Somersault - New Belgium Brewing

chinchill

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, dated "best before" 4 Sept. 2011, served in a pint glass.

Pours golden/light amber with an ample white head. Appears to have light, fine carbonation.

Aroma: some nice fruitiness, with a clear note of apricot, over a bed of light toasted grains, Centennial hops and baked bread.

Apricot is in the flavor as well, but the beer is not sweet. Instead, NB has achieved an excellent balance of sweet, tart and bitter. Other flavor components include some pepperiness (white), ginger, hops and lemon. These too are excellently balanced in this easy drinking but moderately complex and certainly interesting brew.

M - mildly crisp with a semi-dry and moderately tart finish. Excellent carbonation. Medium-light body.

O - a pleasant surprise. Although Somersault has a different flavor profile, there's enough similarity for me to highly recommend this to fans of Magic Hat #9. This one is probably best-of-style for me so far and one I anticipate seeking out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 21:46:51 | More by chinchill

Rayek

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Lo Do's. Served in a shaker pint glass. The beer was drawn very close to the rim, so there was little room for a head. The small soapy head that was there quickly fell to a patchwork film. Little lace was left in the beer's wake.

A light citrus bitterness mingles with straw-like malts to create a beer that packs a bit more flavor than your average pale lager. The light body and relatively low ABV make it easy to down.

Overall, I found this to be OK. New Belgium has done better work, but this beer is good at being a summer quencher.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2011 02:52:50 | More by Rayek

Haybeerman

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Bright, clear golden color. Poured a 4 finger fluffy white head with excellent retention. Decanted lightly. Laced in rings and patches.

S: Floral (like flowers) hop character up front. Sweet bready malt. Some citrus and apricot too.

T: Citrus and light malt sweetness. Maintains floral hop character throughout. Smooth transitions to a mild bitter finish with some residual sweetness lingering.

M: Light body. Ample carbonation. Smooth to a building mild bitter.

O: Easily drinkable. Not too over-flavored. Smooth and balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 21:47:28 | More by Haybeerman

wedge

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright yellow-gold with a big, creamy white head that sticks around as a milky covering until the bottom of the glass. Leafy centennial aromatics - peppery citrus, light fruit, and flowery hops over some pale malt. Juicy citrus and apricot flavor. Very refreshing. Floral, slightly oily, green hops and lemon zest. Light bodied and easily drinkable. The fruitiness can wear on the palate after a couple, but not a bad summer seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 20:25:22 | More by wedge

JayQue

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice summer drink!! looks good, clear gold color, nice bubbly white head with fairly good retention and an extensive, thin layer of lacing on the glass.

Smell is fairly mild, malty with a hint of fruitiness.

Tastes pretty good. Grassy hops bitterness in the finish, preceded by sweet fruitiness (apricots) and malts

Mouthfeel is rich and crisp. Nicely carbonated, very refreshing.

Overall pretty good - a good summer thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 00:01:33 | More by JayQue

HalfFull

California

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another blonde ale arrives from New Belgium in their standard 12 oz. branded bottle. Poured into a standard shaker pint glass, the Somersault pours a clear deep straw with half an inch of not quite white foam. Offers decent retention and lace.

Aroma is a bit subdued with a hint of spice, some grain and a bit of light citrus. A maltiiness lingers in a so so sort of way as the aroma opens up with warming to add a bit of sour mash aroma.

Flavor is coarse and dry, presumably from the addition of oats, and offers bready lemon notes and a bit of spice on the finish. Offers a smooth and full/bready feel with a light hint of bitterness. Overall a bit dense and not overly refreshing for the style, yet pleasant enough.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 03:15:08 | More by HalfFull

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliant golden hue with white head, thick at first, then retains a thin rim layer. Nice. Nose is on the light side, with some herbal notes & gentle funk in the background. Palate offers a pleasant spicy to herbal character, a little earthy/dirty, medium bodied (not too light!), and finishes herbal/spicy too. Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 20:33:13 | More by yemenmocha

aasher

Indiana

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

This beer pours a very, very clear yet nice gold in color with a one finger bright white head. It is very light in body but very well carbonated. The aromas are of yeast, a honey like sweetness, and nice coriander/citrus zest. It smells pretty damn good. The flavors are of sweet pale malts, light honey, spices, and orange peels. It has a nice crisp bite to it. The flavor isn't quite as good as the aromas but it's pretty solid. It drinks well and is an excellent option for a hot summer's day. Overall, I'm kind of impressed by this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 02:48:49 | More by aasher

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The seasonal in the welve mixer. Poured from the bottle into a pint glass.

Pours clear yellowish cloudy with 1/4 inch of white foam. Wheaty malt smell. Smooth taste, full of lemon with low carbonation. Strong lemon, very citrussy. Some oats at the finish round out the flavor. Very drinkable, good taste, likable.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 22:02:22 | More by KTCamm

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into pint glass while relaxing on vacation...

