New Belgium

New Belgium Hoppy Blonde joins seasonal lineup

New Belgium Hoppy Blonde is now available, a part of the brewery’s seasonal release lineup.

“A rush of hops” kicks off the taste of New Belgium Hoppy Blonde, finishing light, clean and refreshing. The blonde ale features Mosaic, UK Admiral hops, plus Centennial Continue Reading →

Could New Belgium sell?

New Belgium, a 100% employee-owned company, may be up for sale, according to Reuters.

Seem too crazy to happen? Probably. Reuters recently reported Atlanta, Georgia based SweetWater Brewing Company was prepping to go public, but months later, there still isn’t even Continue Reading →

New Belgium Blackberry Barley Wine Ale is ready

New Belgium Blackberry Barley Wine Ale is coming to the brewery’s Lips of Faith Series. This release marks the first barleywine in the employee-owned Fort Collins, Colorado’s lineup.

The base beer is a barleywine brewed with fresh blackberries and candi sugar.

Smooth as the silk Continue Reading →

Posted in New Belgium, New Releases

New Belgium Botanical Imperial IPA joins Hop Kitchen Series

New Belgium Botanical Imperial IPA is the latest entry in the brewery’s ongoing Hop Kitchen Series.

This draft only beer is an IPA brewed with Cascade, Sterling, Willamette hops, and a variety of garden grown botanicals, including basil, sage and juniper.

Then we intensified the citrusy, herbal and spicy hop flavors with a blast of essential oils from backyard botanicals basil, sage and juniper to create the freshest IPA around. A touch of dark caramel malt adds a nice cushiony bed to the sip before the beer transitions into a warming, dry finish. Taste the bounty of Botanical Imperial IPA.

New Belgium Botanical Imperial IPA is a draft only offering, in limited quantities across the brewery’s distribution network.

Style: IPA (w/ Sage, Juniper, Basil)
Hops: Brave, Cascade, Sterling, Willamette
Malts: Pale, Caramel-120

Availability: Draft Only
Release: March, 2016

8.5% ABV, 85 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium, Allagash Brewing, Avery Brewing, Firestone Walker Brewing, Headlines, Hopworks, Rhinegeist Brewery

New Belgium teams up with 5 breweries to celebrate Fat Tire

New Belgium celebrates 25 years of operation this year. That’s 25 years of brewing their flagship offering, Fat Tire as well. The Colorado based brewery marks the occasion with a 6-way collaboration.

New Belgium has tapped some longtime brewing friends to help, creating a their own spin on Fat Tire. Allagash, Avery Brewing, Firestone Walker, Hopworks Urban Brewery, and Rhinegeist are all involved, leaving their own fingerprint on the now 25 year old brew.

  • Allagash Brewing is producing a version of Fat Tire using a Belgian yeast sourced form the Poperings region and a touch of the Allagash house Brettanomyces – expect notes of stone fruit, sweet tart and peppercorn.
  • Avery Brewing will focus on a fruitier hop bill also with a dose of brett evoking notes of apricot and pineapple.
  • Firestone Walker Brewing is creating a west coast interpretation of Fat Tire with an assertive hop profile and a light lager yeast.
  • Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) is creating a tart Fat Tire bringing in apple and lactobacillus to help highlight that beautiful green apple snap inherent to the original Fat Tire.
  • Rhinegeist has transformed Fat Tire into a Belgian XPA, combining a fruity Belgian yeast strain with bready-sweet European and Colorado malts for a beer to please hopheads and wine drinkers alike.

This June, mixed 12 packs featuring two of each interpretation will be distributed, just prior to New Belgium’s 25th Anniversary. (Parties to be announced.)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium, New Releases

New Belgium Hoppy Blonde joins seasonal lineup

New Belgium Hoppy Blonde is now available, a part of the brewery’s seasonal release lineup.

“A rush of hops” kicks off the taste of New Belgium Hoppy Blonde, finishing light, clean and refreshing. The blonde ale features Mosaic, UK Admiral hops, plus Centennial in the dry-hopping.

Hoppy Blonde takes a leap into the tropics with an exhilarating rush of hops at the start, that softens into a light and refreshing finish. The delicate malt base of this beer combines with vibrant notes of mango, lemon, blueberry and pine …The result is a sessionable blonde ale with a head rush of hops.

