New Belgium Brewing Co's Snow Day Winter Ale

A gift from a friend, Snow Day pours a very dark brown and mahogany-shaded bottom. A glorious beige head up top; both fluffy and sticky.

The smell is lively, fruity and hoppy. Beautiful citrusy hops; sweeter than they are bitter. Caramel malts sit just below the hops, inviting me in.

There is a stout-like roastiness to the taste immediately up front. Hop bitterness in the middle. Clean on the back end, making the taste multidimensional and the beer altogether very approachable. Odd wet malts. This beer would seem watery if not for the roasted malts and unabashed bitterness and note: peppery hop flavor. Let it warm up a bit and the malt end breathes.

Glad I tried this. I'll gladly do so again.

Notes: While I enjoyed this beer, I'm a bit ambivalent about my overall impression. It's kind of watery, but I found myself quaffing this with continued interest. It's bitter, but malty flavors seem almost non-existent. It's certainly worth a try. Who knows? You might find yourself wondering, and drinking, and wondering some more...