New Belgium Mighty Arrow
Background: There will always be a special space in my heart for the guys at New Belgium. They give out bikes to all employees who have made it through their first year with the company and they reward their employees for actually using them. In addition, they were named one of the best places to work in 2008 by Outside Magazine. So they make kick ass beer, they give all their employees a bike, their parking lot is built for bikes and…they make kick as beer. So what’s not to like again?
On The Nose: This IPA is crawling with citrus (pomegranate) and honey flavoring. Most IPA’s seem to have a citrus or floral note that is super apparent on the nose; however, this particular one has a sugary smell lingering around. The longer this thing sits in the glass though, the quicker all of this seems to be dissipating. The aroma doesn’t exactly pull the drinker into it but, it does make the beer seem alluring none the less.
On The Mouth: This beer is definitely on the light side of IPAs. The sugar hint that is apparent on the nose usually leads to a fuller, richer bodied beer overall. Not at all true here. In addition, the beer doesn’t have the “hoppy bite” that draws me into most IPAs. The slightly higher than normal ABV can definitely be felt from just one beer; however, it does seem to go down much like H20
Fin: Overall, the Mighty Arrow is not my favorite beer to come from the absolutely brilliant peeps at New Belgium (never been a real fan of their 1554 Black Ale). It is definitely a very light, summer IPA, which is odd since it is marketed as a “spring seasonal.” The best way to make the aromas on the nose come out on the palette is by cooling the bottle down in the freezer, then pouring it into your favorite beer glass and letting it sit for 15-20 minutes. The room temperature combined with the cold beer seems to stimulate the hops and tickle the taste buds. With all of this criticism, just remember, there are definitely some shittier IPAs out there.
Alcohol: 6.0% ABV
Score: 87
