New Belgium – Belgo – Belgian Style IPA

Today I asked my wife for suggestions on what to do with my day off. Her response was, “Do something fabulous”. We all have our perceptions of what that could mean, but for me it meant a really good beer while enjoying the sunshine!

After seeing a facebook post from Downtown Wine and Spirits advertising Ranger IPA in cans, I decided to take a walk. I picked up a Ranger IPA, but another New Belgium beer caught my eye; BELGO, a Belgian Style India Pale Ale. This is two different styles of beer, Belgian and IPA. As a homebrewer, this is a recipe I’ve tried to perfect in the past. The idea of traditional Belgian flavors (orange peel, coriander, banana, etc) combined with the hop character of an IPA intrigues me! I thought this was a fairly unique idea considering I’d never seen that combination in the past, so I’m going to falsely accuse New Belguim of stealing my idea. The nerve! ; ) My beer turned out a bit different every time, but always very drinkable with a complex palate. I introduced cracked pepper corn in my boil to add a back of the tongue bite.

Anyway, enough about my beer – let’s talk about BELGO! New Belgium has nailed it with this recipe! They have found the right balance of hops; as the bottle states, “Friday night and the lights are low; Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe, looking for a place to belGO.” Those combine to create a crisp IPA hoppiness that they’ve accompanied with a strain of authentic Trappist yeast. What they have created is a beauty of a beer that balances both styles very well. At 7% ABV and an IBU of 60, this one has put a smile across my sun soaked face! Pick one up at Downtown Wine and Spirits and enjoy it properly by pouring slowly in to a fluted glass, which opens up the aroma of the beer.

CHEERS!