Ranger - New Belgium Brewing

firedog23

United Kingdom (England)

3.05/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I was looking forward to this but was slightly disappointed with it. It has a nice hop character but it lacks a balance with the malt. I would drink it again but wouldn't go out of my way to do so.

I liked the three hops used in it and the head was 1 finger thick which stuck around for most of the beer.

It has a peppery feel/taste which stayed around longer than I would have liked it too.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 22:18:58 | More by firedog23

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Ba Review #87
Served On: 11/13/2011
Glassware: Pint Glass
Labeled ABV:6.5%
Date/ Code: 08JAN12

My beer store just started carrying New Belgium bombers. I paid $3.99 – you can’t beat that!

Look: Light gold color - more yellow than gold. High level of clarity with mediocre carbonation. Head fizzled down to a thin white coating of various sized bubbles.

Smell: Aroma was crisp and hoppy with notes of citrus and Belgian yeast esters.

Taste: Watery mouth feel. First were the citrus and pine notes from the hops. Middle was bitter and rather dry with faint pepper notes that are typical of New Belgium offerings. Finish and aftertaste were very clean with a slight citrus that lingered.

Overall this is a very mild IPA. The hop profile just wasn't as pronounced as I was hoping for. I experienced a similar palate with the New Belgium Hoptober this year. It was an ok brew. I think they may have been shooting for drinkability just like the Fat Tire and Hoptober. Probably won’t seek this out again, but it was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 17:19:52 | More by CraftBeerTastic

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pour was clear yellow with a small head. Didnt smell like much. More alpha acids than anything, but not that much. Lots of powdery sweet malt. The taste follows suit. I dont get much fruit, pine, or anything. Lots of powdery sweet malt, with some bittering presence from the hops. I want more flavor, but just nothing sits there.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 21:06:29 | More by VncentLIFE

prototypic

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Many thanks to csmiley for the bottle.

Ranger pours a golden color. It’s mostly clear and has a slight orange tint when held to light. A soft white head covers the top and rises to about a finger in depth. It recedes to a surface covering quickly and holds there for a bit. Lacing was definitely sticky and moderate.

The nose is pretty average. It’s weak and needs quite a bit more strength. It kicks off with some caramel and toasted malt notes. Smells a tad sweet. I’m not crazy about toasted malts in IPAs. There are some light hoppy notes. They smell mostly citric. Grapefruit and orange are most notable. There’s a light touch of pine, as well. Alcohol is not noticeable. Eh. It’s not bad. Not quite good either.

The flavor is a bit better than the nose. Not quite enough to warrant a score bump. It does have a caramel and toasted malt base. It’s okay. The toasted variety really doesn’t taste that great. There’s a bit of a sweet flavor, but it’s not too strong. The hop profile is okay. It does feature citrus grapefruit and orange flavors. A light piney or grassy flavor is also noted. It leans in the hop direction, but not by much. It is pretty well balanced. Alcohol is light. Finishes with a toasted malt and light hop flavor.

Ranger has a body that’s on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is active, but isn’t quite buzzy. It has a pretty good feel. Better than anticipated. It goes down alright.

Ranger is an okay IPA. It’s not great by any stretch. I’m not a fan of the toasted malt flavor. Just doesn’t mesh well with the hop flavor in my opinion. There are tons of better IPAs out there. This one’s okay. It’s maybe worth a try. Stick with the single bottle if you can.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 02:42:09 | More by prototypic

KeefD

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Crystal clear pale golden color with a huge fluffy white head that fell slowly leaving generous lacing on the glass. Aroma is ripe with fresh orange and grapefruit peel, with a touch of malt underneath it all, a bit herbal and spicy, but really no sweetness and not much enjoyable hop aroma emanating from the glass. Taste is dry, herbal, and with average bitterness. Kind of disappointed that this one doesn't have as much hop flavor as I usually like. Nothing in the way of juicy fruitiness, just dry bitter, peppery hops. This is not the style of IPA that I enjoy most. Malt flavor is barely there, only a dry cracker-like quality. Underwhelming. Light bodied, dry, medium carb, dull, boring. Not getting into this one. It's by no means a drain pour, but it's boring as hell. It seems like breweries are making IPAs just to make IPAs these days. NB should stick to their sours.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 23:52:39 | More by KeefD

Homebrew35

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nice soapy off white head, slightly cloudy golden orange body. Not much of a smell, some american hops of some sort, a touch of sweet carmel malts. Tastes a touch sweet at first, some grassy hop bitterness, touch of citrus. After each sip this finishes quick and quite bitter and dry. Too dry for me to drink a few of theses. Medium body, medium carbing. I wish this had a bigger smell. Thanks mike for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 00:39:24 | More by Homebrew35

Slygato

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Apperance- Has a clear golden yellow tint to it crystal clear

Smell- Has a variety of smells to it can smell the citrus first off then a kind of pine smell with some floral scents to it

Taste- Not bad for an IPA but can be improved seemed kind of bitter and a citrus taste to it

Mouthfeel- Ignoring the taste it is very smooth and goes down well

Drinkability- Not a bad beer would buy again but would probably try to find a better IPA

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 06:39:14 | More by Slygato

BuckeyeOne

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 12 oz. bottle into an Nonic pint glass. A typical New Belgium straw color with a large head and plenty of carbonation. Surprised at the color, frankly. Was expecting an orangish amber, typical of the IPA.

