Beer of the Weekend #311: Snowstorm 2011
At halftime of the Insight Bowl, Iowa trails Oklahoma 14-0. If the Hawks keep it close I think they have a chance.
I cannot think of a clever way to say this so I will just say it: I semi-canceled my goal to try as many holiday/winter beers as possible before New Year’s. Though I am far from an alcoholic, I think I have been drinking too much; for a while I was drinking a beer or two (or three) every night. Needless to say I decided to cut back. I may not go so far as to reinstitute my “Friday and Saturday nights only” rule but do want to limit my beer intake. Given my new strictness, the holiday/winter beer thing needed to fall to the wayside. However, that does not mean I still cannot try at least one more.
The beer of the weekend is Snowstorm 2011, brewed by the August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota.
Much like Anchor’s Christmas Ale, Schell’s Snowstorm will be a must-try every December. Last year’s version was excellent and Bobblehead said this year’s edition is also good, so I am very eager to try it.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. There is a smudged batch code printed on the shoulder of the shoulder but no freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is deep caramel that is leaning toward brown; the Schell website calls it “mahogany” and I will not disagree. Two fingers of off-white, very lightly tanned head dissipated to leave a bubbly and thin lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: A nice balance of malts and sweetness. At first it smells pretty straightforward, but upon further inspect it presents a lot of complexity. Lightly toasted malts, caramel, butterscotch, dark fruit (mostly cherry but maybe some raspberry), some molasses, brown sugar, cocoa, and toffee. It also exhibits a smooth, barrel-aged woodiness.
Taste: Tommy likey. The flavor is toastier than the smell led me to believe, though the sweetness is also there. Lightly toasted malts, caramel, butterscotch, cherry, molasses, brown sugar, cocoa, toffee, and the barrel-aged woodiness from the smell. The mouthfeel is on the wee heavy side, which fits it perfectly.
Drinkability: It is so solid the North Stars could play on it. This is a very good brew — another tasty edition of the Snowstorm series.
Fun facts about Snowstorm 2011:
-Style: Schell calls it “Wee Heavy Traditional Scotch Ale” and BA classifies it as “Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy.” Here are the BA details:
-Price: $6.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), smoked meat, and salmon.
-As far as I can tell, the Snowstorm 2011 label is exactly like the 2010 version. It is probably a facsimile of the 2009 version, too. Just to spice up the series, Schell may want to take a chapter from Anchor’s book and give each Snowstorm version its very own, distinct label design.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
I cannot think of a clever way to say this so I will just say it: I semi-canceled my goal to try as many holiday/winter beers as possible before New Year’s. Though I am far from an alcoholic, I think I have been drinking too much; for a while I was drinking a beer or two (or three) every night. Needless to say I decided to cut back. I may not go so far as to reinstitute my “Friday and Saturday nights only” rule but do want to limit my beer intake. Given my new strictness, the holiday/winter beer thing needed to fall to the wayside. However, that does not mean I still cannot try at least one more.
The beer of the weekend is Snowstorm 2011, brewed by the August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota.
Much like Anchor’s Christmas Ale, Schell’s Snowstorm will be a must-try every December. Last year’s version was excellent and Bobblehead said this year’s edition is also good, so I am very eager to try it.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. There is a smudged batch code printed on the shoulder of the shoulder but no freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is deep caramel that is leaning toward brown; the Schell website calls it “mahogany” and I will not disagree. Two fingers of off-white, very lightly tanned head dissipated to leave a bubbly and thin lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: A nice balance of malts and sweetness. At first it smells pretty straightforward, but upon further inspect it presents a lot of complexity. Lightly toasted malts, caramel, butterscotch, dark fruit (mostly cherry but maybe some raspberry), some molasses, brown sugar, cocoa, and toffee. It also exhibits a smooth, barrel-aged woodiness.
Taste: Tommy likey. The flavor is toastier than the smell led me to believe, though the sweetness is also there. Lightly toasted malts, caramel, butterscotch, cherry, molasses, brown sugar, cocoa, toffee, and the barrel-aged woodiness from the smell. The mouthfeel is on the wee heavy side, which fits it perfectly.
Drinkability: It is so solid the North Stars could play on it. This is a very good brew — another tasty edition of the Snowstorm series.
Fun facts about Snowstorm 2011:
-Style: Schell calls it “Wee Heavy Traditional Scotch Ale” and BA classifies it as “Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy.” Here are the BA details:
Scotch Ales are strong ales, also known as "Wee Heavy." In the 19th century Scotland, they'd also be known as 160/-, a nomenclature based on the now obsolete shilling currency.
Scotch Ales traditionally go through a long boil in the kettle for a caramelization of the wort. This produces a deep copper to brown in colored brew. Compared to Scottish Ales, they'll be sweeter and fuller-bodied, and of course higher in alcohol, with a much more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor. A low tea-like bitterness can be found in many examples. Best served in a "thistle" glass.
-Price: $6.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), smoked meat, and salmon.
-As far as I can tell, the Snowstorm 2011 label is exactly like the 2010 version. It is probably a facsimile of the 2009 version, too. Just to spice up the series, Schell may want to take a chapter from Anchor’s book and give each Snowstorm version its very own, distinct label design.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
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