Golden/Blonde Ale, New Belgium Brewing Co, CO. USA   ABV 6% IBU 40

With my new found interest in hoppy beers, I indulged in a glass of New Belgium’s Hoptober on Wednesday night. It was 50 cent wing night at my new favorite restaurant and what better to go with some spicy wings than a hoppy beer?

Poured on draught, Hoptober presented a nice golden tone with a huge, pillowy white head, picture perfect.  Even with a plate of steaming hot wings under my nose I could smell the citrus/pine aroma literally billowing from the glass.  On first taste (pre-wing) I was greeted with mild hops in the open, followed by a delicate amount of honey, enough to counterbalance the hops bitterness but not create true sweetness. For the finish the hops and honey intermingle, creating a mild dryness in your throat. As the flavors sit after the swallow the hops seem to resurface coating the mouth with pine.

As I hoped the beer and the wings went together very well. Hoptober was strong enough to stand up to the vinegar and hot pepper of the sauce, washing away some of the grease and giving the spices a little extra zing. The wings brought out the dry hops notes in the beer, but surprisingly also created a level of creaminess to the body that was not there on my initial sampling.

Though the name would imply an Oktoberfest beer, Hoptober is not one, since it is not a Marzen but a Golden Ale. As such it doesn’t have any of the characteristics of an Oktoberfest and it never pretends to. With that in mind it is a very enjoyable beer.