Spring Fever Belgian Style Grand Cru Ale - Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company & Taproom

waldowin

Washington

2.2/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours a crystal clear gold with a hint of red. A dense white head forms quickly, and refuses to leave. Promising!

Smells *very* strongly of cloves and oranges. Interesting, but almost off-putting.

Tastes very powerfully of cloves, much too powerfully, it over-rides most of the other flavors.

Mouthfeel is thin but smooth, and heavily carbonated.

Unfortunately, this was a drain pour, which is too bad. This is normally one of my favorite styles.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2006 07:11:52 | More by waldowin

RJLarse

Washington

2.83/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company Tap Room. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a rich copper/gold color and is clear with foamy eggshell white head.

Smell (is sweet, with soft fruit and dark sugar aromas.

Tastes like well baked apples. Sugar and fruit flavors dominate, not much malt, very little bitterness. A bit of a warm liquor flavor on the finish.

Mouthfeel is very full-bodied and a bit cloying.

I'm not much on the style, but it' not a real drinkable sessionable beer. The flavors a little strong and overpowering.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2008 04:45:42 | More by RJLarse

ccrida

Oregon

3.05/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a shaker pint at the Dog & Pony, Spring fever grand cru is a hazy pale orange with a thin off-white head that leaves light, scattered lace.

Smell is sugary malt and lemony coriander, a light sourness, perhaps wheat.

Taste is super spicy, whoa. Not a fan of such overtly spicy beers, this one has huge coriander, there's some apricot notes as well that remind me a bit of English ale yeast actually. It's sweet for sure, some honey notes, and while I got used to the spice, I never loved it.

Mouthfeel is has a very creamy carbonation, but with a sharp edge from spices, accentuated by dryness of the alcohol. Medium heavy body, not as fully attenuated as the style often is.

Drinkability is avg...well, probably less so for me, man was it spicy. But there were some enjoyable moments, and at least the ABV was in check. More carbonation might have helped with the under-attenuation...

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2009 23:41:22 | More by ccrida

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

A: Poured an off orange color with a small white head head and good carbonatioon.

S: Nose is Belgian yeast, spice, coriander.

T: Taste is belgian yeast, citrus, coriander, spice.

M: Medium bodied, to effervescent

D: Drinkability was ok, there was a bit much NO2 leaving me gassy and with lots of bubbles and off mouthfeel. Good to drink but not of the best of the Snoqualimie offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2010 00:19:11 | More by barleywinefiend

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a one finger cream head that fades slowly leaving traces of lace. Almost cloudy amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Piney/spicey nose. Starts balanced with a spicey flavor, hints of bitterness at finish. Gift - 22oz bottle from the brewery in Snoqualmie, Wa.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2006 22:37:13 | More by jdhilt

Bookseeb

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is a darkened amber with fair head and scattered lace. Smell of light spice and coriander with the malt. Taste has the same spice and coriander with citrus and a good malt backbone balanced nicely with the hops and alchohol being present in the back. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. Nothing complex, but a very good ale nonetheless

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 01:57:03 | More by Bookseeb

jreitman

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice orange color. Good, thick head. Hops, spices and tropical fruit in the nose. Moderate-high bitterness in the flavor. Spice flavors very dominant (in theory due to the coriander, but I don't know that I have ever actually eaten coriander on it's own :) ) and blend nicely with the hops. Overall, a very interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2002 13:30:26 | More by jreitman

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into a Pint glass.

A - Pours a clear, medium oragne with a yellow-tan one finger head. Good retention and some lacing.

S - Belgian yeast and carmel malt dominate, with some old oranges in the mix.

T - Belgian, so black pepper and lemons.

D - Great carbonation and an average body for the style.

O - Belgian style for sure. Light for the season with a Belgian influence.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 05:22:29 | More by HuskyinPDX

jdklks

Nevada

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice golden amber body with an off white head. The nose is mostly belgian yeast with some spices and citrus fruits thrown in. Pretty good.

The flavor isn't bad at all. Very spicy in the finish and aftertaste which gives off a somewhat unpleasant bitterness, though it dissolves into a sweet candy-like flavor. Up front and through the middle is all belgian yeastiness and a hint of fruit (some orange, raspberry, etc.). A decent beer.

The mouthfeel is decently think, but its undercarbonated, and the drinkability is limited to "I definitely only want this one bottle."

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 05:16:41 | More by jdklks

beertunes

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into tulip. Poured more orange than pale, the beer was still a pleasing color. It had a thick, rocky off-white head that had great retention and lacing.

