Ranger - New Belgium Brewing

zac16125

Florida

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

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

Oxymoron

Colorado

4.21/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a amber orange color with lighter hues throughout. Crystal clear with a fizzy head with good retention.

The nose has a good hop forward note but some minor malts as well. A more citrus and grapefruit aroma up front. Some minor herbal and touch of orange as it warms. The malt is non-distinct but a good light caramel backing. Some yeast, esters as well. Rose peddles but that is something Im sensitive to.

The taste is similar. A good hop note up front. A good bitterness balance as well as the malt. A more distinct hop flavor versus the nose. A good grapefruit orange and a touch of grassy notes. Some herbal but more of a ester note than hops. Rose peddles. The malt is more distinct with a good caramel and touch of bready notes.

The body is moderate but higher carbonation leaves some carbonic bite that deters from the astringency. Some lingering yeast notes and good hop presence. Overall a very good IPA with great drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2013 04:39:57 | More by Oxymoron

Bernardkowalski

5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Absolutely one of my favorite beers!! honestly can go good with anything, but you are better off enjoying this beer by itself. it has so much too offer, such great combination between the yeast and malt's making this an outstanding brew. you can put this on my list of top beers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2013 00:22:41 | More by Bernardkowalski

ZachKelly

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Big fan of IPA's. Trying to try them all.

Better on tap than out of the bottle.
Nice color and a very appealing hoppy smell.
Great bitter hoppy flavor. Strong citrus notes.
My one 'problem' if you can call it that is that it lingers in my mouth for long after I drink it. But I really like the flavor so I can't complain too much other than it leaves my mouth feeling a little sticky. Love the hoppy aroma and bitterness. Definitely a winning IPA that I recommend for anyone who likes them.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 02:52:24 | More by ZachKelly

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Todd English PUB in Las Vegas. This review is taken from notes.

The bar served this beer in a chalice glass. The coloring is orange with minimal cloudyness. The foam wasn't there, but I think that was from a generous pour by the bartender.

The flavoring on this beer was awesome. I really like the amount of citrus in there. The aftertaste was very clean. There was only some light bitterness.

This is a very good example of an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2012 00:59:08 | More by ummswimmin

NiceTaps

New Jersey

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

On tap in a pint glass.

A- golden orange/copper color with 1+ finger head that leaves good sticky lacing.

S- It has all the IPA aromas; lots of citrus, lemon and grapefruit, some pine, some malt back there, too.

T- Citus flavor dominates. A little pine and malt for balance.

M-Cool, thin mouthfeel makes it an easy drinker. Tingles.

O- The best offering that I've had so far from this brewery. It's a drinkable IPA that I'll look forward to having again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 21:08:13 | More by NiceTaps

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap into a shaker glass at the New Belgium Hub at the Denver Airport

A- Poured a clear copper color with high streaming carbonation and a soapy head that left some glass coating lace

S- Huge pungent candided grapefruit, dank, and pine aroma. This is one aromatic IPA

T- Very assertive bitterness, sweet candied grapefruit hop flavor, big piney notes, some dank flavor, and some sweet caramel malt character

M- Highly carbonated (maybe a little overcarbonated), finishes dry, pretty refreshing

O- This beer has the hop profile I love in my IPAs, it does remind me of Fat Head's Head Hunter, Green Flash West Coast IPA, and Stone IPA but with less astringency than those beers. It was also maybe a little overcarbonated, but this one is a winner.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2012 21:09:16 | More by Hoptometrist

Keffa

Ohio

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

20oz "pint" glass poured at the Tilted Kilt, Myrtle Beach SC.

Live review.

A: Pours a golden, copperish orange yellow, nice 1.5 finger head settles after a few minutes into a thin cap, but leaves lacing EVERYWHERE. Nice.

S: Floral and citrusy hops, and that's about it. Not much else in the nose.

