Ranger - New Belgium Brewing

IrishHockey

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into my nifty Founders snifter

Pouring into my glass the beer was a lovly orange gold color with about 2 fingers of foamy goodness. The head disappeared fairly quick.

Smell, grapefruit. It smells good...damn good.

Taste is where some may try to kill me. I think it's about as damn close to a FFF alpha king as I have ever tasted. This beer is top notch. I can't grade it as high as Alpha King (perfection in my book), but this is fantastic. The hops shine in here. I can taste the grapefruit, maybe some biscuit tones, a little earthiness. Wonderful.

Overall I think this is a star. I really like it. At $12.99 for a 12 pack is another point for the beer. Lets face it, most people love craft beer on this site. But how many can afford to pay $10 for a six all the time. It like having a hot chick that knows how to budget a check book. You'll still want to fiddle around with the high priced flavors of the week, but this one will stay in the stable. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 02:11:33 | More by IrishHockey

jjboesen

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The Ranger is one IPA to keep in stock as it is a quintessential version of the style.

It opens in a short burst of froth that slowly dissipates to reveal a spongy head. The body is cloudy amber with moderate lacing. There are strong notes of grass and grapefruit; meanwhile, the Ranger layers the palate with three balanced measures of Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook hops, which finish on a hearty dose of grapefruit at the end.

The mouthfeel is crisp and airy with a few malty bits on the tail, all of which make for a very acceptable session beer. As noted, this is one to keep around.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:54:47 | More by jjboesen

WoodBrew

Illinois

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

I have had this beer before and I am surprised to find that I have not rated it as of yet. Trying the Ranger from a holiday pack recently purchased. The beer has a very nice appearance has a light orange clear color with white head that is leaving a lace. The smell and taste have nice fresh hopiness to it. The taste includes a slight Belgium sweet malt twang common of all New Belgium beers. The mouthfeel is medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:00:32 | More by WoodBrew

Winston_Smith

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the beer that hooked me on IPAs. One of my favorites, if not my favorite beer (though I haven't been all over the country/world). Poured into a short flute glass.

Appearance: Very attractive pale amber color, with a finger and a half of wonderfully creamy, off-white head. It makes for medium lacing all the way down the glass.

Smell: Anyone order hops?

Taste: Starts bitter, then you get a little citrus, then ends bitter. The alcohol isn't overwhelming. A more educated tongue than mine would do it justice. I just think it taste's great.

Mouthfeel: Just the right consistency. Carbonation is spot on.

Overall: If you like IPAs, its a winner. It tastes great, has some nice alcohol content (makes for a nice session, if you've got nowhere to be the next day), and it's also affordable. I compare most IPAs I try to Ranger.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:27:39 | More by Winston_Smith

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This poured with a one inch fizzy carbonated head and tons of lacing. The color was orangish, and resembled an apple cider, which was not particularly pretty. The scent was subtle and floral, with stereo-typical hoppiness but what a beautiful scent that is. This tasted of hops with floral notes, duh, but it is so perfect for what I expect in an IPA. If you have had SN IPA than you have had Ranger, and that's high praise.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 01:34:00 | More by KYGunner

Hopheadjnr

4.35/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into mug

A...perfectly clear yellow with a tinge of orange hue when held to light with a white two diner head. Very little lacing.

S...surprisingly malty in the aroma dept. Very small hint of the hops that I know are in here.

T...nicely balanced. Just the right balance of hops, malt and yeast. Hits you first with a little bit of biscuit then reminds you its an ipa with a nice bitternessand mild citrus. Balanced very well, it all works together instead of one flavor popping out at you.

M...nice carbo on this one. Crisp mouthfeel, nothing too heavy.

O...very good beer. Balanced enough to go down easy but has enough flavor that you want to savor it. Must try, especially in the folley pack. Killer deal for a 12er of some nice brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 01:43:16 | More by Hopheadjnr

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

nUgZ

North Carolina

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

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a nice clear-golden color with a 1 1/2 finger head that fades slowly with nice lacing.

S: Piney and citrus hop aroma, but not overpowering. Somewhat grassy also.

T: Lots of pine and citrus flavors with some malt flavors in the end.

M: Decent carbonation and not too heavy. About right for an IPA.

O: Very good IPA... especially for the price. Not overly bitter and quite drinkable. A great session IPA. I'm very excited to get some cans of it to drink by the pool next summer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 20:17:34 | More by nUgZ

CMUbrew

Michigan

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

22oz bomber into a DFH signature
Reviewed from notes

A: Very nice-looking orange color, white head sitting on top, and plenty of carbonation rising from the bottom.

S: Piney, some citrus, and a little malt

T: Lots of fresh pine, some lemon peel, small splash of grapefruit, and a little bit of earthiness. While all this is going on, the malts sit in the back. This is what I want.

M: Well-carbonated, nice body, just about right for an IPA

O: This is a great IPA at a great price. I would gladly have this again (and I'm sure I will).

