Apple Ale - New Glarus Brewing Company

Erdinger2003

Iowa

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to ThomasHardy for this bottle.

Poured this into my new New Glarus flute glasses.

The beer pours out a little head which falls leaving a real lacing and a slight head with good retention. The color is beautiful, goes from a golden color to to a cider brown color as it gets deeper towards the top. The smell is very crisp apple with some slight sweetness to it. There's also some tartness to it and it has some slight sulfur smells like in a lager. The taste hits you with a very sweet apple juice-like taste and then the tartness hits the tip of the tongue and after that the lager-like sulfur flavors come in to finish up the taste. It's a very light bodied beer. I also taste some smooth malty flavors that can be found in Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart. The light lager smells kind of go to backround and aren't as noticeable after a while. The mouthfeel is very nice and doesn't give me any problems whatsoever. Overall I would definetly have more of this, but only for a special occasion or if Dan brewed more of it.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2007 03:19:32 | More by Erdinger2003

walleye

Michigan

3.18/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

got this in a trade but I cannot rememer who sent it but thanks. poured a cider color with no head. aroma, apples, sweet, apples, apples some wheat, apples. flavor, just like apple cider with a little alcohol thown in. kind of tasted like a wine cooler.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2005 00:29:39 | More by walleye

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I just ran out of this one and I'm not too happy knowing that I'll problably never taste it again.

Note: I'm reviewing this as a hardcider and not a beer because as a beer this one is sort of iffy (There's no nuanses, no malts, no hops, nothing but apples), but as a hard cider it's one of the best I've ever had. In fact if it was just a touch more sour, I would consider it the perfect hard cider.

Toasted golden color with a nonexistant head. Looks like cider.

Smells like apples.

Tastes like the neighborhood kid is chucking apples at your mouth, pelting you over and over again until you fall, face first and land in a pile of more apples. Then the bully comes over and stomps on your head and your nose and your mouth and eyeballs grind into the apples until your whole world is all apples, apples, and more apples.

Mouthfeel: see above...should be tarter. Too sweet.

Drinkability: Despite the sweetness, i love apples, and I love the taste. Like I said, I'm a bit tore up that I won;t be getting any more of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2005 03:30:01 | More by DaPeculierDane

Golden2wenty1

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a single at Bottle Stop Liquor here in Madison. Probably one of the last bottles left in the area. Glad I gave this little shop a look.

Pours a pretty copper/amber color, crystal clear with a short foamy head that disappears in a few seconds. Nose is...APPLES. Delicious homemade apple cider. Yummy. Taste is....drumroll....APPLES. Slightly tart, sour, but still very sweet apple cider. This is one damn tasty brew. Probably too sweet for a lot of BAs out there, but I don't mind sweetness in beer usually, especially in a fruit beer. Mouthfeel is crisp and bubbly like champagne. Insanely refreshing on a hot August night. I could have drank a gallon of this stuff, but sadly I had but a bottle. If you can find this stuff and have an open mind toward fruit beers, I HIGHLY suggest you give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2005 17:57:54 | More by Golden2wenty1

circuitmonkey

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Is amber in color with a cloudy appearance. Has a very strong apple flavor to it compared to other beers I’ve had which are a little more subtle. You can hardly taste any hopps or malt, which is why you will often find non-beer drinkers drinking this beer; yet it is far from being a cider.

Is quite different from the other two New Glarus fruit beers, which are very sweet, this beer however is a little more well balanced.

A side note from how the beer tastes:
I originally thought this beer was a seasonal of new glarus, but it is in fact what new glarus calls its “unplugged” series (hence the red foil) which means they make this beer pretty much whenever they feel like it, no specific time of year or anything. They brew it with actual apples, not apple juice, and I have heard that due to the complexity of the brewing process (and the pain of the apple chunks clogging pipes and such) that New Glarus has considered to discontinue it. But it’s a rumor. Reguardless I suggest socking up on it whenever you find it.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2005 16:43:41 | More by circuitmonkey

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

OK, first off, I'm biased towards fruit beers. Love 'em.
Second: Big thanks to battlekow for this tasty brew!

A: Amber in color. Scant head with no lacing.

S: Fresh apple cider from a country store. Just a lovely sweet apple smell. Considering that that is what this beer pimps itself as, I gotta love it.

T: More of the same, but better. This beer really tastes like fresh pressed apple cider. If you've ever had good cider, you know what this tastes like. If you've never had good apple cider, shame on you!

M: Mouthcoating, smooth, low level of carbonation. Alcohol feel is well nigh absent.

D&N: If you like fruited beers, and you like apple cider, this beer will be a wonderful experience. I love it.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2005 22:28:20 | More by JackTheRipper

blackie

Virginia

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

Color is a medium amber with a white head.

The sweet apple smells great with the malt aromas. Not much else to say. Smells appley...smells good. I thought the apple flavor would just blow me away, but not so. I guess there are some hops in there, but I can't find them.

Carbonation is high, the body is medium to medium heavy. After the swallow, the sweetness on the tongue is sticky and slick.