T: Floral, citrus, and slightly resinous hops up front, followed by a lightly sweet malt and some light bitterness. ABV is well hidden, with only a tiny hint in the throat after a sip or three.

M: Medium body, but carbonation makes it seem lighter than it is, a little oily and coating. Finishes dry, with a long, yet mellow, bitterness.

O: This is a very well put together IPA, and I am surprised it doesn't get more attention. This is super easy to drink, has good flavor, and to be honest, is one of the better examples I've had. Recommended.

Edit: 6/18/2012

After having 2 bottles out of a 6 pack, I'm sure that my first rating of a 4.03 was too low. Aroma on the bottled version I got tropical fruit, pine, resin, a slight sweetness, dry toast. Taste, same things. Reminds me heavily of Columbus IPA, and I love that beer. I'll be buying the hell out of this one if New Belgium comes to Ohio.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 18:29:20 | More by Keffa

Con-a-sewer

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

On tap at "rookies" in Visalia ca

A: a pale burnt orange minimal head dissolved quickly a soggy lace

S: grapefruit some herbal notes

T: very fruity and spicy followed by pine then a metallic bitter finish

M:very drinkable and well carbonated it felt dense but maybe because of the great aroma and flavors this is loaded with

O: I enjoyed this I had this and lagunitas IPA last night I gave them the "head to head" challenge Ranger had them beat in the complexity of flavor and aroma, I only have one problem with this beer and that would be the after taste it had so much fruit and spice that the flat metallic bitter finish was to me disappointment.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2012 16:06:34 | More by Con-a-sewer

estlinska

Arkansas

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served many times in bottle and draft, this is reviewed from a draft pour at Gusano's in 3/13. Poured into a standard large shaker. It's a burnished brass color with excellent light penetration and great clarity. Pillowed with lots of pure white head and sticky lacing all over the glass. It's an overall very fine looking beer. The nose is a bouquet of hops, full of pine and citrus oil that's a good smell for a good IPA. Malt is very subdued overall. The taste is very indicative of the nose as well. It has strong bittering without being overly harsh, very much like orange rind and smacking with some citrus fruit juice as well. Bittering is well done and finishes strong. Full mouthfeel with good carbonation overall. I think this beer is a very quality representation of a good IPA. It's a good standard of the style and does well what it sets out to do.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2012 00:48:57 | More by estlinska

bump8628

Oklahoma

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

On tap at the brewery...and the Denver airport, and pretty much everywhere I went in Colorado. A solid IPA. Layered and complex hop flavors. Pine, orange, lime, and thyme. Clean, dry malt, a bit of candy-like sweetness. Perhaps slightly undervalued by the beer community since it's not exploding with hops, but it's extremely well crafted, balanced, and flavorful.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2012 20:46:35 | More by bump8628

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

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

Served on tap into a mug at Olde Town Pub. From notes.

A: Pours a typical golden amber/copper color with a one finger, off white head with average retention and lacing.

S: This smells like it's more citric in its hop character than the bottled version, which is a good thing. Nicely hoppy, but not overbearing.

T: A nice initial salvo of tropical fruits (grapefruit, mango, apricot) is by far the best part of this. This flavor gives way to a malty mid-taste and a subtle finishing bitterness. Balanced like an IPA should be.

M: Medium bodied with moderate finishing dryness and carbonation. Quite refreshing.

O: Wow, this is definitely much better on tap rather than out of the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2012 21:03:10 | More by ThisWangsChung

DocJitsu

California

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lager-clear golden copper. No head, but that's likely because the waitress filled the pint glass to the top--I love America. Bouquet is a grapefruit-pine cone-confectioner's sugar purée. Prevalent pine flavor that is less vibrant than the bouquet. Mouthfeel is pillowy for an IPA. Smoother finish than I'm used to with this type of IPA. Very good, drinkable IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 23:10:27 | More by DocJitsu

cagocubs

Illinois

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

For whatever reason I never took any initiative to try this IPA. Which sucks, because this stuff is good.

