New Belgium Tour de Fall
New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fall is the company’s newest seasonal release. The 6% ABV American Pale Ale was brewed to celebrate the brewery’s Tour de Fat — a “traveling festival of bikes, beer and bemusement.” The brewery crafted this latest brew with Pale malt, chocolate rye and caramel before dry-hopping it with two unknown hop varieties.
The result is a beer that is not only pleasingly refreshing, but also quite balanced in its overall presentation. AT 38 IBU, it’s got just enough hop bite to tease the palate while the solid malt backbone give the brew and easy drinking nature — a combination ideal for settling down on the deck after raking up some leaves in the coming montsh.
Appearance
Tour de Fall pours a copperish amber in color with a resilient cap of khaki foam.
Aroma
Piney, earthy hops lead the way for grapefruit, light grass notes, caramel and a soft floral trait.
Taste
The hop character is grassy, piney, lightly catty with hints of grapefruit and tangerine. While the hop flavors are smooth and dynamic, they never overpower the caramel and lightly bready malt backbone that helps temper and round out the beer. A light-to-moderate level of bitterness mingles with a soft malt sweetness creating a refreshing and dangerously easy drinking brew.
Overall
I really liked Tour de Fall. It’s got a great hop flavor that tantalizes without overwhelming the palate and is wonderfully balanced. It’s overall refreshing and smooth character make it a brew that could easily be enjoyed year-round and not just during the Autumn season.
Rating: 4/5
This is a review of a promotional sample.
