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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5.6/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 2
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Shit and bean smell, dirty. Clear brown, thick yellow head, decent lacing. Soil flavor with walnut accents, low intensity, sessionable. No bitterness, low hop presence. Black IPA? Hardly. Dunkelweizen, maybe, but most likely an ABA. Pretty plain.
Tried
on 16 Nov 2011
at 18:31
8.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
12 oz bottle. Pours deep deep mahogany with ruby red highlights showing through when held up to the light. Has a large fluffy beige head with great retention and lace. Aroma is worty, piney. Taste starts out sweet, turns tart briefly before ending slightly bitter. Tastes biscuity. Mouthfeel is creamy and the carbonation is average. Really good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Nov 2011
at 19:47
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
12oz bottle from Pick’s poured into a shaker. Pours black with a half finger of light tan head. Aroma of light citrus hops, caramel malt and a little bread. Taste is light bitter. A good bit of pine hops and some caramel malt. Light bodied with a somewhat thin texture. Lively carbonation and a long bitter finish. Overall, pretty good. A lot better than 2 Below.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Nov 2011
at 17:40
9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle. Very dark maroon color, large beige head, solid lacing. Aroma of fresh pine! Taste is burnt hops, grass, subtle burnt espresso. Very nice, and easy to drink. Great example of the style.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Nov 2011
at 20:10
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Pour is a black with a tan head. Aroma is a big pine hop nose. Flavor is at first caramel malts with some chocolate and again those hops show up. Finish leaves a lot of hop resin on the tounge. This was a very solid black IPA.
Tried
on 05 Nov 2011
at 16:34
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle @ home. Deep brown appearance with a light brown head. Super roasty, light wheat, slightly burnt malty, moderately piney, earthy hoppy aroma. Very roasty, deep malty, slight wheat, toasty burnt flavor with a good amount of piney, earthy hops. Really an interesting choice for a winter seasonal- don’t you guys know that you have to either make a barley wine or an English Strong Ale for this season?! Drinks nicely but not very special.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Nov 2011
at 14:47
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Dark brown. Very thin head. Fresh cascadey nose with a mellow chocolatey dark malt character. Similar flavour - light chocolatey malts and fresh cascades. Simple, but effective, like a Black APA I guess.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Nov 2011
at 21:27
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
bottle. description on rate beer says black ipa - definitely not how I’d describe it. Falls in line with the traditional Winter Ale. Quite tasty though, I’m impressed
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Nov 2011
at 17:07
6.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 7
I kind of miss 2* Below. On tap at GABF and the brewery. Pours with a hazed deep brown body with a tan head. Aromas are roasty, black malt, wheat, spicy and fruity. Light citrus hops. Flavors are fruity, hay, a bit of burnt roast, caramel, grainy, spicy hops. Dry, medium bitter. Okay.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Nov 2011
at 17:40
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle from Whole Foods Market Charlottesville. Pours a clear dark brown color with a thin creamy off-white head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of toasted malts, roasted notes, nuts and spicy hops. The taste is chocolate, toasted malts, roast and bitter hops. Medium bodied. Quite drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Oct 2011
at 18:03