Pour Me: New Belgium's Dig

I gotta have a drink before I can tackle all these dishes

As long as New Belgium makes beers, I plan on reviewing them. I do believe that Pour Me is dominated by New Belgium beer, and I doubt that will ever change. It is not that any of their beers are really exceptional, nor is it that their beers are less expensive. No, I like New Belgium because the brewery has a special place in my heart, mostly because it was the gateway to the broad world of craft beers.

New Belgium's seasonal beers are, on the whole, pretty decent. I believe that they brew beers for themselves first, and perfect what they like. Dig is a pretty good example. The original concoction was probably started off as a nice pale ale that tasted inspired. Sadly, the beer you see here tastes like a dumbed down version.

Do not get me wrong: I like it. Dig is a great spring-time beer. It is smooth and easy drinking. There is a great bitter punch, from the hops. Slight tropical fruits are also there, somewhere. At 5.6%ABV, it packs just enough of a wallop after a hard day in the sun, caring for your garden. No, the problem with Dig is the competition. Considering all the other pale ales out there, this would be one of the last I would pick up. Sierra Nevada and Stone are, by far, the best. Now, I know it might be a little unfair to judge Dig against those heavyweights, but beer drinking is not a vacuum. Dig is great as a first effort, and I suggest trying it if you are in a mood for a pale ale. Just pretend you couldn't find the six pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.