Taste is almost all apple. Sweet, red apples and some slight spice. Tastes like fall. Finishes with a lingering sweetness. I'd appreciate a little more tartness in there, but it's good anyway.

Apples, apples, apples. A good fruit beer. Would be awesome with some Wisconsin cheddar. Not a session beer.

Acquired this brew in a trade with battlekow.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2005 06:20:57 | More by blackie

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours, well, candy-apple red. slight foaming and neat lacing. not much fruit aroma while pouring, but the snifter perfectly captures a huge apple juice bouquet.. not like the green apple tart commonly associated with belgian dubbels.. instead, sweeter and more cidery. the sugar here seems more derived from the fruit than the fermentation or malt. champagne-like dryness in aroma and a slight hint of something. hops? eh? taste is overwhelmingly apple, like faux grocery store passover champagne. supposed brown ale base shows no character. not much beer here, save for a malty note to build body. mouthfeel is a bit syrupy for me, but this beer far outweighs any cider around. moderately drinkable, very satisfying after a spicy thai meal.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2005 22:07:18 | More by goodbyeohio

Goldorak

Quebec (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Rusty nail/copper colored with a weak head that fizzed off quickly.

Smell: Banana, and appleseed aroma. Hefe yeast? I couldn't find anything on the website about it, so who knows...

Taste: Banana nut muffins with a side of apple sauce, a bit too sweet for me, I like my fruit Beers on the tangy side better. It did remind me of a defunct Québec Beer that I used to love, Hopps aux pommes from Brasal.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2005 19:25:45 | More by Goldorak

mschofield

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, well carbonated amber tinted red, topped with a two finger white head, leaves webs of lacing.
Apple, spice, fruit and toast aroma, lighter notes of nuts and wheat.
Apple - lots of apple, tastes like eating an apple while picking them at the orchard, sweet apple juice, spcies, pie crust, wheat, grass and tea.
Medium bodied, and very drinkable. Thanks to stonecrusher for this sample. Even my girlfriend liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2005 23:34:42 | More by mschofield

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

New Glarus' Apple Ale smells and tastes astonishingly like fresh apples; and it's dark amber body with golden highlights is also reminiscent of cider. There's little head, and only a thin collar remains of that; and lacing is limited to just a few tiny spots here and there. The taste is of apples, although a touch of malt can be found if you look close enough. It's very delicately carbonated, and surprisingly much fuller in the mouth than might be expected. It finishes sweet with some lingering maltiness. It's certainly not your average beer, and I see it as somewhat of an apertif or dessert beer, but it's delicious regardless.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2005 20:40:28 | More by NeroFiddled

SheepNutz

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A big thanks to Kev (kmpitz2) for sharing this brew. 12oz. bottle poured into a snifter. It pours a medium copper color with just a little bit of large bubble foam. There is no lacing. The smell has lots and lots of apple, and even a touch of cinnamon. It smells just like an apple pie, like grandma used to make! The taste is very sweet and cider-like. More cinnamon floating around. I bet Johnny Lieberman's apple pie beer tastes like this! The mouthfeel is very very heavy for a fruit beer, very nice. The drinkability fairs well also. A damn good apple beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2005 22:38:34 | More by SheepNutz

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Nice light golden copper color with a slight hazyness to it. Small, loosely bubbled and strangely constructed greyish cap that whisps away pretty quickly leaving a thin collar that stays about half the glass down. Lacing is very minimal in spots.

Aroma is musty mushy bruised apples, borderline melon-like with a more musty past-its-prime honeydew thing. Oddly abtrusive yet possibly appetizing and intriguing nose.

Flavor is mellow and musky with a heavy sweet dark apple skin and mush tone. Pretty darn sweet and thickly so; the apple isn't to bad, its not cidery, its mushy, chewy, tangy, and mellow. The sourness is beyond deep in tone, nearly nonexsisitent until very late where some truer crispy apple tones float across the finish.

Feel is partially thick and chewy with a mellow tang and solid sweet dark apple tone thats melony and candy-like. Sugary through and through; smooth and creamy mediumness in body.
A strange brew tis true. One thats either a 'love it' or 'hate it' thing. I'm right in the middle, I don't particularly like it all that much, but it doesn't bother me or uninterest me either. I probably won't buy it again but I'm glad to have tried it. One of those types of brews.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2005 00:32:52 | More by tavernjef

shippos

New York

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

poured witha creamy dense white head, lacy on a almost clear amber sicer colored body. waffs of apples and some dense sugary malt, freshly squeezed apples and fresh apple skins and some residual sourness form the apples. oh my god...shocking and absolutly amzing first taste. sugary at first the some tartness hits followed by a tongue lapping sweetness that coats your lips followed by a very tart almost spicy prickly carbonation or acidic character. well pronounced tart sharp acidic character. no off flavors whatsoever very very well crafted...these guys are just amazing. for me though one bottle was enough, kind a wish i had a few more for further down the road.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2005 20:36:19 | More by shippos

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