Clear and bright, yellowy gold color with fluffy white head. Good retention, but amazing lacing.
Smells light and mild on the malt with a little lemony citrus hop note. Pretty dry and crisp finish is nice and clean with a touch of bitterness. A light grassy earthiness comes through too.
This drinks pretty easily. The style is the craft version of Light Lager-- just more flavor. This beer is a good example of a good brewery making a good beer that has mass appeal. This is an excellent summertime beer that would be enjoyed by Pliny AND Bud fans.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 18:56:45 | More by AleWatcher

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Clear golden, inch of foamy head, retention is decent, some lacing.
S- Bready, some fruityness (apricot and a touch lemony), light floral presence.
T- Starts bready, lemony and a bit of apricot. There is a snap of a gingerlike flavor in the finish.
M- Relatively light, crisp carbonation.
O- A decent summer beer. Light and clean with some pleasant flavors. A good effort.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 05:17:00 | More by jsprain1

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber colored and crystal clear with a fluffy white head that lasted a bit, then subsided, leaving nice thick lacing. Small columns of bubbles were present.

Smell is strangely pungent-earth along with wet grains, a hint of florals, hint of fruit, and a hint of citrus.

Tastes better than it smells. A little fruity, I can finally obviously sense the apricots along with a nice hops presence, and a noticeable smooth carbonation. There's a mix of malts in there too.

Body is light, yet smooth from the silky carbonation. Fruit and malt aftertastes. Although the label says serve at 45F, I think this one is better when ice cold. It's a summer beer, and is quite likely to be pulled from a cooler. I can't see a reason to wait.

It's a tasty beer, but skinny dip and sunshine wheat are better in their summery type range of offerings.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 20:26:15 | More by AlCaponeJunior

JayS2629

Alabama

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

Beautiful copper with clean transparency, thin white foamy head that retains nicely throughout leaving spotty sea foam lace. The smell is fruity. Definite touch of apricot and fruity hops on a clean biscuit, bready malt backbone. Touch of light sweet caramels and floral tones and ginger touches. Nice flowery hops kick in the front of the tounge followed by light fruits of apricot, lemon and pineaple notes. Citrusy. Clean bready malts with a touch of caramel with a clean finish. A slight creaminess in the front with a slightly watery finish. Overall, watery but this is nice for a summer beer. Nice fruity, light and easy to drink beer. Nothing cloying in the fruit, great well rounded hop profile with a light bready malt. Great, easy to drink summertime beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 21:29:08 | More by JayS2629

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: golden rod yellow, 2 finger fluffy head, wonderful lacing

S: mild lemon, floral, hint of pine, malt

T: ginger, citrus (peach), malt, nice firm low subtle piney bitter finish

M: light/med body, good carbonation, dry finish

O: Very nice surprise! Usually Blondes are not my thing,
but this is a great summer/session/BBQ beer.
I would love to get more for next family food fest.

DELICIOUS, GET SOME!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 20:07:17 | More by BeerLover99

TexIndy

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best by date of 9/4/11 on the label. Was a pale, golden yellow color with good carb streams. It had an average sized head that settled into a good collar and film. Standard quick sliding lace with a little sticking.

The aroma was pretty mild with some citrus hops, peppery spice and apricot. Not much to sniff. The taste was also mild with slight apricot and peppery taste. Not much there. Light mouthfeel with slightly watery taste.

Overall, while not bad, I just couldn't get into this one. Not much aroma or flavor so it doesn't stand out at all. If I want an easy drinking NBB, I'd rather grab a Mothership Wit. Avail here in TX. One is enough for me [N;N]

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 23:03:38 | More by TexIndy

bsp77

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint. Enjoy by date of September 18, 2011.

Appearance: Clear golden blonde. Moderate head that diminishes too rapidly, leaving very little lacing.

Smell: Floral, citrusy and spicy. Some semi-sweet orange and apricot.

Taste: Light crackery malt with citrusy hops. Maybe a tinge of apricot, but would not really notice if I didn't know it was there from the label. Finish is spicy, with a touch of ginger.

Feel: Moderately high carbonation, light body with a dry, crisp finish.

Overall: A crisp, refreshing, fairly flavorful Blonde Ale, and as a summer seasonal, it is light years better than the old Skinny Dip. While the apricot and ginger additions are minimal, that may be a good thing, as it just provides balance and subtle complexity. Love the exclusive use of Centennial hops!

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 13:28:23 | More by bsp77

CHickman

New York

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasting notes from 7/8/2012: pours clear gold amber color with a fluffy white 2 finger head that was full of bubbles and faded slowly, leaving very good foamy lacing.