A: Pours a nice copperish gold with a modest white head that maintained with some lacing.

S: Great aroma with the classic citrus and hops coming together. Secondary nose is of fresh pine, some florals.

T: A nice hop bite with the citrus/pine giving a good bitter aftertaste. Some sweetness is present with the citrus.

M: Feel is typical of most IPAs, aftertaste was nice.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 01:47:19 | More by cagocubs

jethrodium

California

1.28/5  rDev -66.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

On tap. Pours a clear light amber with a small white head that has decent retention and leaves some light lacing on the glass. The aroma is pine and dank hops, some light caramel, sugar cookie, and a lot of butterscotch. Quite nasty. The taste is sweet with piney and dank hops, caramel, and tons of butterscotch and buttered popcorn. Nasty butterscotch finish with a light bitterness. Medium body. Medium carbonation. This is one of the worst beers I've had. I only had a couple ounces of it. I'm assuming it was a bad batch, but I won't be ordering it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2012 19:17:34 | More by jethrodium

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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.

Served draft to a glass mug.

A - Pours crystal clear golden amber color with 2.5 finger white head and solid lacing.

S - Strong pine and citrus hop characteristics. Hints of sweet crystal malt.

T - Starts off with strong grapefruit and orange hop flavors. Strong bitterness follows with a mellow pine flavor. Finishes crisp though not much in termsof malt flavor.

M - Medium carbonation and mouthfeel.

D - Very drinkable beer. Unlike a lot of IPA's which are too bitter or pack too much bite this is a nice alternative.

Overall, Ranger is a solid offering from New Belgium. I really enjoy the hop character though it could use a bit of malt to balance out a little more but it's a good beer. I would recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 01-16-2011 14:31:33

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 22:39:20 | More by hopfacebrew

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap in a pint.
Being from NY I jump at every opportunity to have a New Belgium. I've had Ranger once before, a few months back and really enjoyed it. Now for a live tasting.
Had a Max's in Baltimore. Pours a deep golden with no head but descent lacing. Smells of hops. Done.
Taste is of hops, yes. But also of citrus and floral piney undertones. Not overhopped, but a good amount to spark even the conditioned hop palate. Drinkable, tastey, and well crafted.
I couldn't wait to have this on tap since my last. Its as good as I remember.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 01:02:04 | More by DrinkSlurm

Onenote81

North Carolina

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

Had this on tap at First Street Draught House to start my lunch out. Came out in a New Belgium tulip glass. Nice dark orange with a thick, rocky, white head on top. Great sticky lace all over the glass after each sip. Big notes of citrus, flowery hops, and slight astringent alcohol burn.

The mouth is crisp and full. Alcohol fills in the gaps. Big smack in the mouth bitterness right away. Sharp slightly scalding bitter burn. Sweet orange and melon on the back end, but it fleets away as the bitter aftertaste takes over. This is much more bitter than I remember from the bottle. A good IPA that will cure my "bitter" fix any day.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 18:42:03 | More by Onenote81

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was served at Bennigan's in a tall pint glass.

Appearance- It is a gold body with some amber in there. Just a little bit of carbonation can be seen in the glass. I really enjoy the half-finger foam cap. It is white and has amazing retention.

Smell- There are citrus fruit notes here. Also a little bit of floral aromas are coming through. Otherwise not much going on besides a little malt scent.

Taste- Okay, pretty decent hop profile, but not really overwhelming. Again, the estery hop notes are there. The citrus isn't punching through really hard which allows it to be a little more herbal and floral on the tongue. The finish is pretty bitter, and hints at some smooth malt. There is a little bit of hop funk that I am catching every drink, but not hard enough to really detract from the overall taste.

Mouth feel- Ranger has a decent mouth feel. It is more medium bodied, but there is something going on that is keeping it from being creamy or very smooth. Maybe not enough carbonation? I am not really sure, but it is almost there.

