Snow Melt Winter Ale - East End Brewing Company

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It was a real pleasure to meet BA jcdiflorio this weekend. Much thanks to John for bringing a treat from western PA. Thanks for sharing the growler of Snow Melt Winter Ale. I am a huge fan of roasted porters. This beer was refreshingly more like a perfect porter than an overly spiced winter warmer. Delightfully malty rich tasty and drinkable. Here's the breakdown:

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color that is only partly translucent and a big ivory head little lace.

Smell: This is a very sniffable beer. Roasty, chocolaty bittersweetness, toasted malts, black licorice, anise, and pine and coffee fill the nose with a surprising blend of delightfully scents.

Taste: Like the nose the taste is roasty and dark. There maybe a hint of cinnamon in with those dark roasted chocolate flavors but this one does not get too spiced. That is a plus in this case. It has all the roasty chocolate malts that I love in a Porter. Some dry bitter coffee and nice balance of hops with a distinct milky chocolate and caramel flavor that move eloquently through the mouth and leave a lasting impression all the way through the delightful aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: This is a bold creamy solid medium body beer that slides across the palate very easily and is very well rounded with flavors and texture to enjoy.

Drinkability: This is an exceptionally drinkable beer. I could have finished the growler by my self if I didn't have so many great friends =).
Thanks to John for bringing this across the state.
Thanks Scott for making so many great beers. I LOVE Gratitude 05, but I also really enjoy the unique approach you took with this Snow Melt. Keep up the good work.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: growler

02-25-2007 23:11:28 | More by Phatz

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Pours a mahogany color with a medium off white head. The head faded to give a moderate amount of lacing.

Smell – Roasted malts with little aromas a chocolate and coffee. There is a very nice spiciness in the aroma and a light piney hop aroma present as well.

Taste – A nice roasty malt flavor is at the base of this beer and is present throughout the whole taste profile. With the malt flavor, the flavor starts out a little on the sweeter side with the spices detected in the nose mixing with a caramel and toffee sweetness. As the taste advances so too does a little bit of hoppy bitterness. The bitterness comes mainly from a pine hop flavor but also from a small amount from the coffee and cocoa.

Mouthfeel – The body is slightly above average and the carbonation is slightly below normal. The body allows the complex taste profile to really coat the mouth with the lower carbonation level letting all those flavors really soak in.

Overall – A nice roasty holiday brew. The spice and roasty malt mixed with the light pine hop all combine quite nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2012 23:33:06 | More by Darkmagus82

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Snow Melt!

Very dark brown. Humble little lip of head. Looks a little thick.

Rich and roasty coffee notes with some sweet peatiness and a laydown of subtle earthy hops.

Rustic flavors of coffee, pecan, near-harsh roast, and an afterthought of pine. Almost meaty with malts. Tingling rings with light spiciness. Excellent.

Medium body seems almost right-on. Carbonation shows up in the finish as a spicy bite.

Tasty warmer with great headiness. Awesome local holiday brew.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2012 02:13:28 | More by thecheapies

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A-Body is a nice dark brown hue. When held up to the night one can see mahogany hues shining through. Translucent/nearly opaque body. Served with a nice 2 finger or so light tan foamy head that has great retention. Lacing all the way down the glass.

S- Big malty nose. Lots of big roasted toasted malt comes through and a hint of dark chocolate.

T-The flavor is consistent all the way through. Upfront is some chocolate and malty flavors. Very similar to a heavy Scottish ale. The background is all roasted malt. A good bit of roasted malt bitterness comes through for the finish.

M- Nice low to medium carbonation and a fairly thick, nice, smooth body.

D- This is a big winter beer. Great accompaniment to the darkness of winter here in Pittsburgh. It could be a bit more complex and the roasted flavors are the highlight of the beer-which get to be just a bit cloying for me after awhile. Still definitely worth a try especially if you are a fan of big, dark, seasonals. Reminds me of a roasted Scottish Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2009 02:22:29 | More by PittBeerGirl

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Served with a darker shade of brown body that showed some nice ruby highlights...a one finger creamy and off white head stood...nice retention...lacing down the glass

S - Sweet, roasted malts gave off that roasted characteristics along with some caramel...a hint of bright, piney hops in the background

T - The beer starts off sweet with caramel and toffee flavors...chocolate and the roasted part of the beer come in towards the middle...there is a nice malt presence in this beer...the finish is bright and surprisingly bitter from the piney hops

M - Medium bodied...adequet carbonation with a proper bitterness

D - This was a very pleasant winter warmer...it was surly not true to stlye but who cares...a solid malt bill with a surprsing hop finish...you can't go wrong with hops in the winter

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2011 19:59:53 | More by thain709

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A-dark brown with a thin cream colored head

S-faint scent of smoky malts and peppercorn. Really faint.

