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Left Hand Snow Bound Winter Ale

 (RETIRED)
Percentile
76
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
3363.32/5.03.31/5.0Winter8.6%83.2Lager glass, Tumbler
Commercial Description:
Fight cabin fever! Made with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, hops, yeast, honey, orange zest, and other spices.

Editor’s Note: beginning in 2006, Snow Bound became the name for Left Hand’s strong winter seasonal beer made with honey and spices. It was previously known as XXXmas Ale. Below is the original XXXmas Ale description for reference.

XXXmas Ale is a spiced strong ale, using all natural ingredients to give it its festive nature. We brew this beer from a relatively high initial gravity to give it strength and body. This is (in our opinion) appropriate to a winter beer, and it helps to balance the numerous spices added. Honey is also added to increase fermentable sugars and give additional sweetness. Northern Brewer and Saaz hops are used sparingly, to allow the spices to evidence themselves. We add ground nutmeg, whole cloves, crushed cinnamon, orange zest and chopped ginger to spice the beer. Carbonation is kept low to accentuate the flavor of the beer and spices. It’s like a liquid cake. Brew water is relatively soft.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 UofFkid (108), Orlando, Florida, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/104/512/20
Mar 5, 2008  
Tap. Dark pour with little head. Varying aromas, very pleasant. Offering wasn’t thin bodied which suprised me. I didn’t notice the spices that many other reviewers mention.


 Quake1028 (633), Tampa, Florida, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/514/20
Mar 5, 2008  
Courtesy of Degarth. Amber colored, dark center with lighter edges. 1 finger thick white head, no retention, leaves a foamy layer atop the beer and minimal lacing. Nose of hops, caramel malts, assorted spices, honey, ginger, citrus fruits, cloves and nutmeg. Flavor profile very similar, heavy on the spice and juicy citrus fruits. Good stuff, but there is something I can’t quite put my finger on that keeps it from reaching that next level and being a really good beer. Medium bodied, slightly sticky and very warming. Lengthy, spicy and sweet fruit filled finish, with a wave of hops and astringency at the very end.


 Beerman6686 (1281), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/512/20
Feb 22, 2008  
Pours a watery dark red Color. Aroma of spices and alcohol. Taste of sweet malt and some spices with a big alcohol burn for its ABV.


 gnoff (3568), Göteborg, Sweden
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/104/514/20
Feb 20, 2008  
(650 ml / bomber bottle from Systembolaget) BB 01-2010. Clear dark red color, medium sized tan head. Chocolate, ornage and grains scent. Citrus, spicy and sweet taste. Medium to smooth mouthfeel, medium bitterness. Sweet sirup aftertaste, also some warming alcohol.


 pilsnerrogge (1781), Finspång, Sweden
2.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/54/102/511/20
Feb 19, 2008  
Bottle
Dark, reddish brown with disappearing head. Cinnamon, cardamom and liquorice aroma, maybe some chocolate as well. Many spices in the flavour, a bit too many. The taste of alcohol shows up in the finish. Never been a fan of spice beers, still isn’t.


 AmEricanbrew (1808), Doing Rogue, Louisiana, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/513/20
Feb 13, 2008  
Black tea color with a khaki head. Spiced up smell of cloves, nutmeg, gingerbread cookies. Malty sweet taste with cloves, nutmeg, and ginger are nice but not overpowering here. 12706


 Gregis (1132), Shawnee, Kansas, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/103/513/20
Feb 7, 2008  
Pours a cloudy root beer barrel (the candy) brown with a creamy beige head. The nose is a sweet and spicy blend of chocolaty cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Medium-bodied and slick with a moderately dry and lightly bitter finish, the flavor follows the nose with the profile skewed towards the spices vs. the chocolate. If it were the other way around, I would like this one a lot more than I do. It’s a decent winter warmer, but I’m just not a huge fan of heavily spiced beers.


 milljam (569), Norman, Oklahoma, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/103/514/20
Feb 3, 2008  
A nicely spiced winter ale. Nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon all make for a pleasant aroma. Flavor is malty, nice amount of sugar...all with a nice winter spice background. Farily alcoholic, which is covered well. A good beer for those cold winter nights in front of a fire.



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