Winter seasonsals' are out in full force, and I have had the pleasure of trying quite a few. I think the biggest shocker to the craft beer community was New Belgium's decision to stop producing 2 Below and begin distributing its new winter ale, Snow Day. Personally, I was a huge fan of 2 Below, but I will admit that New Belgium has impressed many with Snow Day. Not only does Snow Day have a dark malty color to it, but also it contains a favorable amount of hops. This hoppiness is actually quite surprising out of a winter seasonal. Over the next few years, I believe that a trend for breweries to start producing hoppier winter seasonals' will be on the rise.
Two other winter brews that I have enjoyed are Isolation Ale by Odell Brewing Company and Celebration Ale by Sierra Nevada. Isolation Ale is a classic winter ale in that it has your dark amber color and sweet malty taste. It is a great beer to sip on next to the fireplace. Celebration Ale is another winter seasonal that is an IPA style. The initial taste and smell are the piny hops that make up this brew. Also, the beer's color is bright orange, which is atypical for most winter seasonals'. In the end, it works well for this West Coast brewery that sticks to what its good at. Fortunately, there is still a long winter season ahead of us, so I encourage you to sample as many as you can!
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