Shift Pale Lager - New Belgium Brewing

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale lager in a can? Sounds a little average for American beer drinkers. Thankfully, though, New Belgium is well above the norm in terms of pleasing the palate.

More than a month or two away from the best by date (“07 OCT 12” is printed on the bottom of the can).

A: Yellow and fizzy, but with a thicker head and a darker body than anything from a Budweiser can. The eggshell head is supported by a barrage of bubbles from the nucleation site, coming down slowly to just a paper-thin layer over the body (typical for most canned beers I’ve seen, for some reason). Tons of filmy lacing.

S: Hop-forward, but not hop-heavy; this is a mild-smelling beer. Citrus juice, lemon peel, and a crisp floweriness characterize the bitters in a unique and pleasing way, while biscuity malts lays a foundation of caramel and breads underneath. Clean, fresh aromas with a full dose of breads: definitely what I like in a lager.

T: Smooth bread crust and cracker tastes are on the forefront, though they are well-mixed with familiar flavors of pale ale caramel malt; this beer tastes like a cross between an APA and a pilsner, malt-wise. Hops aren’t explosive, but they lend a bright, rindy spiciness that livens up the palate with lemon, grapefruit, orange peel, and light pine. Tart and clean bitters. Finishes with moderate-strength malts and lingering rind flavors.

M: This beer is more slick than chewy; not as thick as I’d like, but pretty drinkable, nonetheless. A bit fizzier from the can, which brings out the brighter metallic flavors and makes it not as palatable; drink this one from a glass.

O: Good beer – that’s really all I can say. After the first taste, it becomes more and more underwhelming, but I could see myself session this for a while.

Serving type: can

08-23-2012 19:50:32 | More by BarryMFBurton

BikingDutchman

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Has a two finger white head that stays for a while. The lacing sticks to the glass very well. Beer is a very clear golden color.

S - Smells like bready malts that are overpowered by a citrusy hop smell.

T - Surprisingly large amount of citrusy hop flavor is in balance with clean bready malts. There is more flavor here than I expected.

M - Moderate amount of carbonation. Not much to say here. Not bad, but nothing spectacular.

O - Very easy to drink, but it has more flavor than I expected it to have. A very refreshing beer, and a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: can

08-10-2012 04:06:13 | More by BikingDutchman

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Gold. Clear gold. Head is bright-white and drops to a spotty cap in short order. Some nice notches of lacing. Moderate carbonation.

Smell: Slight grass. Earthy. Some lingering citrus. Pale malts. Crackers. Straw and a tiny hint of raw honeycomb. Bread crust. Mildly floral. Underlying spiciness.

Taste: Earthy and herbal with a nice bright, mellow fruit flavor. Something akin to apples with a brighter fruit in the back. Crackers and bread crust. Pale malts. Mild, and I mean very mild, roasted element. A touch of husk and grass. A mild spiciness on the back that gets all tied up with the herbal thing.

Mouthfeel: Clean, crisp, and just this side of light. Mild creaminess with a bubbly, yet moderate, carbonation. Touch dry on the finish.

Overall: A solid drinking lager. It has enough flavor to be interesting. It has the same drinkability as every standard beer from New Belgium, which is to say, a lot. Clean and refreshing.

Serving type: can

08-09-2012 19:54:54 | More by Goblinmunkey7

denver10

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a yellowy golden with a off white head. A hoppy and earthy aroma of some straw, some grass, some sweet citric fruit, and some malt. Quite good for a lager. Taste was quite smooth and drinkable with the straw paired with a nice sweeter malt base. Some of the citric fruit from the hops is definitely there along with some grass. Mildly bitter. A active but creamy mouthfeel. Overall, for a lager a pretty solid beer that I'd happily drink again.

Serving type: can

08-08-2012 21:34:03 | More by denver10

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shift Pale ale is a good beer. The beer poured golden clear with frothy white head that is lacing nicely. The smell has a nice malt character. The taste includes the typical New Belgium Belgium malt. The mouthfeel is light to medium in body with good carboantion. Overall....I like it.

Serving type: can

08-07-2012 01:48:43 | More by WoodBrew

womencantsail

California

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Golden in color with a white head. Nice clean lager aroma with floral hop notes and a hint of citrus. A bit of yeast and bread, maybe a touch of biscuit in there, too. Flavor is somewhat sweet with a touch of hop bitterness. Good floral notes, light citrus, and a bit of grass. Mild yeast and esters. Well done lager.

Serving type: can

07-30-2012 22:51:47 | More by womencantsail

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16oz can into a glass

A: Pours a light orange color. There is an almost two finger head of white foam which disappears quickly on my first pour but has much better retention when I finish the can. A small amount of spotty, layered lacing.