New Belgium Hoppy Blonde is a draft and 12 ounce bottle offering, March through April, 2016.

Style: Blonde Ale
Hops: Mosaic, UK Admiral, Centennial
Malts: Pale, Caramel 80, Munich

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: March, 2016

5.75% ABV, 45 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines, New Belgium

New Belgium Lips of Faith Golden Ale, with Hof Ten Dormaal

New Belgium Lips of Faith Golden Ale, a collaboration with Belgium’s Hof Ten Dormaal, takes aim at the series this year.

Hof Ten Dormal is a farmhouse brewery nestled in the countryside of Tildonk, Belgium. Part of the brewery was damaged by fire in 2014. In a “New” Belgium to “real” Belgium collaboration, the two breweries are creating this upcoming Lips of Faith offering, Golden Ale.

Described as a springtime offering, Golden Ale is brewed with new Mosaic, and old (read: traditional) Saaz hops. The breweries malted sunflower seeds, and nuanced this beer with wild carrot herbs. You didn’t think this was going to be just a regular old golden ale did you?

A deliciously uncommon springtime beer, our Golden Ale brewed with Hof Ten Dorsal blends modern Mosaic hops and malted sunflower seeds with Old World ingredients such as Saaz hops, spelt, and wild carrot herbs. It’s New and Old Belgium together in a bottle.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Golden Ale will be a draft, and 12 ounce bottle offering (4 packs for the first time).

Style: Golden Ale (w/ Sunflower Seeds, Wild Carrot Herbs)
Hops: Mosaic, Saaz

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft
Release: TBA

7% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, New Belgium, New Releases

New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA hits shelves year-round

New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA joins the brewery’s year-round lineup this month.

New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA features tangerine, orange peel, plus a plethora of citrusy hops, including Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, and Azacca.

“This hop profile really lends itself to that big citrusy, juicy fruit nose, so the next logical step was to riff off of that with actual Tangerine,” said Assistant Brewmaster Grady Hull. “The result is a brightly citrus, slightly bitter, and pleasantly balanced IPA.”

New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA is a draft and 12 ounce bottle offering.

Style: IPA (Orange Peel, Tangerine)
Hops: Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Azacca
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Year-round
Release: January, 2016

6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Don't Miss This, New Belgium

Could New Belgium sell?

New Belgium, a 100% employee-owned company, may be up for sale, according to Reuters.

Seem too crazy to happen? Probably. Reuters recently reported Atlanta, Georgia based SweetWater Brewing Company was prepping to go public, but months later, there still isn’t even a whiff of an initial public offering.

Advisory firm Lazard Middle Market is apparently advising New Belgium on on the sale, which could be worth more than $1 billion dollars.

Beer Street Journal have reached out to New Belgium and Lazard, with no responses.

The brewery was 41% owned by employees, with CEO Kim Jordan owning the controlling share, until January, 2013 when they transitioned to 100% employee ownership. At the time, Jordan was quoted as saying:

We have an opportunity to write the next chapter of this incredible story and we’re really excited about that,” said New Belgium CEO and co-founder, Kim Jordan. “We have always had a high involvement ownership culture and this allows us to take that to the next logical level. It will provide an elegant succession framework that keeps the executive team intact ensuring our vision stays true going forward.”

A New Belgium sale seems highly unlikely, but easier than you might think.Despite the fact they are 100% employee owned, in most cases of this type a majority vote would be the only thing needed to approve a sale.

The brewery has always been proud of its ownership. A company sale would strike at New Belgium’s core values.

Then again, few people saw the Goose Island purchase coming years ago.

That changed everything.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, New Belgium

New Belgium Blackberry Barley Wine Ale is ready

New Belgium Blackberry Barley Wine Ale is coming to the brewery’s Lips of Faith Series. This release marks the first barleywine in the employee-owned Fort Collins, Colorado’s lineup.

The base beer is a barleywine brewed with fresh blackberries and candi sugar.

Smooth as the silk ascot you should be wearing while sipping this barley wine ale brewed with fresh blackberries. A trip under your nose reveals aromas of toasted oak, caramel toffee and burgundy. Sip with purpose.

New Belgium Blackberry Barley Wine Ale will be available in 22oz bottles and draft.

Style: Barleywine (w/ Blackberries)
Hops: Nugget
Malts: Pale, Munich, Caramel Munich, Oats

Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: TBA

12% ABV

by Reid Ramsay