New Belgium - Ranger and Bridgeport - Ebenezer Ale

My wife and I went out last night to The Outback and they had Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter on tab.  I have had this one before and it was good to have it again.  It was a little sweet and would probably go better with desert than steak.  It was not bad with the steak, but I think Odell's Cutthroat Porter or another standard porter would go better with steak. 

I had had purchased a mix 6 pack earlier in the day and one that I had was Ranger by New Belgium Brewing.  I have had Ranger a few times and I like this IPA.  It is readily available and is one of the big beer stories for 2010 because this was the first mass-produced IPA by New Belgium and it is a great addition to the line-up.  I think Ranger will not become as ubiquitous as Fat Tire, but it will have a large following.  Ranger has an ABV of 6.5% and an IBU of 70.  Ranger pours a nice golden color with a large head - be careful pouring - and it has a nice citrus, fruity aroma and taste from the use of NW hops. I like this beer and New Belgium has done a great job with Ranger.

Next up was Ebenezer Ale by Bridgeport while watching a Dr. Who Christmas Special.  Ebenezer is a very good winter ale and enjoyed it - my only disappointment was that I did not purchase more.  Ebenezer pours a nice dark red / mahogany and has a great aroma.  I really like this beer and the malt has a nice caramel taste with great balance.  This is an easy drinking beer and with an ABV of 6.4% it is not too heavy.  The IBUs are not high on this one to emphasize the malts and the balance on Ebenezer is very good.  Bridgeport describes Ebenezer as “Our special Holiday brew, Ebenezer Ale is a smooth ale with a complex palate derived from four different roasted malts and a blend of local and imported hops. Deep mahogany in color, its malty first taste and full body is balanced with a light hop aroma, leading to a caramel finish. It’s a festive elixir that can transform the mood of any scrooge! So forget the egg-nog and have a pint of Ebenezer.”  I also picked up Hop Czar by Bridgeport and I look forward to trying it and other offering from Bridgeport.