New Glarus Apple Ale

Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

GABF 2004. I found a small treasure trove of old ratings sheets that I hadn’t enterred; this is one of them. Smells good, somewhat sweet and yeasty, but nothing to go crazy over. Was lightish bodied and not as sour as the Red or Tart, mostly sweet, with distinct flavor of MacIntosh apples (the red ones with the waxy skins). Good beer.

The aroma was rich with apples and hints of caramel and brown sugar. The beer poured a hazy rich copper color with little to no head and lacing. There may have been a carbonation problem with mine. The flavor was syrupy like straight apple juice and little malt. The mouthfeel was slightly wet and creamy with a light to medium body. I enjoyed it. Thanks to Vac for scoring this one for me.

Thanks to JK for sharing another fruity gem for the evening. Burn cider caramel nose with faint brown sugar. Yellow body with a sour apple flavor. Very nice.

(bottle thanks JK) Pours amber with little to no head. A really nice baked apple with cinnamon aroma along with some brown sugar. Taste is apple, but not too strong (probably the age on this) with some cinnamon on the finish. This is pretty good, and just reaffirms yet again that New Glarus knows how to do fruit beers.

Sampled from 12-oz bottle and shared by JK. Pours a very hazy amber brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissolves to a fine film. Aroma of sweet apples, nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon. Taste is medium bodied, no carbonation and a flavor of mostly sweet apple cider with a touch of cinnamon. Finish is semi-sweet with a decent apple aftertaste. Reading some of the previous ratings it looks like four years of aging has smoothed out the flavor. I hope this is the one NG brings out of retirement in ’08.

[Bottle, thanks JK!] Pours amber with a very small off-white head. Medium body, good finish. The aroma and flavor were intense apple with some cinnamon and nutmeg. While I didn’t like this as much as the Belgian Red or Raspberry Tart, this is still yet another excellent New Glarus fruit beer. Re-rate: Didn’t really get any spices with this new batch, just straight apple. Almost was like a sparkling cider it was so apple heavy. I really enjoyed drinking it, and it was insanely drinkable...but to be honest it is very one dimensional. Still, I could drink this all day, so I am going to up the overall a bit.

Date: 10/31/1999
Mode: Bottle
Source: Belmont Station, Portland

muddy orange, strong granny apple aroma, rich apple flavor, not at all like a cider, not sweet or bitter, like drinking a dry apple butter
-------- /> Date: 06/04/2006

the best applesauce in a glass ever

Aroma: 10/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 9/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 19/20
Rating: 4.6/5.0
Drinkability: 10/10
Score: ***4

Like an apple explosion! Very cloudy on first pour but clarified after a few minutes. A very sweet aroma with a medium body and s slightly sweet aftertaste. I drank this on about 4 years ago on Thanksgiving.