To Øl Snowball Saison Ale - De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

emilylee

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

02-06-2013 17:02:44 | More by emilylee

laituegonflable

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden colour, clear, light bead. Head is lovely, generous with good fluffy density, clumpy lace. looks great.

Smells pleasant, fairly fresh. Light grain and distinct fruity notes - citrus, pineapple, pear. Could use more edge, particularly on the funky side. Seems a bit light and airy.

Taste has more edge. Very hoppy from the start, resiny and woody with at times a chemically dank bitterness. Some lemon pith, roasted coriander seed, wattle and soil notes. Decent flavours but a bit one-sided, some more sweetness is needed here or just more malt upfront.

Quite a nice texture actually. Bit of pull from the yeast, but it fills out the mouth nicely. Shame there's not such a malt presence in the flavour.

Tastes nice, but it's not an amazing drinker. Just pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 02:31:58 | More by laituegonflable

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Clear golden-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Sweet grainy and lightly bready malts, Belgian yeast, coriander, pepper, other spices, lemon zest, some funk, citrus and green fruit esters.

T - Sweet grainy and lightly bready malts, Belgain yeast, coriander, pepper, other spices, lemon zest, grapefruit, citrus, and pine hops, smooth bitterness, some funk, and light tart green fruits.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a tart, funky, dry, estery finish.

D - Great hoppy saison. Good overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 06:26:42 | More by ngeunit1

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

05-16-2013 15:44:00 | More by leftstagebrew

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -16%

05-10-2013 22:56:46 | More by mikeburd1128

djtomain

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-27-2013 16:10:34 | More by djtomain

nzerbe

New York

2.5/5  rDev -35.4%

04-20-2013 21:19:07 | More by nzerbe

Liquoric3

Germany

4/5  rDev +3.4%

04-07-2013 09:14:20 | More by Liquoric3

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +3.4%

03-03-2013 16:00:30 | More by t0rin0

bradfordjohnson

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

02-26-2013 00:15:34 | More by bradfordjohnson

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Tall 750ml bottle purchased from Slowbeer in Melbourne. Shared with Sam. Freshness date sometime in early 2014.

Pours a vaguely hazed golden colour, with a fine egg-like foam of off-white. Lacing is frothy and quite sticky. Carbonation forms in a few disparate streams up the edges of the glass. Body looks fluid but with some depth to it. Not bad at all.

Nose is round but flat, with a faint oxidised grain character to it. There's a suggestion of refreshing sharpness, perhaps some slight citrus or some sharp stonefruit. It also has a tad more maltiness than I was expecting. It's not bad, but it's not particularly special either.

Taste is similar, but for a refreshing sharpness on the back that blends acidity, carbonation and booze. Light, fruity entry, definitely stonefruit this time, perhaps some apricot or peach. Very clean palate for the rest of it, smooth, slightly fruity and clear, singing almost. Slight bitter, faintly phenolic bite on the back: it's that combination of booze and faint acidity, perhaps tainted with a little hop character, muted as it is. It's actually pretty good all up.

Feel is lovely. Clean, glassy almost, with enough weight to support the flavours.

Yeah, this is a nice beer. Restrained and balanced, but with some interesting flavour developments. The cleanness is really very nice, it makes it extremely drinkable despite it's 8% ABV. Very nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 00:37:12 | More by lacqueredmouse

augustgarage

California

3.99/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a wine glass. Served lightly chilled.

Nearly clear goldenrod body with dark amber highlights and an active upthrust of magnolia meringue which slowly recedes to a thick mousse-y finger leaving dense tendrils of lace in its path.

Pears, apples, and faint citrus in the nose along with a secondary wave of cloves, lavender, and an herbal/floral flourish underscored by clean slightly biscuit-y malt.

Mineral-laden hoppy palate entry, peppery with a lingering moderate bitterness. Citrus and spicy/earthy flavors vie for your attention wit the latter qualities winning out by lasting longer into the medium-dry finish. Slightly tart and phenolic with a gentle yet distinctive yeast character. A very clean rendition of the style with few traces of the farmhouse.

Soft, effervescent, medium-light body with ample carbonation.

Quite hop-forward, suggesting an American influence despite this being a Belgian product, though the yeast retains a leading role.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:14:23 | More by augustgarage

Guinnsslvr

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

01-27-2013 02:59:42 | More by Guinnsslvr

kojevergas

California

2.7/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

8% ABV confirmed. Bottle served into a Samuel Smith's nonic glass at a tasting. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a one finger beige colour head of nice cream and thickness. Body colour is a lively orange-gold. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Bretts, a bit of spice, floral hops, yeast, pale malts, and lactose. A mild strength aroma.

T/Mf: Floral hopping, very light biscuity spicy yeast, pale malts, biscuit malt, and a dry finish. Peppery. A pleasant saison, but not horribly complex. Has body. A bit too bitter for the style.

