belgium Brewing's
Ranger India Pale Ale
3.79/5.00

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 21:59:39 | More by Jadjunk

carrionricardo

California

4.11/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Why does everyone say such bad things about this brew.its cheap,its readily available,and its a solid ipa.and it hangs with the big boys.just a easy to go to ipa. i have enjoyed a couple hundred of these in a night(hahaha)and enjoyed every minute of em.better than drinking a corona and at the same price.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 04:17:59 | More by carrionricardo

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.11/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is worth picking up, or having on tap when out to lunch one weekend. I'm a huge fan of Odell's IPA, so I'm usually going to go with it of Ranger, but if I find myself with limited options, this is a beer I'll take and not be too disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 15:07:40 | More by DenverHopHead

PorterLambic

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aggressively poured into a standard pint glass. A nearly 2" tall blanket of off-white foam develops before receding calmly and evenly. The liquid underneath is the color of good honey, a rich amber bordering on orange. Clear with good lacing.
Smell is very hop forward, mostly piney with some citrus aspects as well. There is a light malt note with a hint of vanilla and some very light spiciness.
Taste is hoppy, of course, though more restrained and mostly grapefruit in nature (which I love) with a little pine backing it up. Light malt and a whiff of vanilla (?) temper the hops.
Starts fairly smooth especially considering the style but finishes dry. Not as bitter as one might expect an IPA to be which is fine with this malthead. Overall a nicely done example, somewhere between a typical IPA and an Imperial in drinkability though with the flavor and nose of the standard.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 20:26:02 | More by PorterLambic

kshizzle101

Washington

3.71/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber into pint glass

A - dark golden in color. clear. 3 inch head, bubbly, great head retention, great lacing

S - bitter hops up front, pine?, also with a bready/malty background

T - taste follows the smell, although the malts come through a lot more, and the hops are mellowed, more of an aftertaste

M - medium bodied, good carb.

Overall - i feel like the hops didnt come through in the flavor as i was expecting them too. looks great, smells, great, but not what I would expect from an IPA, has more of a pale ale feel to it in my opinion. This is not my first time having this beer, but first time reviewing. I seem to remember being a lot more hop forward than malt forward. I may try to pick up another bottle and re-review.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:27:07 | More by kshizzle101

BucBasil

South Carolina

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

Poured from the 12oz bottle into a tall pint glass.

A: A nice orange color. Clear with plenty of carbonation within. Head is 3 fingers, offwhite, and lasts a while, leaving nice sticky lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: Obviously hoppy, with grapefruit and pine being the dominant notes. There is a slight balancing malt that is biscuity. There is a touch of some kind of fruit within, but mostly a strong piney hop smell that can be smelled from a good distance away.

T: Nice and hoppy, but not enamel-ripping. Has some balance in there. Big time piney hops up front, with some bitter citrus rind in there as well. Slightly drying in the end, and leaves you wanting more. Somewhat one-dimensional, but ok.

Overall: This is a good solid middle of the road IPA. Not subtle, but not too much in your face to be undrinkable. Right in the sweet spot of bitterness. Very drinkable and flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:12:29 | More by BucBasil

jschwanke84

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Poured from bottle into pint glass. Live review.

A: Pours evenly with a finger white head. Leaves a nice lace. Light gold to copper color. High clarity. Looks like your average IPA. Nothing special.

S: Simple aroma. Mild on the hops. Floral. Very basic. Not much complexity or mixture.

T: Not a lot going on here either. Somewhat bitter and a little hoppy. Minor sweetness that quickly gives way to the hops. Minimal complexity for an IPA but offers the kick you would come to expect. Good yet simple overall.

M: Light to medium body. Sits well and goes down smooth. Seems to be a bit over carbonated for an IPA, but not by much. Has a nice crisp finish to cap it off.

