New Belgium Voodoo Ranger-what’s that all about? There are three Voodoo Ranger beers that I’m aware of: Voodoo Ranger IPA, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA, and the one I’m here to tell you about today, Voodoo Ranger 8 Hop Pale Ale. I enjoyed a brimming mug of the latter at Taco Mac not too long ago. It’s, well, a pale ale brewed with 8 hop varieties, dontcha know. Since I’m a bit curious, lets hop on over to New Belgium’s website to see what this Voodoo Ranger business is all about, shall we?
Brilliantly balanced for easy drinking, this pale ale is packed with citrus and tropical fruit flavors from eight different hop varieties.
What the heck? That doesn’t tell me much! Of course, we do know this from their description of New Belgium Ranger IPA:
Ever met a New Belgium Beer Ranger? They are our beloved folks out in the field. Spanning all of our states from the Pacific to the Atlantic, our Beer Rangers do their best to protect, to pour and to partake. And explore many a beer from many a brewery, they do.
Maybe those New Belgium beer rangers are out there working their voodoo. Who knows? What we do know is that New Belgium Voodoo Ranger 8 Hop Pale Ale is made with these ingredients, per the website:
Hops: Nugget, Centennial, Cascade, Nelson Sauvin, Amarillo, Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra
Malts: Pale, Caramel 80
New Belgium Voodoo Ranger 8 Hop Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume with 35 IBUs. I paid $5.75 for my draft at Taco Mac and it runs as low as $13.29 a 12-pack at Target. That’s a good deal these days.
My mug of New Belgium Voodoo Ranger 8 Hop Pale Ale arrived a bright orange in color with a thick fluffy head and vibrant citrusy grapefruit in the nose. Taking a sip, I get thin caramel malt at first (even for a pale ale methinks), bright lemon and grapefruit peel citrus, orange jello, a bit of resin, and at the last a gentle bitter finish and herbal aroma.
I do like the different kinds of hops at play here, and the dearth of namby pamby fruit loop hops. I know there are Mosaics here, but my palate picked up on the more classic hop varieties. Nothing Earth-shattering here folks, but a very solid pale ale at a bargain price that I would definitely drink again.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft