Ranger - New Belgium Brewing

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

mjryan

Minnesota

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

A very good IPA. Orange juice and biscuit aroma. Orange peel flavour leads, touch of caramel in the middle with a bitter, pithy finish. Medium light body. An extremely solid IPA. Has a distinct orange fruit hop character, which when coupled with its off dry character and pithy bitterness, really makes for a refreshing beer.

Serving type: can

02-11-2013 04:05:06 | More by mjryan

Dope

Massachusetts

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

A: Pours a clear golden-amber. Huge frothy beige head. Fades slowly, leaving thin but fluffy tendrils of lacing behind. Good head retention.

S: Nice grapefruit hop aroma primarily. Some pine and resin with hints of tropical fruit (tangerine and apricot). Lots of caramel to back it up.

T: Pretty strong resin and grapefruit up front. Not as strong as the aroma would lead you to believe, however. Quite bitter but not overpowering. Big caramel malt sweetens it up in the middle but it fades away into a bitter, resinous finish. Long, drying, resinous aftertaste with hints of grapefruit and tropical fruit here and there.

M: Medium bodied, drying in the aftertaste.

O: A much more balanced example of an IPA than you usually see. Thus, not a hop bomb but perhaps more easily drinkable/sessionable. I enjoyed it tremendously for what it is.

Serving type: can

10-15-2012 01:05:56 | More by Dope

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz can out of the can. I've reviewed this in the bottle before so I'll keep this short.

This smells and tastes like you want an IPA to: dank pine, musk, lemon, grapefruit, with an excellent malt profile of caramel rolls and butter toast. The two compliment each other brilliantly, and keep your taste buds bouncing between rich malt and tangy hops.

Excellent IPA, and a great price. Could drink this all night.

Serving type: can

09-25-2012 10:51:59 | More by jimmah120

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

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

I have had this beer probably so many times it is probably second to only NG Moon Man.

Pours a nice need Gold almost orange in color, very clear about a finger of a nice tight head.

Smell is all over the place with hops, fruity, piney and floral.

Taste is great, big piney resiny hops. A lot of fruit comes to the font with lemon, orange, grapefruit and a slight malt backbone to balance it out.

Mouthfeel has a decent amount of carbonation that really fills it out nicely and makes it a full bodied nice drinkin IPA.

Great IPA, and at a price that will blow your mind, 13.39/12

Serving type: can

09-06-2012 01:52:41 | More by nickapalooza86

devilben02

North Carolina

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

Pours a mostly-transparent yellow-orange color, with a thick, fluffy head. The aroma features a prototypical Cascade hop profile, with a fragrant combination of pine and some light citrus, which is balanced by a reasonably substantial malty sweetness. The flavor similarly showcases a juicy combination of grapefruit and pine, with only enough underlying sweetness to keep the assertively bitter hop flavors from overwhelming. The texture is pleasantly light yet resinous, which helps this beer go down relatively smoothly, but it is really the bold, varied hop character that makes this beer what it is.

Serving type: can

09-04-2012 13:24:11 | More by devilben02

vkv822

Oregon

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

tall boy : tulip pint

Clear golden with a foamy, craggy off white head.

Big citric, grapefruit nose.

Citric and grapefruit again upfront, with some resiny hops as well. Just a faint biscuit malt backbone.

Medium-full body, average carbonation.

A well done IPA. Pleasant hop notes and body.

Serving type: can

07-13-2012 08:18:19 | More by vkv822

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

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

16 oz can poured into a New Belgium globe glass.
6.5% ABV, 26 AUG 12 on bottom of can.

A - Ranger is a beautiful deep golden orange hue that vibrantly shines with clarity so one can witness the column of carbonation feeding the rich ivory head. The pile of tight foam cakes the infamous globe in lace as it drops for one sexy looking result.

S - "We're Hoppy, You're Happy" appears on opposite sides of the can's lip, and I can't agree with them more. The overflowing aroma of fresh hops spewing from Ranger is inviting and brings a smile to my face. Juicy lupulin glands share their delicious aromatics with us in the form of sticky pine resin and light citrus zest. Traces of sweet caramel and pale malt float through, but by no means is it showcased beyond balance.