O: Easily drinkable with a nice finish. May be the best value IPA that is widely available. The appearance and scent are average at best so pouring into a glass is not necessary and almost detrimental due to the lackluster appearance. But the taste and body are what you would expect of a solid IPA. This is a great value brew for when you need to pick up a 12 pack for the weekend and an IPA is the only thing that will hit the spot. Nothing special here, but a solid IPA that I would recommend to any beer drinker, not just IPA fans.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:42:32 | More by jschwanke84

jt31914

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle:

A: Nice Golden/Light Amber Color - Caramel/Tan if you will. Great head and really exactly the appearance you want for an IPA. Nice Lacing.

S: Non-existent smell -the beer smells as though it is water. This is the worst part of the beer. Light malt aroma, but that is it.

T: Sweet enough that it goes down smoothly, yet bitter enough to bite the tongue as any great IPA would. Nice caramel malt flavor with a perfect hop bitterness. Great taste!

M: Drinkable, strongly carbonated. Exactly what you want in an IPA. Top Notch brew. I wish there was more aroma, but hardly any hop aroma!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:03:56 | More by jt31914

Flatlands

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Love the can and it was on sale for a darn good price. I craft beer in a big can as 12 oz is not enough and 2 beers is sometimes too much
A-Almost looks like a pilsner! Light and golden.
S-Not bad, you can smell grass, pine and hops
T-You need to let this one warm up a bit to bring out the flavor. It's not a big hoppy IPA, more malt and overall solid balance.
M-A lot like it looks, somewhat light but a good feel. Again, better if it is a bit warmer. This is a good porch drinking beer.
O-not something I would chase down but gotta like the big can and if you are in Colorado, sometimes this one is the only IPA on tap. A decent brew for a big can. For the price, a great value.

Serving type: can

04-21-2013 02:18:08 | More by Flatlands

zac16125

South Carolina

3.81/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Ranger IPA

A: golden orange 1 fingers width night head head, excellent retention and absolutely perfect sheets of lacing

S: real nice floral aromatic hops, se resinous pine and hop spice

T: follows the nose with predominantly floral hops, a fair amount of soapy notes, some tenuous piney bitterness

M/D: lower side of medium body, a touch tou light, appropriate carbonation moderate drink ability

O: not bad but not great. Worthy of a drink but I wouldn't seek it out

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2013 23:33:12 | More by zac16125

TheBrewo

Michigan

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

This beer was served from the bottle at Viceroy in Aspen, CO. It arrived in a pilsner glass, showing a solid goldenrod coloring. It held a two finger head of chunky, cakey tannish bubbles, showing nice retention. Equally as thick sheets of lacing were left around the glass. Carbonation appeared active, and no haze or sediment was noted. The aroma was simple, with standard pale malts, light toast, and metallic yeast. With warmth the hops opened up, giving green grassiness and light citrics. Mixing in were notes of orange flesh and light but spicy wheatiness, like a wit from a distance. Our first impression was that the flavoring was even and refreshing. As we sipped, the taste opened with bitter pale malts, white flour, earthy and dried grass hoppiness, and mild adjuncts for bitterness. The peak showed more sweetness to cut the initial bite, in the form of clean honey, light amber malt base, and mild milky creaminess. The finish came with skunky grassiness of hops, green twigs, mineral, faint boozy airs, and corn husks. The aftertaste breathes of toasted pales, faint wheatiness, mild herbal hoppiness, boozy wash, an raw hop oiliness. The body is medium, and the carbonation was medium. The mouth was initially coated and cooled, but eventual crisp malty dryness streaked the palate with astringency. Each sip gave fine slurp, froth, cream, and pop, especially due to the greatly retained head of foam. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, the best thing about this beer was the flavoring. The blend and balance were certainly there, with robustly fresh hoppiness to balance what was an initially basic grain bill. The latter enhanced throughout, taking in more spice, and even some light phenols. This is an easy IPA, and seemed to fit a relaxing evening well.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:42:07 | More by TheBrewo

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear medium golden yellow to copper in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and orange + amber highlights. The beer has a finger tall creamy dense white head that slowly reduces to a thick and wide ring at the edges of the glass and a moderate amount of very thin film covering about 75% of the remainder of the surface. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit hops along with some lighter floral hop notes. Light notes of caramel malts in the background.

