United Nations of Beer

Snow Cap Winter Ale

by Bret
(Las Vegas, NV)

Snow Cap Winter Ale (7% ABV)
Pyramid Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Visit the UNOB's Washington Breweries and beers guide

Snow Cap is one of those winter season beers that comes out every year and is not very different from the year before. This is kind of a disappointment to me because all the brewers here in Vegas change it up with their recipes. Even the Coors Winterfest is different every year, only available to Coors employees until this year, thanks dad-in-law.

This beer gives you the feel of sitting by the fireplace drinking a cup of cocoa. It has a nice roasted, toasted malt aroma with caramel and chocolate overtones. There are no bitter hop or fruity yeast esters apparent. Snow Cap has a deep amber mahogany color with no cloudiness. There is a light foamy head which dissipates quickly, and does not cling to the glass while beer is consumed.

The strong roasted malt taste which lingers on the palate for 5-7 seconds with a mild bitterness and aftertaste which make it a nice dark ale. The smooth texture coats the palate with malt and the light carbonation makes this an easy to drink beer.

The fact that it doesn't change from year to year does give it some consistency when planning your holiday menu, but I like the prospect of asking myself "what did they change" every year. Overall, this is an excellent beer which has a great feel and a great blended taste of malt and chocolate. I will be picking up some more when the time comes for holiday parties.