T-comes in with a flavor of hops, black peppercorn, dark malts, and some cocoa? It's an odd mix. After-taste is heavier on a chalky cocoa taste with some peppercorn. It's pretty good.

M-heavy chalky mouthfeel. I like it.

O-really unique winter warmer. I like it. I can always expect something good from East End. I really wish I had more access to their beers. This has a great mouthfeel to it, and the flavor profile seems to shift with every sip I take.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2012 23:59:42 | More by AdamBear

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a murky brown with a slight off white foam that disappeared quickly

S - earthy roasted maltiness

T - maltiness dominates with a nice hop bite that was way unexpected

M/D - Totally not what i was expecting. I was waiting for spiciness and alcohol, but was surprised with a nice malt and hoppy flavor. Definitely a nice surprise and the growler went by way too fast.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2009 17:26:42 | More by mikereaser

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - Growler

Appearance - Dark tan, black with insane 4 inch thick creamy head

Smell - Hops, malts, barley, brown sugar, some spices.

Taste - A nice mix of sugar with the bitter hops and spices. I really enjoy the hop kick it has. Also love the plum and malt taste. The malts make it not that far off from a smoked porter. Very smooth and tasty.

Mouthfeel - It has a load of flavor. Theres sweetness, theres bitterness, mouth gets a decent workout. I would stick with dark beers after this.

Drinkabilty - This is my favorite east end beer. I really wish it was year round. Can drink this with a steak, or a piece of chocolate cake. Fantastic, cant wait for more

Serving type: growler

11-11-2010 04:09:44 | More by wvsabbath

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep dark brown with some slight red hues. Provides a big thick ligh brown foam head with some spotty lacing.

S: A nice amount of dark chocolate, light roasted coffee, some spices and a hint of Levi Garrett chewing tobacco. Ok, maybe just tobacco, but reminds me sniffing the pouch of a freshly opened bag of chew.

T: Slightly sweet at first with some nice chocolate and coffee followed up with some nice bitter pine.

M: Leaves a nice sweet and slightly bitter taste on the palate. Nicely carbonated.

D: These is easily becoming one of my favorite winter warmers. Not overly sweet and just enough bitterness. Another great offering from East End!

Serving type: growler

12-11-2010 22:48:00 | More by IronCitySteve

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

3.38/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks glid02 and pghlee for sharing this growler.

Pours black with a ton of red highlights. Smells of coffee and lightly roasted malts. First sip is sweet then bitter with coffee and a musty attic flavor in the forefront. That mustiness is not welcomed and makes the beer seem "Off". Lightly bodied with average carbonation.

Serving type: growler

02-21-2009 05:35:53 | More by ATLbeerDog

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a growler at the brewery during their "2-for-1 clearance." Granted, this means that the beer is not at its freshest, but still had every bit of character.

Poured a dark brown, nearly black, almost no light coming through but some dark amber highlights near the bottom. Two fingers of tan head, big bubbles, solid lacing with each sip.

Smell is rich, malty, with some roast notes in it. Coffee, chocolate, some subtle piney hop smells. The taste delivers on all counts, with a stronger hop bite at the end, rounding out into that crayon-like flavor I get from coffee-tasting dark beers. Though this is not categorized as a stout, the closest comparison I can think of is Wake 'n' Bake from Terrapin, the first time I noticed the crayon. I'll repeat, not unpleasant, but unexpected.

Mouthfeel is good, not as thick as a stout, but not watery. The bubbles dance around on the tongue a little. A drinkable winter ale, could easily spend an evening with this one. One of the best offerings from East End, in my opinion.

Serving type: growler

05-02-2009 18:50:01 | More by OneDropSoup

jcdiflorio

West Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from a growler brought to me by the WVbeergeek,poured into my Samuel Smith nonic glass.

Mirky,reddish-browm color,head was off-white towards tan,very thick,creamy,dense. Very good retention leaving rings of lace down the sides of the glass.

Good strong aromas of hops and malts nicely blending into a very inviting aroma. Very citrusy and piney with a stout-like malt nose thats carmelly/roasty/chocolaty. A hint of smokiness with a woody,earthy quality. Had a hard time pulling the glass away from my nose long enough to get a taste.

Glad i finally pulled this beer from my nose to finally taste this beer. Delicious, even better than anticipated. Great balance here,lots of citrus and pines tastes,very complex malt character,a burnt carmelly,roasty.chocolate,black coffee taste.Woody,a nice earthness to this beer. A sugary sweetness mid-taste,finishes with a pleasingly clean,sharp hoppy citrus rind bite. Leaves a great citrusy flavor lingering on the palate. Not a spicy winter brew, maybe a hint if any.
One of the best tasting winter beers i've had,

A robust beer,medium body feel light,because of all the great creaminess. Drinkability ? Was going to have a beer or two from the growler ended up drinking the whole growler. How's that for drinkability?
East End Brewing is putting out some great beers,this is another great beer,if you can get some of these beers you should give them a try !!!

