Voodoo Ranger Hop Dynasty IPA
New Belgium Brewing Company

This is a session IPA. Hoppiness is moderate. The question is, where does this rate among the best session IPAs? In my opinion, middle of the pack. Definitely worth drinking!

 

Voodoo Ranger Hop Dynasty IPA
4.25 / 5

Look – 4.0
Pours clear and brassy-gold, deeper than Citrus Slayer and far removed from the haze of Juice Force. Roughly SRM 8–9. Head forms well but lacing is less persistent than its sisters. Carbonation appears steadier, less “energetic.”

Aroma – 4.0
More subdued than the other two. Early impressions of pine and grapefruit are still valid, but revisiting it in a side-by-side context reveals softer tropical tones — mango and peach leading over bright citrus. Less mandarin than Citrus Slayer, less pineapple blast than Juice Force. This leans lower stone-fruit tropical with a restrained resin backdrop.

Taste – 4.25
Fuller body immediately changes the experience. Where Juice Force sprints and Citrus Slayer sparkles, Hop Dynasty slows the palate down. Sweet malt presence is more noticeable here — a light caramel or honeyed undertone supporting mango, peach, and muted citrus.

Bitterness is present but rounded. Pine is softer than expected, integrated rather than sharp. It drinks more like a modernized West Coast Imperial IPA with tropical influence rather than a straight juice bomb.

Alcohol presence is interesting: at 8.5% it feels more apparent than the 9–9.5% sisters. The fuller malt body likely makes the ethanol stand out more.

Mouthfeel – 4.25
Medium-full and weightier than both Juice Force and Citrus Slayer. Carbonation is firm but less lively. This one feels grounded and substantial rather than effervescent.

Overall – 4.25
In the context of the 12-pack, Hop Dynasty is the contemplative middle sibling. Juice Force is the tropical party. Citrus Slayer is the bright citrus technician. Hop Dynasty is the deeper, slower, malt-supported expression — darker fruit, softer resin, heavier body.

It may not be as “fun” or explosive as Juice Force, but it’s arguably more balanced and layered. Less flashy, more composed. A modern IPA with a nod to old-school structure.

Revisiting it alongside its sisters actually clarifies its identity: this is the grounded one in the lineup.

 

New Belgium Brewing Co. "Voodoo Ranger Hop Dynasty"
12 fl. oz. can coded "250829081T 132137 25 JAN 2026 1504"
$1.50 @ Wine, Beer, and Spirits, Omaha, NE

Notes via stream of consciousness: A very hazy golden-amber colored body is capped by a massive head of rocky white foam. The aroma isn't that hoppy but that's fairly common for double or Imperial IPAs where there's a lot of malt in play and the malt dominates. It's clean, and there's some hop which is similar to what you smell in a wort that's finished boiling, and the malt that goes along with it. It's grainy, bready, slightly mineralish, and softly orange and subtly herbal. On to the taste, it's malty but not as malty as the aroma suggests it will be, and there's plenty of brightly tropical and citrusy hops to liven it. I'm getting white peach, soft pineapple, guava, orange, and berry. There's also a touch of floral, earthy, and subtly piney character. The combination of sweet malt and citrusy hops give it a kind of candyish note. The bitterness is modest, and yet it still finishes mainly dry. There's some alcohol presence to it at 8.5% which isn't hurting it, and which helps to dry the finish. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the fuller side, and gently crisp-and-then-smooth. It's not the greatest but it's well-brewed, very nicely balanced, and superbly rounded and polished.
Review #9,417

C / AVERAGE

 

 

 

 

12 oz. can from variety pack pours a clear dark golden with average white head that lasts and leaves good lacing. Smells of melons and apricot. Aroma is similar, with a considerable sweet malt backbone. Body is medium with slight carbonation and a smooth, almost slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is not as obvious as in most Voodoo Rangers, despite 8.5%. One of the better Voodoo Rangers.

 

12 oz can from the Wall of Beer in Clemson, SC ($1.99). Enjoyed just over 5 months prior to the Best By date stamped on the bottom of the can.

Appearance. Golden body with an extra tall white head that has good retention.

Floral, fruity and herbal hop notes are dominant, but subtle grain notes are detectable. The flavor is similar but less herbal and more fruity. Both are unusually complex. Moderate bitterness for the style.

 

Part of the Voodoo Ranger series

Pours a bright & effervescent gold with a thumb+ pf ivory colored head. Good head retention & better lacing

S: Fairly malty, some honey malt, green melons & peaches. Some toastyness & caramel as this warms, some pear notes, more dryness & a touch of woody hops. Finishes a little dry with some grassy & citrus notes, plus a bit of caramel, nectarine. & green melon

T: Follows the nose, some sweet orange as well, a little dryness

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, good balance

Great drinkability, a bit more down the middle variation; no cute tricks