Apple Ale - New Glarus Brewing Company

ZAP

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Current rating seems a little high....one of these is about all I can handle....not a horrible brew but I prefer their other fruit beers better.

Pours a cloudy copper color...nose is lighter than expected but is very fresh smelling...enjoyable nose....taste is much sweeter than I anticipated. I expected some acidic bitterness but this is more like baked sweet apples covered in brown sugar...Medium bodied....

A nice change of pace beer...I would think about ordering it as a desert beer or perhaps with some pancakes for breakfest but that is about it....just real overwhelmingly sweet.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2005 17:54:25 | More by ZAP

GIVEMEBACKMYSON

Alaska

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Surprisingly enough, this beer smells like fresh apple cider. It pours with a similar appearance (color, translucence) of apple cider. The head turns into nothing pretty darn quickly.
This basically has the flavor of apple cider with the body of a beer. The three types of apples used (cortland, macintosh, and jonathan) are actually each detected in the flavor. In the finish, some of the tartness is lost, which gives way to an overly sweet finish.
I found this to be much better than woodchuck, which i didn't much care for when I had it many years ago. But, it is kind of difficult to remind one's self that this is beer, and not cider, whilst drinking. Nonetheless, a tasty and enjoyable enough beverage.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2005 16:49:30 | More by GIVEMEBACKMYSON

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle obtained via trade with Skidz. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed 1/4" of eggshell head over the dark amber brew. Head was short-lived, quickly fading to a layer of small bubbles, and lacing was minimal. Excepting the head that was present, looks like cider. Aroma is deeply of sweet apples, with a tinge of sour here and there. Smells like cider. Taste is pretty much cider as well, but as much sour component, and this incorporates the slightest of discernable malt character, adding a smoothness at the end. Mouthfeel and drinkability okay, but this one's just too sweet for what I would expect from a apple beer. Now if it were a cider, that would be a different kettle of fish, so to speak. Worth a try for fruit brew lovers out there, nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2004 22:05:17 | More by ppoitras

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Cooked apple aroma escapes on uncapping the bottle...let's pour first before further comment...amber hue, apple cider-y, slightly hazy, mostly clear, without a head to speak of...nose is pungent, snappy, appley all the way, tart, and hot...Taste? Sour twang at first, then sweetness ensues...bracing mouthfeel, then mellow...juicy, high carbonation, tasty, tingly...though it fades a bit toward the end...not bad. No, actually, it's okay.
Not what I like, but it's sure to suit plenty of tastes out there...here's to them!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2004 07:10:44 | More by feloniousmonk

clvand0

Kentucky

4.7/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to kmpitz2 for bringing one of these for tasting. This one pours an amber color with a very small head that dissipates quickly and doesn't leave much lacing on the glass. Awesome aroma. Apples and more apples. Not tart or sour, but just a nice apple smell. Not sure how they did that and avoided the sourness. The flavor is excellent. Lots of non-sour apple flavor with some caramel. Wish I knew how they did this beer because I would brew it as my house beer. Loved it.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2004 18:45:04 | More by clvand0

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.8/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked this beer up near my inlaws over turkey day. We're having it along with some apple pie just to accentuate it. The beer pours an amber color with hints of golden in there. The nose is full on apples. Not a lot of the tart apple, but I think I like it. DAMN. What a nice flavor. I wish my apple homebrew was liket this. The apple is up front and in my faaaace (for you Chris). The finish is caramel sweetness from the malts. No detectable hop really. Feel is moderate, but what I expect on this beer. Drinkability is huge. I want to drink more and more and more. What a great beer. I really like it and will buy more of it if I find it when home.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2004 01:41:43 | More by kmpitz2

donnyw

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours golden with a slight red hue. Little head with decent retention and lacing. Smell of a freshly cut apple. The taste is of biting into a fresh Macintosh apple, finish with malts and hints of cinamon. Remeniciant of the Belgian Red, supstitute apples for cherries. Very good brew, what I would expect of New Glarus.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2004 06:02:49 | More by donnyw

