New Belgium Citradelic: An Amateurish Beer Review

This is another attempt at a refreshing summer ale with a bit of hoppy bite. I am not as impressed with this as I was with Deschutes Hop Slice, but your mileage may vary.

New Belgium Brewing Company is a Colorado brewery best known for its Fat Tire Amber Ale, which is a decent beer. That, however, is not the subject of this post.

Citradelic has a sour and bitter flavor profile. It seems crisp, but not with enough sweetness in the malt to balance out the flavors. The sour taste reminds me a bit of a lambic-style beer, although not as pronounced. The hops do seem to be chosen to enhance the citrus taste, and don't seem to clash with the other flavors. I am neutral on the idea of extra ingredients like the citrus peel used to flavor this beer, and while I know purists hate anything other than water, hops, malt, and yeast, I think there's room for some experimentation. There is a bit of malt sweetness that lingers. I haven't made up my mind on this case, but I don't care enough to drink more.

Stats: 6% ABV, 50 IBU, "tangerine infused orange peel."

I wouldn't say to avoid it if you like American IPA with a citrus twist, but I don't plan to buy more for myself. If a music analogy works to describe my impressions, think of it as being like an overproduced commercial recording instead of a raw live set by a good band. It has some good elements, but they're without any real character.

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image credit and brewery website

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