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 21:05:23 | More by CMUbrew

jeremyd365

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear amber brown with a light white head. It has a subtle floral bop scent, definitely delightful. Mouth feel is medium with the bitterness apparent. Flavor is grapefruity with solid hop. Good bitter hop aftertaste that's just the perfect strength.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 23:07:37 | More by jeremyd365

Mojo

Alabama

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

This is a nice very drinkable offering. It pours a hazy golden with a 1 finger white head, decent retention, and plenty of lacing. Smell is grass, pine, bread, and maybe some fruit. Mouthfeel is nothing spectacular, but it isn't bad either, about average I guess. Taste is pine and honey followed by citrusy hops. Really a good offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 03:25:12 | More by Mojo

GoldHorde

Minnesota

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

I have had this IPA a number of times now and has quickly become my "new on hand domestic". It has the initial appearance, mouthfeel and taste of an unoffensive domestic pilsner/lager brewed for ice babes but its IPA character is immediately apparent: a) needles on the tongue; b) sinus full of evergreen and c) sharp aftertaste of...something. I have found a wide audience for it; visitors who claim not to like IPA's love it and I have no trouble running out of it.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 08:39:31 | More by GoldHorde

ubenumber2

Arkansas

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

Poured from bottle , nice 1 inch head that held , wonderful lacing ,the smell is hoppy , not grassy or citrusy but just hoppy , the taste is full and what I expect from an American made IPA , over all I will buy this beer again , I love New Belgium beers , so mabye I'm biased due to the fact Im a fanboy for their stuff , but to me this is a really tasty beer

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 22:17:47 | More by ubenumber2

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours an amber color with a huge white head. The head is rocky in nature and has fantastic retention, slowly fading over time to give great lacing.

Smell – The aroma was heaviest of a malt and some piney hops. While these were the most prevalent there were some good strong notes of grapefruit and some sweet caramel as well.

Taste – The taste starts out with some flavors of a light caramel sweetness and a biscuit like flavor. As it advances more the taste dries out with a more biscuit like flavor coming to the tongue as well as some more hoppy flavors. At first the hoppy flavors are almost entirely of a pine nature. This however changes as the taste advances and the pine is joined by other hop flavors of a grapefruit and earthy nature as well. In the end a drier ,hopped flavor is left to linger on the tongue; rather pleasant.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the slightly above average side in terms of creaminess with a carbonation level that was on the lower side. The lower carbonation, while good for the hop flavors, made it a little less refreshing. Overall the feel was fine, although I think a bit more carbonation to make it crisper and more refreshing may have done it well; it is hard to say for sure.

Overall – A nice blend of hop flavors and a bit on the drier side. The brew had nice flavor transitions and a good flavor profile making it a rather nice, affordable, and tasty IPA. I say definitely give it a go!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 02:02:54 | More by Darkmagus82

TGZ32

Michigan

2.8/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A:Pours a thick 2 finger head that retains nicely.. also leaves plenty of lace.
S: Grapefruit and pine
T: Grapefruit and dry pine taste.... Citrus flavor
M: Balanced all around.. nothing special here.. Not too bitter on the tongue, a balanced and approachable feel.
O: better IPAs out there.. this one is pretty typical all around. A good IPA for someone whos never had one before.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 00:29:46 | More by TGZ32

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

Lemke10

Wisconsin

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

I got a 6pk of this from Woodman’s in Janesville, WI.

Pours a mostly clear amber color with an inch head. The scent is weak but there are faint hints of hops and citrus. Taste is smooth and has a perfect balance of bitterness. This is very nicely blended throughout making this a rather easy drinking IPA. Finishes with a slight crisp after taste. Well done New Belgium as usual!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 04:47:28 | More by Lemke10

rlee1390

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Clear yellow orange, some carbonation, two finger fluffy white head.

S-Good deal of hops, citrus, floral and some earthy notes, caramel malt as well.

T-Not as good as the nose, some citrus and earthy notes. Mild to decent bitterness. More Malt heavy than I would have liked.

M-Medium bodied, very slight watery feelings. Nice carbonation though.

O-A good IPA, the problem is there are soo many good-great ones. Better options are out there but with the expansion this could be an easy to get solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 20:36:05 | More by rlee1390

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

SupaCelt

Michigan

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

This pour is beautifully clean with a gorgeous fluffy head that gives way to sheets of lacing. The product is highly carbonated with tiny bubbles that whiz through the sparkling golden clarity of the beer.

The nose is alive with juicy sappy pine and citrus scents. The hops shine with their sharpness and the nose not muddied up by the graininess that a heavier malt bill would bring. Smells crisp and light and delicious and foreshadows a refreshing and quenching taste that is to follow the foreplay.

The taste is grand. A delicious mouthful of everything that is wonderful about simcoe and sparingly administered chinook hops is the first showpiece offered in the tasting. Citrus, pine, and just the perfect degree of bitterness paired with a modest malt profile devoid of any cloying aspects make this brew quaffable to the fullest. This has everything the western block of ipa manufacture has to be noted and praised for.

