Welcome !

Alright, by now you know we're selling a new summer seasonal, and it's called Rolle Bolle (and it's delicious). But the question of "what the hell is a Rolle Bolle? (pronounced Roll-ee Bowl-ee)) keeps coming up. But ask no more because I am here to explain it... 

Rolle Bolle is a game, played in Belgium (and other places to, like Ghent, Minnesota!). The game is a bit like Bocce Ball, but instaed of rolling balls, you roll big discs. These discs look a lot like wheels of cheese. It's pretty awesome. The player rolls these wheels towards targets, like a stake in the ground, or a painted circle. The closest wins points. We have two courts at the brewery, you should come by and play.

And to help in Rolle Bolle (beer and game) PR we had some totally awesome, custom Rolle Bolle sets made to giveaway (we'll get to that in a minute). The sets were made by Tyler Morris Woodworking here in Fort Collins. The fellows at TMWW did extreme amounts of research and it shows. Rolle Bolle wheels are not quite even, side to side, so they roll in an arc. And this arc adds one more dynamic you have to play during the game. Meaning you can't roll it in a straight line to get to the stake. Ideally you would want the arc to be the same on all the Rolle Bolles in the set and this is where all the research from TMWW paid off. All of them had to be hand cut from European Beech into blocks. Then cut from blocks into rough wheels, then lathed to the right shape. Then each Rolle Bolle had to pass the roll test. If they didn't pass they went back to the lathe for correction. 

I got to go to their shop and see some sets get made, here's a quick video:

Pretty awesome, right? These fellows hand-lathed 127 sets of eight. That's 1,016 total bolles. At roughly 5 minutes on the lathe each (and that's not counting the all the work to get to this step) equals 5,080 minutes of lathe work. Seriously, lots of work, but they came out awesome. A big, huge THANK YOU is in order for those guys, they do great work.

And then, let's get to the part where you can win a set... Just go here and enter to win: WIN AN AWESOME ROLLE BOLLE SET OF YOUR OWN!!!!!!! It's that easy... 

And then (again), if you win, you should play all the time, with your friends and family.

Have a great day,

Juicebox

As warmer weather approaches people are starting to configure their loyalties and sign letters of intent to the summer beers beers they'll be drinking. Before that happens let me fill you in on the newest New Belgium seasonal offering, Rolle Bolle. 

Firstly, let's cover the basics: raw materials. The malt bill is pretty straight forward, pale malt and some oats. The oats are key here as they lend a nice creaminess to the beer. The hops are American for sure, Cascade, Centennial, and Amarillo. All three of these offer up great citrus notes and some floral undertones. We fermented Rolle Bolle with an American Hefeweizen yeast. This hybrid is more subtle in its esters, the clove and banana are there, but muted. The last bit of raw materials information is of great importance. There is a generous fruit addition, and the fruits are pretty special: Monk Fruit and soursop. Until a few weeks ago I had never heard of either. But in the great Belgian tradition of brewing, where things like this happen all the time, the fruit was found, built upon and added to the beer. Both of these fruits live near the tropical, citrus family tree of flavor, soursop more pineapple-y and Monk Fruit a bit sweeter and maybe some hints of lemon. But really, what is all of this information going to do without drinking some Rolle Bolle and relating the experience, let's get to it...

Visual: A bright, white head sits on top of a pale gold pour. The foam leaves ample lacing.

Aroma: Sweet lemon and a hint of white wine lead the charge. There are subtle herbal/spice tones, but not overbearing. There is a tartness to the smell as well (not sure if you can "smell" tart, but I am not sure of how to describe it otherwise). 

