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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6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 7
On tap at the New Belgium Hub at the Denver Airport. Pours dark brown with hints of amber. The aroma is burnt toast, wheat, caramel, along with some fairly forward floral and spicy hops. The flavor is mild bitterness, and the malts are subdued. The aftertaste is long and mellow bitterness. The palate is light to medium, grainy, and a little astringent. Overall, this is an interesting beer, and well made, but the flavors don’t mix well, in my opinion.
Tried
from Draft
on 31 Oct 2011
at 14:25
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Harris Teeter, DC sixer ($8): Pours a black color with a greyish cream head. Aroma is predictably a combination of citrusy hops and coffee/chocolate. Taste is pretty much up the same alley. Good balance through and through, with neither the porter or the IPA side really taking the lead. hat being said, there are many more interesting Black IPAs out there. I’m glad I serendipitously purchased this the day before Washington DC’s first freak snow storm.
Tried
on 30 Oct 2011
at 19:06
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Just finished making some kick-ass jack-o-lanterns with my son - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - time for a beer - pours a very dark mahogany color, with a fairly thick, off-white head/lace - nose is mostly herbal and peppery hops (mostly the cascade) with some notes of pine that work well with the mild earthiness of the styrian - flavor is an interesting mix of black IPA meets dark wheat (though, much like the aroma, the hops are the dominant flavor) - there is a moderately sweet malt base that brings flavors of toasted wheat and caramel - the toastiness is complimented fairly well by earthy, woody hop flavor through the middle - hops dominate the tail end and finish - peppery, herbal, spicy finish creates a warming sensation - it’s decent, but like most mass appeal NB products, it has a certain pedestrian, "this could have been so much more" kind of quality - I’m digging it, but probably won’t buy it again.
Tried
on 22 Oct 2011
at 18:55