Laughing Fox - New Glarus Brewing Company

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle.

IT pours an interesting color for a kristalweizen, it is not a traditional one because I haven't seen any Kristalweizen that has looked like this. It is nice and clear though.

Smells like a kristal weizen, thought the banana is perhaps a bit overly intense.

The flavor is very kristalweizen-y. It has a slight bit of lemon to go with the banana and clove.

Not super duper true to style, but for the style it isn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 01:58:30 | More by crossovert

doppelme

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clearcopper body with a fluffy tan head. It smells full of spices like cloves and cinnamon. The taste follows the aroma. A little sweet and bready. An easy drinking beer and one I could have a few of on a nice summer day in Florida. Thanks to JoePeesie for the sample

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 18:08:10 | More by doppelme

beagle75

Iowa

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a weizen glass.

A: Clear, light amber color with over one finger of parchment-tinted foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Similar to a spiced baked good, it is very bready and smells of cloves, nutmeg, and a trace quantity of cinnamon.

T: Begins barely off-dry, with early soft malt which seems dulled by the presence of wheat. Acidity is minimized into the middle, where esters become fairly aggressive with mixed fruit and bubblegum while also revealing a delayed citric acid peak. Complexity, though never noteworthy, is most developed in the finish where malt shows a hint of brown roast and fruit turns toward banana.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, wet and creamy on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: This amber-weizen beer smells convincing enough, yet never really is able to build much momentum in its flavor profile. Certain features stand out, such as the slight savory roast at the end, but no part really wows. It could be a really worthy beer for cooking, and its sessionable nature means that it is easy on the palate, if not particularly compelling.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 17:32:44 | More by beagle75

Pauly2X

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Clear light amber with a full finger thick head of foam.

S- Spicy cloves with hints of cinnamon and banana.

T- Bready malt abounds with the spicyness in tow as well. Caramel malt pops up towrads the end for some added complexity.

M- Light and fizzy, strong carbonation.

O- A good beer, but I think it falls short for New Glarus. If you're a big wheat beer fan certainly pick it up. Otherwise it's still good, just not a "must try".

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 20:45:57 | More by Pauly2X

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle. Poured into a Duvel glass a clear, dark copper color with a very large 3 finger foamy, frothy white head. Very fruit, belgian yeast aroma in the nose with bubblegum, banana, pear, and clove. Medium mouthfeel with lively carbonation. Sweet fruity upfront flavors with a more than expected bitterness popping in. Caramel notes as well. End dryly with a linger bubblegum and bitter aftertaste. Laces the glass.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 23:02:41 | More by kbutler1

weatherdog

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a New Glarus Weizen glass

A vigorous pour yields a generous an light straw colored head which billows out of the glass. After it settles a nice half a finger cap stays on the top until the beer is finished. A medium/low amount of lacing sticks of the sides. The beer is a crystal clear medium copper with a constant stream of tiny bubbles rising from the bottom. Once again New Glarus proves it makes an amazing looking beer.

The German weizen yeast makes itself obviously known from the classic banana esters reaching my nose. A very slight malt sweetness then comes and finishes with the slightest spice. All of these aromas are present in a diminished capacity of a normal weissbier but that could be attributed to either a recipe design or the filtering process. I am far from a regular Krystalweizen drinker so I can not compare this to other examples.

The flavor is more malt forward than ester forward. A bit of sweetness is present with the banana esters coming in. I'm gathering most of the traditional flavors of a hefeweizen with an added malt sweetness but just like the aroma it's at a lower level than a hefeweizen.

The mouthfeel is a bit slick and oily as expected but something on the end is throwing me. It's kind of drops off flat with no finish, almost a bit watery.

Overall I think it's a decent beer, pretty drinkable with fairly mild flavors. I think of it as an introduction to Dancing Man. It's not up to par with the other New Glarus wheat beers in terms of flavor and enjoyment but it's not disappointing either.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 17:28:11 | More by weatherdog

blakelive784

Colorado

3.61/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Docrock for this bottle!

12 fl oz brown glass bottle poured into a weizen glass, reviewed live:

A - Pours a textbook copper color with a khaki, surprisingly creamy, three finger head. Retention is good, but not noteworthy. Not what I was expecting, but appealing.

