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New Glarus Spotted Cow

New Glarus Brewing Company
United States·Farmhouse Ale·Rank 4 of 38 · The Best American Farmhouse Ales
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Wisconsin's most beloved craft beer — a hazy, unfiltered farmhouse ale with corn adjunct, subtle yeast spice and a refreshing, light finish. Spotted Cow is available only in Wisconsin, making it a badge of state pride and a pilgrimage beer for visitors. The definitive Wisconsin pint.

ABV
4.8%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
SRM
golden6
PaceSession
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
wheatyeastyfruity
wheat
yeasty
fruity
spicy
bready
malty
Aroma
The nose leads with subtle spice from the yeast strain, complemented by gentle wheat and grain character.
not found:hoppy,caramel,clean,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for New Glarus Spotted Cow

◎ Appearance

Pale golden hue with a distinctly hazy, unfiltered character that catches the light with soft turbidity. The head forms quickly and persists with fine, creamy retention and delicate lacing on the glass. Bright carbonation is evident throughout, creating a lively visual presence.

pale goldhazy, unfilteredcreamy headbright carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with subtle spice from the yeast strain, complemented by gentle wheat and grain character. Corn adjunct rounds out the profile with a clean, slightly sweet tone. Noble hop character provides restrained floral and herbal notes without dominating the composition.

subtle spicewheat and grainclean sweetnessherbal hop notes

◐ Taste

Entry is light and crisp, with the corn adjunct lending a soft, clean sweetness that balances mild yeast spice. Mid-palate shows gentle bready and slightly fruity character, while bitterness remains restrained and integrated. The 25 IBU provides structure without assertiveness, allowing the farmhouse character to remain foremost.

crisp entrylight bodymild bitternessclean grain base

◑ Finish

The finish is dry and refreshing, with spice and wheat notes fading cleanly without residual sweetness. The overall impression is remarkably clean and sessionable, inviting immediate return to the glass.

dry, refreshingclean aftertaste
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
76
Taste
78
Appearance
80
Finish
78
Serve at 6–9°C

Serve at 6–9°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with New Glarus Spotted Cow

More from New Glarus Brewing Company

New Glarus Moon Man Pale Ale
New Glarus Two Women
New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

About Farmhouse Ale

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Farmhouse Ale?

Farmhouse Ale is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Farmhouse Ale

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same refreshing, light, crisp character as New Glarus Spotted Cow will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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