Smells of sweet malt, grains, citrus hops, lemon, caramel, grass and musky hay; soft overall with some fruity notes.

Tastes of sweet malt, grains, citrus hops, lemon, biscuit, caramel, grass, musky hay, yeast and some fruit like apple or pear; nice balance and combo of malts and hops, for an overall tasty flavor.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with mild zesty carbonation that's refreshing and easy to drink with a medium/light body. A summer beer with flavor that goes down easy and was perfect on a hot summer night. Well done, another winner by New Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 02:47:45 | More by CHickman

DovaliHops

California

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, bright golden color with a medium white head that diminishes slowly. Scent is very grassy with hints of citrus lemon. Taste is initially lemony with some hoppy notes. Then I get some grassy floral notes that ate quite pleasant. Finishes with more lemon and hops. Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated and refreshing. Drinkability is high. Overall, this is not even close to being my favorite style in beer, but it is a great one for summertime.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 05:49:28 | More by DovaliHops

elNopalero

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

In honor of the Olympics? Nah, just good beer for the summer.

This poured a clear light golden yellow with a mountain of foam. Seriously!

There’s a delicate aroma of light orange and citrusy pollen that comes across, along with hints of lemon and lemon verbena. The aroma and the flavor are both very citrusy and very light. This is one easy drinker—the flavor has a defined, laid back citrus character with a rounded smoothness and some floral hints.

Enjoyable & easygoing.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 07:41:29 | More by elNopalero

rlee1390

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear yellow, some carbonation, one finger head.

S-Bread, malt, bland. Some grass and lemon.

T-Bread toast, lemon, pilsner malts, no skunkiness or bitterness.

M-Light, mild carbonation and crisp.

O-A boring, bland beer. This did nothing for me. I could drink it again but I have no reason to

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 15:57:07 | More by rlee1390

gatornation

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz spring seasonal

A- pours a clear golden/yellow color with minimal white head and some slim lacing

S- was malt and grain,bread some hops,with a slight lemon peel smell

T- follows nose.. grain with pale malts,slight hop flavor with a citrus lemon finish

M- medium carbonation with a somewhat crisp flavor

O- just an average ale for me,easy to drink..but not alot of intrest in this on

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 00:41:50 | More by gatornation

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

An excellent summer selection here...

Grainy malt aromas tinged with slightly piney hops give way to a super uber refreshing crisp taste of piney hops and a slightly biscuity malt... The hops are much more prevalent than I would expect them to be here...

I could enjoy several of these on a hot summer day.. Super refreshing and delicious...

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2011 20:14:49 | More by Tilley4

vfgccp

New York

3.25/5  rDev -14%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Beautiful golden color with a full and solid white head. Really nice lace with good retention.

S- Slight musty aroma with a light lemon note. Finishes with a slight tart fruit smell.

T- Light and mello with a slightly citrus taste.

M- Light and low carbonation

O- Decently drinkable for a summer ale but overall very underwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 01:36:52 | More by vfgccp

DCon

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on-tap @ the Wolf Public House in Ballwin, MO. Poured from the Cool "Seasonal" Somersault (Bright Green/Blue Neon) tap into a pint glass for $4.50. Not sure a Keg date... Not put on by the distributor.

Appearance- Pours a 2 finger head off the bat, has good retention, and a clear, golden color body. Leaves minimal lacing.

Smell- Has nice fruity/apricot scents from the beginning and then a huge wheat after aroma.

Taste- Apricot taste upfront (mild) but good for the style. Its definitely a blond ale with its maltiness and has a medium bitterness to it. Anything more would kill it. Awesome balanced beer!

Mouthfeel- Light Bodied, Light-Medium Viscosity, Appropriate Carbonation, smooth, and has a great finish on the palate with a fruitiness.

Overall- One of the best blonde ales I might have ever had (from an American Brewery)! Terrific for the summer and MUCH better than last summer's seasonal by New Belgium (Skinny Dip). I have had questions at the Pub if we are getting their Skinny Dip and I say, take a drink of this one! Fuckin right!

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 04:51:30 | More by DCon

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler poured into a LaChouffe tulip. Deep gold with champagnelike carbonation feeding a frothy bright white head. A fair amount of lacing.

Nose is grassy and grainy with a slight mustiness and a gentle fruit presence. A wave of juicy sweet apricot and apple flavors up front, but a touch of tangy lemon keeps the sweetness in check. There’s a light earthy hop presence that lends a nice depth. Very lively feel to this stuff, tingly carbonation with a light toasty malt profile and a very clean, crisp finish. Regardless of style, this is a pretty damned refreshing brew (it was the perfect lawnmower beer on this day). As a blonde ale? Top notch.

Serving type: growler

08-28-2011 15:14:46 | More by PDXHops