Review: New Belgium Brewery
New Belgium Brewery, located in Colorado, was not available on the East Coast for the longest time, but in the last few years, it has started to show up on the shelves.
They are known for their Fat Tire, which is an Amber Ale, but they have a lot of great ones. If you are new to craft beer, Fat Tire is a good place to start. If you are already into craft beer, then try the Abby, which is my favorite from this brewery. It is one of their older beers and it is reminiscent of some of the true Belgian doubles.
When I first started getting into craft beer, I was visiting family in Dallas. At the time, New Belgium was only distributing out west so I had never heard of it and my brother-in-law introduced me to my first Fat Tire at a California Pizza Kitchen of all places. When I started to look around Dallas, I realized there were a number of beers on their shelves that were not available in Florida; this was my first interstate beer run and I loaded up on all the beer I could find that we could not get in Florida. Needless to say, there were 4 or 5 different New Belgium beers stuffed into the truck.
Memory is a fun thing. I remember drinking the Abby, the Tripple, Fat Tire and that years winter beer called 2 Below. I loved each of them, with the exception of the 2 Below, and I was very glad I purchased them and it left me wanting for more. Fast forward a few years and now Fat Tire has made it’s way to Florida and we have most of their year round product (though I have not seen the Abby yet). Interestingly, after a few years of drinking a variety of beers, I have found some of the New Belgium beers lacking and not quite flavorful enough for me.
The Fat Tire is Fat Tire and there is always a place for this Ale, and I like their Ranger IPA and their new IPA session beer called Slow Ride, but the others are a little disappointing. Interestingly, I did like the seasonal beer this year called Accumulation. I had several 12 packs cycle through my house this past holiday.
New Belgium is a great brewery and one that was worth the wait, but do not expect really complex beers. If you are new to craft beers, New Belgium is a great place to start.
In the meantime, I am still on the look out for their Abby.