Snow Day
New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Black / Cascadian Dark Winter|
Score
7.00
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Winter Ale
In 2003, we had a massive 37-inch snowstorm over two days in Fort Collins. Everything shut down for a couple days – no work, no school, no cars. The only way you could get around was by ski or toboggan. When we began brewing Snow Day, we looked to this one storm for inspiration. The dark characters of the malt bill reflect the dark stormy sky at the beginning of the snowfall. But on the third day, the sun broke through and everything was glorious! The name Snow Day evoked joyful freedom. Everyone remembers waiting for the school report as little kids. When you heard your school was closed, you suddenly had all day to play in the transformed, white landscape. Well, that’s the kind of emotion we put into this beer.
Pleasantly hoppy, Snow Day carries the subtle chocolate and caramel flavors of a new brewing malt known as Midnight Wheat. The Styrian Golding, Centennial and Cascade hops bring the backbone of hoppy bitterness to complement the roasty undertones. This beer is the deep garnet of a roasted walnut and presents a creamy tan head, floating artfully atop. Snow Day is bold and hoppy, drinkable and strong. It reminds you to enjoy the unexpected.
In 2003, we had a massive 37-inch snowstorm over two days in Fort Collins. Everything shut down for a couple days – no work, no school, no cars. The only way you could get around was by ski or toboggan. When we began brewing Snow Day, we looked to this one storm for inspiration. The dark characters of the malt bill reflect the dark stormy sky at the beginning of the snowfall. But on the third day, the sun broke through and everything was glorious! The name Snow Day evoked joyful freedom. Everyone remembers waiting for the school report as little kids. When you heard your school was closed, you suddenly had all day to play in the transformed, white landscape. Well, that’s the kind of emotion we put into this beer.
Pleasantly hoppy, Snow Day carries the subtle chocolate and caramel flavors of a new brewing malt known as Midnight Wheat. The Styrian Golding, Centennial and Cascade hops bring the backbone of hoppy bitterness to complement the roasty undertones. This beer is the deep garnet of a roasted walnut and presents a creamy tan head, floating artfully atop. Snow Day is bold and hoppy, drinkable and strong. It reminds you to enjoy the unexpected.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
on tap-lt brown-black. A-pine, roasty med/dk malt. T-roasty/molasses/some burnt-dk malt, pine hops.
Tried
from Draft
on 18 Nov 2012
at 17:52
6/10
Tried
on 25 Oct 2012
at 16:42
8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12oz bottle, that has been in my frig far too long now, pours dark mahogany with tall firm light mocha head with tan swirls and wispy light lacing. The aroma offers up a mix of dark roasted malts and pine like hops as well as spicy winter fruit cake notes. The taste is similar as I get some modest dark roasted malts and modest pine hop bitterness bleeding into fruit cake and winter spices. Midway and into the finish the pine hop notes grow in bitterness and then fade out into the finish. Nice full flavor winter treat.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Oct 2012
at 19:19
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
bottle - Pours dark amber brown with a light tan head. The aroma is of caramel and citrus. There’s good bitterness in the flavor along with a solid caramel malt backing. Medium to full bodied, it’s not particularly roasted in flavor like most black IPAs I’ve had, but what it is is very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jul 2012
at 12:26
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
decent malty backbone with moderate hops and some pine needles in the mouth. Very drinkable and enjoyable.
Tried
on 07 May 2012
at 07:08
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Poured a dark color with a off-white foamy head. Aroma was extremely "raw" (like a nice brewpub or brewery). Very enjoyable aroma! Flavor was a touch roasted, with notes of caramel, roast notes, hop balance. Good brew for a cold day!
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Feb 2012
at 19:05
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Black pour with medium fast dissipating white head. Much lacing. Hoppy aroma. Medium body, some malt and roast grain. Not as hoppy as some black IPAs. All over the tongue bitter finish
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Feb 2012
at 20:58
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
12 oz bottle, which was a left over from our New Years Eve party. Best before 22APR12 printed on the label. The pour is a ruby brown, mostly clear, with a firm two inch light tan head. The head is retentive, eventually falls with thick lacing. The aroma is lightly roasted malt, natural citrus and pine, and a light vanilla sweetness. The taste follows the same theme - light roast up front, turning towards the pine and soft tropical fruit sweetness from the nose. The finish turns back to the roast malt, picking up dry char bite. Flavors are subdued, though this helps them to meld together. The palate is medium to thin bodied, thins out a bit in the end. Nice one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Jan 2012
at 19:02
7.9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best by 02/26/2012. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a huge 2-3 finger dense light khaki head with incredible retention that reduces to a thick cap eventually. Some nice thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, biscuit, grapefruit, pine, and spiciness. Damn nice balanced aromas here; definitely hoppy, but they have a nice roasted malt backbone as well. Taste of big orange rind, grapefruit, pine, caramel, roasted malt, biscuit, and light chocolate. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of orange, pine, caramel, and spices on the finish for a bit. Super hoppy in the taste, making the roasted malts a bit invisible. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel that drinks easily at 6.2%. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish present. Overall this is a damn nice black IPA. I was hoping for more roasted malt presence in the taste. I would have this again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jan 2012
at 19:41
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle from Malt & Vine. Pours really dark ruddy brown with a creamy beige head. Aromas of roast caramel and mixed hop. Near med body. Flavor is dark roast caramel with touches of evergreen/resin. It’s pleasant, and the flavor is different from many winter ales. Now for the Imperial version!
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jan 2012
at 17:52