Beer Review: New Belgium Brewery - Hoptober

 

Hoptober

 

Five hops and four malts make Hoptober Golden Ale a veritable cornucopia of the earth.  Pale and wheat malt are mashed with rye and oats to create a medium-bodied ale with a creamy mouthfeel.
Centennial, Cascade, Sterling, Willamette, and Glacier hops form a bonfire of citrus notes, fruity cheers and a bold finale.

Seasonal: August, September, October.
40 IBU
6% ABV

 

Appearance: Crystal clear and golden in color. Large rocky white head diminishes to a half of finger with around the rim lacing.  

Aroma: Sweet fruit hop aroma touching on apricots and tangerines. Light touch of bread malt and wheat. 

Flavor: Strong citrus hop punch up front. The bitterness is subtle and very nice. I taste exotic fruits like pineapple and something like mango on top of a strong citrus component of tangerine and orange. Smooth malt goodness is apparent in the middle of the sip. The beer finishes crisp almost like a lager. Very refreshing. 

Mouthfeel: Low to medium body with medium carbonation. Somewhat creamy with a slight carbonic prickle.

Overall: Something out of the ordinary for a fall seasonal beer. Very refreshing and will get you through that transition period from Summer to Fall. The best thing about this beer is that it showcases hop flavor and not much of the bitterness. The malts accentuate the hop goodness and it leaves you wanting another bottle. Probably my favorite of all of New Belgium's beer lineup.