Coarse and wet. Suits the flavour nicely. Good carbonation.

Dr: A drinkable saison, but not a great one. I do like it. Hides its ABV well. I wouldn't have it again.

C-

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 21:35:01 | More by kojevergas

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.4%

01-13-2013 22:06:18 | More by FLBeerGuy

shamrock1343

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

01-10-2013 03:30:33 | More by shamrock1343

Bnoise11

California

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%

01-10-2013 02:20:41 | More by Bnoise11

sendbeer

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

01-07-2013 04:46:06 | More by sendbeer

ROGUE16

Delaware

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

12-31-2012 19:58:31 | More by ROGUE16

meyer_sam

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

12-31-2012 04:58:54 | More by meyer_sam

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a nice wintery saison, more hoppy than most. the bottle is beautiful with white foil, and the pour is just as nice. pale cloudy brass color with a very dense white head, almost impenetrable looking. the head lasts forever, really impressive. the nose is good, but may be the least exciting part of this beer. its got some very interesting yeast going on, and a sweet rather than bitter hop profile. the flavor is fantastic, really yeast driven. lemon pepper comes to mind, but theres a floral honey vibe to it, as well as a punchy hop kick on the back end. its very round and well balanced, but perhaps a little less funky than ive grown to like my saisons to be. still, i think the heavy hop additions make it a more appropriate saison for holiday time. its just bigger that way and able to stand up to some of the bold holiday meals better. fuller body too also helps this cause. overall an excellent saison, probably best enjoyed while the weather is cold.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 19:41:00 | More by StonedTrippin

RickS95

Indiana

2.68/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a light orange copper color. Fairly clear despite the fact that it's opaque. The head is bright white and a finger and a half thick. Attractive head with different sized bubbles, good retention and nice lacing when it does finally dissipate.

Slight funkiness in the smell which is appreciated, but it's not strong enough. There is a peppery spice scent that overwhelms anything else that's present. Some IPA qualities with faint pine and citrus notes.

Tastes more like an IPA. A lot of pine tastes, along with the aforementioned pepper. No funky Belgian yeast presence, nor any Belgian sugar. No fruity taste whatsoever.

No sweetness, no funky tart feel, it's all hoppy bitterness and peppery spice. I'd never guess this was a saison, instead guessing it was some sort of pale ale.

Overall, this is a swing and a miss. In addition to not being a very good saison, it's not a very good beer in general. Even after it warms a bit, the smell and taste don't work. Very disappointing, particularly for $13.99.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 04:34:49 | More by RickS95

beerpirates

Belgium

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at christmas beer festival Essen

Pours hazy dark yellow with whie head.
Aroma of malt, caramel, brett, peach, citrusly hops.
Flavor is malt, yeast ( light bretty ) sweet fruity, notes of chocolate, citrusly hops.
Thin to medium body, soft carbonation, rather dry finish.
Nice !

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 16:59:06 | More by beerpirates

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.4%

12-16-2012 03:05:15 | More by fdig23

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Refuting the trend of sweeter, heavier, and maltier beers for winter, To Ol finds inspiration for winter ales not in the dreary clouds but at the holiday dinner table. Answers lie in highly hopped saison with tart lambic-like earthiness.

A billowing pour nearly pushes the foam out of the snifter. It's firm straw-gold appearance is pierced by sparkling carbonation in a very champagne-like demeanor. A hazy glow ensures bottle conditioning and high hopping rates.

Fruit, hops, and earthy note leaf from the glass with emphasis on lemon, apple, limes, grapefruit, and orange. Slight dusty notes of aged wood, pepper, chives, fresh grass and an almost-"catty" note provide a sharply pungent character with an inherent rustic charm.

Flavors are crisply tart and bitter even from the onset. Only a short undercarriage of grain sweetness, wheat, and hay offer any slight balance to the yeasty spice and hops. White grapefruit, pineapple, dried oranges, and herbal grass and hay flavors extend from the hops and embrace other funky ester tastes in white grapes, dried limes, lemons, and crab apples, which all approach sour taste. Peppery counterpart to the fruit starts robust, almost peat-like, and with sharp cumin-like earth taste and then turns to the spirited bite of lemon pepper to finish.

Shortly after the wheaty grain sweetness touches the front of the tongue, the eruption of carbonation carries the beer to a quick finish with the aftertate of fruit, spice, and hops. Finishing bitter, spicy, and heated, the beer's medium-light body makes it ideal for cleansing the palate to ensure every bite of dinner tastes as fresh as the first.

The beer carries a lot of versitility with food pairings but has enough gumption to stand alone in a session. I'm not sure it's particularly suited for winter feasts but more of a solid option year round.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 17:13:52 | More by BEERchitect