New Belgium Somersault

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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Gold with scant, white, head / Clean, elegant, floral, nose of grain, honey, resin, and lemon / Medium body, soft malolactic carbonation and somewhat fat, with a hint of sweetness and decent, smooth, lightly bitter, finish / Mild flavors of corn, apricots, lemon, violets, and honey / Pleasant, big, sessionable ale.

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint. Appearance: Clear golden blonde. Moderate head that diminishes too rapidly, leaving very little lacing. Aroma: Floral, citrusy and spicy. Some semi-sweet orange and apricot. Taste: Light crackery malt with citrusy hops. Maybe a tinge of apricot, but would not really notice if I didn’t know it was there from the label. Finish is spicy, with a touch of ginger. Palate: Moderately high carbonation, light body with a dry, crisp finish. Overall: A crisp, refreshing, fairly flavorful Blonde Ale, and as a summer seasonal, it is light years better than the old Skinny Dip. While the apricot and ginger additions are minimal, that may be a good thing, as it just provides balance and subtle complexity. Love the exclusive use of Centennial hops!

Bottle. Pours hazy golden with medium white head. Aroma of orange, ginger, and spices. Good flavor of citrus and spice, mildly sweet. Smooth medium mouthful with lingering spice. Very good overall.

Poured into a pint glass. Almost a finger of head and a clear, golden body. Big citrus smell: lemon and grapefruit. A bit of pine. Pine taste, grapes, apricots, a malt sweetness. Super smooth and soft texture with a low carbonation and medium body. Yummy.

12 ounce bottle - $1.79 at Hop City in Atlanta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a clear, straw-colored body (according to LibrarianGirl) with a finger-high cap of white froth.

Smell: Mild nose, with delicate notes of soda cracker, lemon verbena, spicy fresh ginger, and apricot.

Taste: Crackery, lightly biscuity malts with a low level of sweetness. Light apricot fruitiness as well as some dull lemon. Spicy ginger component throughout. Modestly bitter. Drying, somewhat tart, and quite crisp on the finish with the apricot and ginger creaking out into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Lively, active carbonation.

Overall: A good, refreshing summertime option and more enjoyable than the, oh, what was it, Skinny Dip, that’s it - better than that one. The apricot is very light, not nearly as distinct as in Magic Hat’s #9.

12 oz. Golden hazy pour with decent head and a fair amount of retention. Grainy citrus on the nose. Taste is grainy lemon bread with a mild malt and hop profile. This is a good throw back beer for a warm day. Nice and crisp.

Clear golden color with a tall rocky head. Fresh clean aroma. Taste is slightly sweet. Crisp clean finish. Very nice and refreshing. Perfect for summer!

UPDATED: SEP 25, 2012 Tasted from 12oz bottle into nucleated pint glass. It poured a mostly clear light amber color with some chill haze, white foam and Belgian lace, huge oatmeal head retention. Aromas of American-style flowery, citrusy, (not overwhelmingly grapefruity) Centennial hops, faint caramelized brown sugar, extremely faint ginger and black pepper spices, loads of fruity ale yeast esters. Very nice, mellow, well-rounded malty sweet flavor with lots more citrus zest in hops flavor, caramelly with hints of crackers, fresh whole-grain bread, biscuits with honey, marshmallowy pils, dried apricots, bubble gum. Light body, strong carbonation, full mouthfeel but still refreshing with a crisp zing and nearly dry finish. A delicious hops-forward summer ale for sure. Many brewers are in constant pursuit of clever hops combinations, but you can’t argue with this winner. Sometimes great beer is right there in the grocery store, y’know?

Somersault starts with the aroma, which has a certain level of lemony graininess. It also has a light sourdough bread characteristic that I usually get out of lagers. It’s a pretty beer, blonde in color, with a nice foamy head. I’m eating this with goat cheese and it actually goes really well together. The high carbonation of the beer helps to scrub the palate of the creamy goat cheese, and the citrusy taste plays well with the smooth cheese. I had this on tap earlier this week and didn’t really care for it, but for whatever reason tonight it’s kind of hitting the spot. Does a neat trick of being very light and easy to drink while remaining full flavored. Not bad at all.

UPDATED: JUN 19, 2011 12 oz bottle into English pint. Pours golden with a medium white head that falls in a couple minutes. Smells of bread, faint citrus, grain. Taste is floral, citrusy, ginger, clove--very complex and tasty for an American blonde! It’s mostly sweet and a little tart. Definitely a summertime quaffer. Carbonation is medium, body is medium. Very good. If only all American blondes tasted this good.