T - Hop flavor is overwhelmed by bitterness in the mouthfeel but that's only because the flavor is very well balanced and drinkable. Pine resin and citrus compounds both emerge first, but a nice honey-drizzled biscuit and caramel malt finish keeps it from becoming too lop-sided.

M - Incredibly smooth and drinkable, Ranger IPA washes over the tongue with grace and class, gently finishing out with a building bitterness and lightly dry, crisp and refreshing finish that remains drinkable enough to satisfy without crippling the tongue.

O - My wife is a discerning hop head that's fairly picky about her IPAs without coming off too snobby. I don't think she has explored the Ranger yet, but I'm fairly confident she'd really dig this well-balanced yet hop-forward delight because it showcases the hops' citrus and earthy characteristics without bashing you over the head with them. Essentially, Ranger IPA is drinkable and refreshing, something a lot of us want at the core of our beers.

Serving type: can

07-05-2012 23:07:22 | More by BeerFMAndy

GroovyDeus

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

I am not a fan of big IPA's - particularly american IPA's, but this was given to me from a friend returning from out of state.

Appearance: Clear/golden with a nice white head and good carbonation

Smell: All I get here is funky pine/grapefruit. Like a hammer.

Taste: Again, I am not a huge hophead - and this is on the edge of unpleasant to me...but I kept going back to it. It flirts with the edge of bitter but keeps it really interesting with a balance of malt/herbal and floral notes. Interesting enough to keep me wanting more.

Mouthfeel: Light and dry with a long, semi-sweet finish

Overall: NB remarks that this is a 'sessionable' beer...@ 6.5% I wouldn't go that far. This is however, an amazingly interesting beer - good introduction for the hop novice on what notes the simcoe and cascade hops can bring to the party.

Serving type: can

Serving type: can

06-26-2012 21:17:00 | More by GroovyDeus

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

3.5 A: Clear light orange color. Two and a half fingers of frothy white head. Retention is good and a small amount of lacing is left.

3.5 S: Mix of herbal, pine, and citrus hops. Orange, pineapple, and pine are strongest. Lightly bready, but clean overall.

3.5 T: Like the nose. Orange, pineapple, and pine. Moderate bitterness. Light breadiness and caramel.

3.5 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Light creaminess. Good enough.

3.5 D: Easy drinking IPA.

Serving type: can

06-21-2012 23:56:34 | More by DavoleBomb

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

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

Another of my CANQuest (TM) Wants bites the dust, this time thanks to the generous folks at Max's On Broadway in Baltimore! I brought the San Diego Rock Star duo of Colby Chandler (Ballast Point) and Chuck (Green Flash) in on our way to SAVOR from PHL Beer Week and found a number of new CANs during the visit.

From the CAN: "Are Beer Rangers real?"; "We're hoppy/You're happy [or vice versa]"; "Alternatively empowered/Employee owned".

The Crack & Glug was flawless and I soon had two fingers of dense, tawny head with fantastic retention. Where did this humidity suddenly come from?!? As it slowly fell, as foam is wont to do, I was left with some generous lacing in its wake. Color was an orangish-amber with NE-quality clarity and I just remembered that I wanted to ask for a Lovibond scale at SAVOR, dang it! Nose was redolent with pine hops and I was happy that it was hoppy. More truth in advertising. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full and perhaps I have become jaded in my hophead ways, but this did not seem to be anything out of the ordinary. It was plenty hoppy with a caramel malt backbone evident on the tongue, but I was not aroused as I was with the earlier Shift. It could also be that I had it as a Want for so long that it took on mythic proportions ... I dunno. Finish was super dry and as I think about it, this was a pretty darn good IPA, and in a CAN no less. I'd best take my own advice and kwicherbichen.

Serving type: can

06-20-2012 00:53:26 | More by woodychandler

kevanb

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

16 oz tallboy into a pint glass

Ranger pours a nice copper color, very clear, a bit of chill haze with about a finger and a half of white head that has moderate retention but leaves behind some great lacing. The aroma is pleasant, earthy hops, grassy notes, a bit of cereal malt, some floral notes poke out too, nothing spectacular, but a solid example of a balanced IPA. Earthy bitter hops hit the tongue straight away, grassiness comes out as well with some light floral notes, citrus is absent, a bit of stronger malt on the tongue, good balance between the hops of malt, although some of the flavors from the hops are a bit missing and not in harmony, a bit too bitter considering the lack of flavor as well. The body is solid, nice carbonation, not too big and rich, not watery by any stretch, solid for the style.