Taste: Among other things, the flavor hold two kinds of sweetness, the malt and the fruit. The malt is a pretty straight forward, backbone kind of thing, present and delicious. But maybe not "malty" in the traditional sense. Then there's the fruit. Before drinking this beer I had never had Monk Fruit nor Soursop, and even after drinking it I haven't had the fruits, you know, as fruit, so with the help of research and drinking I am am making a few assumptions. There is a fruit sweetness here that can only be attributed to the additions. It's refreshing and tropical and lemony and wonderful. The tartness from the aroma carries over gently here to offer a crisp-ness that makes this beer awesome (IMHO). And that crisp-ness is in concert (not war) with the creaminess afforded by the oat addition. Just delightful. The hops are not to be overlooked here either. All the citrusy, American hops play very well with the fruit. It's nice in that the hops keep the fruit from overpowering anything with sweetness. The balance of the two is key to Rolle Bolle. 

Mouthfeel: Creamy and crisp... Is that even possible? I think it is. The key, I think, is that the creaminess is light (like the rest of the beer). The beer is sharp but smooth, easy and super refreshing to the palate.

Body: Light! It is a summer beer after all. I see Rolle Bolle as a super sessionable, easy drinker that will work for all summer duties/tasks. 

Overall: 15.5/10. Seriously, I love easy drinking summer beers. I also like fruit beers when the fruit doesn't punch you in the face (I also like it when the fruit punches you in the face, but not in my session beers). Rolle Bolle nails it (I know I am super biased, and have yet to give a bad review here, but really, I mean it...).

My suggestion, for you dear reader, is that you run out and buy yourself a sixer of this beer and give it some sips, you will not be disappointed...

Alright, that's it for today, but stay tuned because the long and awesome story of Rolle Bolle is coming soon.

Hugs,

Juicebox 

The latest Rampant Imperial IPA video is out (episode 5 (see blow)(see the rest here)). I would like to take one minute here and thank Pirate Ship Adventures for their hospitality. These folks lets us come on their boat, hang out, talk like a pirate, film stuff, and drink a couple beers. It was awesome, thank you so much...  

If you are ever in San Diego you should check them out, super fun times abound...

-JUICEBOX

Man, I love April Fool's Day! This morning I taped down the handle of the sink sprayer! It totally soaked my wife, children, kitchen floor, counters, cabinets, adjacent bathroom and my priceless collection of Faberge' Eggs. It was great! 

And, as a St. Louis native, and lover of totally awesome beer, I also love Schlafly. Historically, today is also the day in which I lay in wait for the Schlafly April Fool's post. I will sit, computer facing, until it hits the internet. In the past they have done Schlafly Titanium, they have done the Swirlie Bottle, with GULP technology, the Ultimate 550... Then there was the pre-April Fool's set up joke of 2009, Schlafly APA Lime. They have a real nice sensibility with the laugh-y stuff over there (not to mention high-end love of Cardinals Baseball). 

And then today happened, another gem, 21st and Locust. 

Kudos Schlafly! Kudos indeed...

With love (and without an April Fool's joke of my own). XO,

Juicebox

PS, #LetsDoThisThing

Rampant Imperial IPA is out and on shelves and in tap lines everywhere (you know, in our distribution area). It is big and bold at 85 IBUs and 8.5% ABV. It is full of Calypso and Mosaic hops, both are relatively new and totally awesome. The beer is flat out good, like a '85 Camaro with a Hyper-Color paint job and a sweet Rampant IPA sticker right on the hood (my dream car). This beer is full of pop. 

Back in 2010, when Ranger IPA first came out, we were worried about hoppy beers. We had never really made a hoppy pale, much less a full blown IPA. But we gave it a shot, and it turned out pretty good. The drinking public liked Ranger too, a lot. The hop blend was right, the malt backbone was present, and it seemed as if this Belgian style brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado could make an awesome hoppy beer. 

And here it is, 2013, and we made an Imperial IPA. Rampant pours a bright copper, with a slight sheen of hoppiness. The head is bright, white and lingering. Mango and citrus jump off the nose with fresh cut grass and a certain pine-i-ness. There is a hint of something else in there too, maybe peach. The taste follows suit- stone fruits, citrus and a bold bitterness. The hops are supercharged here (just like that Camaro). There is some lemon peel in the brew, and that comes through, pairing well with the Centennial hops. The hoppy bitterness is upfront, ambitious and wonderful. There is malt in there as well. A mild sweetness that reminds us who made the beer. Rampant is medium bodied, dry, and warm from the alcohol. This beer is top notch. A super great IPA.

