Shift Pale Lager - New Belgium Brewing

vkv822

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz can : tulip glass
from notes.

Clear golden yellow, billowy white head.

Floral hops as well as some fruity hops, sweet grassy, malty grains.

Light body overall, but medium for the style with prickly medium carbonation.

Hoppy, well done lager, prominent flavors, but still easy drinking.

Serving type: can

06-03-2012 01:01:10 | More by vkv822

timontheroad

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-26-2013 02:26:32 | More by timontheroad

BlueMoon10

Mississippi

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-25-2013 14:54:01 | More by BlueMoon10

Tacoboomerang

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -11%

05-24-2013 00:20:05 | More by Tacoboomerang

jeffeljefe

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-23-2013 21:07:14 | More by jeffeljefe

Schlafly33

Missouri

3/5  rDev -17.8%

05-23-2013 12:32:08 | More by Schlafly33

Isotope

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

05-23-2013 02:23:16 | More by Isotope

Dpayne

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-23-2013 01:05:36 | More by Dpayne

Wrigfen

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

05-22-2013 22:07:52 | More by Wrigfen

johntfox

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-21-2013 01:35:02 | More by johntfox

teraflx

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 20:35:41 | More by teraflx

shelby415

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 19:27:36 | More by shelby415

iHeartMNBeer

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

05-17-2013 04:57:38 | More by iHeartMNBeer

rheff

Arkansas

3.25/5  rDev -11%

05-17-2013 03:39:14 | More by rheff

eulerthegrape

California

4/5  rDev +9.6%

05-16-2013 17:57:37 | More by eulerthegrape

MinorThreat

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -24.7%

05-16-2013 02:22:07 | More by MinorThreat

Slay40

Michigan

2.5/5  rDev -31.5%

05-12-2013 02:30:33 | More by Slay40

ystazi

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -11%

05-11-2013 19:50:33 | More by ystazi

ToddHolder

Illinois

3/5  rDev -17.8%

05-11-2013 01:27:14 | More by ToddHolder

JakeDebus

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-10-2013 15:05:38 | More by JakeDebus

Zimm

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -11%

05-10-2013 11:44:22 | More by Zimm

Xzfgiimtsath

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -11%

05-10-2013 00:46:47 | More by Xzfgiimtsath

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

From: Binny's, Bloomingdale, IL
Date: Best by 6/13/2013
Glass: Standard US pint

With Shift, New Belgium has a solid "mild" American lager. The beer is somewhat hoppy, somewhat of pale malts, neither striking the palate with too much intensity. The result is a drinkable, sessionable beer that won't overpower or saturate the palate into being tired, while at the same time letting one know that he or she is drinking an American-influenced beer (mostly due to the hop choices). This was enjoyable, and one to consider if I'm seeking out a mild, lager-like beer with American-influenced hopping.

The beer pours a 1cm tall head of fairly clean, white foam, with average retention of around one minute. The head fades to a thin ring around the perimeter of the glass, leaving moderate lacing, mostly a scattered array of dots, but also a few larger blotches clinging to the sides of the glass. The body is a golden yellow color, transparent, with light bringing out lighter, paler shades of yellow. Carbonation is visible through the body, and it is both somewhat vigorous and numerous.

The aroma is generally assertive, but not aggressive or blustering: the hops are present, but not dank or heavy, and the malt is consciously tame and in the background. The mix is an interesting blend of mildly fruity (guava, mango) and citrusy hops, arising from the Nelson Sauvin and Cascade, respectively. In this can at least, the hops seem to be most prominent, the slightly toasted and sweet malt appearing as more of an afterthought. A bit one-dimensional as a result.

The overall flavor is generally hoppy and fruity, with the malts being largely relegated to the background. Again, this leads to the beer feeling, at times, rather one-dimensional. Front of palate finds fruit flavors (guava and passion fruit, with a bit of pear) with a mild pale base malt sweetness. Mid-palate finds more "heaviness" to the hop flavors, with continued pale malt sweetness and perhaps a hint of the Munich malt that's in this beer. Back of palate features mild bitterness, slightly grainy and toasted malts accompany the sweet, pale malts, and slight fruit flavors (more pear than anything tropical). Aftertaste is with a somewhat tannic, astringent, dry bitterness, with continued citrus (orange) and marginal tropical fruit (guava, mango) flavor.

Beer is light to medium-light in body, with enough carbonation to gently foam the beer completely upon the palate. The resulting mouthfeel is soft, foamy, and somewhat creamy. Closes mostly dry, with little residual stickiness hanging on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 05:09:43 | More by falloutsnow

DasBoot2112

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -11%

05-09-2013 03:47:25 | More by DasBoot2112

KajII

North Carolina

3.19/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

[Suggested Glassware: Lager Glass]

The pour was a clear pale golden yellow with a small (less than 1 finger) white creamy head that diminished rapidly, leaving behind a thin film and small collar with very good sticky lacing.

The aroma was mild of a light grain malt, floral and grassy hops and a doughy yeast with a note of citrus (lemon and grapefruit) and a light fruity ester (apple and pears).

The taste was lightly bitter and rather grainy with a mild fruitiness from the start, becoming lightly hoppy with a nice grapefruit presence and a bitter lemon peel taste towards the finish. The flavor hung around for a good while following the swallow, with a bold citrus peel bitterness left behind.

Mouthfeel was light in body with a thin dry texture and a lively carbonation.

Overall this brew was a lot better than I expected out of a Pale Lager. It possessed a very nice bold bitterness along with a slight fruity sweetness, which working together created a well balanced and easy to drink brew...

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Serving type: can

05-08-2013 18:46:29 | More by KajII