New Belgium: Hoptober

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Grabbed a sixer the other night... I liked it... Pretty good...

I always thought that they did not ship East of the Mississippi. Did this change recently?

Edit: Just looked at their dist. map and it looks like they go into TN, GA, SC, NC & IN. I wish they would start dist. in Pennsylvania. I am jealous.
 
I always thought that they did not ship East of the Mississippi. Did this change recently?

Edit: Just looked at their dist. map and it looks like they go into TN, GA, SC, NC & IN. I wish they would start dist. in Pennsylvania. I am jealous.

TN & IN...just skip KY, haha. ok at least i can get a sixer of it on the other side of the river.
 
Well the problem was I found it anything but hoppy. It was a nice blond-ish style ale, but nothing exciting.

When at a bar staring at tap handles, the name "Hoptopber" makes me think of a hoppy-Oktoberfest style beer, which I thought would be quite interesting. Granted I didn't do research, but I didn't expect to be met with a simple blond ale post-order. That probably influenced my thoughts about the beer overall.
 
Well the problem was I found it anything but hoppy. It was a nice blond-ish style ale, but nothing exciting.

When at a bar staring at tap handles, the name "Hoptopber" makes me think of a hoppy-Oktoberfest style beer, which I thought would be quite interesting. Granted I didn't do research, but I didn't expect to be met with a simple blond ale post-order. That probably influenced my thoughts about the beer overall.

I made the same assumption that you did when i ordered it. I figured it would be a lager, an Oktoberfest, and heavy on the hops. I suppose the shock of what I actually tasted in contrast to my expectation caused a bit of the excitement. Although only @ 40 IBU the hops really come through on this Golden Ale...particularly the aroma. I was anything but disappointed even though it was not what I expected. It certainly isn't anything earth-shattering, but it is definately a quality new product from New Belgium. Just thought that i would share...
 
This is on my to purchase list.
C'mon paycheck!

Not sure about your area but the price-point was @ $8.99 for a sixer from my buddy Alex at my LHBS (Hops & Vines in west Asheville). Just picked one up alonside a sixer of Bell's Oktoberfest ('tis the season). Anyone else count the calander days for Bell's Oktoberfest? MMMmmmmmMmmmmmGoooood!
 
Not sure about your area but the price-point was @ $8.99 for a sixer from my buddy Alex at my LHBS (Hops & Vines in west Asheville). Just picked one up alonside a sixer of Bell's Oktoberfest ('tis the season). Anyone else count the calander days for Bell's Oktoberfest? MMMmmmmmMmmmmmGoooood!

I saw it at the supermarket across the street for $7.49.
I had to pay the vet today, so commercial beer gets to wait a week or two.
 
Tried it on tap last Thursday at a local bar. Pretty pedestrian and unexciting to me.

I understand that if you expected a west coast IPA or some kind of Octoberfest. It aint that.

I had not experienced a beer that had the aroma and flavor of a fresh bag of hops until this one. Think about it - plenty of beers have great hop aroma backed by some amount of bitterness. Few deliver really clean, crisp "nose in the bag" hop flavor without huge IBUs. Two thumbs up from the Savannah Craft Brew Fest! :mug:
 
I understand that if you expected a west coast IPA or some kind of Octoberfest. It aint that.

I had not experienced a beer that had the aroma and flavor of a fresh bag of hops until this one. Think about it - plenty of beers have great hop aroma backed by some amount of bitterness. Few deliver really clean, crisp "nose in the bag" hop flavor without huge IBUs. Two thumbs up from the Savannah Craft Brew Fest! :mug:

Agreed! Enjoying one right now out of my trusty HBT pint glass while watching the USMNT against El Salvador in World Cup qualifying atm. USA up 2-1 at halftime...fyi.
 
i had this beer last week, picked up a sixer while on vaca in minnesota. i liked it. particularly the hop aroma in it. the rye seemed a little too prominent for me, but i got over it quickly. definitely a pleasant beer.
 
