Sunday 9th of October 2011 09:45:33 PM

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We chose poorly showing up on a Saturday late afternoon. Although there are plenty of free samples at the very large bar there was too many people in the bar area making the place too noisy and too crowded. Tried making brewery tour reservations about two months ago, they were booked. I’m sure that GABF in Denver had something to do with it. There are inside and outside seating areas, all of which were packed. Although I wanted to stay and continue sampling, I’ve had many New Belgium beers in the past and it wasn’t worth the wait through the line or dealing with the crowd and noise. So we had a couple samples and headed out. I want to go back when we can do a brewery tour.

Thursday 12th of August 2010 02:01:33 AM

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I always have a great time when I visit this place. Staff are very knowledgeable. Every tour guide is different and tells different stories. Each time I go I learn more about how they are trying to run as green as possible, as well as practices of the city in which they are located.

The tasting room is generally crowded all the time during the summer and weekends. If you want to do a tour you have to make it weeks in advance. If you are in the tasting room long enough you may hear a bartender recite a poem about beer.

They are generous with their samples, with samples in the tasting room and 5 or 6 during the tour. The only down side is that they dont serve food to soak up all the free beer, but you can walk down the road to El Burrito or a little further to Old Town Square where there are multiple great local restaurants.

New Belgium makes great beer. A few years ago I fell hard for their Giddy Up, which sounded like it could be just awful, coffee flavored beer? But was amazingly awesome!

The Trippel is staple in my house, followed by Sunshine, Fat Tire and Mothership. Their Lips of faith series is always interesting and challenges my taste buds. I love, love, love the Belgian Style Blonde Ale that they came out with earlier this year, it wont be back until next Spring I have been told, so I have been driving around town trying to buy up the last of it.

If you are planning a trip to northern Colorado definitely take the time to stop and enjoy this place, you will not regret it.

Tuesday 20th of July 2010 11:16:21 AM

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I really had the best time I could have imagined when I visited the tasting room at New Belgium last Thursday. I had no idea what went on there but I was swinging through Colorado on my way from Wyoming to Kansas and thought I'd pop in, try a flight, take a tour, see what's what. Well, a bartender saw that I didn't really know the score so he sat me down and took very good care of me.

Apparently you have to book your tours ahead of time and he says they're often booked solid for 2 weeks or more so plan ahead. Also, I had no idea that the place gave out free tastings. I put myself into his hands and he took very good care of me, sampling several of their Lips of Faith beers that aren't available in IL where I live. I tried a nice Helles, a strong Belgian Blonde, a Berliner Weiss with some Brett tartness, the Belgo IPA, and he even gave me a little taste of their current batch of La Folie.

He also spent a good deal of time just chatting with me, at least before the bar got too busy. Once he left to lead a tour of the facility, everybody else I dealt with was equally friendly. I really don't have enough good things to say about the time I spent there.

Friday 25th of September 2009 01:03:51 AM

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Being one of the better known microbrews out there, you come to expect a good experience when you go and visit. I visited a few days before the GABF and expected a zoo, but overall it wasn't too bad, the bartenders did a good job of managing the crowd. We got 3 free samples, which were quite generous. A nice mix of the usual offerings (Fat Tire, Skinny Dip, Abbey, etc) and some not so regular - a special framboise, stout and trippel among them. I tried 1554 which was a dunken type and tripel which were both excellent.

The brewery offers tours which must be scheduled in advance, however, they also have a self guided tour. They also have a ton of merchandise as well as free post cards that the brewery will even mail out at their own cost!

The experience here really is top notch, what you would hope for at one of the best know micros out there. Only issues are limited hours (12-6) and no food on premises.

Monday 24th of August 2009 02:51:45 PM

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This is an absolutely beautiful facility. We stopped in a few minutes late for the tour and had a heck of a time getting someone's attention at the bar to either get a beer or find out about the next tour. Eventually, we got signed on for a tour about an hour and a half away (We hit Odells, then returned).

My wife and I picked our samples so we could max out at 8 tastes between us. Good, well-brewed stuff, but I've always thought they chose styles that seemed awfully "transition beer-like." Not counting La Folie, one of my favorites. During the tour, we got more samples poured upstairs in the the gorgeous brewhouse, and after the tour we scored a sample of the Trans-atlantique Kriek from a staff. But not all the Lips of Faith stuff blows my mind. Despite a good tour by a solid and friendly tour guide, those two beers made the trip. Tour guide was great, but sterile compared to the beer on the floor, safety glasses wearing version version at other breweries.

As I said at the outset, this place is beautiful. Bikey-beery art throughout and it just feels good to be in this setting. Positive attitude from the company and the hordes of people just like us there that day.