Verdict: Solid IPA from New Belgium and of the best value IPAs on the market. This made from great drinking on my camping trip, and great drinking when I got home. It's not going to redefine the style or even stand out amongst the giants, but it's going to satisfy you every time.

Serving type: can

06-03-2012 01:17:51 | More by kevanb

BigDoug

Pennsylvania

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

Can poured into a nice little 13oz glass

I can't find this stuff up my way sono bought a twelve pack of it. Glad I did! Best beer I've had on vacation hands down.

Pours out and forms a perfect two finger white head that stays for quite a while. Settles to a solid cap and leaves very heavy lacing on the glass. Very golden yellow in color with good clarity. The cap of foam stays solid every sip and leaves a ring behind on every sip. Looks perfect for the style.

The aroma is the best characteristic of this beer in my humble opinion. Wow. Talk about a showcase of hops. Very complex and balanced. Pine, grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple, marijuana, and a touch of biscuits and sweet caramel to balance the hop fest. Lovely smell. Could smell this all day.

Taste is about on par with the aroma. Very hoppy aromatics popping through on the flavor. Lovely bouquet of hops and a small touch of smooth malt to tame it down. The flavor would be a 4.5 or even a 5 of the bitterness came through more. It's just a bit too mellow for as much aromatics there is and how hoppy it is. Needs a nice clean sharp bitterness coming through to make this a fantastic IPA. It's almost like a major hopped up Pale Ale and seems more like 35-40 IBU's as to what it claims as 70 IBU's. Nonetheless, still a fantastic tasting beer!

Mouthfeel is lacking a bit. This is the beer's weak point in my opinion. A tad thin and watery. Smooth, which is nice, but would benefit having a touch more carbonation. Not a lot more, just a little more. If this had a pinch more body and a pinch more carbonation, it'd be spot on. But, unfortunately, it's a bit on the watery and undercarbonated side for me.

Overall, this beer kicks ASS! Might be the most sessionable IPA I've ever had to be honest. But, the reason it's so sessionable may be because it's more like a hopped up Pale Ale than an IPA. More bitterness and body would make this an INCREDIBLE IPA! So sad they don't sell this where I live because I would buy this all the time. One of the best beers I've ever had out of a can next to Dale's Pale Ale.

Serving type: can

06-02-2012 00:26:34 | More by BigDoug

yamar68

Minnesota

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

Pours a clear yellow gold. Some great lacing on top of a hit or miss few finger of white head.

Nose is pleasant. Floral, soft bitter, very clean, some evergreen characteristics.

Taste is about as smooth as you can ask for as far as IPAs go. Extremely balanced and contained. The appropriate flavors make an appearance but nothing really takes a lead role.

As mentioned, this is about the most drinkable IPA that I can think of. Perhaps the original 'session IPA'?

Serving type: can

05-30-2012 03:37:34 | More by yamar68

muletrane

Pennsylvania

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

Best by 7/22/12

Poured from a tall boy can in a CBS snifter.

A: Pours a clear pale orange color. Two fingers of frothy white head with good retention and lacing.

S: A lot of caramel malt up front with a nice blend of citrus and pine mixed in.

T: There is a nice balance between the caramel malt, citrus and pine up front. More pine and bitterness come through in the finish. Some breadiness in there as well. Dry and clean.

M: Pretty spot on for the style. Nice moderate body with moderate carbonation.

Overall this a very solid IPA. Nicely balanced and easy to drink. This is my first New Belgium brew and I'm enjoying it!

Serving type: can

05-24-2012 14:05:28 | More by muletrane

MattyG85

Minnesota

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

Poured from 16 oz. can into a New Belgium Globe glass. Date on bottom of can says 15 Jul 12.

Appearance: Pours a deep and clear amber orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. Solid three fingers of white head with decent retention. Leaves lots of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A nicely strong and vibrant mix of citrus hops and herbal grassy hops. Good hints of grapefruit, orange, pineapple, and lemon. Some pine resin and grassy hops lingering around. Also a good background of caramel malts. Smells like a good and fresh hoppy IPA.