The aroma was very subdued, fruit and yeast, with a bit of spice at the back. The flavors followed just more present and focused. The full, creamy body was very pleasant across the tongue. Drinkability was very good, a full 22 slid down easily. This beer is one we look forward to every year, another seasonal visitor we look forward to every year.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 05:51:04 | More by beertunes

Bfarr

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My thoughts on this are slightly skewed because this beer tasted almost exactly like another belgian I've had before (I can't remember the name) though the Snoqualmie is not as well balanced. Good for the value but an almost salty finish became more pronounced as I finished it. A fine bouquet and light enough that even my wife liked it! The coriander definitely gives this a nice herbal taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2010 23:53:45 | More by Bfarr

SaucyA

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Into an Urthel glass, pours a slightly dark orange with a 1 finger off white head. Carbonation looks quite abundant. Lacing present.

S - Smell is of oranges and orange peel mostly. Luckily, I really like oranges. Reminds me a bit of Oberon, frankly. Coriander is abundant... and if I take a GIANT breath, I can find a yeasty undertone that's also quite fruity.

T - Super sweet with a nice, trying-so-hard-to-be tart finish. Lots of orange and blood orange. Borderline cloying, but manageable. Slight heat in the tummy but alcohol not noted otherwise. Could use a slight tweaking, but not bad.

M - Great, creamy mouthfeel, with reasonably sparkly carbonation.

D - Sweetness really blows an otherwise great beer. I'll enjoy both of my bombers of this, but in my opinion, Spring Fever could use a little work.

Notes: I'd like to taste this with spontaneously fermenting yeast, less sweetness, and/or with a more interesting hop profile. The malting could really use some work, just by making it play more of a part in the taste.

I actually enjoyed this brew, but there is some real potential with this that the brewery isn't taking advantage of.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2008 19:14:37 | More by SaucyA

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Grand Crus can often be challenging to appreciate, especially since the style is so open to interpretation. Snoqualmie faces this challenge with a spring seasonal whose bright array of Belgian spice flavor is enhanced by coriander. The beer is orange-amber with diminished carbonation and no lace. The aroma is timid but amiable in the tradition of Belgian exotica.

Spring Fever makes ample use of Czech Saaz for spice. But its lack of peppery bite equates with an ease of appreciation.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2009 03:07:23 | More by RedDiamond

jdense

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle from West Richland Beer and Wine, shared with beer compadre 7.19.11, poured into wine tumblers.

One finger broken, uneven white head, fairly quick dissipation, minimal lacing over golden amber clear body small streams of rising carbonation. De Coriander Bomb, huge peppery esters, very little orange peel, etc for balance, some caramel and pilsener malts add a bit of complexity. Taste is even more coriander-centric than the nose, a bit of sweetish malt but not the most balanced example of the style and I had a hard time perceiving any hops, perhaps a bit of floral notes, due to overwhelming coriander character. Mouthfeel is a bit on the light side of medium, very dry finish. An interesting and fairly unique take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:34:45 | More by jdense

ChugMan

Washington

3.69/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Brown /orange bubbly body, very attractive fluffy head which slowly settled. Powerful lacing throughout. By the end, my glass looked like a stripmine.
S - Quite aromatic: spicy incense, strawberry gummis, pineapple, banana, cream. A bit of harsh rasp in there too, suggesting wheat, though I know there isn't any. Something like varnish, sort of a one-off sweetness.
T - Not overly complex but flavors are certainly pronounced. Canned fruit medley, star anise, marjoram, misc. spice, A bit of cloying green flavor at the end of the nose which might come from the coriander, which again suggests a wheat presence, but again my senses are fooled. Light copper, enough to keep it interesting. Again, pretty strong, palates beware!
M - Fizzy on the tongue. Bitterness is subdued at first but makes itself known after a bit, biting at the back of the tongue and mouth. Mostly refreshing but also full-feeling.
O - Might be best consumed in Springtime, as its name suggests. Warm days with cool breeze carrying the smell of flowers. Unfortunately, I can't get too excited about this one: the Belgian style isn't quite up my alley. Regardless, this is a solid beer that anyone should be happy to try.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 23:20:19 | More by ChugMan

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hit the spot Grand Cru although one-dimensional corriander, it is drinkable sweet-spicey, with above average carbonation albeit from the Saaz hops. Still very drinkable supporting yeast,decent looks and yeasty smell. It works.
Thanks SuzyGreenberg (Ed Bottomley).

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2008 01:20:38 | More by northyorksammy

lifeboyq

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a coriander bomb, plain and simple. It's slightly over hopped like most american's poor interpretations of a belgian. i dont mind this beer and at the price point of under 4 bucks for 22 oz, its somewhat solid. i'd describe the malt profile if i could taste it but the coriander and slight over hops get in the way of any nuances you'd hope to get from the grain bill. there are no off putting phenols or esters, but i guess at 7% that should be expected. if you care about price and want a weekday relaxer, its worth having. If you want a world class offering, you might want to wash ur dog with this.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 07:06:17 | More by lifeboyq

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 3/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a hazy copper amber, one finger off-white head and lacing. Aroma of sweet malt, light fruit, coriander. In the flavor, coriander is up front and assertive. Medium body. Belgian fruits and light malt, coriander at first and middle. Medium fruit and malt finish with some astringency. A nice american made Belgian that could use some more balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 20:05:40 | More by LiquidAmber

beerguy101

California

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Medium brown color, medium head. A full-bodied, belgian style ale. Malty and sweet (added sugar?) Slightly hoppy, hops are spicy. Complex flavors. Good taste. Smooth. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly malty and sweet.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2003 02:45:30 | More by beerguy101

jellikit

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark rust. Deep orange. Thin, creamy head. Strong lacing. Slightly hazy.

