New Glarus R & D Golden Ale

Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Ale
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

Frigging dynamite complex brett aroma. Dry and funky straw character to the beer. Wish I had a case to see how this would evolve over the years.

Bottle from Ugmash. Poured clear gold with a nice large white head, some light foam. Aroma is nicely hopped, with some light funk, and some light spice. Faint fruit notes are also detectable. Very interesting. Taste is also pretty nice, with more of the floral hops, some brett funk, and some light toasted malt backing. Really a nice balance between the brett and the hops. The body is light and dry. Overall, a solid ale.

Courtesy of tytoanderso via trade

Bottle: The aroma is a great combination of brett, citrus, sweet tarts, lemon peel, and floral notes. It pours a slightly hazy golden-orange with a moderate soapy white head. The flavor starts citrusy with orange peel. The finish has light lemon, sweet tarts, floral notes, and faint yeastiness. Medium bodied with lively soft carbonation and somewhat creamy mouthfeel.

In short: America’s answer to Orval. Wicked beer.
How: Bottle 500ml. Sent to me by CaptainCougar. Thank you so much Tom. Consumed early febuary 2010 relatively fresh, about 6 to 7 months after bottling date
The look: Partly cloudy golden body topped by an enormous white head with good retention
In long: Nose is extremely but has a lot more to offer than traditional brett bombs. Here it is has floral as it is wild. Already an Orval feature. Taste sends you a truckload of brett but quickly draws your attention away with all those floral hops, grapefruits notes, pine, Social Tea™ cookies, dust. Also a strong scented cedar sensation (is this beer cedar aged?!?). Very Orval-esque although I got less of a “flower bouquet” sensation than with Orval. The hop profile here is less bitter but more citric/astringent and more fruity than with Orval. Overall rather dry. Big spongy body, smooth but lively carbonation. There is many many differences between this beer and Orval, yet I cannot help but to compare them. If you love Orval (the indisputably most better best beer in the world) then you will love this beer. A whole new twist on the Orval approach. It is exactly Orval, but totally different. However something about its more fruity yeast character and hops makes me think it cannot age like Orval. But when fresh (I’d say 1 year or less) this is almost as great as Orval. What all these Sours, Imperial whatever and BA this-and-that what I really want is more beer like this. And peace on Earth. As long as the latter doesn’t prevent the former

[Tap] On tap at the brewery in mid-December. Pours a clear dark golden color with a small and dense white head. Crisp light malts and lots of yeast in the aroma. The taste is dry and somewhat herbal. Light malts, brett, black pepper, light vegetable notes, tart apple, dough and light grassy hops all make an appearance here. Lively carbonation and solid body. Quite drinkable, refreshing and complex.

Thanks to Kan for the trade. Poured from the 22oz bottle a pretty hazy orange-golden color with a very tall, dense, creamy head that really sticks around. This brew has an immense amount of carbonation. Nose hits you as your pouring it - a very nice floral and sweet aroma, sour is very present with a light grainy note at the very end. Flavor begins with a sour brett note that fades to a mild grainy and slightly fruity with some notes of grape and mild esters after the sour flavor mellows in your mouth. Body is light and very lively with great lacing and fantastic head retention. Overall a great brew. One of the few commercial examples where I have see a terrific head that looks like the ones you see on fresh homebrews. Sour is just right and lends a crisp feeling when combined with the high carbonation.

Whoa! Dan the guru nailed it! This is the stuff! Pours with an ENORMOUS foamy, frothy, textured, off white head and a boat load of lace. Color was a hazy amber. Aroma was heady and full of yeast, malty, and reminiscent of Orval - spicey, a bit of citrus and the Belgian ale essence. Flavor was all of that and so full and rich. Bitterness of the yeast come through more. Body is excellent and ditto carbonation. Citrusy, spicey, yeasty finish. Masterful! Not a session tho.

[Bottle] purchased at the brewery. Pours a clear bronze with a medium off-white head. Aroma is herbal and floral, definite styrian golding hops, clean, crisp malt. Flavor is quite funky, pineapple, some other fruitiness, a bit herbal, and dry on the finish.