Beer of the Weekend #126: Mighty Arrow Pale Ale
Wait… The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow? Holy shit. This year is flying by.
While collecting all The Quiet Man’s grades over the last beer year, I noticed how sloppy my grammar, punctuation, syntax, and proof reading were in many BotW posts. It was shameful. I pride myself on my writing and beer drinking skills, so from now on I will be more vigilant.
On to the beer this weekend: Mighty Arrow Pale Ale, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Mighty Arrow comes recommended from Tom of Churchill’s Cigar. I was unsure what to buy this weekend, and he suggested Mighty Arrow if I was seeking inspiration. I’ve never sampled a recommended beer (at least I don’t think I have), so I thought I would follow Tom’s advice. He liked it, and I hope he doesn’t feel bad if it’s not my thing.
Actually, after Tom’s recommendation I got a hankering for another New Belgium brew: Abbey Belgian Style Ale. My samplings of Trois Pistoles and La Fin du Monde piqued my interest in Belgian beer, and I’ve grown increasingly eager to try a true Belgian brew. The BevMo! on Beach has quite a Belgian selection, so availability is not an issue. The issues are serving type and price.
Most of BevMo!’s Belgian brews come in 750 ml bottles, much like wine. Bottles that large may make sampling tricky. I like individual bottles since they are ideal for single servings, so a wine bottle would disrupt my familiar “one bottle, one beer” drinking ritual: I would have fill a glass, take a picture of the beer and bottle, put the bottle back in the fridge, then retrieve it when the first glass was finished. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s just unusual. There are Belgian brews bottled in those annoying 11.2-ouncers, but they’re $5 a bottle. The 750’s aren’t a bargain, either: $10 a bottle. As you know, I’m not adverse to drinking incredible brew, but I am one frugal mofo. I better start sampling now while I have a full-time job. Abbey Belgian Style Ale is relatively cheap and comes in a sixer, so it’s an ideal Belgian starter. However, I didn’t see it at the Beach store this week.
According to BA, the ideal glassware for Mighty Arrow is a pint glass. However, I’m drinking it out of my Allagash tulip to nose the beer more effectively. Mighty Arrow is pictured in a tulip on the New Belgium site, so I thought I’d follow their lead.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Poured a champagne-like dark gold, but with a hint of copper or ruby. Three fingers of white head developed and dissipated to a foamy lace.
Smell: Pale ale to a tee. Invigorating grapefruit citrus dominates. Just dominates. As it warms, caramel, honey, and toasted malts emerge. There’s also a hint of a nasty synthetic aroma, which reminds me of condoms.
Taste: My first taste was like a mouthful of waterlogged cigarette butts. Maybe that’s what condoms taste like. Thankfully, it improves slightly with subsequent sips. The dominant grapefruit from the smell gives way to muted citrus, honey, caramel, and grassy hops provide a bitter bite.
Drinkability: Not my thing. It may appeal to others, but not me.
Fun facts about Mighty Arrow:
-Style: BA classifies Mighty Arrow as an American Pale Ale (APA):
-Price: $7.99/sixer at the Beach BevMo!.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Pan Asian cuisine, earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), nutty cheeses (Asiago, Colby, Parmesan), tangy cheeses (Brick, Edam, Feta), salad, and poultry. Anyone who takes BA’s advice is sure to be constipated for a week, so I suggest everyone take a peek at Mighty Arrow’s page on the New Belgium site, which features recommendations from four pairing connoisseurs: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/mighty-arrow.
-IBU: 35.
-Mighty Arrow is New Belgium’s spring offering, only available February through April. On the carrier it is billed as, “Our spring ale with a frisky does of Cascade, Amarillo and Golden Hops.”
-On the underside of the carrier, New Belgium boasts of being “The First Wind Powered Brewery in America.” If true, mad props. New Belgium also boasts of being employee owned, so I wonder, on the eve of May Day, if there’s a little Anarcho-syndicalism going on in Fort Collins. If so, mad props.
-A dog inspired the Mighty Arrow name:
Arrow, I assume, is also the inspiration for the dog darting out of the brewery entrance on the label.
-Speaking of dogs, here’s a personal truth: I don’t like dogs. I don’t. Dogs are loud, stupid, and co-dependant. Maybe dogs are cunning in the wild, like their wolf cousins, but domesticated versions embody every quality of pussy-whipped men and blindly smitten women. However, dogs like me. I don’t know why. I’m cool with some dogs (those well-behaved, calm, intelligent, and friendly), but generally don’t like them. It’s complicated, and one day I may write a post about it.
-I also don’t like it when pets, usually dogs, are used as fashion or lifestyle accessories. It’s a living creature, not a fucking Gucci purse or iPhone. Your girlfriend moved in? Good for you. Get a fucking coffee table and some badass photography books to cement your commitment.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C.
While collecting all The Quiet Man’s grades over the last beer year, I noticed how sloppy my grammar, punctuation, syntax, and proof reading were in many BotW posts. It was shameful. I pride myself on my writing and beer drinking skills, so from now on I will be more vigilant.