Thanks Scott from East End and my best beer buddy WVbeergeek for this great beer.

Serving type: growler

01-20-2007 04:54:19 | More by jcdiflorio

Ricochet

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

S: Malt a little wine, toasted malt, like a porter, not much else

A: Ruby, brown to black, little head and no lace

M: Creamy, bitter porter like aftertaste, good hops burn

T: Hands down, the best winter warmer I've had. Complex winey flavor explodes with malt, big malt, almost Bock territory. The sour is slight, leaving a bitter nugget of aftertaste. Alcohol is strong too, but it doesn't take up from the smoky, tar like porter tastes. Complex, hard to figure out, GREAT STUFF

D: Well, I've only had this three times and each time, it doesn't dissapoint. I'll have this whenever I'm in Pitt. Tasty and tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2008 07:24:12 | More by Ricochet

beerphan

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

growler filled @The Map Room -> pint
Winter 06-07

Pours a dark mahogony with golden edges in the light. A small brown head leaves little lace and quickly becomes a small gathering of soap suds on top of the brew.

Nose: Caramel, a nutty scent, some alcohol, chalky cocoa, mild hops.

Roasty caramelish flavor with hints of chocolate, hazelnut, alcohol, and cocoa powder. Seems to be some nutmeg or some other spice i can't quite put my finger one, but mild with the spice for sure, whatever it may be. Mild balancing bitterness accomponies a nice roasty finish.

Medium bodied and semi-creamy mouthfeel.

Real drinkable, a good brew for a nice winter session.

Serving type: growler

02-26-2007 23:22:33 | More by beerphan

letsgopens

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled from the cask at Fatheads in the South Side of Pgh. It shows a dark, woody brown with a thick, frothy layer of dense foam. A thick spattering of lace sticks around. An expected appearance from a cask ale.

Of course a bit subdued compared to the normal tap version as far as the nose is concerned. Mild floral hops, toasty malt and toffee. Caramel and vanilla beans steeped in milk.

Caramel and light toffee melds seamlessly with bright, floral/earthy hops. Lingering bitterness throughout does a good job of balancing the otherwise sweet malty flavors accentuated by the cask conditioning.

Mellow and creamy cask character with some welcomed lingering bitterness on the palate. Semidry and lush with a soft pillowy swallow. Takes really well to the cask but if given the choice I'd probably prefer it on regular tap. Still very enjoyable.

Serving type: cask

01-13-2011 21:04:40 | More by letsgopens

wingman14

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with a light tan head that faded quickly. This one has a very unique smell that I had a hard time pin pointing. A heavy emphasis on the spices, some pine notes, along with some sweet, maybe caramel in there. It had some malt smell, but was also pretty hoppy. The taste was sweet at first and dominated by the spices, then the hops and a strong bitterness came to finish this off. As it warmed it got much hoppier in smell and taste and I thought tasted better. The bitter bite hits harder with it being colder. The mouthfeel was medium body, very bold, a good deal of carbonation coupled with the bitterness was stronger than what I usually look for. This was a good beer, but not something I could palette for more than a few pints. But this is definitely worth checking out, another good beer from East End. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

01-08-2007 02:44:19 | More by wingman14

nukem5

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of my favs at the East End Brewery!

A: An awesome brown/ruby colored beverage which clings to side of glass for dear life.Tan cap which dissapates quick but with a swirl of the glass its back just as quick as it left.

S: Malty nose with a nice hoppy backside, smells a bit of chocolates and carmel sweet but not cloying with gentle coffee wiff in there as well.

T: Sweet dark malts with a rich mixture of Coffee chocolate and carmel buzz around the tongue with splashes of spruce and floral of hops.

M: Full bodied and rich almost chewy, could make this a dessert for any meal or just sitting around the fireside.

D: Very drinkable and so good to the last drop from the growler, can't wait for a refill on this hopefully soon!

Serving type: growler

03-07-2011 02:44:31 | More by nukem5

Axic10

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked up a growler of this while I was in Pittsburgh for work and enjoyed it in my hotel room.

Appearance: Amber with a finger of khaki head.

Smell: Malty aroma, roasted toffee and sweet caramel.

Taste: Sweet spices and some nice roasted and bready malt flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with nice carbonation.

Drinkability: I really enjoyed this beer. East End is really an underrated brewery and with beers like this, I'm glad I can get their beers on a semi-regular basis.

Serving type: growler

12-31-2010 23:31:19 | More by Axic10

sonicdescent

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

On cask at the sharp edge brassiere in canonsburg pa.

Pours a murky brown with small tan head and a nice lacing. Looks thick.

Smells of earth malt and a tiny bit of hop.

