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Welcome back, friends, and pull up a chair. It?s another Friday afternoon, which means it?s time to kick back and take a break. Today, we?re going to dive into a rotating offering from one of my favorite breweries with the Voodoo Ranger Juicifer.
In case you?re not aware, Voodoo Ranger is actually brewed up by Fat Tire. Though, these days, it?s become a popular-enough line that it?s all but a brand unto itself. There are a number of Voodoo Ranger options and offerings, and I?ve yet to find a bad one. In fact, I?m rather looking forward to the Atomic Pumpkin version arriving, which mixes some hot pepper spiciness into the pumpkin beer formula. That?s a seasonal, and they also rotate some other varieties in and out. The last time we dove there, we had some summertime fun with the Liquid Paradise IPA but today we?re traveling down a different road.
The Voodoo Ranger Juicifer is capitalizing on a few different popular trends in the IPA world. First is the haze. This isn?t anything particularly crazy, other than a visual aspect to the pour due to the brew not being filtered. Second is the juice aspect. You can definitely get some fruit and citrus flavors in an IPA, either via the hops selection or via some additions to the recipe. Either way, the hit of fruit juice flavor works well in an IPA, and that?s what we?ve got here. For the Voodoo Ranger Juicifer, it?s done via their hop selection (in this case, Citra, Galaxy, and Chinook).
When you pour the Voodoo Ranger Juicifer out into a glass, you?re struck by the golden haze and the creamy head. In fact, in many ways, this looks just like what you picture in your head when you think of a fresh pint (haze aside). On the nose, it?s pretty mild – you?re not slapped by a bitter scent, nor is the citrus overbearing. Taking that first sip, you?ve got a velvety smoothness going down, and the flavor is something I?d describe as a tropical take on an IPA, but one where things are just a bit milder. All of this adds up – along with the lower IBU rating (for an IPA) – for a beer that?s crisp and refreshing.
As I said up front, I?ve yet to find a Voodoo Ranger that I?ve not liked, and the Voodoo Ranger Juicifer continues that trend. And, for all of the rough-and-tumble biker imagery on the can, this is definitely a milder IPA that won?t attack your tongue and let?s you enjoy the milder flavor profile of what you?re drinking. As this is a rotating offering, if you want to find this yourself, I?d say start the search sooner, rather than later, as I?m not sure when this one rotates off. voodooranger.com
Tasting Notes
- Golden haze
- Creamy head
- Mild nose
- Smooth mouthfeel
- Milder tropical notes
- Crisp, not bitter
Details from New Belgium
- ABV: 7.7%
- IBU: 50
- Hops: Citra Incognito, Galaxy, Chinook
- Malts: Pale, Munich, Oats
- Description: Brimming with citrus aromas from Galaxy and Citra hops, this moderately sweet and hazy IPA is devilishly juicy