Probably what you'd call a must-stop, if you're in the neighborhood.

Saturday 17th of January 2009 11:27:42 AM

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we had good service. the server came over twice to talk with us for a few minutes even though it was busy and the place was packed. the selection was nice with some interesting brews. the place is really nice. they give you a good number of samples and a good amount of each. their overall business practices are excellent. i'm not a big fan of nbb's beers in general but tried a couple of new ones and enjoyed them.

Tuesday 25th of November 2008 09:47:56 PM

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What can you say about New Belgium brewing... lots! When I was in high school we'd drive an hour to get across state lines so we could buy kegs of Fat Tire (don't ask how...). The mystery and mystique lives on. This place is packed from the minute they open until (sometimes) hours after they close, and for good reason.

This might be the most environmentally friendly brewery in the world, especially when considering the scale at which they operate now. It would take forever to explain everything they do... go there and find out, but you better ride a bike!

The beer is usually a bit of a surprise for most folks unfamiliar with Belgian style brewing... lots of fruits and unusual ingredients, combined with a natural inclination for experimentation lead to some interesting brews to say the least. Some people dis NBB for this, but I think we need to give 'em props for going out on the limbs that they do. They aren't making beer for the masses, and I like that

Oh yeah, did I mention that tastings are free...

Friday 21st of November 2008 04:33:19 PM

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First I have to admit that New Belgium beers aren't some of my favorites. But we wanted to see the place because we had heard a lot about it.

This is a beautiful facility. We arrive too late to take a tour but I can still say it was beautiful just from what we saw.

The tasting room was completely packed and we had to wait for a couple of chairs at the bar. I was a little aprehensive about hanging out in such a zoo but it turned out to be OK. You get a card to fill out and choose 3 or 4 beers to try and they give you free samples of your picks.

I did like the Cherry Ale that I had never seen before. The fruit taste was not overwhelming.

You could buy pints after you finished your samples but I could never get the attention of a bartender. Once he delivered our samples we didn't exist anymore.

Ended up sitting next to a couple of locals who were pretty cool so not a bad visit.

Wednesday 13th of August 2008 06:44:27 PM

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Amazing! Like beer? Like brew tours? This is an absolute must for you.

The tour is free, the sampler is free. The sampler is small, only 4 brews per day, per person. But they are huge 4 ounce goblets, not those puny shots from other breweries. I had a worker tell me it was because they consider them a "Thank You" more than a sampler.

Fat Tire. What more can I say. This is a staple of beer drinking in the West. They have a fun Abbey ale. Nearly everything they have is amazing.

If you can, the tour stories are different with each tour guide. Go more than once.

If you are company conscious, this place is employee owned, COMPLETELY WIND POWERED, high-tech enviro-friendly everything. Even the company parking is set up so that those with hybrid vehicles can park closest followed by normal cars and then trucks and SUVs.

I have to disagree with one of the other reviews, I have never had a bad worker experience.

Also, they have FREE post-cards. AND, they will mail them for you!!! Free! They are right at the door, you can't miss this. Its truly a find in a league all its own.

Sunday 30th of December 2007 09:44:10 PM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

You must visit New Belgium if you care about beer.
Great atmosphere. A standard for craft brewing. True to the Belgian style of taste is most important in beer.
Do the tour. For a quality experience, visit early in the day. Talk to the staff. They are very knowledgeable and willing to share. A sustainable brewery that cares about beer, beer culture, beer people, and the environment around us.
Get a Growler. Then you can share your beer with others. I can go on and on. The great places must be celebrated.

Thursday 27th of September 2007 11:02:48 PM

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i've been to new belgium every year for the past 3 years, and it never ceases to amaze me. arrive early for tours, because they fill up rather quickly...you might have to get there early for a tour that goes late.

if you're into sustainable practice...this is the brewery for you (you'll learn all about it when you take the tour). everything they can do to promote eco-consciousness, they do. ride the slide!!!

the tasting room is pretty good, but i've never had someone serve me beer there that wasn't a total dick. i thought it was me the first time, so the next two times i went, i kept quiet and was very polite, but the result was still the same. sorry guys, but i can't put it any different.

the beer selection is draft versions of their commercial offerings, but is cool because not all places get all of their beers. this recent trip (aug 2007) they had samples of their brett beer, la folie, which is required drinking for the bjcp style guidelines for flanders red (17b)

getting fresh from the beer-tit fat tire is always fun (although i passed this last time), so pick your fav and drink!

sampling is free, as are the tours. merch is very cool as well. dig the sculptures around the tasting room.