New Belgium Springboard Ale

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Bottle. Pours a hazy yellow color with a frothy white head. This beer actually smells bad, not just "not good"! The aroma has notes of soil, kind of a squash-like vegetal note and aromas I associate with babies and feet. Clean buttery and fruity flavor but there’s no way to drink it without smelling it so it’s hard to enjoy. Re-Rate> This one at cellar temp. The aroma is still strange to me. Fruity flavor when warmer. Toasted malts with a watermelon-like note.

Very nice bitterness that may’ve come from the standard hop/malt/yeast ingredients or better yet, the goji berries and wormwood. A pleasant yellow, hay straw hue. Also mentions containing an assortment of unnamed Chinese herbs. As a tea maker, I really appreciated this refreshing summer-esque ale. I am sprung!

Hazy yellow fizzy brew...eekk gasp. Not really. Very carbonated and lots of little bubbles dancing to the to of the glass. Nose is defiently predominated by fruit, maybe even some grassy citrus. Taste is a two parter, starts of sweet and then post swallow leaves this interesting aftertaste unlike anything I can remember having before in a beer. Easy to drink, but the aftertaste is a bit unsettling, I don’t know what it is, but I’m guessing it’s one of those unique ingredients. Cheers to NB for going out and doing something different, and I’ll probably have this one again, but I’m not 100% sure why.

Pours hazy, pale, light gold, with a humble, white head. The head maximizes at about a quarter of an inch of tiny to medium bubbles. Miniscule orbs of carbonation continually ascent the brew throughout the tasting. Retention is decent with a light skimcoat and some ringwork on the glass. Aromatics are zesty, spicy, and a bit wild. A mild wheat twang of lemon spritz and peppery undertones lean in a "Wit" direction. A mild funk with musty notes exudes from the goblet, followed by grassy, earthy accents. The mouthfeel is lightly spritzy and mildly creamy. Crisp and quenching. The pallet is dry and peppery, with pilsner-like hopping and a lingering lemony tartness. The earthy promise from the nose is followed through on the tongue, and is joined by dried moss, kaffir leaves, and some woody tannins. Finishes with a lingering dry bitterness, a peppercorn warmth on the throat, and a crisp farewell. Some cellaring may mellow out some of the unique spicing.

Bottle from Hy-Vee poured into lager glass - Pours clear gold with a 2 finger head that leaves some nice lacing; Malt, yeast, Goji berries (I assume), and some spice to the nose; Bread, spicey peppers, grassy hops, and a touch of berry on the initial taste; The last three can be attributed to the schisandra used in the brewing process; Burnt biscuits, woody, big malt note, and a grassy bite on a dry aftertaste; Medium body; Nice carbonation that makes it go down smooth; A very complex beer that you’ve got to open your mind to appreciate. A good change of pace from the usual!

Aroma of light lime/citrus and an earthy hoppiness. Nice crisp flavor with hints of lime, toast, and lighter citrus hops. Pretty thin, light, and very easy to drink. I thought there was a decent amount of complexity in this light beer. It quenched my thirst after moving a ton of stuff on a hot night.

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass which I had to warm by hand, stupid iced glasses. The color was bright white-yellow and reminded me of their wit beer, hazy. It had a funky, yeasty smell to it. The flavor was odd, herbs, no oakiness which is not surprising given that only 2% was oak-aged. Interesting beer and easy to drink but I think one serving is enough. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 03-03-2008 19:43:59

Mild smell. Pretty, cloudy and pale yellow with a larger than usual head. I can taste the berries but I cannot taste the wormwood. Very fresh and odd. Strange yet pleasant. Palate is watery like a pale lager and very carbonated. Though I definately won’t drink this every day it’s still a pleasant beer.