S - Banana dominates. Light caramel, candi sweetness, and clove/spice esters are prominant. Moderate in strength. Typical biscuity yeast characteristics are present, if a bit restrained (though that may be true to style.) Inviting, to say the least.

T - Typical but fresh, sweet banana notes open. Lightly toasted and Crystal malts form the body, differentiating it from your typical hefe. I like it. Not bready or doughy. Light spice throughout, though I'd be hard pressed to identify them. The caramel throughout is a nice touch.

M - Crisp, chewy, smooth, and refreshing. Nearly ideal.

D - This is the first beer I've had in the style. A departure from your typical wheat offering, but definitely worth a go. I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:15:39 | More by blakelive784

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

New Glarus Laughing Fox. "In playful pursuit of butterflies, a Red Fox danced across the brewery hill. His joy so pure it bubbled through our hearts and into this beer. Laughing Fox is a sparkling Kristal Weizen brewed in the Bavarian tradition with 50% Wisconsin wheaten our open top fermenters. …blah, blah, blah, …This is easy drinking beer perfect for a friendly Wisconsin evening. Relax, this is God's country, here we have the strength to reach for the stars and change the world."

Well, that was one of the most over-wrought labels I've ever read, here in Satan's Backyard, Minneapolis. Some of the sentences I skipped prove this even further, but I'm censoring the descriptors so I can do it myself. And so…

Big, booming off-white head, clear, with caramel-toned coloring…a bit darker than I anticipated.

Spicy, clove notes, …rye malt? Cinnamon, brown sugar. Enticing, and lively.

Brisk, sparkling mouthfeel, leads to sterling consumability. Clean, to the point where I miss the texture a non-filtered wizen would bring. Some fruit in here, some apple, cherry, maybe. This flavor grows and covers up that patch missing in the character. Becomes more likable further in…but it doesn't go far enough.

This is the final bottle in the 6-pack. The other five made no impression on me, really, and at this last one, I feel I won't be missing it. New Glarus continues to be a brewery that misses almost as much as hits with me. But the hits deserve their accolades, don't get me wrong. This one? Eh.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 09:02:13 | More by feloniousmonk

Vixie

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice copper color with just a hint of red. The tan head does tend to dissipate fairly quickly.

Smell has citrus, banana, and clove notes in it, and a hint of yeast.

Starts out a bit fruity, then banana and clove kick in. The banana tends to dominate a bit, the clove is more hinted at.

Decent feel, pretty typical for the style.

A nice easy to drink beer. Really goes down easy, and has the taste I expect from this style. Wheat beers are one of my favorites, and this is a nice example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 02:15:24 | More by Vixie

phishsihq

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a deep copper-golden color with big head of off-white head that clings to the glass. Darker then expected, but intriguing none the less. Malty sweetness comes out strong but settles as other aromas including wheat, spice, banana, clove, and a touch of cinnamon join the party. The pallet experiences many of the typical hefeweizen flavors of banana, wheat, clove, and lemon zest while new flavors of cinnamon and biscuity malt dance underneath. Spot on mouthfeel for the style; medium bodied and highly carbonated. Another New Glarus brew, another rave review - not just a coincidence.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 02:24:57 | More by phishsihq

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got this early from the manager at a liquor store.

A- Pours an orangish-red with a big head, a little over two fingers worth. Crystal clear(pun intended), and a decent amount of carbonation from the bottom of the glass. The head sticks around forever and leaves soem pretty good lacing.

S- No doubt a wheat beer and more than that, one of Dan Carey's wheat beer. There are barely any hops noticeable and just a little bit of a grassy end.

T- This is an interesting beer. It starts off with a big dose of wheat up front but it then gives way to what reminds me of a red ale and then some hints of a lager.

M- This is lighter bodied with some crisp carbonation. This would make for a great summer with its lighter alcohol content.

O- It's hard to knock this beer but it doesn't measure up compared to some of Dan's other wheats. With that said, this would be a decent substitution for anyone looking for Dancing Man with a lower alcohol content(but who would want that?).

