New Belgium Giddy Up!

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

Draught at the brewery. Clear orange red coloured with a medium sized white head. Fruity aroma of coffee and spices. Fruity flavour dominated by coffee with notes of spices and liquorice. Fruity finish of coffee.

(12oz bottle, courtesy of blutt59) Pours a clear burgundy body with a small beige head. Aroma of coffee, fire roasted chilies, caramel, and lemongrass. Flavor of coffee, roasted malt, toffee, roasted mild hatch chilies, and caramel.

Draft at Choice City in Fort Collins. Dark cherry red colored body with a small tan head. It looks filtered, it shines some brighter red hues in the middle of a dark cedar and black cherry body. Strange flavor, not sure I can do a good job describing this, but it tastes like smoked nuts and stale bread up front, with some creamed fruit (black cherries?) and bran muffin notes over the back. Stale and old are words that come to mind... and the flat and flabby body doesn’t help things. At times it seems like black cherry flavored soda. Espresso? News to me. Did something go wrong here or is this just not my thing?

Tap @ Front Door, Boise, ID: Pours an amber ruby hue with a nice head and decent lacing. The nose is ripe with that coffee. It’s not a great coffee though. Brazil? C’mon!! Brazil makes some earthy cheap coffee, and to then roast it to espresso level? Were they TRYING to go for that awful dry astringent 2-day old cold gas station coffee smell and taste? Because they achieved it in spades. No lemon notes at all. Decent body, dry coffee finish. Rather repulsive I must say.

Draught. Head is mostly diminishing. Body is light to medium brown. Aroma is moderately malty (coffee, chocolate, nuts, caramel), with light notes of cherry and lemon. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. Kinda just seems like a brown ale with some espresso powder stirred in. The fruit character is in the background, and thankfully it isn’t sour. I don’t think the lemon really improves on it, and in fact seems kind of silly (do people squeeze lemon juice into their coffee?). Ok overall, though.

From a Folly Pack. The deep copper body is topped with a dense khaki head. The aroma was fresh almonds and baking bread. There was also a little bit of milk chocolate. The taste has some bread crust and pear core. There is a decent espresso finish. Drinkable and interesting.

Draught. High and long lasting creamy off-white head. Beautiful clear red brown body. Lovely coffee caramel aroma and flavor with spicy notes. Low carbonation and a long aftertaste.

Sampled on 12/27/2008. This spiced ale pours a medium amber color from a 120z bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is coffee and lemon peel. Some roasted malts and fruit. A medium bodied spiced beer. The malts are coffee and chocolate. The hops are earthy. Kind of an espresso mild, lots of rich coffee flavors, yet not overpowering. Kind of fruity and citrusy but I cannot taste the lemon peel. A very drinkable beer, it would be a good session beer if it were not 6%. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.