The other great thing about Rampant, and the hops in it, is the burp that comes with drinking it. This sounds a bit weird and gross, but it is totally true and awesome. To hop up Rampant our brewers use a technique known as dry hopping. When making a beer there are several stages, from raw malted barley, to the sweet barely tea known as wort being boiled, to pitching the yeast into post-boiled, chilled wort for fermentation. It is at this stage, the fermentation, when the beer is is becoming beer. It is also this stage in which dry hopping happens. Dry hopping imparts all of the flavor of the hops into the beer, but not all the bitterness. Which segues perfectly into the hop burp because when the beer hits the warmth of the inside of your body that is the warmest the hops have ever been. Your stomach is about 98.6º, and that stomach heat starts to volatilize all the oils and aromas from the hops. Beer is also carbonated. Mix the bubbles and the volatilized hop aromas and BOOM! you get a hop burp. Rampant hop burps run the gamut from mango to peach to grapefruit. It allows you to have a deeper understanding of the beer and the hops that go into it (as well as the necessary functions of the human body).

We also made a quick film to explain this wonderful happening take it in... 

On that note, I'm out.

Until next time my friends,

JUICEBOX

After the success of our e-card creator linked to the Glass That Gives Winter Spectacular we have done it again. In support of Rampant Imperial IPA we invite you to share some bitter humor. Here is a link to our brand new card creator. Seriously, a card creator!

You can use one of our pre-written cards to express any number of outward emotions, like this one: 

Or you can write your own bubbles and create your own sentiments. Here's one I made for my pal Adrian:

Upon making your card you can email it to your pals (and yourself), or share it to your Facebook wall, it's just that easy. There are a whole bunch of photos to choose from and all sorts of ways to delight and tease your friends. Like, say your friend just built a sauna and invited you over to enjoy it with him. But you see it as a poorly built,  dangerous, carbon monoxide filled death trap... You can make a card for that:

There is not one thing that can happen on planet earth that one of these e-cards can't celebrate. Give it a go, crack a Rampant, have fun and share your cards all over the place.

Happy writing and I will see you soon!

-Juicebox

As you may already know from my post the other day, we hosted our first, open to the public, at night, type of party. It was in celebration of the 2013 releases of La Folie and Transatlantique Kriek. This was Lost in the Woods, we were all lost in the woods, and boy-howdy it was fun. To see how fun, from someone else's perspective, take a look at Fermentedly Challenged here, or the Denver Post here. Or, maybe, watch this film from Adam Valuckas:

The party was super fun and full of great sour beer. Probably 600 people in the brewery, all enjoying good times, food pairings, sour beer education and music. Really, it was a hoot. 

But. what does this post mean to all of you that were not able to make to the party? It means that the official release of 2013 La Folie and Transatlantique Kriek has happened and these beers should be trickling into bars and bottle shops as we speak (er, write). Check the Beer Finder for details on finding these beers in your area and get ready to pucker those lips because these sour beers are awesome and sour and wonderful. 

Until next time my friends,

Juicebox

Hey everybody. Today I was going to do a last minute plug and push for ticket sales to the upcoming Lost in the Woods party here at New Belgium. We have never done anything like this before, a private party, a ticketed affair... What is this going to be like? Who's going to come? Will Patrick Dempsey be available for autographs? Well, after all this fuss, it sold out. And way faster than we thought. So today I am going to go over some of the details of the party in hopes to illuminate those coming, as well as stir the interest-pot for next year.

The party is February 1, 2013 at 7pm. This party will celebrate our love of wood-aged sour beer as well as the history of New Belgium in the sour beer game. The night is going to be full of sour beer and high-pitched cheer. There will be 2013 La Folie on tap, as well as the new blend of Transatlantique Kriek. There is going to be talks and symposiums about blending sour beers from Peter Bouckaert and Lauren Salazar as well as food pairings and fun and a whole (hot) mess of people. We even revamped the hallway: 

Along with all of this joy and education each party-goer gets to take home a bomber of La Folie or Transatlantique. A steal at twice the price.

