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

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

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Softly glowing, gorgeous orange body. Medim sized, creamy based capping of off-white foam sits on top and lasts but a minute before fading to always present thick skim and the lacing is strewn about in patterns of stringy melted ice cream thickness.

Bold, floral, spicy aroma with lots of corriander, fresh flower petals, vanilla, apple blossom, lavendar, orange zest, and hops. Quite the potpourri on the nose with this one.

Taste follows suit with a nice flavor of candied floralness which contains a good amount of corriander spritzed about with a nice graze of citric pithyness and zest of orange, tangerine, and lemon rind. Very nice pale hoppyness is thrown about on top of the floral spices and has a wonderful balance of floral sweetness mixing in.

The body has an easy going, smooth, punctual tone to it. Creamy, lush, and full on the palate with fun floralness and citric zippyness which is all wrapped up in a finely paled down balance of sweetness and floral candy.

A good drinkin' brew. If you like em floral and spicy with the right kind of balance to back it up and make it easy to down than this is your beer. Enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2007 21:57:23 | More by tavernjef

kolbe

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I like this beer quite a lot, and I've consistently liked it every time I've had it.

It has a whole lot of fruit in the nose, front, and finish. It even has a bit of fruit-like orange in the color, which is very attractive.

The mouthfeel is a bit harsh, but not unpleasant.

I can easily drink a bomber of this, and I look forward to seeing it each spring!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2007 05:00:31 | More by kolbe

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

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

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear and orangy, with a white, dense, medium head.
Retention is short-lived, leaving some light lacing.
Aromatics are filled with lush fruits and spice.
Crushed tangerines, freshly cracked coriander, red grapes, and bubblegum.
Nose finishes sweetish and warming.
Medium bodied, a bit slick and chewy. Soft carbonation accents the spicing well.
Pallet is extremely fruity, zesty, and juicy.
Loads of orange character, with grape juice and coriander.
Esters continue in tandem with alcohol-laden hard candies and orange blossom honey.
Finishes warm, with a firm bitterness- edging out the residuals.
Big thanks to weefisheads for sending this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2006 00:18:39 | More by brewandbbq

RoyalT

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – This ale poured a big non-yeasty orange in color tinged in brown with a nice, bubbly off-white head.

Smell – The hops are rank in this one, and the coriander is raw. If you’ve ever wondered what reviewers mean when they describe a beer as “smelling like coriander” then just take a whiff of this. Besides this spice and the sharp floral hoppiness there’s some lightly-toasted malt in there somewhere.

Taste – The aroma cuts right to the taste. This is a sharp, rank, heavily-spiced hoppy Belgian that tastes exactly like it smells.

Mouthfeel – I’ll call this a big medium-bodied with some live carbonation and a short but chalky dryness that starts in the middle and continues through the finish.

Drinkability – If you like dry, hoppy Belgians there are not a lot of choices out there for you. De Ranke, Loterbol, and a handful of others depending on where you live. Well, if you live in the PacNW or otherwise have access to the fine ales of Snoqualmie Falls, you’ve got a terrific option here with Spring Fever.

Comments – I drank this entirely warm, not at room temp, but well above fridge or even cellar. The nose and taste were explosive, but I’m sure this ale would cut through an ice-cold session.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2006 03:37:37 | More by RoyalT

francisweizen

Australia

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

Dark orangey rust-laden gold with a small head of white foam, and small bubbled light carbonation. Aromas of banana, spices/coriander & clove, booze, some doughy malts, and some spicy German-ish hops. Taste follows suit with a nice flare of boozy fruity spiciness and a hoppy ending and dry finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and drinkability is good. A nice one from WA.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2005 19:57:06 | More by francisweizen

beerceller99

Louisiana

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

22 oz. bottle. Clear amber color with a reddish hue and a light tan head. Strong smell of coriander and grains. Medium bodied with a frothy mouthfeel. Taste has lots of coriander and spiced tea herbalness with a bready biscuit malt flavor.
The herbs and spices dominate the flavor here.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2005 17:55:10 | More by beerceller99

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

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

Mitchster

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Crystal clear with a deep garnet color, forming a decent beige head atop small bubbles with very good retention and minimal lacing. Carbonation is moderate to strong. Aroma is very intriguing-browning bananas, spicy clove, caramel malts, a distant note of grain husk. Taste begins spicy with cloves and a brisk banana flavor. An initially bright mouthfeel turns luxuriously creamy and pillowy soft with a very mild finish. Astringency is minimal, and alcohol is very well disguised. Dense body. There are hints of licorice or anise, bread dough, vanilla extract, orange, and a certain floral perfumy character (probably the coriander). The level of hop bitterness is well-balanced with the sticky, bready malts. On tap, this seemed to be a bit fruitier and brighter. A very good beer, and a meal in itself.
Made with English Pale, Munich, Carastan, and Belgian Aromatic malts, Columbus & Czech Saaz hops, spiced with coriander and fermented with Belgian yeast.
OG=1.070, AE=1.018, ABV=7.0%, IBU=32

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2003 14:34:12 | More by Mitchster

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

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