BrewChief.com : Review of Hoptober (New Belgium Brewing Co.) : By ScottBee

A nice twist to the fall season

Posted on 8/31/2011 at 8:58 PM EST (628 days ago)

Reviewer:	ScottBee (loved, 12 of 19 reviews)
Beer Name:	Hoptober
Brewery:	New Belgium Brewing Co.
Beer Style:	Blonde Ale
Category:	Light Hybrid Beer
Stats:	7.0% ABV, 40 IBUs

Great

What we have here is the New Belgium Hoptober. I'll be honest, I have had only one offering from new Belgium and wasn't really impressed. This beer isn't terrible but it's just not my cup of tea.

I was expecting more of a Oktoberfest type of beer. What I got was a fresh hoppy smell with some citrus thrown in for good measure. The first taste was very smooth and creamy. I began to enjoy the smell and taste a little more as I trudged along. I have noticed that the more it gets warm the more the taste changes and the smoother it is. This is an easy drinking beer for a nice fall evening.

My hopes of a spice and pumpkin offering from New Belgium may have clouded my initial thoughts and distracted me enough to not realize that this is an ale and it should taste like an ale. However, once I dove in I found myself really enjoying this fall brew.

This is a great season beer for all levels of beer enthusiasts. Pick some up and enjoy while watching your favorite football team.

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Member Comments (3)

	Posted on 8/31/2011 at 10:13 PM EST by Chops (loved) I've never really been impressed by New Belgium either. Most of their beers seem okay at best, so I tend to write them off. Glad to see you found a decent one, may have to give them another chance.
	Posted on 9/1/2011 at 9:21 AM EST by Brew's Your Daddy (loved) It's really a shame. Does anyone else remember when New Belgium's Fat Tire was one of the most amazing beers on the market? Then, once they were "commercially accepted" by big grocery store chains and such, it was like they just decided "Ok, now we have a big distribution. Our name can carry us now. Time to cut some corners and use cheaper ingredients." I remember the day when I had a Fat Tire after the fact and was like "This isn't the same Fat Tire I had a few years ago." And the rest of their line has let me down quite a few times as well.
	Posted on 9/1/2011 at 9:29 AM EST by Chops (loved) Unfortunately I do remember that time. I was really excited to see a Fat Tire truck in NC one day, but when I got my hands on a sixer, I was woefully disappointed. I had the exact same reaction. "WTF?! This isn't Fat Tire!" Sigh, there is no greater beer killer than mass production.