When it comes to beers from New Belgium, most are probably familiar with their Fat Tire beer. While that’s good, I’ve become partial to what they’ve been spinning up with their Voodoo Ranger series. The Atomic Pumpkin is about my favorite pumpkin beer (hot pepper for the win), and I’ve yet to run across one that I’ve not liked. For summertime, they’ve introduced a new one, the Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA.
If the name didn’t make it clear, the artwork on the packaging of the Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA shows that this is very much a beer intended for warm weather outings. Pouring it out of the can, you’ll be greeted with a bright color and loads of tiny bubbles. The hops mix (details are down below) contributes to a tropical nose, which then leads to a citrusy hit on the tongue up front. Once that passes, there’s another flavor that comes in that I can’t quite describe. I’d say it’s almost a musky or skunky thing, but that’s not quite right, because it’s not like the beer has gone bad. It’s a flavor I appreciate, I just can’t quite describe it other than to go with scents. It sounds weird, or perhaps bad, but trust me, that’s definitely not the case.
Coming in at a 7.8% ABV, the Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA is one definitely for after the yard work is done (at least in my book). If some of my tasting notes make it seem a little odd – and you’ve not tried the Voodoo Ranger line before – maybe seek out a singleton at your local shop (or on tap) and try it out, and see if this summery, tropical Ranger is the one for you. And if it’s not, fair enough – you might prefer their “plain” Voodoo Ranger IPA, or one of the other varieties that they’ve introduced. newbelgium.com
Tasting Notes
- Slight haze
- Tropical nose
- Citrusy up front
- Slight musky / skunky flavor?
- Crisp
- Bright color
- Good carbonation
- Causes a slight pucker on side of cheek
- Agreeable flavor
Details from New Belgium
- ABV: 7.8%
- IBU: 44
- YEAST: Ale
- CALORIES: 230
- HOPS: Nugget, Mosaic Incognito, Azacca, Cascade
- MALTS: Pale, Oats, Munich
- VISUAL: Pale gold color with light haze and moderate dense white foam.
- AROMA: Moderately strong notes of guava, mango and grapefruit followed by more subtle white grape, herbal grass and stone fruit.
- FLAVOR: Sweet initially and throughout, moderately bitter in the middle before finishing with a light sweetness.
- MOUTHFEEL/BODY: Slightly warming before finishing with a lingering creaminess.