I must say this beer had very little aroma. No pine, no citrus, no biscuity malt even. Smelled like a lager.

I would not call this a hoppy beer at all. Maybe I'm just used to the San Diego-style overly hopped IPA and DIPA. But, this didn't taste like an IPA to me. More like a tame pale ale. Definitely tasted the New Belgium yeast strain. This is definitely a New Belgium beer. Unmistakeable.

The carbonation was good. Gave it an above average mouthfeel. If I forget the mislabelling of calling this an IPA, this would be good on a hot summer day sitting around the BBQ pit. I could put a few away. But, given the number of good, reasonably priced West Coast IPAs that I have access to, I doubt I'll spend my money on this.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 02:19:09 | More by BuckeyeOne

champ103

Texas

3.18/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear golden orange color. A two finger white head forms with good retention. Light lace is left behind.
S: Floral, grassy, piny hops. A grapefruit bitterness lingers on and on.
T: Floral and grassy hops up front. Lots of bland bitterness. Nothing much for balance.
M/D: A medium body that is crisp and dry. The bitterness takes its toll. Not a beer I want to drink a lot of.

Not one of New Belgium's better beers. There is just a strong bitterness and not much else. A one and done for me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2010 03:55:01 | More by champ103

manahansf

Indiana

3.18/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear and pale blonde color with visibly high carbonation supporting the thin and lacy white colored head. The carbonation emits a light and vague sweet hoppy aroma. The flavor is tart and sharp citrus bitterness which is a little out of balance but flows quickly with the light body. The finish is quick and tart but fades into a clean end. Good summer session drinkablity.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 01:33:43 | More by manahansf

SWMeyer4141

Texas

3.18/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drink by July 31st 2011.

Always pass by this and never got it. 1.50 for a single, why not.

Poured aggressively into a pint glass.

Appearance-Clear copper with a beautiful head. 3 Fingers, very frothy with nice retention and nice lacing. Looks good.

Smell-Some Piney hops, sweet malts and some light citrus. Not very pungent but nice flavors are present.

Taste-Initially you don't get much then you get a nice explosion of piney and floral hops with a nice malt backbone. One of the boozier IPAs I've had. It's an average experience throughout, nothing spectacular but drinkable.

Mouthfeel-Light bodied with medium carbonation. It's refreshing, but not too much mouthfeel.

Overall-Lacks depth. Kind of bland, not sure how fresh this bottle was. Still a good beer, slightly dissapointed. I've had worse.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 01:05:21 | More by SWMeyer4141

bobutt

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Just got New Belgium in Maryland, which is nice since it has been 6years since I moved here from Colorado. Went with Ranger because I didn't know it as well as Fire Tire, 1554, abby, etc.

Appearance was great deep gold and long lasting lace.
The smell is over powering sense of hops
The taste is very much like the taste.
the hops make the mouthful a negative and hard to drink. I not a big hops guy, and others like the taste of this beer.

Overall the price is too much for this beer and not made for drinking in a maryland summer heat. more a ski mountain beer. I would not buy this again unless I was hard up for hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 01:32:12 | More by bobutt

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bought a bomber of this for $2.99. IPA's are my favorite style by far, but this one was a bit out of balance for me. Great hoppiness to it and bitter to the max, but it's almost too much and doesn't make for a smooth finish. It's definitely good for a hop fix, but it becomes difficult to even drink without the malts to back it up. Good deal, and pretty good IPA.. but if it was balanced this could be a really good one.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 18:54:38 | More by marlinsfan4

StoutishDan

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

First review of an IPA.

Up until about 3 weeks ago, I had always been repulsed by IPAs, strictly because of the bitterness. BUT for fun I decided to try one - and it turned out to be very nice.

The appearance is clean, good head retention - sticky lacing.

The smell is bitter, floral, and citrusy (but ever-so slightly). All this with a creamy sort of note.

On to the good part - sometimes. The taste is pure bitterness up front. Not much actual taste stands out to me other than bitterness. I do get a little bit of floral hints here and there...that's not bad. But here comes the bitterness again...and it lingers. Some people might like that, but as far as the bitterness: it's nice, but after a point I wish it'd go away.

Overall, I can't help but remember that I've had better.

On with my IPA kick!

Bring it!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 00:24:53 | More by StoutishDan

samie85

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Originally reviewed 2/19/10.

A-Pours a light orange/amber with a white head.