Taste: Like the aroma, but maybe not quite as strong with the hops. Citrus hops with notes of grapefruit, orange, lemon, and pineapple. Light hints of pine resin. Hops are also fairly grassy. Good backbone of lightly sweet caramel malts. Hop forward taste but well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Somewhat chewy, juicy, and very drying finish.

Overall: A solid American IPA. Hop forward but not overly bitter. Well balanced by the malts.

Serving type: can

05-18-2012 07:10:10 | More by MattyG85

Veristic

Tennessee

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

16 oz. can of New Belgium Ranger poured into a Sculpin pint glass, consumed on 4/24/12. Best by date: 7/22/12.

A- Crystal clear! Most definitely filtered, you can bet that! Golden-amber body with some bright yellow highlights. Nice one finger off-white head with good retention, eventually fades to a nice crown that sticks around to the end. Spotty lacing.

S- In the can it smells like a Cascade citrus bomb, then comes a little pine and sweet malt. Once poured it stays about the same, smells good. Once it warms, some very light tropical fruit notes and bready malt.

T- Pine & citrus, orange pith/peel bitterness, maybe a hint a grapefruit. Moderate to moderate-high bitterness. Decent amount of pale malt that hangs around through the finish. Much like the smell, once warm, some tropical notes emerge, mango maybe??

M- Medium-light body, only slightly thin. Moderate carbonation. Finish is fairly dry. Run-of-the-mill mouthfeel really.

O- A solid IPA from New Belgium.

Serving type: can

05-12-2012 04:30:03 | More by Veristic

stakem

Pennsylvania

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

Big thanks go to Kegatron for gifting me with this pounder can. Poured into a standard pint glass, this brew appears a perfectly clear color of pale gold with a yellowish stained cap that is more than a finger strong and is composed of rather large bubbles. As the cap fades, it leaves some patches of lacing effect on the glass.

The aroma is minorly pine-like and herbal with a grassy inclusion of hops that blends into a bit of a mineral aspect. Mild hints of citrus and some faint candy sweetness scent. This brew is all about the hops in the aroma and while it isn't bold and aromatic, it is concise, mild and enjoyable without fault.

The taste is minorly bitter with some faint herbal grassy quality that blends into herbs, a bit of pine and some mineral to citrus notes. A bit of toasty grain is present making this a nicely balanced ipa without any residual sweetness. The backend has some rindy notes of bitter peel that are a cross between grapefruit and/or orange with a hint of cheese and sulfur.

This is a light bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. It is crisp and easy drinking. Not an ipa that is groundbreaking or something to sell a kidney over but this is something fitting of the style and something I would reach for to drink effortlessly while doing yardwork. Thanks for sharing Heath!

Serving type: can

05-10-2012 01:52:46 | More by stakem

TheHopHeadGirl

District of Columbia

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

Great beer in a pint can for $3 @ Argonant on H street in DC! The best ipa deal in the city! IBU 70 & 6.5 etoh. One of my fav beers to driink a lot of. The can is even cute...it reads "we're hoppy" and "you're happy" on each side of the can where the drink hole is.

Serving type: can

05-04-2012 01:58:49 | More by TheHopHeadGirl

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

16 oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a bit foamy out of the can but does settle out into a clear copper, with 2 fingers of rich bright-white head. This retains with a big frothy dollop in the middle of the glass, leaving back heavy swathes of soapy lacing that cling to the sides. The aroma smells equal parts floral and herbal, with fresh zesty citrus character and then lighter notes of pine and spice. Sweet malt firms up the back of the nose and helps push those fresh hops forward.

The taste is fresh bitter grapefruit with some more leafy and herbal tones working their way in. Pale malts offer up their beady sweetness for balance and to just generally lay a nice foundation down for those hops build off of. The finish is dry and resinous with some lingering bitter pith that sticks to the tongue. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with an easy slick creaminess and just enough sharpness on the tongue to help zing that grapefruit and pine a bit. Some warmth does draw out some of the more assertive aspects of the hops but the overall ABV is mostly pretty darn well hid here.