S: Light noble hops and mild lemon zest. A good grain background. As the beer warms I can detect some lager yeast.

T: Grains and light bready malt are the first things I pick up. Mild grassy hops and herbal spice impart a decent bitterness. Aftertaste is somewhat floral. I want to say there is some tropical fruit/melon to the flavor, but it is incredibly mild.

M: Thin and a little watery. Carbonation is mild but what is there is effervescent.

O: A very easy drinking beer. A good alternative to macros when you want to have a few and not not get too full or drunk.

Serving type: can

07-29-2012 00:39:50 | More by WankelEngine

dannydetox

California

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

shift is, as i reckon it was intended to be, a session beer when you want something simple, yet interesting that you can consume multiple rounds without feeling too full or too buzzed. pours a golden yellow lager color, but leaves rings of suds on the side of the glass unlike the typical american macros. the aromas are my favorite part: chardonnay-like tropical fruit from the nelson(?) hops with notes of lemon peel. maybe a bit of crystal malt in the back. i get more mango as the beer slides over the palate. the drawback? a very thin mouthfeel gives this beer a watery feeling. still, i like it and would definitely bring this one along to a cans only venue or a hiking trip. added bonus - the blue and silver can looks mighty close to a red bull can. this might make for a good street sipper or road beer.

Serving type: can

07-28-2012 04:33:46 | More by dannydetox

mjurney

Texas

4.48/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1 pint can.

Appearance:
Golden-Amber color. Some carbonation. Fairly nice head.

Aroma:
Bready, grape skin, a little citrusy.

Taste:
Bready malts up front. Biscuity, grassy, spicy, slight earthy, dry-herbal finish.

Body:
Smooth. Tangy. Medium body. Slight oily. Very soft carbonation.

Serving type: can

07-21-2012 20:34:35 | More by mjurney

Murrhey

Montana

2.88/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a pint can into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Poured a two finger creamy white head. Nice and dense, some foamy lacing and nice retention. Extremely pale straw color, near-water clarity.

S- Light bodied malts, Amarillo hops maybe? Straw and sweet smelling grains.

T- Light flavor, strong pale ale taste with a grainy flavor that must be the lager creeping in.

M- Light yet grainy feel. Not the best.

O- Passable, drinkable beer with a nice American Pale Ale sort of taste, with a Lager body. Nothing special though.

Serving type: can

07-21-2012 03:53:24 | More by Murrhey

EagleTalon

Arkansas

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out to a fluffy everlasting head, sexy lacing and light gold color. Aroma is grassy and spicy hops and faint grain and lemon. Flavor is spicy hops with lemon, coriander and pilsner malt in the backbone. Mouthfeel is sticky and rough. Light body and appropriate co2. Overall, another beer style that has been newbelgified. Not bad but I've had better.

Serving type: can

07-20-2012 22:49:55 | More by EagleTalon

adam42381

Florida

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16 ounce can into a pilsner glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear medium yellow with a huge 3-4 finger fluffy eggshell white head. Excellent head retention and lacing.

Smell: Sweet cereal grains, honey and a touch of grapefruit bitterness.

Taste: Pale and bready malts up front followed by a touch of herbal spiciness in the middle before ending with a little more pale malt and bitter grapefruit at the finish. Aftertaste is mildly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with a fairly low amount of carbonation. The texture is a bit oily and slick.

Drinkability: Decent drinkability. If the mouthfeel was better, I'd want another.

Overall: Pretty good beer overall. I think it hit most of the notes you'd want from a pale lager. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: can

07-18-2012 21:15:25 | More by adam42381

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Kind of a bright yellow pour, with pretty close to virgin white head on it (i dunno, maybe its one of those oral don't count things that you used to have to go to Utah to hear). Pretty good retention and lacing. Aroma is almost of nothing but soap. Weird.

Mild cereal and like honeysuckle flavor, with a sizeable bitterness. Herbal, grassy and flowery. Light enough body considering the ample flavor quotient. A decent option to take disc golfing with for sure. A little heavy for a palate cleanser though, but relatively speaking, it might do the trick if you've got nothing but huge beers and this around.

Ultimately, I'm not a huge fan of the beer, but it is a lot better than many lagers around. It was an easy second purchase when I went into Total Wine and saw a palate of 4 packs going for only $2.99. No brainer there.

Serving type: can

07-12-2012 23:34:53 | More by Beerandraiderfan

herman77

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Crystal clear dark yellow. Fluffy off white head. Decent head retention and awesome lacing.

S: Biscuity, bread crust, some slight hop spice. Getting just a touch of that lager yeast smell.