So, in closing, I hope you got a ticket and if you didn't I hope you'll get one next year.

-JUICEBOX

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

2013 is going to be a big one for beers and stuff. Some very major New Belgium things are in the pipeline. Let's take a minute and call out a few facts and a few rumors...

Facts (these are things I know to be true)-

1. A collaboration beer with Dieu du Ciel! of Montreal is headed our way soon. This is a wonderful thing. It's a heavenly tripel with feijoa and hibiscus. Feijoa is a (probably) tropical fruit that's very strange (and worldly). Peter (our brewmaster) has wanted to make a beer with it for some years. And Dieu du Ciel! is famous for brewing with hibiscus. BOOM! 

2. Transatlantique Kriek is making a comeback. Brouwerji Boon has sent us a whole mess of his Kriekenlambiek, and we have brewed the accompanying beer, and the two are blended (or, almost blended). These bottles should hit shelves in a month to six weeks. Get very excited because this beer is the tops, like all the way at the top of the tops! 

3. Springboard is coming back! Springboard was the spring seasonal a few years back (07-08), brewed with schisandra and goji berries. It was a major crowd pleaser, and I am very excited about it's return... Springboard is coming back in the Folly Pack only. No sixers, etc... You are going to have to buy the mix pack to score yourself some, and you should try to score yourself some.

Rumors (these are things that I have heard to be true)-

1. The 2013 vintage of La Folie is really good.

2. More throwback beers may/may not be hitting Folly Packs through the year.

3. We're switching to Google+ as a platform for our Beer Streams.

4. An Imperial IPA is in the works...

5. I am constructing a giant carpet slide to serve as my main commuting option (it will be open to the public, if you want to come over to my house).

6. We are adding two more U.S. states to our distribution footprint (one is very cold, one is very warm (maybe)).

So there it is, some tale of coming news. Welcome to the future friends...

-Juicebox

Let's be real for a minute. Deep down, in bowels of my heart/imagination (and maybe yours, too) I was looking forward to the apocalypse. I was thinking fire-y comets raining down, zombies (the old school, slow kind), and subsisting on expired canned food for the rest of our lives. We would be fighting for survival, reminiscing for those that met an unfortunate, un-dead type of conclusion, and enjoying the day-to-day grey color (like in The Road, or Portland). It was going to be pretty sweet. But, alas, the end of days was a no-go. But, I guess, the day's not over yet, it could still happen, maybe.

But really, for now, let's assume it's not going to happen. And with that, we need to press on. And pressing on means the holidays. Do you have your gifts, and beers, and all that ready? You don't? Well, I am here to suggest purchasing some Frambozen (as a gift, or for drinking (with family and friends of course), or both, I guess). It's a delightfully sweet raspberry brown, brewed just for the holiday season.

Let's do a quick review...

Visual: A deep, dark garnet. 

Aroma: A roasty-raspberry. Sweet and tart at the same time with the darker malts poking their heads through.

Flavor: A tart, fresh raspberry. The darker malts come through for some backbone here too, but the berries are on highlight.

Body/Mouthfeel: A light/medium body, and a dry/tart finish.

Overall: I love this beer for lots of reasons, the raspberries, the small timeframe it's available, the associations with the holidays. But the biggest reason I love Frambozen is that every year there exists subtle changes. The raspberry crop is always different and the way they interact with the beer changes. The 2012 Frambozen is a bit lighter in body than in the past, less sweet and a bit more tart. I love it every year, but this year especially so. It makes me want to stuff raspberries on my fingers and dance around in an orange jumpsuit... It's that good.

Point Counter: 9 out of 10 possible.

I would go out and grab this beer while you can, the window is closing. Here is a link to the Beer Finder for all your Frambozen finding needs.... Also, it ages very well, so maybe buy an extra 6er to put aside till next year, and then, when next year's Frambozen comes out, try them both, side by side.

With that, I'm out. Enjoy your holidays and let everyone you love know that you love them.

_JUICEBOX