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep orange robe, almost clear. Diminishing beige head. Direct apple compote nose overwhelms the senses. Shredded apple flesh thrown up the nostrils in a sweet fashion. Riped delicious (the brand) apple crustade, pie crust. Nice warming medium body, very comfortable, low carbonation. This is definitely interesting, but not in the leagues of the raspberry tart for instance. Maybe I’m just more of a raspberry guy, but this seems sweet and simple, which I’m aware the other one is also, but it fails to take on me and surpass futile concepts like caring about the complexity rather than overall enjoyment. Here, rather than smelling like a fresh harvest, it appears a bit oldish (which it sure isn’t). I fear this won’t age well at all, but I’m very glad to have sampled it. Cheers Barry!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2004 21:30:50 | More by Rastacouere

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Nice looking copper appearance. Slight off-white head leaves sparse lace. Quite the inviting juicy apple aroma. Very pronounced and nicely blended. Maybe a little cinamon as well. Malt is in the background too. There is a great, juicy sweet apple taste to this beer. But also ghostly tartness as well. A blend of Cortland, MacIntosh and Jonathon apples was used. Slight cinamon character. Some light barley notes in the back and a bit of a drying character coming from the hops. Easily the best apple beer or cider I've enjoyed. New Glarus has got a handle on fruit beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2004 03:37:56 | More by Bighuge

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a light brown ale with medium head with very little retention. Aroma is, without any surprises, comprised of sweet apple. Taste is also overtaken by the apple juice taste, which is great since the apples that were incorporated in here are fresh, sweet (but not too sweet) and with just enough sourness in them. Malt and hops are very hard to taste. Body is just above average with some light carbonation. This is one fine fruit beer, well balance and without the ‘’concentrated’’ feel to it.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2004 17:24:55 | More by Phyl21ca

Winter

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a medium copper in color with a dissapating light tan pillowy head. Aroma consists of fresh apples, pie crust, malt and a sweetness akin to apple pie filling. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, yet uncommonly smooth.

My initial impression is to compare this to cider and forget that it's an ale. I quickly disregarded that thought, as this is so much better than any hard cider I've ever had. The initial taste is of sweet sugary apples. Feint tartness and practically no bitterness at all. The apple flavor dominates any hops that may have been used. Malt background is there but takes a backseat to the apple flavor. This would border on being a bit too cloying, except the finish is dry enough to evaporate most of the sweetness.

This stuff slides down like silk with little resistance. Some concerns that this isn't much of a beer, but I think if you add the bitterness of hops and a stronger malt body, the taste would completely fall apart. This is sweet enough to be a dessert beer or enjoyed alone by itself for you to discover its nuances. Combine this with a slice of fresh apple pie and vanilla ice cream and you've got a perfect match.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2004 02:03:40 | More by Winter

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Apples are my favorite fruit. I like apple pie, apple cake, apple bread, apple pancakes, apple juice, apple cider, apple... well, you get the idea. When the opportunity arose to try some apple beer, I just couldn't pass it up. Thanks Skidz.

Bright orangish amber with a faint hint of apple peel red. The pale caramel-colored head is on the small side, but is compact and tight-bubbled. While not overly creamy or sticky, it does manage to leave a short collar of lace.

Apple Ale smells of tart, crisp apples and white wine, like an especially appley Chardonnay. I would prefer that it smell like the sweeter varieties of apple (Cortland, MacIntosh, Jonathan) rather than the ones that it's actually made with, since the ones listed are some of my favorites.

Now this is more like it. The beer was unquestionably made with sweet, snappily tart apple pressings. It tastes much more like brown apple cider than clear, amber apple juice. This is exactly what I had in mind when I first heard about cider/perry, not that straw-colored, too sweet, citric acid-tart beverage that passes for actual cider/perry. As other reviewers have noted, Apple Ale resembles fresh apple cider more than it does beer.

If a brown ale is the base, it isn't an overly assertive brown. It's apparent that there's a capable enough malt structure, but little actual malt flavor (or hop flavor for that matter) finds its way past the apple. The body is medium with a pleasant viscousness from the natural sugar. That same sweetness limits drinkability a tad (that's a weak 4.0), but this stuff is delicious and multiple bottles might be possible if one drinks slowly enough.