Smell: coriander and citrus.

Taste: spice from Belgian yeast. Alcohol. Slightly bitter aftertaste. Coriander. Big malt character.

Mouthfeel: medium carbonation. Slightly thick with a pleasant body. Think J-Lo.

Overall: good heavy Belgian. Darkish, malty, big body.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 02:50:44 | More by jellikit

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber about 6 months ago in Seattle, and it's been sitting in my beer cellar for a while. Recently saw the note on the side of the bottle that said "keep refrigerated", so I figured I should drink it this weekend. Six months in the cellar, and no issues. Nice.
Poured into tulip glasses. Hazy orange color. Nice head that lasted a while and lots of lacing. Loved the taste of this beer. Has that classic Belgian sugary sweetness that plays well with the added spice notes. At 7%, this is one beer that I know that I could enjoy more than one. One of the better offerings from Snoqualmie.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2008 14:34:40 | More by morebeergood

flagmantho

Washington

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip.

Appearance: rich amber hue; rather dark for a "pale" ale, but still nice. It's also rather hazy with a fair amount of apparent effervescence and two fingers of compact ivory foam. It looks like it could be appetizing.

Smell: nice malt aroma with notes of toasted/biscuity malt. Hints of something akin to blackberry, but none of the tree-fruit aromas I usually expect here. Not bad, but in my mind could be better.

Taste: similar rich malt flavor but more of the blackberry stands out. There are rich floral flavors here which are due either to the yeast or the hops; I can't really tell. Toastiness is toned down in comparison to the aroma. It's pretty good but not a flavor profile I'd typically associate with a Belgian style brew.

Mouthfeel: medium body with plenty of carbonation which gives a nice creamy mouthfeel. Actually very nice indeed.

Drinkability: while I like the flavor a bit, and I love the mouthfeel, I don't think I'd typically want to drink a whole lot of this. I'll finish my bomber and then probably skip it the next time I see it at the store.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 00:47:12 | More by flagmantho

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Many thanks to Terry (beertunes) for the opportunity to try this interesting beer.

The beer pours a golden amber color with exceptional, pillowy head retention and good lacing. Have to say right off that this is a very active looking beer. The nose imparts considerable candied malt, but with underlying spice and hoppy bitterness as well. Flavors replicate the nose pretty closely, though I was a bit surprised by how sweet this beer is. There is some serious hoppy bitterness in the finish, but not really enough to counter the significant sweetness in this beer. It still tastes pretty good, but I wouldn't have minded if they dialed down the sweetness a bit (perhaps a bit of short term cellaring would calm this beer down a bit). Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but is just a bit thin on the finish. Drinkability isn't bad - the alcohol is well integrated in this beer - but the sweetness detracts just a bit from this beer's drinkability.

An interesting beer, reminding me of a somewhat sweeter version of some Belgian IPA's I've had. Thanks Terry!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 21:09:05 | More by johnmichaelsen

Boto

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is a dark orange-red color. I didn't get much head on mine, and it didn't last or lace. Some corriander and yeastiness to the aroma. Also some hops. The taste is a bit of the same: corriander, yeastiness and some hops. Not bitter, but I can taste the hops. They distract from the rest of the flavors a bit. The rest of the beer isn't quite full enough to stand up to them. Stil, very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2003 19:33:02 | More by Boto

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 22 oz brown bomber, “unfiltered and unpasteurized, please refrigerate” on the label. No freshness date.

Appearance: Bold orange amber colour with a mild chill haze, big frothy cream coloured head nearly over flows and seems to stick all over the glass.

Smell: Big time coriander with a floral hop in the back, fresh oranges with a hint of ester.

Taste: Very creamy medium body with a luscious and smooth carbonation. A full and rounded sweetness with flavours of coriander and citric rind riding out its wake. Hop bitterness is quite noticeable but not harsh, more of a pungent flavour that tries to meld with the fruitiness. Estery alcohol flares a bit with fruity and mild solvent flavours. A tight spiciness opens up in the middle with a quick peppery note and a bite from the hops as well as a meek medicinal phenol that rounds the brew out. An underlying nuttiness from the yeast adds an other complex bite to the every growing hop flavour that is bothersome and oddly attractive at the same time.

Notes: This brew reminds me of some of the new upstarts in Belgium and their generous use of hops in traditional styles as well as their own. A good paring would be with a plate of assorted pungent soft cheeses with whole grain rye crackers and fresh orange wedges to break up the flavours.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2002 20:54:52 | More by Jason