After buying the beer locally, I must declare it "less fresh" than what they served at the craft beer fest. I am no expert, but there is a taste difference. Same unique yeast character you expect from them but less hop aroma/flavor. Good beer, but not what I remember. Oh well, guess I will have to keep home brewing.
 
I just picked up a 6 pack tonight. I'll post a review in the commercial reviews if I drink it later.
 
I havent even seen the NB october around here in st. louis. Being a die hard NB fan i have to try it.
 
I'm drinking it now. It has a nice fresh hop aroma, but although I don't drink NB beers often, I'm beginning to see the effects of them using the same yeast. I think their house yeast strain is flavoring their beers too much, to the point where they are all tasting very similar.

This beer other than some aroma differences tastes very similar to a bottle of 2 below that I drank a few days ago. I would like to think that I'm not being swayed by other people's impressions, but this beer while OK is too much like 2 below and Fat Tire.

Hopefully NB starts listening to some of us, and fixes their brewing process.
 
I havent even seen the NB october around here in st. louis. Being a die hard NB fan i have to try it.

I am in Waynesville and picked up a sixer the other day....I have to say it is excellent!!!! I love IPA's and for a lighter ale with still big hop aroma and flazor it is a very favorable beer....Would love to find a clone!!!
 
i think it actually is quite a well balanced beer. doesn't always have to be all about crazy over the top hops. this is hoppy. and malty. yum.
 
I think it is great. Bought a couple of sixers today at the local food city in TN.

As soon as I popped the cap the hops aroma hits me and it has a really forward hop flavor I think. And coming in at 6 percent, a couple of these can really sneak up on a light weight like me. Really a good, clean, hoppy, beer.
 
Had another tonight. Excellent hop flavor and not a bad drinking beer, but if you've had some of the other NB products, you should pick up on the similarities between them due to yeast.
 
I thought it was a great beer as well. I picked it up expecting an Octoberfest-style as well, but knew to expect otherwise once I read the description on the side. I really enjoyed it. Between NB's Hoptober and SN's 2009 Anniversary Ale I'm learning not to fear hoppy beer (at least aroma hoppy, still not to crazy about bitter hoppy).
 
I was really hoping it was an Oktoberfest beer. I did not read the label... but even if I did, I still would have bought it to sample.

It was just "ok". I would not necessarily buy it again because I can buy hoppier beers here in NorCal (or homebrew one).
 
I bought a 12-er of this a couple weeks ago, liked them to start off with, now I keep getting that same soapy taste I get from most NB beers.
 
Tried this one recently and it was bland. Went back to Bridgeport IPA on tap at the local bar.
 
I typically am not a fan of most NB beers, but I've recently purchased my 3rd sixer of Hoptober. I'm really enjoying this one!
 
not a huge fan of the hoptober. all of their beer just seems to blend together to me, which i guess is good for them because they have a distinct style, but that can also be a problem cuz I don't really buy their beer anymore because it's kindof a "been there, drank that" mentality now.

used to be a big fan but now that I'm in norcal there's just a ton of stuff that is readily available that bests NB 9 times outta 10
 
This is a great beer. I just tried it, the first time I've tried a rye ale. You can really taste the rye in it, and there is a touch a wheat too. The hops work well too. Four stars out of 5 for commercial brew.
 
It has a lot of hop flavor and aroma with very little bitterness. This is one of my favorites as well. Very easy to drink.
 
I would love to try to knock-off this recipre. Very good.... They ship east of the Mississippi. New Belgium is plentiful in the Raleigh, NC area.
 
Cary/Raleigh here also. Picked up a twelve pack this weekend. Glad to see it back.
 
The beer is fine. It's a decent beer for how hoppy it is.

It is definitely NOT an oktoberfest. I know they don't call it an oktoberfest but the name is obviously a play on October and obviously is intended to play the oktoberfest field. Kind of dishonest.
 
Back
Top