New Brew: New Belgium Hoptober

Padma likes what she sees

A recent trip across the street to Barriques PD netted me  a six-pack of New Belgium’s latest offering, Hoptober.  As summer wanes and the weather chills with each coming day, a beer that appears to meld hops with a malty Oktoberfest-style seemed right up my alley.  As it turns out, Hoptober is somewhat of a misnomer.

Beer: New Belgium Hoptober

Style: Golden Ale

Description: “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. – newbelgium.com”

Vitals: 40 IBU, 6% ABV

My take: The beer pours into my vintage Schlitz chalice just a one would expect from a golden ale – light golden yellow, crystal clear, and with ample white, foamy head.  The nose on this beer is simply phenomenal.  Those 5 hops and 4 malts really create a lot of complexity to take in with notes ranging from citrus to honey, vanilla, and apricot.  The beer sits full, yet smooth in the mouth with a nice even effervesence.  The malts assert themselves on the palate up front with the rye provideing that unique grit that I love.  A brisk piney hop flourish cleans the palate in the end.

I really think this beer hits the mark as a great transition between the refreshing hoppy beers of summer and the complex malty beers of fall.  A beer that would be an asset to any brewery’s catalog and something I could see in my fridge on a regular basis.  Seek this out while it’s on the shelves.