Beer of the Weekend #529: Accumulation

Today’s brown bottle snack is Accumulation, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado.


I know what you’re thinking: Does this guy ever work? What do you think I am doing right now? I am working and “working” (drinking for the LV) at the same time. So there!

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The date printed on the bottle is “09MAR14.”

Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is pale gold. Two fingers of fluffy, white head left lacing along the glass and an uneven, bubbly skim.

Smell: Citrus, spice, and cat piss. The citrus is very zesty, much like lemon, though orange and tropical fruit mango and tangerine rise up to and offer a counterbalance. The spice is pine-like, but I get the impression there is also pepper. And everything is tinged with cattiness.

Taste: Medium body and light, refreshing flavor. The flavor lacks the aroma’s punch, though. Light notes of zest and tropical fruit. Slightly musty wheat malt hangs in the background. It has that classic New Belgium taste, too, and a well-rounded bitterness that accompanies each sip.

Drinkability: I get the impression that New Belgium has brewed this before. Hmm… Perhaps there is a market for beers like this during the winter, but it is not my fridge.

Fun facts about Accumulation:

-Style: New Belgium calls it “White IPA.”

-Price: $1.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

-Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.

-IBU: 70.

-Food pairings: New Belgium has that covered in this video:



I find it odd that everyone on the far end of the table is drinking Fat Tire.

-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:

This winter, IBUs start accumulating like snow in Colorado with our new Accumulation White IPA. Brewing a white IPA was not only a way to salute the white beauty falling from the sky, but a direct revolt to the longstanding tradition of brewing dark beers for winter. At least that’s what our rebellious brewer Grady Hull likes to claim as he shovels in plenty of new hop varietals and a bit of wheat for a smooth mouthfeel. Stack up a few cases of Accumulation White IPA to keep your long nights glowing blizzard white.

The Quiet Man’s grade: B.

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