I think that I had stayed away from this beer so far based on early mediocre reviews for it but man, after finally trying it, I really regret not having done so sooner! This was a really tasty, well balanced, and quite quaffable American IPA with a fresh power to the hops that I wasn’t really expecting. Nice job New Belgium and I’ll definitely be picking up more of these up next time I’m next time I’m in the mood for some canned Craft.

Serving type: can

04-26-2012 17:12:36 | More by Kegatron

ChiPool

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

16 oz can into Duvel tulip.

A: Amber; 2 inch head; nice lacing

S: Malt grain; Faint resinous hop

T: Slight citrus hop/grapefruit with malt really coming through

O: Not bad. Hard to pass Torpedo at the same price for 4-pack cans. Decent offering, esp for pint cans. Sessionable IPA. Not memorable.

Serving type: can

04-26-2012 01:33:47 | More by ChiPool

bsp77

Minnesota

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

Rarely re-review based on serving type, but my can experience was more positive:

Serving glass: Poured from can into Nonic Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Clear yellow-gold with foamy white head and impressive lacing lines.

Smell: Citrus, sweet toasted and biscuit malt, maybe slight pine.

Taste: Strong citrus flavor with the expected New Belgium biscuity backbone. Slight spice and pine at the end leading to a decent lingering bitterness. Tastes exactly the way I would expect a New Belgium IPA to taste.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, medium smooth & creamy body, dry finish.

Overall: While it tastes similar in the can and bottle, the mouthfeel from the can is better and the overall drinkability has simply improved. Still not one of my favorites by a long shot, but quite nice.

Serving type: can

04-13-2012 22:35:58 | More by bsp77

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

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

Poured into a pint glass from a 16oz can.

Pours a golden transparent yellow with a nice 1.5 inch head that is quite frothy and dense. The head retention is insane and recedes slowly leaving some nice lacing. Quite typical look.

Aroma of malty grain followed by some flowery grassy hops and some nice tropical citrus notes. There is some nice juicy pine notes as well. Bready and biscuity malt backbone with some slight sweetness in there.

Flavor starts off with some nice bread toasty malt and followed by some nice juicy tropical hop notes. Nice bitterness notes with some slight resinous pine notes as well. Dry finish with some nice crisp notes.

Pretty good standard IPA. Nice hop juice notes and some good malt backbone.

Serving type: can

04-02-2012 23:01:13 | More by JoEBoBpr

Scotchboy

Idaho

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

12oz can marked February 19th 2012 poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Brilliant clear sunset gold with lots of honey and straw tones...pretty decent white head that leaves some lace.

S: Hops are still front and center after all this time...citrus, light pine, some tropical fruit notes, earthiness, some sweet aromas, possibly caramel, biscuit as it warms.

T & MF: Follows the nose, not overly bitter but finishes with a moderate dryness. All the hop characters from the nose are here as well; citrus notes (orange & tangerine), tropical fruit, some astringent notes, light pine, definite caramel, light to light-medium body, medium to low carbonation.

O A pretty harmonious IPA, everything (hops and malts) work well together, impressive with over a year of age on it. I guess the cans really do help to preserve the freshness.

Serving type: can

03-12-2012 15:28:20 | More by Scotchboy

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

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

Big thanks to Nashvillain for knocking off this want as an extra.

Appearance: Slightly hazed orange with some copper tones. Head is white, sticky, and remains at a decent cap for the duration. Carbonation looks to be on point. Depth of color is solid.

Smell: Fruity with some nice biscuit malt aromas. Chewy and doughy coupled with a hint of pine. Lots of orange and grapefruit. Hops are oily. Nice level of balance.

Taste: Nice hop presence. Some orange zest and pith mingles with a slightly minty finish. Some lingering tastes of tobacco and zest. Malts run to a slightly doughy biscuit. Nice balance. Hops leave a lingering bitterness. Touch of malt sweetness on the back as well.

Mouthfeel: Nice and moderate with a good carbonation. Slightly creamy with a tiny dry finish.

Overall: Very easy drinking. Lots of flavor, but a great balance overall. Could definitely see this as a staple in the fridge...if distribution weren't a factor.

Serving type: can

01-05-2012 05:42:38 | More by Goblinmunkey7