Ranger - New Belgium Brewing

rajendra82

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
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 -9.4%
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 -4.2%
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 -1.6%
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

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A not too dark, yellow with some red hues, and looking different than many IPA, not so much tannic orange. Didn't pay any attention to the head. Sometimes don't even care. Anyway, nose is fresh pine and some fruit and sweetness. Smells balanced. Taste confirms the balance, a hoppy and distinctive citrus rind, and fruit, and balsam, supported by a nice, but not overdone malt presence. I really like the taste. Bitter notes persist, inviting another drink. Mouth-feel is terrific, carbonation moderate. Great for the price and newly stocked nearby, I'm sure to have another soon.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 21:12:16 | More by Bitter_Echo

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
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

Mitchster

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$3.99 for a 22oz bottle @ Bevco. Meijer had them for $2.85 so loaded up on them. Brewed with Pale and Crystal 120 malts. Hopped with Chinook, Simcoe, and Cascade. 6.5% ABV, 70 IBU's, 187 kcal/12oz.

Pours out to a sparkingly clear bright medium gold, forming a tall bone white head that is exceptionally sticky and forms solid sheets of lace. Carbonation is moderately strong, ~2.8-3 carbs. The aroma is pungent with grapefruit, skunkweed, pine and cat pee. The mouthfeel is very crisp and clean with a dry finish. Medium bodied. The taste is a recap of the aroma, displaying those hop qualities beautifully well. The hops are very well balanced with the malts, letting the malt character shine through without being cloying or syrupy. Medium firm bitterness, but not overwhelming for an IPA. Clean finish, no off-flavors or aromas.

A really great IPA in the west-coast style. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 20:59:59 | More by Mitchster

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +15%
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 +3.7%
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

Jsteez

New Mexico

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a dimpled mug.

A-Brassy, copper-orange color. An off-white, soapy, bubbly,thick head. Nice creamy lace on the glass throughout consumption. Low-carbonation in the glass.

S-Hoppy, bready, malty, citrusy, and some floral notes.

T-A hint of pine and oak; dry and hoppy; it was sweet going in, with a bitter aftertaste. Quite a floral-oak-malt-pine-lemon zest flavor. Slighly sweet to some degree. Low carbonation. After I drank it for a while, the alcohol became much more noticeable when warm.

M-Refreshing and bitter. A little wet and medium/full bodied.

Overall, this beer is pretty good and it really goes well with anything you want to eat. New Belgium does a great job taking note of the details to make a great brew. So maybe they will perfect this one in the future. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 07:01:20 | More by Jsteez

MagicJeff

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter

Appearance: Golden copper with a nice white head retained throughout drinking.

Smell: Grapefruit citrus and slightly sweet caramel malt. Slight funky lemon with some grass

Taste: Earthy grapefruit slightly balanced out with the caramel. After drinking for a while the alcohol is more prevalent yet the beer remains drinkable. Nothing too complex yet I keep wanting to drink more. Great stuff.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with nice carbonation, surprisingly dry finish after tasting such juicy fruits

A great "go to" beer. Something worth buying a case of and serving at a party. Nothing too complex but a solid take on the style. Worth having again and again. Also pretty fun to cook with!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 21:39:57 | More by MagicJeff

Shibbykaiyai

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As most of the other reviewers have pointed out, this is a good IPA....just not a great one. But I am happy they finally made it to Michigan as this means the other New Belgiums are hopefully following behind.

I enjoyed the hoppy smell upon opening the bomber and it goes down quite well, a little blah and with a decent mild kick of hoppy-ness.

At $2.99 for a bomber, this is perfect. Bump it up a couple bucks and put it in the same price category as the better ipa's, and I would imagine I would stay away. Not bad, just not much to distinguish itself.

And what happened to the old cool labels NB used to use. This one looks like something someone created in the 90's on an old Tandy.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 18:58:07 | More by Shibbykaiyai

vfgccp

New York

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Nice, clear apricot gold body. Pillowy white head with great retention and lace.

S - A shade light. Woody hops, touch of copper, and honey.

T - Resiny bitter hops dry out the opening and center of the profile. Green grass and lemon zest on the backend with a dry woody finish.

M - Light, crisp medium body.

O - Not bad at all. One of the drier IPA's I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 23:22:11 | More by vfgccp

Hopscat

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into 8 oz glass ( hotel). Appearance is golden and clear with creamy solid head that falls to puddle of foam with some lacing. Smell is very piney and earthy. Label indicates Citra, Simcoe and one other hops variety. Not that experienced with IPAs but the pine smell is really forward. T- pineapple and citrus sweetness followed by malt backbone in the middle and very good hops tartness on the finish.
M- medium bodied feel with good carbonation tingle on the tongue.
O- I really liked the smell of this ale. It brings to mind the big outdoors. Probably good to drink outdoors or while camping. Very refreshing and drinkable. Has the lingering tangy bitterness I like in this style.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 17:59:41 | More by Hopscat

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Pours golden with a long lasting, white, fluffy head. Aroma is of orange fruit, citrusy hops, biscuit malt, caramel and ripe fruit. Body is full and crisp. Taste is citrusy hops, biscuit malt and ripe fruit. The finish is long, greapfruity. There are much better IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 23:34:39 | More by mikeg67

Living816

Northwest Territories (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

An almost excellent IPA that is killed by the overpowering malt notes. The initial smells are obviously hop -- grassy, citrus, but then you get smacked with the yeast and caramel which don't fit with the bright flavor. It's a bit like topping a caramel sundae with grapefruit zest and mint.

