I’ve been really enjoying the opportunity to sample some of the latest beers coming from New Belgium Brewing, and as a hoppy kind of guy, I especially like their line of Voodoo Ranger IPA’s. In honor of election day and as a reminder of the importance to vote this election season, New Belgium is giving you the opportunity to do just that. But rather than picking a candidate in this election, you get to choose a beer.
If you haven’t read the story, New Belgium is asking you, the beer-drinking public, to choose their next Voodoo Ranger release. Based on your vote, New Belgium will pick the first IPA rotator of 2021. The voting will be a month-long series of events designed to choose between Agent 77 IPA and Captain Dynamite IPA and today I have both.
Agent 77 uses Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy hops and Captain Dynamite uses Mosaic, Simcoe and Cascade hops. As NB puts it, “Agent 77 IPA is neither shaken, nor stirred, and brewed with international Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy hops to create a fruity and floral IPA that’s as charismatic as it is citrusy. Captain Dynamite IPA is locked, stocked and fully hopped, and he’s here to drink beer and kick ass, and he’s all out of beer. This hazy IPA is juiced with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Cascade hops and exploding with tropical flavors and aromas. Throughout the month of September, consumers will have the opportunity to vote on various qualities the prevailing Voodoo Ranger IPA will embody such as the character, his personality traits, the beer itself, and more. The prevailing hero will have to win a series of challenges testing his wit, ingenuity and skill.“
The really good news is that I get to give you an early peek and sampling of these beers to better inform your voting choice AND to whet your appetite for the eventual 20201 release. Naturally I can’t wait to sample both beers, so off we go…
New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Agent 77 IPA
ABV: 7.7%
Style: IPA
Packaging: 16oz cans
Appearance: Really clear & bright gold color
Aroma: Tropical fruit & bold citrus
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft mouthfeel
Taste: Sweet and sticky mango with biscuit malt and citrus
Overall: Agent 77 IPA has a really pleasant mix of sweet and sticky mango, bold citrus and just enough booziness to make you feel like you’re drinking a double IPA. The beer is crystal clear and the overall balance makes it really drinkable with a clean but bitter finish. Hard to go wrong with this candidate.
New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Captain Dynamite IPA
ABV: 7.7%
Style: IPA
Packaging: 16oz cans
Appearance: Hazy but bright amber color
Aroma: Floral, herbal and resinous sweet tropical fruit
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied slightly sticky
Taste: Orange peel, citrus and earthy hop bitterness
Overall: Captain Dynamite has a really nice mix of dankness with a prominent orange peel and sweet citrus flavor. While the appearance is hazy, the beer leans toward a much less cloudy look, feel or taste. Overall the citrus lays nicely on your tongue making for a really drinkable IPA that also happens to be hazy. Hard to go wrong with this candidate too and much harder for me to pick just one.
Overall I think New Belgium has two really good beers in the running for one slot in 2021 and I have a feeling the voting will be very close. Follow along with New Belgium @voodooranger and be sure to cast your vote and be sure to let us know what YOU think. Here are the voting details from NB:
At a time when politics could use some fun, Vote Voodoo: The Thirsty Games brings amusement to this year’s election season. Vote Voodoo election results will be announced on October 1st, 2020 and the winning beer will be available January 2021. Cast your vote now at votevoodoo.com and follow @voodooranger on Instagram for additional polling opportunities all month long.
And the winner is (this update from New Belgium on 5 Jan 2021):
He’s here to drink beer and kick ass, and he’s all out of beer. Hitting shelves now, the newest member of our Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA Series is exploding with tropical citrus flavors and aromas. He’s locked, stocked, and fully hopped. Find it near you: https://newbelgium.com/beer/voodoo-ranger-captain-dynamite-ipa/
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