T: Some semi sweet grains up front along with some mild to medium spicy/herbal hops. Can pick up some faint peaches or nectarines. A lot sweeter than I thought this was going to be. Finishes fairly clean, somewhat of a slightly sweet cereal grain lingering. Thought it would be a little more crisp, the sweetness probably takes away from that crisp factor.

M: Nice medium body (thought it would be lighter). Average carbonation. Feels good.

O: Good drinkability, though I wouldn't want more than two or so pints. I can see what they are going for for sure, but I would like this to be a bit more dry, crisp and a little less sweet.

Serving type: can

07-12-2012 23:06:21 | More by herman77

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

16 oz can, best by October of 2012. It was poured into my Firestone Walker tulip.

Shift Pale Lager pours a crystal clear orange, with some tangerine and lemon highlights coming through. There's a little more than a finger of white foam, with decent head retention and lacing for the style. The nose is a bit on the dull side, but there is some soft grainy sweetness apparent, along with a light aroma of melon from the Nelson Sauvin hops. The flavor starts of similarly, with lightly bready malt notes. The bitterness that flows through next is perceptible, but just barely. Again, the fruity melon finish is very mild. The craft beer hophead in me wishes is was a bit more "in your face", but as is it works decently as part of an easy drinking lager. The body has just a little bit of sturdyness to it, and the carbonation is pleasantly active. The overall impression of the mouthfeel is definitely very crisp. I was really excited to try Shift Pale Lager because I'm a big fan of Nelson Sauvin hops. Having only had them in hop forward IPAs before, I think my expectation of how hoppy this beer would be could have been a little more tempered. A solid warm weather sessionable beer from New Belgium.

Serving type: can

07-09-2012 23:16:22 | More by axeman9182

thepliceisright

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Drank this straight from the can.

Have no clue what it looks like, although when I popped the top a white head foam poured over on the top of the can.

Smells great, very fruity and slightly biscuit-y. Heavy pear, grapefruit smell.

I was actually surprised by the taste of this. Definitely a pale ale, but sweeter than I would have imagined. Definitely fruity, a nice forward hop taste, sometimes bitter and a definite dry finish.

Mouthfeel is dry. Thats all I can say about that.

Overall, this is a great beer to drink on a hot summer day; especially if you are looking for a session beer. The 5% ABV will catch up to you sooner than later though, with this beer.

Serving type: can

07-08-2012 22:11:32 | More by thepliceisright

lwillitz

Florida

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

16-oz can into New Belgium globe

A - 2 fingers of white foam atop a crystal-clear golden body, moderate carbonation bubbles, nice lacing

S - grass, pine, fruit (apples, pears, peaches?), light grain, pepper/spice

T - pine, pepper, apple, biscuity malt backbone, dry finish; bitterness is pleasantly complex

M - medium body, medium/high carbonation, refreshing

O - complex, bitter, and refreshing

Serving type: can

07-01-2012 20:07:59 | More by lwillitz

BDIMike

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a dark golden color with a slight amount of carbonation. A nice fluffy white head sits on the top of the beer throughout the drink.
Smell doesn't have a ton going on. A bit of nice wheat with a nice under-toned hop too.
Taste has an awesome balance of hoppy goodness, but a good balance and drinkability as well.
Mouthfeel is very nice. A good thickness and a really nice amount of beer that does down nice and easy.
Drinkability is awesome. This beer was designed as the perfect beer to end a shift at work. Could not be more successful. Coming home to one of these beers every day would be perfect. A great beer to drink every day.

Serving type: can

07-01-2012 01:57:01 | More by BDIMike

homohabilis

Washington

2.1/5  rDev -42.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

First off, what the fuck is a pale lager? Sounds like some suspect bullshit to me. Like they didn't want to commit to either pale ale OR lager. I guess the focus groups must have eaten it right up though.
Regardless, this stuff tastes like fat tire mixed with water. Same dirty, decaying hop taste without all the malt backbone.
I drank all four of these bastards today just to get them out of my house and I just got angrier with each one that went down the hatch.
Shoulda saved myself three dollars and got PBR instead. Woulda got two more to boot!

Serving type: can

06-29-2012 05:53:25 | More by homohabilis

iSip

Colorado

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

New Belgium Shift Pale Lager: The New Belgium Brewery has a great product set. Their Belgian style Tripel & Dubble are very good and a bargain compared to an expensive imported bomber of the same. So why go head to head with the Buds and PBR’s of the world? The Shift has a darker golden color and a nice billowy head. The aroma of malt and hops is pleasing and indicative of a handmade product vs. the more industrial notes you get from more mass produced products. Good flavor with some bitterness up front, then thinning out into a clean aftertaste. More body than the standard American Adjunct Lager, but still light enough to be easy drinking. So yes, the Shift is a better brew than any of the mass produced lagers from the big brewers. I expected as much from New Belgium, and they delivered. But $9 for four tall boys? The Shift is not that much better than a PBR or a Bud. New Belgium made it big with Fat Tire, which is worth the premium over a Bud if you are in the mood for a good ale vs. a light lager. But if you want a light lager will you pay a premium for a Shift? Not in my book.