T: Light flavors of caramel malts with a touch of sweetness upfront followed by strong flavors of citrus/grapefruit hops. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness.

M: Slightly less than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp.

O: Well balanced between the sweetness of the malts and the bitterness of the hops but while still having very nice hop flavors. Easy to drink and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:17:34 | More by dbrauneis

Bockrules

New Mexico

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured from the bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a light copper with plenty of small bubbles rising to the creamy, off-white, two-finger head. The head is resilient and stays at least a quarter inch thick all the way down the class while depositing a substantial wall of lacing on the lower half of the glass.

S - Big rush of floral hops of a strong carmel malt background. Fresh tropical fruit comes in once in the glass.

T - Carmel malt and a bit of floral hops upfront. The body is a solid blend of floral notes and light tropical fruit sitting on a tepid caramel malt background. In contrast to most IPA's, the flavor turns more caramel malty as the beer passes over the back of the tongue. Hop resins return for a lingering and satisfying tropical fruit and pine finish.

M - Medium bodied and slightly chewy with adequate carbonation. Overall, this comes off weaker than I would like for the given flavors in this IPA.

Ranger IPA quickly fails to fully live up to its textbook appearance and fresh and inviting nose: falling into the realm of a good, but not particularly memorable IPA. It's certainly is drinkable, and the fact that it is ubiquitously present in the bargain-basement Folly Variety pack (which I've purchased for as little as $6), ensures that I will continue enjoying this in the future. For under a buck a bottle, the value of this beer is hard to beat.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 05:13:26 | More by Bockrules

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

New Belgium Ranger IPA has a thick, spongy, off-white head with excellent retention, a very clear, golden, bubbly appearance, and some lacing left behind on the glass. The aroma is of strong, hoppy pine or grapefruit and sugary malt. Taste is of the same, yet the bitterness is not overly so. Sugar, white bread, and citrus juice are all there. Mouthfeel is high medium and oily, and New Belgium Ranger IPA finishes pretty dry, refreshing, and drinkable. Overall, this is a very delicious beer.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 12:27:41 | More by RonaldTheriot

Lognar

Illinois

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

Pours an orange amber with a finger of sticky white foam.

The nose is a balance of citrus - mango, pineapple - and pine - earthy and resiny. There's a bit of malt sweet and yeast lurking in the background. The potency of the nose faded rather quickly.

The taste consists of grapefruity citrus, floral dry earthyness, and pine; and, a malt sweet backbone. The finish has a long lingering pine bitterness.

The mouthfeel is pretty much what you'd expect, perhaps a bit oily.

Overall, a fairly standard, balanced, and decently complex IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:08:49 | More by Lognar

bmwats

Louisiana

3.76/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a footed tulip.

A: Deep golden hue. Pours about a 1 finger, foamy, white head. Settles fairly quickly, leaving a smattering of bubbles on the surface, and a thick ring around the rim. Heavy beer ring lacing.

S: Subtle but floral hop, accentuated with honey with some freshly cut grass. The combination is excellent, but if you inhale it long enough it kind of reminds you of lemon citrus dish soap.

T: Floral with plenty of lemon and lime citrus with a touch of sweetness.

M: Light and crisp with a bitter, dry, steely finish.

D: You'll come out of the gate fast, but the bitterness will dictate a much slower pace.

Atmosphere is great. Great golden hue, solid foamy head, and plenty of lacing. Nose is a fresh floral hop and sweet experience. Hop is less punchy and more floral, well-combined with plenty of fresh citrus and honey topped off with a dry, bitter finish. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:33:17 | More by bmwats

acevenom

Louisiana

4.01/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter glass. The beer pours clear dark golden with a thick white head and visible streaming bubbles rising from the bottom. The head retreats slowly as it should for an IPA, leaving some nice lacing in its wake. The aroma is of clean grapefruit with some pine. I get some caramel in the nose as well. The flavor follows the smell pretty well. There's some nice bright grapefruit and bitter piney hops in the back. There's also some caramel sweetness from the malt as well as some breadiness. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is sticky and the hop bitterness lingers in the aftertaste. This beer is pleasantly drinkable. This is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 03:56:58 | More by acevenom

