Greetings my thirsty BAR members,
I’ve been invited to regale you with my encyclopedic knowledge of that mystical elixir known as beer. Every month in this column I’ll be picking a beer that’s been on my mind (and lips) that month and share my observations on it.
It’s (finally) the end of winter where I live and so I’m polishing off the last of my winter brews. Tonight I’m drinking Schell’s Snowstorm (2010 edition). Schell’s is a craft brewery in my region and they brew a different Snowstorm recipe every year to get us through the abysmally dark and cold winters. The 2010 is a Dunkel Weizen Dopplebock. Gesundheit! That’s a complicated beer for our first month together, so I’ll go slow. Dunkel = dark, Weizen = wheat, Dopple = double, and bock = bock (which is basically a strong lager). So what we have is a Dark Wheat Double Bock.
So, how’s it taste, you ask? Divine, but this is a connoisseur’s beer. The aroma is a bit like banana or bubblegum (which is typical for a traditional dark wheat beer). It’s great when you get used to it, but it can seem strange at first. The color is medium brown, with a hint of amber, and a light brown head. It is moderately carbonated with a full mouthfeel. You notice a slightly chocolate taste, along with the banana from earlier, but what you really notice is the alcohol. 7% alcohol packs a wallop. Three pints of this a few weekends ago and I was talking stupid (some would say stupidER). I mean, they were generous pints.
Finally, the ratings. I’ll rate my monthly brews as follows: 1 mug = bad, 2 mugs = drinkable, 3 mugs = good (recommended), 4 mugs = excellent (top choice in most establishments), 5 mugs = world class. I give the 2010 Schell’s Snowstorm 4 mugs. It is a truly excellent beer and I’ll be sad to see it go (as it is a one-time brew). If you live in the Northern Midwest USA, buy this beer before its gone!
Your friend in barley,
JS
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