Serving type: can

06-28-2012 14:22:57 | More by iSip

bluejacket74

Ohio

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 ounce can, best before October 7, 2012. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a clear golden/amber color with an inch off-white head. Head retention and lacing is both good. Aroma is grainy malt, and grassy and citrusy (orange peel, grapefruit) hops. Taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but the bitter hops stand out a little bit more in comparison to the aroma. The flavors also seem a bit stronger than the aroma would lead you to think. Mouthfeel/body is light, it's a bit slick and very easy to drink. Good carbonation. I think this is a good summer brew (and good brew overall). I keep hoping New Belgium will distribute to Ohio in the near future....

Serving type: can

06-23-2012 00:46:40 | More by bluejacket74

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

4.0 A: Clear light orange color. Two fingers of frothy white head. Retention is about average and a good amount of lacing is left.

3.0 S: Grainy malts. Some neutral sweetness, but overall quite dry. Grassy hops. A bit of dirty diaper, but not in a bad way, but rather from earthy hops. Still, not impressive here.

3.0 T: Taste is much like the nose. Grainy malts, grassy hops, mild earthiness. Lightly sweet. It has a decent amount of grassy and earthy flavors, but not a lot of malt overall. It's a decent brew, but that's all it is.

3.5 M : Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Crisp and clean without a lot of creaminess.

3.5 D: Decent, easy drinking brew, but there are better ones out there.

Serving type: can

06-21-2012 03:46:06 | More by DavoleBomb

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I never thought I'd live to see the day when one of the bigger breweries in America named a widely available beer after one of the better grindcore albums made. Wait, what, Nasum didn't have a say in this? Oh well, never mind. Best by 16th Sept 2012.

A crystal clear golden amber with a dense, off-white head with excellent retention and nice lacing, this looks pretty good! The nose is decent. Modestly hoppy with citrus (Cascades are most noticeable) a touch of grape (Nelson Sauvin) and lightly bittered, this smells quite nice. The malt character is light, with a toasty, mildly sugared cracker aroma.

The palate opens mildly bitter with the chalky, powdery Cascade hop flavor and bitterness being most dominant flavor. This is followed by a mild honeyed, toasty, bruleed-sugar malt character. The mid-palate, though, completely vanishes - watery and empty, there's a shocking lack of flavor here. A modest mineral character is present, which complements the hop profile. Drying on the finish with a blend of toast, light bitterness and mild citrus flavors. Light in body with a medium-high carbonation that works, and despite the watery mid-palate, the hops provide just enough resin character to tie the palate together. Solid, definitely worthy.

Serving type: can

06-21-2012 01:02:45 | More by DefenCorps

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Where The CANQuest (TM) is CANcerned, you CAN forget Quinn the Eskimo. It's tone77 who makes this boy jump for joy! He is my local CANTrader and this was part of a recent drop-off on his part. Let the madness reCANmence!

From the Royal Blue & Silver CAN: "When your work is done [...] You'll want one[.]"; "Alternatively empowered/Employee owned".

The Crack & Glug was music to mine ears! The two fingers of thick tawny head began to fall pretty quickly, leaving some pretty, sticky lacing in its wake. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity and both King Midas and Croesus called to express their jealousy. Sorry, fellas, but you gotta score your own CAN, dig? I recently listened to Greg Koch rail against fizzy yellow beers (again) and all I CAN say is, more for me! The nose made me weep for what Prohibition has wrought. One adverse aspect of The CANQuest (TM) has been the plethora of AALs from a CAN and I have more than had my fill of them, although there is no end in sight. This smelled not just of the expected malt sweetness, but there were also hops readily evident on the nose! Be still, my heart. Mouthfeel was full, almost creamy, with a wonderful intermingling of biscuit malt initially, followed by a brief rush of minty hops on the tongue. Finish was quite dry with the biscuit malt and hops combination acting nicely in tandem. Great Caesar's Ghost, but this is definitely cooler-worthy and just in time for summer! Get some!

Serving type: can

06-19-2012 20:20:02 | More by woodychandler

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a golden orange color with a white head. The aroma is a mix of resin and orange citrus from the hops, as well as some biscuit. The flavor also has a good amount of bitterness. I get some lightly toasted malt, as well as some pine, resin and orange citrus. There is also some biscuit malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: can

06-18-2012 04:03:30 | More by Mora2000