Overall- This is by all accounts, a well balanced IPA that lets the floral and herbal notes really ride the wave, while providing a citrus and biscuit malt background. The mouth feel is decent, but could go down smoother. And it really looks the part, so many rings of lace in my empty glass. Definitely give this one your time.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2011 18:24:06 | More by Pintofbrown

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

On at Elliott's pour house the other day.

The beer pours a copper amber color with good head retention and lacing. Don't get a whole lot on the nose... just some sweet malt (very fat tire like) and some underlying dry citrus. On the palate, this beer tastes like fat tire, but with some additional hops added. It's essentially a hopped up version of Fat Tire. Like fat tire, the beer is fairly malty, with flavors of baked apple and light cherry. However, there is a little bit of dry citrus as well, and the finish has some bitterness and is a bit more dry (when compared to fat tire). Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, and I don't detect any off flavors.

Mehhh... why bother to make a beer like this New Belgium? Fat tire is fine for what it is, and I don't require a hoppy version of the beer. I just don't get it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 19:34:15 | More by johnmichaelsen

chinchill

South Carolina

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

Pours a amber-copper; clear with a moderate head. Off-white head is frothy with good retention.

Smells of fresh hops, lots of hops, with a barely noticeable malt background and some fruitiness. Hops aroma is mainly piney but with a bit of citrus. Aroma and flavor are an excellent mix of 3 hop varieties -- Cascade (citrus), Chinook (floral/citrus), and Simcoe (fruity). Taste is nicely bitter [IBU =70]. Excellent clean finish with plenty of lingering hop taste.

M - clean and crisp with medium body and carbonation.

This is a very solid American IPA that is easy to recommend. now widely available in SC.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2011 20:02:04 | More by chinchill

claspada

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On Draft at Spider Kelly's in Arlington/Ballston, VA.

A clear, copper-toned body with a small, thin, white head that leaves a nice coating of lace.

Aromas begin with lightly scented pale maltiness quickly gives way to hoppy notes of oily lemon peels and grapefruit pith.

The tastes begin with mild mannered pale malts which deliver flavors of bread and a brief caramel sweetness. The hops are predominately citrusy with a good dose of both peel and pith, though some additional white pine is also present. Medium-plus bitterness. Finishes appropriately dry and bitter.

The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with medium carbonation. Slight, slick oiliness to the mouthfeel.

Overall this was a fairly decent IPA, but nothing to write home about. I can say I enjoyed it more than Bells Two Hearted which I had right after this; the flavors weren't as enjoyable with that beer, although the overall flavor profile wasn't too different. It's a tad light in terms of maltiness. Worth a go if you stumple across it but no need to search out in a world with hundreds of better offerings probably in your own back yard.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 16:19:05 | More by claspada

jsprain1

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear golden-orange. One finger white head leaves pretty good lacing.
S- Somewhat sweet, with a light honey/biscuit note, as well as a citrus aroma.
T- Pleasantly hoppy up front with a citrus/floral flavor. The sweetness that has honey qualities balances it out.
M- A little less dry than the average IPA. Medium light body. Very smooth.
O- A solid IPA, and at the price, it's a good purchase.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2011 02:09:09 | More by jsprain1

Phelps

Arizona

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

Enjoyed in a shaker pint at Casey Moore's.

Perfectly clear honey. One finger of pure frothy white head descends slowly, leaving thick walls of toothpaste-froth lace.

In the nose: honey, soft biscuits, orange peel, a bit of grass and flowers.

Heavily bitter flavor. Light bits of honeyed biscuits before grassy, floral hops and pithy citrus peel hit. Nice background sweetness.

Highly carbonated, these bubbles are peppery and almost painful. Heavily bitter and medium-light in body.

I first tried Ranger when it premiered, and it may be that my palate has developed substantially since then, but this isn’t as bright as I remember. Drinkable enough, but nothing more exciting than your average large-brewery workhorse IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2011 22:24:43 | More by Phelps