United Nations of Beer

New Belgium Springboard ale

by Lucia Novara
(Beer Delegate, CO, USA)

New Belgium Springboard ale
New Belgium Brewing, CO, USA

New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins may just hold the title of Colorado Beer Mecca. Its tours are legendary, its employees are filled with OompaLoompa-like enthusiasm and its beers... well, let's just say they know what they're doing with the hops.

A pilgrimage to this Mecca is definitely in order, but in the mean time I wanted to give some love to New Belgium Springboard ale, their spring seasonal beer.

I will be a Sunshine Wheat drinker till the day I die and become reincarnated as a pint glass, but I have to give some respect to the Springboard as their second best beer to enjoy while sunning oneself.

I enjoyed a few pours of it while sitting on a bar porch in the late spring sun last Sunday and it was pretty damn satisfying.

I will warn anyone in the Denver area that Govnr's Park, while great at many things such as producing deep fried pickle chips, does keep some dirty-ass taps.

I think my tasting may have been a little off, but if the Springboard tasted as good as it did being poured through pipes that are dirtier than a Thai hooker's, then it must be pretty great.

It's a cloudy blond color with some unusual flavors. A little research uncovered that its ingredients include wormwood, goji berries and schisandra along with oats and Mount Hood hops. Interestingly enough, schisandra is an ancient Chinese herb that is thought to regenerate liver tissue damaged by harmful influences such as viral hepatitis and alcohol.

So basically they designed the first beer in the universe that is good for your liver! And not to mention treating that pesky hepatitis that's been following you around.

Anyway, New Belgium Springboard ale has a creamy body, but I was surprised at the dry, slightly bitter finish. It makes it stand out from other spring seasonals that tend to have a more sweet and fruity aftertaste.

It's light enough to buy a 12-pack of, but packs enough of a punch that you shouldn't try to finish the dozen by yourself.

I would say it's the perfect beer to bring to a BBQ, in that (a) People will be impressed with your good taste and (b) You will get drunk.