S-Grapefruit and orange with caramel malt.

T-Grapefruit and pine hops with a pronounced caramel malt flavor.

M-A little on the side for my taste. Medium carbonation.

D-It's pretty easy drinking but I'm looking for more bitterness and less malt forwardness in an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2010 07:54:48 | More by samie85

rbhockeyfan

Nevada

3.23/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pour - Nice amber color with a better than average head and nice lacing on the glass

Smell - nothing out of the ordinary for and IPA. Floral hops and pine

Taste - Again, typical IPA. Nice bitter but nothing that wows me. Lots of hops and nice dry floral end note

Mouthfeel - dry, similar to a red wine mouth feel.

Not the best beer I have had, but for an IPA that is available at the grocery store it is not bad. As I said before nothing super impressive going on with this one but it is a nice average IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 19:15:53 | More by rbhockeyfan

kaseydad

California

3.23/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pint glass pour and a clear golden ale with a frothy eggshell colored foamy head is produced. Nice lacing. The aroma is predominately orange with a slight whiff of pineapple and malt. Was thinking sweet before the sip but got a big time malt bomb with a side helping of bitterness. Way too malty for an IPA in my opinion. There is an odd aftertaste also. Watery mouthfeel…very thin. This malt bomb made the drinkability difficult for me. Overall I know this is an extremely popular beer by the masses, and that is great, I just like my IPA’s on the hoppier side. I am not a huge fan of New Belgium as I feel they tend to be on the malty side and this offering did nothing to change my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 23:21:31 | More by kaseydad

chicano4craft

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle to tulip. Pours a very clear orange with a slight golden hue. Big, fluffy white head with some serious lacing. Looks kind of thin.

First couple of whiffs are real nice. Orange zest dominates with some faded pine and grapefruit. Nose seems to fade as the head settles. Wish the aroma would have stuck around for the session.

Taste brings bitterness and a dry finish. There is some citrus with a grassy middle. Not challenging at all. But it's also nice to have an IPA that is tasty without killing the taste buds. The breadiness of the malt balances the hop bitterness.

The mouthfeel is thin compared to most others in the style. While this is a drawback it actually plays nicely when drinking straight from the can while camping. Overall this is middle of the road for a stacked category.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 21:26:12 | More by chicano4craft

asustevo

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle

5/9/12

A - A good one finger off white head, an amber quality to the beer.

S - To me this was the best part about the beer. I smelled very strong floral and citrus notes a first, with some onion.

T - Almost nothing at the front, but towards the middle i tasted a some good hop feel, with a clean bitter finish.

M - a light bodied beer, very smooth

O - Nothing I would buy again but it had some good qualities. The nose was the best part for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 01:08:10 | More by asustevo

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

cnally

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A classy looking label on the Ranger. Produced for mass consumption.

A clear golden color in the body, nice white lacing finely strewn on the glass from the head.

Aroma is patently shallow, a little sour but just a small glimpse of malt and a touch of citrusy hops.

The flavor is low-key and and on a low wavelength. A mildly sour, skunky flavor permeates the lightly toasted caramel malt and citrus hop finish. A slightly bitey see-saw which neither party, the hops or the grain, wants to ride too high.

A well carbonated and evenly balanced mouthfeel.

In spite of its lackluster nature, its ease to drink kicks it up a notch in the drinkability. A crisp enough beer to partly enjoy, even if you aren't highly buoyant about it.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 05:03:30 | More by cnally

Brunite

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear golden/orange with a decent head and nice lacing.

S: Piney and citrus aroma....nice IPA smell.

T: Taste is a bit of a disappointment. Mostly hop bitterness of a piney variety. No grapefruit/citrus flavors and no malt balance.

M: Medium light body. Crisp.

D: Decent enough but pretty average compared to many others I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 05:13:46 | More by Brunite

ScorpyX

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Clear golden color with one finger head.

S: Hoppy and grainy scent. There's something of an earthiness to it. It also has a rosy scent that many New Belgiums seem to have have.

T: Hops are definitely there, but not as much as some examples of the style. Maybe a little too light on taste.

M: Medium bodied and very carbonated.

D: A little weak in the taste, but still all right. Not as bitter as many IPAs I've had, which can be a good thing when you're trying more than one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 00:30:14 | More by ScorpyX

mdfb79

New York

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had on tap tonight at Spider Kelly's in Arlington, VA. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a clear golden color with one inch of white head and mdoerate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of pine hops, citrus hops, grapefruit, and fruity malts. Pine hops dominate, pretty nice.

t - Tastes of light citrus hops and pine hops, fruity malts, and bready malts. Not bad, but pretty average, and a lot less hops than the nose. A step down.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. No bitterness at all.

o - Overall a decent beer, but pretty average. Some nice pine hops in the nose, but not a lot of hops in the taste. Probably wouldn't seek it out again, but worth trying once.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2011 23:16:30 | More by mdfb79

Living816

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%
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