The mouthfeel is perfect for drinkability. This brew has enough body to support everything with balance and it promotes all of the flavors and characteristics well and lends to superior ease of imbibing.

Overall this ale has what this reviewer has come to love about the west coast version of the ipa style. Colorado may not be on the coast, but the general western usa idea of streamlined and less filling while still utterly delicious is evident here. Spending years chewing down the midwest's drinks, while fabulous to be certain, has made me grow fond of this lighter type of beer and hence I may feel more satisfied than others to whom this brew has been commonplace. New Belgium is new to our market here in Michigan and I am glad that I decided to snag this out of the gas station today as the overrated status of Fat Tire nearly deterred me from finding out what a great little brew this Ranger India Pale Ale is. I will be looking to this in the future!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 04:46:05 | More by SupaCelt

minterro

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought a while ago at meijer right when it came for the first time

A&S: upfront very reiseny and dank hops which settle to a more milder floral and pale grains. Transparent with light fizzy off white head.

T&M: harsh and hoppy, very clean highly carbonated ipa. on the bitter side of even most ipa. Very drinkable.

Overall: Stands out but not in my favorites for the style. Well priced at 2.85 for a bomber though.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 04:41:55 | More by minterro

rajendra82

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The clear body, pale golden color, and the large head made this an attractive pour to look at. The smell dominated by was citric hops, tropical fruit, and pine. The taste followed right along, with a bitter start, a fruity middle, and a piney finish. Mouthfeel was creamy and on the lighter side of medium. Not much of an aftertaste, and not any stickiness either. This beer was firmly in the West Coast school of clean and dry IPA's, and was quite quenching as a result. I usually prefer a bit more malt character in my IPAs, but this was clearly a quality product.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 05:30:34 | More by rajendra82

buschbeer

Ohio

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

22oz bottle
Served in a pint glass

A - It is amber colored with two inches of off white head.

S - I get a blend of citrus and juniper.

T - It started out with plenty of citrus. Through the middle it kind of lost flavor. Then it finished with some pine.

M - Pretty thin

O - It's a decent ipa. I certainly won't rave about it, but it is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 18:45:52 | More by buschbeer

Spiekerbox

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Clear light amber-orange with tall white head that laces the glass.

S- Sweet grain and pine hops.

T- Hoppy from start to finish. Mostly pine hops but there are herbal and slight citrus notes. Sweet malt makes up the backbone of this one.

M- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Bitterness of the aftertaste coats the mouth and sticks around for a little while after you finish the drink.

O- Good but not great, very drinkable IPA that is nice to enjoy a full 22 oz bottle of.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 00:25:52 | More by Spiekerbox

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a bottle of New Belgium's Ranger IPA a couple weeks ago for $2.69 at Meijers. since New Belgium just came to Michigan I thought I should give their IPA a try, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date, but I'm sure it's fairly fresh. Poured from a brown 22oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label is ok, I like the hop cones, but it's not that eye catching. It poured a nice golden yellow color that took on more of an amber and orange color when held to the light with three fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down a thick layer that stayed till the end and left lots of nice lacing. This was a very good looking IPA, the color was nice and the head and lacing were very impressive.

S- The aroma starts off with a slight grainy and bready malt aroma that has a higher amount of medium sweetness and quickly gives way to a good amount of hops that impart some citrus, floral, piney, and spicy aromas with the citrus sticking out the most imparting some nice mango and pineapple aromas. The aroma was really nice for an American IPA and full of citrus hops, I liked the aroma a lot, it's pretty aromatic.

T- The taste is similar to the aroma, but it's not as intense, it starts off with some nice piney hops that give way to some citrus hops that impart those nice aspects that I got in the aroma, it's just lighter. After that comes some slightly sweet malts that impart a thin grainy and bready flavors with a lower amount of medium bitterness and a piney and citrus like aftertaste.. The taste was ok, but I wish it was as nice as the aroma, as it is it's slightly above average tasting.

M- Smooth, crisp, a little dry, a little thin, on the lighter side of being medium bodied, with a good amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was ok, but it felt a little thin and watery to me, still not that bad though.

Overall I liked this beer and and I thought it was an above average example of the style, it had some really nice aspects to it, but it fell a little short when it got to the taste and mouthfeel. This beer had good drinkability, it went down smooth, was a little refreshing, and the flavors did an ok job at holding my attention, one bomber is enough for me, but if I was really in the mood for an American IPA, I could see drinking two of them. What I liked the most about this beer was the appearance and the aroma, they were both really good and the highlights of this beer. What I liked least about this beer was how the taste just couldn't live up to the aroma, the taste wasn't bad by any means, but the hops didn't show up as much as I would have liked. I would buy this beer again when looking for a decent and cheap IPA, but I don't think I will buy it often, I recommend giving this a try to any IPA fan. All in all this beer was nice, it didn't wow me, but I was impressed with some aspects of it and I would call this a pretty solid American IPA, nice work New Belgium a solid beer from a solid Brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:39:40 | More by StoutHunter