On to the beer this weekend: Mighty Arrow Pale Ale, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Mighty Arrow comes recommended from Tom of Churchill’s Cigar. I was unsure what to buy this weekend, and he suggested Mighty Arrow if I was seeking inspiration. I’ve never sampled a recommended beer (at least I don’t think I have), so I thought I would follow Tom’s advice. He liked it, and I hope he doesn’t feel bad if it’s not my thing.
Actually, after Tom’s recommendation I got a hankering for another New Belgium brew: Abbey Belgian Style Ale. My samplings of Trois Pistoles and La Fin du Monde piqued my interest in Belgian beer, and I’ve grown increasingly eager to try a true Belgian brew. The BevMo! on Beach has quite a Belgian selection, so availability is not an issue. The issues are serving type and price.
Most of BevMo!’s Belgian brews come in 750 ml bottles, much like wine. Bottles that large may make sampling tricky. I like individual bottles since they are ideal for single servings, so a wine bottle would disrupt my familiar “one bottle, one beer” drinking ritual: I would have fill a glass, take a picture of the beer and bottle, put the bottle back in the fridge, then retrieve it when the first glass was finished. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s just unusual. There are Belgian brews bottled in those annoying 11.2-ouncers, but they’re $5 a bottle. The 750’s aren’t a bargain, either: $10 a bottle. As you know, I’m not adverse to drinking incredible brew, but I am one frugal mofo. I better start sampling now while I have a full-time job. Abbey Belgian Style Ale is relatively cheap and comes in a sixer, so it’s an ideal Belgian starter. However, I didn’t see it at the Beach store this week.
According to BA, the ideal glassware for Mighty Arrow is a pint glass. However, I’m drinking it out of my Allagash tulip to nose the beer more effectively. Mighty Arrow is pictured in a tulip on the New Belgium site, so I thought I’d follow their lead.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Poured a champagne-like dark gold, but with a hint of copper or ruby. Three fingers of white head developed and dissipated to a foamy lace.
Smell: Pale ale to a tee. Invigorating grapefruit citrus dominates. Just dominates. As it warms, caramel, honey, and toasted malts emerge. There’s also a hint of a nasty synthetic aroma, which reminds me of condoms.
Taste: My first taste was like a mouthful of waterlogged cigarette butts. Maybe that’s what condoms taste like. Thankfully, it improves slightly with subsequent sips. The dominant grapefruit from the smell gives way to muted citrus, honey, caramel, and grassy hops provide a bitter bite.
Drinkability: Not my thing. It may appeal to others, but not me.
Fun facts about Mighty Arrow:
-Style: BA classifies Mighty Arrow as an American Pale Ale (APA):
Of British origin, this style is now popular worldwide and the use of local ingredients, or imported, produces variances in character from region to region. Generally, expect a good balance of malt and hops. Fruity esters and diacetyl can vary from none to moderate, and bitterness can range from lightly floral to pungent.
American versions tend to be cleaner and hoppier, while British tend to be more malty, buttery, aromatic and balanced.
-Price: $7.99/sixer at the Beach BevMo!.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Pan Asian cuisine, earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), nutty cheeses (Asiago, Colby, Parmesan), tangy cheeses (Brick, Edam, Feta), salad, and poultry. Anyone who takes BA’s advice is sure to be constipated for a week, so I suggest everyone take a peek at Mighty Arrow’s page on the New Belgium site, which features recommendations from four pairing connoisseurs: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/mighty-arrow.
-IBU: 35.
-Mighty Arrow is New Belgium’s spring offering, only available February through April. On the carrier it is billed as, “Our spring ale with a frisky does of Cascade, Amarillo and Golden Hops.”
-On the underside of the carrier, New Belgium boasts of being “The First Wind Powered Brewery in America.” If true, mad props. New Belgium also boasts of being employee owned, so I wonder, on the eve of May Day, if there’s a little Anarcho-syndicalism going on in Fort Collins. If so, mad props.
-A dog inspired the Mighty Arrow name:
This is our brewed tribute to Arrow, Kim’s Aussie/Border Collie mix who ran (literally) New Belgium for 12 years. When she wasn't patrolling the brewery grounds, she was famous for her office visits: She never met a tummy rub she didn't like. Atta girl Arrow.
Arrow, I assume, is also the inspiration for the dog darting out of the brewery entrance on the label.
-Speaking of dogs, here’s a personal truth: I don’t like dogs. I don’t. Dogs are loud, stupid, and co-dependant. Maybe dogs are cunning in the wild, like their wolf cousins, but domesticated versions embody every quality of pussy-whipped men and blindly smitten women. However, dogs like me. I don’t know why. I’m cool with some dogs (those well-behaved, calm, intelligent, and friendly), but generally don’t like them. It’s complicated, and one day I may write a post about it.
-I also don’t like it when pets, usually dogs, are used as fashion or lifestyle accessories. It’s a living creature, not a fucking Gucci purse or iPhone. Your girlfriend moved in? Good for you. Get a fucking coffee table and some badass photography books to cement your commitment.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C.