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanx Damian74Shensky:

Best by May 12, 2013

Into a pint glass:

A: golden colored body with a two finger white foamy head that rose and settled slowly, decent amount of foamy lacing graced the sides of the glass, carbonation was seen lightly rising in streams

S: floral/light fruit (Simcoe, right?, I'm starting to get my hops straight these days) hops, light malts come through as it warms

T: combined bittersweetness through previously mentioned flavors

M: light to medium, sessionable, bittersweet aftertaste and finish

O: hey, I'm glad I was finally able to try this one as this is a very good AIPA, too bad I can't get any New Belgium in the New England area because I would quickly come back to this one

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 13:47:45 | More by kangarooAdam59

Somebody_Else

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I've been eying this IPA for a while because it is widely available and a little cheaper than most. I got one bottle as a test case and I will say that I am favorably impressed.

A: I drank it straight out of the bottle so for appearance I just rated it the average of the other scores. Frankly, I have no idea how it looks, nor do I much care.

S: I was rewarded with that wonderful Simcoe floral/fruit bouquet as soon as I popped the crown. Good stuff! Smells fresh. My bottle had a drink date of May 19, 2013. My only slight disappointment is that after a few minutes most of the much-revered Simcoe nose had dissipated leaving merely an average IPA smell. Still, great while it lasted! If it had maintained the initial nose throughout the bottle it would have earned a 5. When people see me snorting the fumes coming out of a bottle of IPA they give me strange looks. I just smile and nod knowingly.

T: Entirely acceptable! Look, it's not Pliny, but it is a very fine IPA with great hops taste and bitterness. I would never turn this one down. The fact that it packs all this flavor into 6.5% ABV means I can almost treat it as a session beer and not get wasted after a few.

M: Mouthfeel is a little on the thin side -- for me -- but the hops resins linger enough to give me much pleasure.

Overall: Yes, I will buy this again. It scores many points on a value scale of enjoyment/dollar. I think I'll bring 12 up for the family's Easter dinner. I know some of them will like it!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 23:58:04 | More by Somebody_Else

smg

California

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

A full-headded beer, this one is a careful pour.

Smells fresh and fruity.

Not too extreme on the hops, but very nice, full, and sparkly profile. Clean.

A very well-balanced IPA with a pleasing, refreshing, and not too heavy feel.

Very drinkable, and easy to repeat!

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2013 00:12:14 | More by smg

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

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

Consumed 3/22/13

Note: I picked up a bomber of this from a little shop across from the street from my hotel in San Francisco. Why? Because I drank a sixer of Deschutes Mirror Pond within 24 hours of buying it and I was out of beer. The hotel staff probably thinks I'm an alcoholic. Win.

Appearance: Pours crystal clear, a light caramel color - somewhere between amber and gold - nicely sized, slightly off-white head - leaves some impressive lacing

Smell: Decidedly on the mild side - hoppy, but not particularly potent - orange and grapefruit - mostly peel and pith, a touch oily - a hint of lemon as well - some pine - nicely bready base, pale and some caramel

Taste: A bit more interesting than the smell, and nicely balanced - hoppy, mostly in a pithy, oily way - some resinous pine - actually more bitter than I anticipated, and the bitterness sticks around thanks to the oily character (not a bad thing) - malts are light; they smelled balanced, but in the taste, the hops overpower the pale, bready, crackery malts - some earthiness as well

Mouthfeel: Medium body, nice carbonation, oily aftertaste

Overall: Interesting and drinkable

I'm not a huge fan of the hop profile, as it reminds me of some big, burly DIPAs. However, this doesn't have a big, sweet malt profile. So I actually find it charming in an unexpected way. While I'll be less excited to have this again compared to some other New Belgium offerings, I'll definitely drink this again when it's available on the East Coast.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 06:03:20 | More by angrybabboon