Apple Ale is my first New Glarus beer and it's a winner. Apples and beer. A match made in heaven? Nope, Wisconsin.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2004 15:29:43 | More by BuckeyeNation

cokes

Wisconsin

2.8/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Toasted golden in color- a shade right between yellow and amber. The head is greying beige and vanishes nearly as soon as the pour is completed. It looks like cider, and for good reason.
The nose is, not surprisingly, dominated by apples, all red and sweet. Deeper in, some cedar and yeast notes add traces of spice.
Begins with elephantine apple aggression. All laid out at the fore. Red apples. Juicy. Sweet. Sugary. Some cinnamon notes at the close, with a slight cedar woodiness. But complexity is foregone in order to deliver all apples, all the time.
This is basically carbonated apple juice. It's not readily identifiable as alcoholic, and certainly not as beer.

This needs to be more tart, as the sweetness is heavy handed. More yeasty, lambic-esque nuance would be a start. I'd also appreciate some semblence of malt and/or hops contributions. Until then, I'll view this as more of a malternative, or hard cider, than a beer.

I enjoy the Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart quite a bit, but this is hardly drinkable for me. It maintains the fruit, but lacks the nuance. It's just not in the same league.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2004 05:50:26 | More by cokes

bnuttz

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Well, the third New Glarus fruit beer I have sampled. I went into this with high expectations and here are the results.

appearance: a dark copper color, with little head

smell: sweet, apples, smells so good, like a sweet apple cider. Some tartness can be detected also

taste: Apples all over. Wow, this is great. Very sweet and tart at the same time. Tastes like an apple cider sweetened up. The sweetness does not hide the tartness at all.

Well, New Glarus has done it again, these guys just cannot miss on the fruit beers. True, I probably couldnt drink more than one due to the inherant sweetness. But I must reccomend this beer to everyone that can get their hands on it. It is pricier like all the NG fruit beers, but that is understandable because you can tell they dont skimp on the fruit. Get it while you can!

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2004 00:53:06 | More by bnuttz

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

4.95/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have had my eye on this since it hit the shelf. I am guessing that this is going to be very limited edition so if you find this anywhere, thank the gods and purchase a few bottles. Bought at Sendiks for $2.99. Has the "Unplugged" series red foil on top with a neck label that says Apple Ale. The body label is typical of New Glarus with a branch of red apples. The narrative on the label says that it is brewed with a Brown ale base and blended with 3 kinds of locally grown apples that his friend personally squeezes.

Now for the report card...The color is a light copper color with a pretty thin head, but lots of carbonating action flowing from the bottom. The aroma is so unbelievably refreshing, that you believe you are in the midst of an orchard. It is not just apple smell, but freshness as well. The first sip brings pure enjoyment to the taste buds. The apple flavor spreads quickly, but doesn't swarm you with a sugar-sweetness. This beer is almost as flawless as you can get with a fruit brew. In my mind, New Glarus has earned the crown for fruit enhanced brewing. This is just one more winner to add to the Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart line!
One thing to note, this is exactly as the label says..an Apple Ale. If you do not like apples or cider in general, you will be wasting your time with this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2004 02:20:55 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

Skidz

Wisconsin

4.97/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served in a 12 oz. bottle, strikingly similar to that of the "Unplugged Series," though the label does not say anything of the sort. Red foil over the cap and neck with a red label and white printing of "Apple Ale."

Pours out bright gold and sits a dark amber in the glass with a meager off-white head, fading fast.

Smells of dried apple leather and caramel. A very sweet, candylike aroma. Reminiscant of apple juice concentrate, with a light, spicy hop aroma behind. Very pleasant and inticing.

Tastes sweet up front and builds up steam from there. Apple cider all the way to the bank. A blend of caramel and a light trace of cinnamon tingling the sides of your tounge also give good feeling to this beer. Hopping minimal and barely noticeable, just like the other two fruit beer by New Glarus. Full of real apple flavor, even a bit of skins and stems thrown into the mix. Excellent.

