Pints And Steins

Editor’s Note: Today is day four in our Twelve Days of Christmas series on Pints and Steins – where we’ll be letting you know about a winter beer every day between now and Christmas Eve.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Snow Cap from Pyramid Brewery!
Today we check out Snow Cap – a beer that is celebrating its 30th anniversary from Seattle-based Pyramid Brewery. Personally, I think Pyramid beers are hit and miss as this establishment is known for turning out beers that are universally approachable by a varying audience. Therefore, they don’t make many beers that snobs enjoy.

However, I’d argue that Snow Cap is one of their better beers and is a favorite winter beer of mine.

Available October through January, Snow Cap is a dark mahogany beer that’s 7.0% ABV and 47 IBUs. This beer pours a dark reddish brown and has no head whatsoever. It’s heavy on the caramel and roasted chocolate malts.

How does it taste?

To your nose – when poured into your pint glass, this beer smells of biscuit and light chocolate flavor. On your tongue, you’ll be surprised by the beers’ dryness.

Snow Cap starts off full and then ends with a sweet caramel malt finish that carries a sense of chocolate. This beer has a very slight hoppy aroma to your nose, but it’s super soft.

Pyramid’s Snow Cap is an easily drinkable winter warmer ale that qualifies as a must-have.

Should I buy it?

Yes, without question. I hope you love it too.

Pyramid Brewing used to be one of my favorite breweries because it was local when I lived in Seattle for a short time long ago. However, I’ve had a few of their beers in the last few years and they haven’t been all that great.

However, let’s take a fresh look at Pyramid as I focus on their Snow Cap Winter Warmer ale as a part of the winter/holiday ale series. Snow Cap Winter Warmer is a very dark amber ale that  has a very unique taste to it. Some winter ales, as beer fans know, are dark and very malty, however, Snow Cap continues this streak of a dark bodied amber combind with roasted chocolate-tasting malt to add extra zing and a hint of sweetness.

Snow Cap Winter Warmer utilizes three different malts including Caramel, Chocolate malt and barley combined with Willamette hops and a few others. It is 7.0 ABV and has a low IBU score of 47, meaning it isn’t very bitter at all.

Snow Cap pours a dark copper/amber color and has a frothy head at the top, a little too much for my taste. When you first sip Snow Cap, the beer’s amber flavor comes through with a nice hit of malted barley providing a somewhat chocolatey taste, but not too much. This isn’t a sweet beer, but a smooth one. After you swig it around, you can taste the hops kick in a little, providing some floral zing and finishing off with the hint of caramel.

This beer is very similar to Widmer Brrr, although not as sweet on the last bit of the drink. Snow Cap is excellent. This is by far the best beer I’ve ever had form Pyramid and has restored my faith in them…I’ll be looking for more Pyramid ales for review.

Do you have a Pyramid ale that you especially like?