New Belgium’s most recent, and current “Spring Seasonal”, “Mighty Arrow” is a Pale Ale, and I suppose lives up to expectations. My expectations anyway. NB is a Micro-Brewer that I am not so sure I consider very “Micro”. No, I do not know what the barrels per day production rate limit is for micro vs non-micro classification, (Wikipedia does apparently) but they just seem to stay within the envelope of beers that try to keep from offending anyone, rather than going all out as if to say “We think this is good, and if you don’t, then it’s your loss”. One or two Southern California breweries readily come to mind on that.
So my fears, or expectations were more or less confirmed as I knocked down this “Mighty” Arrow. It has a quite nice, fresh west coast hop aroma. Actually, I was glad to affirm my senses when I saw on the label the description of Cascade and Amarillo hops used. That was my guess. One of my favorite beer thing, in my several years of beer-geekdom is that bright, fresh, mostly citrusy and slightly pine aroma. Kind of like when you peel a tangerine or a grapefruit and take one of the pieces of peel and crease it so the oils come out. (hopefully not in your eye) That smell. This little number has it. Not very big and bold, but it is there, and it is the bright spot for this beer.
A nearly crystal clear light orange-amber, with a nice fairly coarse off-white head. This lasts very well as I drink this down, leaving stubborn traces of spider-web lacing down the sides of my Lost Coast souvenir pounder.
There is some light bready, slightly sweet malt notes as well. NB refers to “Honey Malt” which is the name of a barley variety they could have used, or simply a description of what they think it smells like. Not sure I would call it “Fetching” like they do, but it’s nice. Either way, I get it and I agree.
I am not as excited about the flavor. It has a slightly stale, papery, malt flavor and the right amount of bitterness for the style. Kudos to NB for keeping the IBUs up a little. I’ve had a few IPA’s that were similar to this. Posers. That lovely fresh hop number that I was extolling a few moments ago is not here on the tongue however. Often that happens. Flavors and aromas frequently do not share the same wavelength, as it were, and it is common to get some serious turn-arounds or no-shows when you try that first sip. Especially in fruit beers and coffee/chocolate porters for example. I have many times smelled what seemed to be a big juicy raspberry, only to taste what I could best describe as the lingering foulness of “Red Dye # 5”
Fairly light, attenuated nicely, slight sweet maltiness but not overly so. Keeping the final gravity down a bit, helps to show off the hops and there bitterness. A fact which I’m sure is not lost on the accounting department of these breweries, when considering the still high prices of hops these days.
As I get through this, I notice the papery flavor a bit more and find my self reaching for the Frito’s a little more often.
This not so “Mighty” Arrow doesn’t exactly miss the mark, I’d have it in my fridge…right behind the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that has already established prominence as my stand-by, go-to, always have on-hand beer.
-Cheers