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 14:29:35 | More by Wisconsinality

manitouman84

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a beautiful bright orange with a thick three finger head, lots of exuberant carbonation, translucent body, modest head retention and lacing. Estery, strong dark fruit berry like aromas, ethyl acetate, subtle giner, spicy, mild caramel. Tastes as it smells, grainy backbone more pronounced, lots of fruity berry and banana esters, spicy, a bit tart and piquant in the finish. Good body, a bit cloying and alkaline.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 05:30:44 | More by manitouman84

ChiPool

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a chalice.

This pours a deep amber color: darker than I expected. It has a moderate amount of off-white head, which dissipates quickly. The smell is light & refreshing: banana, cloves, and sweet malts. It smella like a light belgian. The taste is light, pleasant, & refreshing: more of the banana flavor, with a light mouthfeel.

A departure from my usual, and I found it enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 00:07:12 | More by ChiPool

maximum12

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a single of this recently because, hey, I don't believe I've ever tasted a kristalweizen before. Actually, I had to look up the style to figure out what it was. Filtered hefe? OK. Trust in New Glarus, & always looking for that next great session brew.

Pour is an over-enthusiastic mushroom-cloud of a head, to the point of having to pause before completing the task at hand. Very light, very clear copper body. Nose is a full tank of banana, bubblegum, spicy clove. Packs well for a low-ABV beer.

Laughing Fox. Now I know what a kristalweizen tastes like. All the nose indicators come out for the taste buds too, but in a less aggressive manner. Banana is certainly dominant. Very much like a hefe, to the point that I wonder why this merits a distinct style, & if we need one for filtered vs. unfiltered wild ales. Certainly easy to sip, I can see why one would want to lounge in the backyard & drink these while taking potshots at the wild turkeys trying to dig up your corn rows.

Overall this is a good, solid beer that seems like it was designed for cool nights around the campfire, with a s'more dangling over the coals. Very nice, sessionable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 01:37:34 | More by maximum12

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear copper colored body. Nice beige head. Leaves some nice lace. Very nice aroma. Weizen yeast properties like banana and clove come through nicely. A little cinnamon too. Mouthfeel is just a titch gaseous. Nothing too serious though. Light in body. Flavor is decent. The clove adn cinnamon come out in the flavor slightly as well. Bready malt base with some yeast notes as well. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 04:05:52 | More by Bighuge

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours a garnet amber color with great clarity. Solid three fingers of tannish tinted offwhite head. Decent retention.

S- big spice aromas of clove, cinnamon and allspice. A hint of banana and bubblegum in the middle. Finish is enticing wheat with a touch of raw honeycomb.

T- slight malty sweetness at first with a cracked wheat flavor. Not much flavor at first but on the finish a burst of clove, banana and bubblegum linger on the palate with a note of green apple fruitiness.

MF- slick mouthfeel with a light medium body and effervescent carbonation.

D- very drinkable with a very refreshing character.

Overall a very solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 02:18:25 | More by Viciousknishs

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another great bottle sent down from BeerFMAndy. Thanks!

Poured into a tall weizen glass. This beer pours with a massive amount of foam, which dissipates to leave a thick beige head capping off a clear dark amber beer. This is darker than I had anticipated, but it's a good color to go with the 'Fox' moniker. Sweet aromas stand out. Banana, clove, sugar cookies. Mellow feel. Carbonation is low-to-moderate. Sweet banana bread, mild caramel, clove, bready finish. This was an easy drinker. Sweet beer that was refreshing and uplifting. Not a go-to for me, but a pleasant beer anyways.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 14:11:50 | More by Onenote81

aleric

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pour this one slowly folks! Blooms into a gorgeous 2-3 finger head. Color is toasted red amber. Great lacing.

S - Banana and malt.

T - Banana and bread with a light tang. Lingering grape skin and phenols on the finish.

M - Light and crisp with medium carbonation.

O - Definitely an afternoon/evening beer, and great for a fall picnic or campfire. My first Kristalweizen, so I wasn't expecting the slight "cleaning solution" flavor of the phenols, but somehow it manages to be pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 05:26:15 | More by aleric

sweemzander

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a nonic.

(A)- Pours a clear caramel colored amber. Produced a nice cap of off-white creamy froth. Good retention and lace.

(S)- Smooth/subtle bits of banana, wheat, lemon, and clove. Lots of biscuit.

(T)- Similar to the smell, though far more caramel-like malt with the wheat, banana, and clove.

