Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA

[Clint Yeastwood]

I saw an Imperial IPA in the fridge at Walgreen's, and I thought I should give it a try. I had never tried that style before. I picked it up. It's Voodoo Ranger from New Belgium Brewing.

It's very clear. Nice head with moderate retention. The aroma seems like any dry-hopped IPA, except there is a weird smell in there that reminds me of fried hamburger. Must be some hop I'm not familiar with.

The balance is very good. It's bitter, but it slides right down, so there is a little sweetness to keep it from tasting like mouthwash.

The bitterness really sticks to the tongue.

There is a flavor in there that makes me think of Carlsberg Elephant, Mickey's Wide Mouth, and Moosehead. That is not a compliment. I can't describe it. It also tastes sort of...old. But the drink-by date is months away.

I guess it means it tastes like malt liquor. I brew beer, and I'm not sure what malt liquor is. I know that taste, though.

I think I've had enough to form an opinion. It's not for me. It seemed pretty good at first, but the more I drink, the less I like it.

The can says 9% on it, and having had maybe 6 ounces, I can already feel it.

Wow. A very nasty aftertaste is coming up. Not like beer. Almost like there is some kind of cleaning solution in there.

I don't think I've learned anything about Imperial IPA. If this is a typical example, it must be a plain old IPA with more alcohol. It doesn't taste particularly rich.

This one is going down the sink. Life is too short.

 

[TexasTea]

I bought a case of that a while back. It was expensive, about 2x more potent than my homebrew Ale while not as tasty. I did make it part of my daily beer experience by saving the bottles for bottling my ale. The bottles are really nice (no screw top) and on par or even a little better than the Sam Adams and the Sierra Nevada bottles I have been using. I like the ring/ridge the bottles have around the neck that says "New Belgian Brewing Co."

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Mine was canned. Big ol' tall boy.

 

[redrocker652002]

I have had Voodoo Rangers regular IPA and it was ok. For some reason I think I just did not care for the taste as much as I do others so I don't look for it. I did the Imperial once, that was enough. I have found higher ABV ales are not my cup of tea. The 6 to 7% range is where I tend to stay on my IPA's.

 

[mac_1103]

Kirin bought New Belgium a few years ago. That doesn't necessarily mean that that they changed everything, but I don't think I've had any of their products since.

 

[Kickass]

smell in there that reminds me of fried hamburger.

Haha! Classic Yeastwood evaluation.

 

[Snuffy]

New Belgium has some good beer. Their Trippel is pretty darn consistent and I don't mind a Voodoo Ranger if the choice is IPA or nothing. We used to grab their mixed 12-packs a lot. Them or Sweetwater.

 

[Willy]

Haha! Classic Yeastwood evaluation.

Maybe cadaverine? Ha.

https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.co...s,cadaverine is not often encountered in beer.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I could not place that smell. It was like someone fried hamburger that was about a day past its prime.

I don't know if this style is for me. The web says it's just IPA which is stronger in every way, but isn't IPA already sort of like an amped-up amber ale?

I love Torpedo, which is a pretty strong, bitter IPA, but Torpedo doesn't have any funky smells or malt liquor flavor. Maybe IPA doesn't lend itself to imperializing.

 

[bike2brew]

The Imperial is way popular in my location with the med and vet students. I prefer the regular Voodo Ranger at lower abv, and they are different beers. I routinely use New Belgium bottles, they are good quality and clean up well.

 

[mac_1103]

a weird smell in there that reminds me of fried hamburger

I could not place that smell. It was like someone fried hamburger that was about a day past its prime.

White Castle?

 

[Pehlman17]

While I don't dislike it, I too notice a very unique flavor in both the regular and imperial Voodoo Ranger that I can't quite pinpoint. For a while there I thought maybe they were using some kind of unique yeast strain, but from what I gather it's basically 001.

Also agree with the others about their bottles and their Tripel. It's always $9.99 at my local Sprouts. Hard to beat.

 

[shoengine]

The Imperial is way popular in my location with the med and vet students. I prefer the regular Voodo Ranger at lower abv, and they are different beers. I routinely use New Belgium bottles, they are good quality and clean up well.

Avatar checks out

Sort of on topic, Tropical Ranger is hot garbage.

 

[bike2brew]

Yes, most of the other Rangers in the family are something else. My son told me the story (related by an employee) about how they transitioned from "traditional" Belgian style ales to IPAs when they had "beer rangers" survey customers at select venues where they had "Ranger" on tap. The result was overwhelming feed back that NB need to launch a widely distributed line of IPAs. Apparently there was some internal resistance but NB remained committed to their staples 1554, the Triples, and sours and also promoted the IPA line. I think the relatively recent expansion into this full palate of IPAs is crazy but it appears sustainable because they sell to someone. Sadly, for me, was the changed receipe of Fat Tire that went from a malt forward Amber ale to a tasteless version of a pilsner-like light lager that appeals to the consumers looking for something more like "regular" rather than "craft" beer. As the Dos Equis Don might say " I don't often drink commercial beer, but when I do, I like Voodo Ranger so stay thristy my friends". Otherwise, I like my HB the best and its always the 1st pick in my cooler.

 

[redrocker652002]

Yes, most of the other Rangers in the family are something else. My son told me the story (related by an employee) about how they transitioned from "traditional" Belgian style ales to IPAs when they had "beer rangers" survey customers at select venues where they had "Ranger" on tap. The result was overwhelming feed back that NB need to launch a widely distributed line of IPAs. Apparently there was some internal resistance but NB remained committed to their staples 1554, the Triples, and sours and also promoted the IPA line. I think the relatively recent expansion into this full palate of IPAs is crazy but it appears sustainable because they sell to someone. Sadly, for me, was the changed receipe of Fat Tire that went from a malt forward Amber ale to a tasteless version of a pilsner-like light lager that appeals to the consumers looking for something more like "regular" rather than "craft" beer. As the Dos Equis Don might say " I don't often drink commercial beer, but when I do, I like Voodo Ranger so stay thristy my friends". Otherwise, I like my HB the best and its always the 1st pick in my cooler.

I was a huge Fat Tire fan, but when the changed the recipe I found it just not good to me. I completely forgot about the 1554. I liked that but have not seen it around here in quite a while. Too bad, I thought that was a pretty good beer.

 

[Pennine]

1554 is a solid beer. Their trippel isn't bad either although it feels a little sweet and too lightly carbonated. Although that's how I feel about most American made Belgian ales.

I agree about the imperial IPA it is straight up fried hamburgers and deminishing marginal utility.

And **** fat tire, they literally ruined their best beer to make some bland pseudo köelsch/blond ale?

 

[mac_1103]

And **** fat tire, they literally ruined their best beer to make some bland pseudo köelsch/blond ale?

They didn't ruin it. They stopped making it. And used the name for a completely different product.