Smooth, rich and creamy in the mouth, medium bodied with carbonation that relaxes your entire mouth, just plain soothing. Makes it all the more worthwhile.

I could drink this stuff easier than I could water. This beer is cutting it close, and is right on par with their other fruit beers, mabye even better. Wow, this is tasty, tasty stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2004 03:05:36 | More by Skidz

PeteRock

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Not my typical pick ... I don't usually go for brews labeled here as 'FRUIT/VEGETABLE' beers.

Let me say that I had this once at the Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin and was very impressed.
This beer pours a nice light amber and has a small but dense head. the mouthfeel is amazing. this may be the result of expecting a cider but at first sip this is a light bodied pilsner/lager with tons of fresh green apple flavor.

there is not much to say other than it is a tasty fruit beer with a great feel and light body that won't fill you up.

Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 01:35:49 | More by PeteRock

lurpy1

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler brought to a recent tasting - filled at Casanova's - I gotta hit this place some day. Nobody in THE WORLD does fruit brew better than NG - don't agree with me? the rankings do - so expectations are high.

The pour is awful. Mountain dew mixed with miller lite mixed with sprite.Seltzery little head on top. Oh well, I want to drink it, not paint it.

Smell brings the sour apple. I suppose there are some beer elements in there.

Taste is just like a jolly rancher sour apple. Delicious! There's a little bit of yeast and malt in the background to remind you you're drinking beer. Even better, this veers far away from the Mike's Hard Nameyourfruit type of flavor.

A little zingy and perhaps overcarbonated, but this is not a beer that could have worked with a thick smooth feel.

Well, Apple Ale looks lousy, tastes great. Insert your own misogynystic joke here, I suppose. I liked this slightly better than Raspberry Tart even, but like RT, due to the sugar/sour experience, I couldn't ever throw down a huge amount at one sitting. But I will be buying it.

Serving type: growler

01-09-2012 19:55:58 | More by lurpy1

Chriscrundwell12

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on tap at The Great Taste of the Midwest 2011. 10 oz pour into a tasting glass.

A- Poured a golden bronze color, clear body, well carbonated, ½ finger head, nice lacing, looks basically like carbonated apple juice.
S- Big fresh apple cider aroma, sweet, really refreshing aroma, pretty one dimensional overall.
T- Taste is basically the same as the nose, huge fresh apple taste, slight malt, some spice, really refreshing especially during a hot day, this was actually a perfect palate cleanser during the festival.
M- Light mouth feel, well carbonated, fizzy, sweet, smooth drinking, crisp finish.
O- Pretty one dimensional tasting beer, but overall really tasty, I love New Glarus fruit/vegetable beers and this one does not disappoint.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 08:31:21 | More by Chriscrundwell12

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.
A. Reddish brown color. Indeed, as many have said before me, it looks exactly like foamy apple juice with a bit of a head on it. Not cider, juice. It has a certain clarity to it. But super bubbly like a spritzer.

S. Smells like apple pie, notes of cinnamon and tart gooseberry.

T. This is interesting. I expected from some of the tart notes in the nose to taste some green apples but I was dead wrong about that. The taste comes across as only red apple varieties. The malt functions as a sort of "pie crust" for the apple pie filling within. Very sweet, can get cloying if you go too fast. Definitely a dessert-minded offering. I had hoped for some more pucker or tartness than this, however.

M. Very carbonated and light. The tingly bubbles do a good job of keeping the flavor refreshing and crisp on my tongue. Body is just perfect, keeping it thin helps to deal with the apple pie sweetness. Not oily at all. I'm super impressed because normally sweet dessert beers end up syrupy, greasy, and/or texturally annoying to my palate. This one is perfect for what I want in a dessert beer mouthfeel.

Overall, I think that this is pretty much liquid apple pie. I have never tried one of those "apple pie liquor" shots that seems to be trendy these days, but I suspect that they may taste much the same as this brew. But that would be a job for another website. It is worth emphasizing that this is NOT a sour, so don't go in to this brew expecting lacto. Expect delicious apple pie instead.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 16:39:07 | More by WastingFreetime