Tastes malty, warm, with a tiny bite of hops.

Mouth is velvety greatness, minimum carbonation and whiskey thick. A high point.

Drinkability is mixed but above average, I would absolutely order again but couldn't do more than one in a session.

Serving type: cask

01-15-2009 23:53:44 | More by sonicdescent

psinderson

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a pint glass.

Appearance: A deep amber color, a bit cloudy with a thin off-white head.

Smell: There is a definite piney aroma as stated with a bit of a caramel background.

Taste: Nice and smooth with a slight alcoholic middle and cocoa-like finish. Some hop bitterness evident, but this mostly caramel malt.

Mouthfeel: A good medium body with good carbonation.

Drinkability: This brew hides its alcohol well and is smooth enough to be dangerous.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2006 03:47:45 | More by psinderson

LeftyBWS

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a fresh growler, filled at the brewery earlier this afternoon, into a shaker pint glass.
A: Fantastic mahogany-amber color, with a fluffy, creamy inch-thick layer of tannish head. Fingers of slippery lacing down the glass, more pronounced as the beer warms.
S: Nutty and lightly spicey. Notes of cinnamon, earthy malts, and perhaps some nutmeg?
T: Closely resembles the smell; slightly malty and very smooth at first, then it lets the light spices roam the mouth in the mid taste and linger thru the finish. Small but noticeable hop presence towards the finish, kinda piney if anything.
M: Smooth and creamy all the way through. Very satsifying and leaves me wanting more.
D: Great. Not too heavy, especially for a style that's usually quite spicy and heavy, and one this high in alcohol.

Serving type: growler

10-28-2007 01:04:50 | More by LeftyBWS

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Very hoppy upfront, but also a lot of darker malts. Grapefruit, caramel, worty and roasty malts. Expecting the taste of resinous hops to stick around for a while on this one.

Appearance: Deep amber, very little head. Minimal retention.

Taste: Bold hops and malt. Crisp grapefruit, then some English malt, and lots of caramel. Smooth throughout, surprisingly. Mild aftertaste. Mild phenols.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, just slightly drying. Mild carbonation, a bit chalky. Warming.

Overall: Pretty impressive for an strong ale from the Burgh. A nice change of pace to Stone and some of the other major craft brewers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 17:30:20 | More by soulfly1492

Alkey

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from my growler a dark brown with a bit of a red tint and a tan head that left some spots of lace around the glass. The smell is intriguing I'm not sure what all of it is but there is some pine and spice in there. Taste has some chocolate notes pine flavors and something else I don't know how to describe other than it a big factor in the aroma also. The feel is in between light/medium and is also very easy to drink.

Serving type: growler

01-25-2007 18:55:09 | More by Alkey

coachdonovan

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a growler filled at the shop in the strip district on 12/22. As I sit on the North Side, poured into a Burgh-appropriate Jerome Bettis Grille shaker glass. Sandy head, about 3/4 inch, settles with good lacing. This beer is dark, but not so dark that you can't tell it's cloudy. Let's call it cinnamon brown with maybe a hint of orange; no red color to speak of.

Aroma is hop-forward, but not in a way that I'd mistake for an IPA. Piney, but there is a little sweetness in there. I don't pick up any winter warmer spices (which I'm not complaining about). The bitterness is carried through in the taste from hops as well as burnt coffee, but here I get some subtle caramel notes too.

Carbonation is high, even from the growler, and while there isn't a lot of spice, there's plenty of zing. It doesn't warm me up, but that doesn't mean I can't drink it all night long. This is a delightfully different take on the style.

Serving type: growler

12-25-2010 23:35:15 | More by coachdonovan

foureyedgeek

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler filled this evening at the Map Room into an East End Brewing pint glass, naturally.

Color is a very dark but very clear brown-red, with a big, more than two finger head of tan foamy foam. Fine lacing sticks for the duration, outside the sipping area.

Smell is of sweet malts, a little caramel, piney hops and citrus. Is this spiced with orange peel? Not very spiced, a different take on a winter beer.

Taste brings more of that sweet caramel/toffee malt flavor to light,along with that lovely EE hop bitterness. Definitely not a ton of spicing in the taste either. Very tasty.

Mouthfeel is quite full and creamy, without being thick. The alcohol, while not huge is lightly warming while still well masked by the flavors.

Drinkability is great, if I had gotten this home sooner, I'd have finished the growler by myself in one long evening, but the remaining pints will make for a very 'warm' afternoon tomorrow, perhaps watching the Steelers close their season with as much dignity as they can.

I get a thrill out of trying everything new East End has to offer and they (ok Scott, he) has yet to disappoint.

Next day update: I'm noticing a little more roastiness today, its not coffee-like, more akin to a nutty or bready flavor. Just saying.

Serving type: growler

12-31-2006 03:58:50 | More by foureyedgeek