When the taste hits, there's a decent balance of bitter and sweet, but this comes at the cost of the overpowering maltiness that just won't quit. The more the beer warms, and the more I drank the more I couldn't get beyond it.

It's a hop bomb and a malt bomb all in one. And odd combination.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 12:39:50 | More by Living816

bundy462

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden tan with a big frothy head, lacing all the way down.

S: Floral, pine, citrus. Grassy tones underneath.

T: Smooth yet prickly, juicy citrus tones.

M: Smooth and prickly on the tongue.

O: Good IPA, in the better half, but not quite top tier.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 05:20:52 | More by bundy462

alysmith4

District of Columbia

2.58/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Not a bad IPA, just not one of my favorites. The taste is a little lacking in flavor, in my opinion. It's just a bit one-dimentional. Appearance and smell are just about average, and the taste is mildly hoppy. Not much else to report. I've picked up this beer several times from the grocery store when there aren't many other options, but I'm usually not all that thrilled with it.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 17:21:36 | More by alysmith4

fields336

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: aggressive pour yields 2.5 finger fluffy white head, clear amber light gold brew, lacing is tremendous, as is clarity.

S: huge simcoe notes, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, yum. slight caramel

T: grapefruit, slight pine, pineapple, mango, mmm

M: perfect mouthfeel for an IPA, medium body, decent dryness but not bone dry.

O: a great IPA at a great price. love this beer

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 03:07:55 | More by fields336

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's been quite a long time since I've had anything from New Belgium. Oh. I did have that Abbey on-tap not too long ago. Okay. It's been quite a long time since I've had anything from New Belgium, on bottles.

Slightly floral and silky ipa. Leans forward with some perfume tones and fairly clear floral character. Salty pine body seems to dominate the scene. It's got a good consistent profile and an even flavor. I can dig it. As I tend to say with so many other beers: this might be interesting on cask.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 22:40:03 | More by RblWthACoz

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a pint glass, color is copper with a great fluffy off white to light tan head that sticks and laces well.

Smell is piney, lightly fruity with an undertone of pale malt with a light toastiness.

Taste is very resinous and piney, but not over sweet; there is mild malt flavor but the piney hops are up front with some citrusy undertones.

Mouthfeel is a little spicy and biting but expected for this type of ipa - it does not take away from the taste. Presence is lightly sweet but the bitterness comes through.

Overall, another great tasting brew from NB - just solid hop flavors and malt balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 20:07:46 | More by mvanaskie13

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 4/2010 notes. Poured into a small canning jar. Pours a pale amber with a small fine off-white head. Aroma of herbal hops and light caramel malt. Nice hoppy IPA start with citrus, light malt middle, good sharp aromatic hop finish. Medium bodied. A nicely made IPA. Worth a revisit.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 22:36:08 | More by LiquidAmber

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - a little over a finger of light yellow head that sticks around for a while. Body is clear and a good mostly orange, slight amber in color. Strong lacing.

S - a nice sweet hop aroma. A little pine, good sweet.

T - same as the smell. Hops are slightly harsh. Some sweet candy.

M - nice carbonation and body. A little buttery.

O - a good beer, but nothing special. Often this is the best thing around so I've had a few.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 04:13:23 | More by RuckusDu

klmcmachen

Texas

2.25/5  rDev -40.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I love New Belgium Brewing products, but this was hard to swallow. The smell was very hoppy with a hint of mid-eastern spices. I also smelled something like a desert weed. The taste was not like it smelled. It tasted like grass brewed in hairspray. I was very disappointed. This was my first IPA and I will have to say it will take a lot of courage to try another. Maybe I will have to grow my pallet for this style of beer. I will try some more and if my taste for IPA changes, I may revise this review. Otherwise I cannot say that I like it at this time.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 14:02:26 | More by klmcmachen

IllNate

British Columbia (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear pale amber with nice foamy white head, with good retention. Nice hop aroma, floral and fruity with a nice citrus backing, again it's refreshing not to get hit in the head with a bag of citrus on every IPA. Well bitter as I would expect, with more pine than I noticed in the nose. Floral and citrus and herbal as well. Would like a little more maltiness. Mouthfeel is crisp and puckering, yet decently balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 04:09:06 | More by IllNate