(M)- Good carbonation level. A good balance, though a lot more malty for the style in a caramel-like sweetness.

(D)- Overall, yet another tasty beer from New Glarus with their typical subtle twists on a traditional style.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 16:53:12 | More by sweemzander

bierbrauer

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, dated Oct. 6, 2011, into a tulip glass.

A: Clear amber, w/ light effervescence; fluffy tan head that falls slowly and leaves thinly dispersed lacing.

S: Pink bubblegum, banana, clove, cinnamon; some caramel & wheat.

T: Bubblegum and banana, lemon, a bit sour

M: Light body and light carbonation; watery; neutral finish

O: A refreshing, very light brew. A good quaffer, with some complexity.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 00:21:14 | More by bierbrauer

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 11/03/12 notes. Picked a bottle of this up at the brewery and opened it the next day in my hotel room. 12 oz. bottle.

a - Pours a somewhat clear amber color with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of bananas, bready malts, toasted malts, lightly sweet spices, apples, and fruity malts. Nice fruity nose.

t - Tastes of bananas, spices, yeast, bready malts, dough, wheat, apples, pears, fruity malts. Light pepper. Taste is sweeter than the nose and has more bananas.

m - Light body and low carbonation. Very easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty nice beer. Loads of bananas and bread, especially in the taste. Also a good amount of fruit and apples to it, and easy to drink. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 19:09:55 | More by mdfb79

Docrock

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into a Pint glass

A - deep amber in color, very thick 1" plus head that slowly dwindled leaving a thin cap that lasted through the entire glass. minimal lacing that quickly slides back down the sides.

S - mild banana and a touch of cloves, slight maltiness.

T - nice wheat profile with a bit of the banana. a slight tangy aftertaste.

M - above average carbonation and a medium body for the style

O - really attractive beer, pleasant aroma and easily drinkable. havent had many Kristalweizen's prior to this, but enjoy the style, have always been a Hefeweizen fan. the carbonation is spot on, and this is an emjoyable beer. i see this as a good beer for late spring time.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 03:18:27 | More by Docrock

matjack85

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this single 12oz brown bottle as part of a build your own 6 pack of New Glarus beers for $10 (so $1.67 per bottle). No freshness date. Unfortunately, New Glarus does not distribute their beers outside the state, so you'll have to make the trip up to Wisconsin to taste one of these.

Nice looking pour. Two fingers of creamy white head atop a clear amber orange/red body that does resemble the color of a fox coat. Retention was good and the lacing was even better.

The smell was mostly banana with a bit of bubble gum sweetness.

Banana, clove, and cinnamon are the predominant flavors. Wheat malt, caramel malt, some other fruits, and a bit of pepper add to the taste. Decent taste but no "oh wow" factor.

Light body and very spritzy. The carbonation level is way up there.

Easy and enjoyable to drink. Another good offering from New Glarus, although not in my top 10.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 12:23:59 | More by matjack85

tvv375ia

Iowa

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from 12oz bottle into imperial pint glass

A-nice burnt orange with about a 3 finger head that last a long time leaving a lot of lacing and finally settled to about a 1/4" cap

S-some spicy banana is what I get most for a smell in this one

T-bananas at first and then as it warms to room temperature more of the clove comes out

M-pretty light but good carbonation and dry finish

O-my wife picked this up for me and when I saw it was sort of filtered hefewiezen I wasn't sure I would like it since I don't care for most hefeweizen, but I was suprised to find it was better than I was expecting

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 02:05:24 | More by tvv375ia

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured into a sam adams pint glass.

Appearance: A light orangish amber bodied beer with a massive white head. Heavy sticky lacing. At least 3 fingers head after a gentle pour.

Smell: As soon as you pop the cap off this beer the smell of sweet bananas are everywhere. When you put your nose in the beer you get a decent amount of clove and yeast and wheat notes. Smells good.

Taste: Clove is the first thing you taste followed by some wheat and spicy yeast notes. A touch of cinnamon. Although the banana have a decent presence in the nose they are quite faint in the taste of this beer and only appear for a short time in the beers finish. Has a clean and fresh taste to the beer.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Crisp, clean, refreshing beer.

Overall: New had a Kristalweizen beer, but I trust that new glarus did this beer style the right way. Enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 01:44:08 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT